These cosmic brownie rolls are completely ridiculous in the best way. They start with the same soft milk bread dough as my classic cinnamon rolls, but this version gets a chocolate makeover with dark cocoa, a fudgy brownie batter filling, and chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Finished with brownie chunks and rainbow candy-coated chips, every layer feels like the center of a fudgy brownie!
How to Make Them
1
The first step in all of my cinnamon roll recipes is always the tangzhong.
This is a cooked flour-and-water roux that will help the yeast dough stay moist and tender for days. It’s super easy to make and requires no special ingredients.
2
You’ll add the tangzhong to the yeast dough and knead until the dough looks smooth and feels tacky.
3
When I developed this recipe, I knew that the filling needed to be actual brownie batter, so that’s what it is!
Make sure you use a rubber spatula to spread it, not a metal one. I found that the melted butter makes it hard to spread with the slick metal.
4
Spread the brownie batter across the rolled-out dough.
You want to take it all the way to the edges as evenly as possible.
5
Cut the dough into 12 equal-sized strips, then roll each one up.
Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a 9×13 baking pan. Make sure you give them room between each one so they can rise and bake properly.
6
You’ll know they’re ready to bake when the rolls are just barely touching, and when you touch the dough with your finger, it should feel like tiny bubbles beneath the surface.
7
Chocolate dough can be harder to gauge for doneness because you don’t get the same visual cues from the darker color.
I recommend using a thermometer inserted into the center of the middle roll. For gooey rolls, you’re aiming for 175°F.
8
To get that classic cosmic brownie look, I used colorful candy-coated chips and some mini brownie bites.
They really do have that fudgy brownie texture (I used my M&M brownie recipe as the inspiration for the filling and brownie bites, by the way), so if you’ve already made my chocolate cinnamon rolls (these don’t have cinnamon), think of these as the darker, richer, more brownie-like version.
I hope you love them as much as I do!
— Cambrea 🫶🏻
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Cosmic Brownie Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Tangzhong from above
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
For the Brownie Batter Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Cosmic brownie sprinkles, for garnishing
- Brownie bites, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4–5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.2/3 cup (155 g) water, 1/4 cup (32 g) bread flour
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, yeast, and salt.3 2/3 cups (485 g) bread flour, 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons (19 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast, 1 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
- Add the milk, cream, egg, and tangzhong. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 2-3 minutes, or until a rough dough forms.1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk, 1/3 cup (78 g) heavy cream, 1 (55 g) large egg, Tangzhong from above
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the butter 1/2 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding more. Continue kneading for 10–12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- Cover the bowl and set aside while you prepare the brownie filling.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips together, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Then, set aside to cool slightly.1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (130 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons (15 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.1/2 cup (199 g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, 1 (55 g) large egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon (3 g) vanilla bean paste or extract
- Slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.
- Fold in the flour and salt just until combined.3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Line a metal 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21×15 rectangle. Use a rubber (not metal) spatula to spread the brownie batter across the entire surface of the dough.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then place each one into the prepared baking pan.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
- Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until the center roll reaches 175–185°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- While the rolls are baking, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and lump-free.6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, 4 ounces cold cream cheese
- Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons (25 g) cocoa powder
- Mix in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth.1 tablespoon (15 g) heavy cream, 1 teaspoon (3 g) vanilla bean paste or extract, Pinch of fine sea salt
- Spread the frosting over the warm rolls. Garnish with cosmic brownie sprinkles and brownie bites before serving.Cosmic brownie sprinkles, Brownie bites
