These soft and fluffy chocolate chip cinnamon rolls with a maple glaze are so quick and easy to prepare thanks to a simple scone dough base. They are best served warm while the chocolate is all melty. Made using a few simple ingredient swaps, these are also dairy-free and vegan.
Love cinnamon rolls but don’t love how long they take to prepare? You’re going to love today’s recipe. These cheats cinnamon rolls are made with a simple scone dough meaning you can be eating a steaming hot roll in around 30 minutes from now. Got your attention? Let me show you how!
These cinnamon rolls are a combination of so many delicious things all in one. There is a soft dough spiked with pieces of milk chocolate plus a generous amount of cinnamon sugar topped off with a creamy maple glaze.
These are the absolute best fresh from the oven, when the centres are still warm and soft and the butter and melted chocolate ooze out. They might be a bit messy to eat but there is nothing better than getting a bite filled with all the flavours of the chocolate, cinnamon and that sticky maple glaze.
To make things a little extra indulgent you can also top them with a little vanilla icecream and the dealer’s choice of chocolate or caramel sauce. It’s the perfect low fuss but fancy dessert.
And while I make a lot of desserts, I always know when I’m onto a winner when my husband keeps going back to get more and this my dear friends is exactly that recipe. These easy cinnamon rolls disappeared so quickly by my family that I had to make another batch to take photos!
Ingredients for easy chocolate chip cinnamon rolls
To make this recipe, you’ll need a few pantry staples for the simple scone dough.
- Self-raising flour – a staple in most Australian and UK kitchens this flour already has a leavener added and helps to create a light and fluffy texture. If you don’t have any you can always make your own by sifting together 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 1 cup of plain flour.
- Salt – just a pinch for flavour
- Butter – the butter needs to be cold for this recipe. I use Nuttelex in place of butter as it’s a great dairy-free alternative and works great as a 1-1 substitution in recipes like this.
- Milk – I love baking with almond milk and for this recipe I actually used the vanilla flavour.
And finally, we are adding chopped chocolate to the dough. I’m using a vegan milk chocolate as I love the sweet and creamy flavour in this recipe but you can use any of your favourite chocolate.
For the filling you are going to use a little more dairy-free butter and a good quantity of cinnamon and brown sugar. And for the glaze, again some dairy-free butter, pure maple syrup and icing sugar.
All simple ingredients that come together in the perfect combination of flavours!
How to make chocolate chip cinnamon rolls
These cinnamon rolls are so easy to make as instead of using a bread dough that requires kneading and rising time, these are made with a basic scone dough that comes together super quick.
You’ll need a large mixing bowl, a flat bladed knife, a rolling pin and a baking tray (or pie dish as I use).
To make the rolls;
- Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and add the cold dairy-free butter in small pieces. You can use real butter here, or I use Nuttelex as a replacement to keep these dairy-free and vegan.
- Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs.
- Add in the milk (I use almond milk here) and use a flat bladed knife to mix through the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- Add in the chopped chocolate and use your hands to knead it into the dough and form a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that’s as close to 25cm x 40cm as you can.
- Spread the butter across the dough leaving about a 2cm gap along the long edge, and then sprinkle with the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.
- Roll up the dough from the long edge towards the side with the gap. Slice the log into 8 even pieces.
- Place the rolls in a lined and greased baking tray or pie dish and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops are just starting to turn golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the maple glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl and then drizzle it over the warm rolls.
These easy cinnamon rolls are perfect for lazy sundays or to end a dinner party. While I know that pastries are often considered a breakfast treat, these will hit the spot at any time of day when the craving for something sweet hits.
There is just something about the combination of both chocolate and cinnamon not to mention that creamy maple glaze that comes together in these rolls that make these one of my favourite easy things to make.
Please share any creations on Instagram using the tag #eightforestlane as we would love to see what you’re making!
More easy dessert recipes:
Easy Cinnamon Tea Cake
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
Quick and Easy Chocolate Brownies
One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 90 grams cold dairy-free butter chopped
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk
- 100 grams chocolate chopped
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter melted
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup icing sugar
- pinch salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a baking dish.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt together and add the butter. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs. Add the milk to the dry ingredients and use a flat bladed knife to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add the chopped chocolate and gently start to knead it into the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until it just comes together and the chocolate is mixed through. Roll out the dough until it’s about 25cm x 40cm rectangle.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together, then spread the dough with butter, leaving a 2cm gap along the long side of the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Roll the dough from the long edge (not the side with the gap). Slice the roll into 8 pieces.
- Place the slices in the prepared baking dish cut side up and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Make the glaze while the rolls are baking by mixing together the melted butter and maple syrup with the icing sugar. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
- Once the rolls are cooked, drizzle the glaze over the top. These rolls are best served immediately while still warm and the chocolate melty, but they will keep in the fridge covered for up to three days and can be reheated with a little zap in the microwave.
Notes
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