These Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls have serious crowd-pleaser potential!
Can I get you to picture something for me? Imagine the scent of warm, freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through your kitchen. Now imagine those cinnamon rolls have a unique twist that will make your taste buds very happy. I’m talking chocolate, peanut butter, and cinnamon all swirled together in a perfect trifecta of flavors. And as if that wasn’t enough to sway you, imagine these beauties topped with a creamy peanut butter glaze that’s so good you’ll want to lick the spoon.
I know this all sounds super indulgent, but here’s the kicker—these rolls are made with 100% whole-wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and absolutely no butter. But you’d never guess it by the texture. They’re light, airy, and fabulously fluffy. It took some experimenting to get them just right, but trust me, these were well worth the wait.
If you’ve been craving something warm, gooey, and sweet but you want to ease up on the heavy ingredients, this cinnamon roll recipe is a must-try. They’re a dream come true for breakfast lovers and chocolate-and-peanut-butter superfans alike.
Are Chocolate Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls Healthy?
This recipe wasn’t created to be a health food, but it was intended to be a slightly healthier alternative to most classic cinnamon roll recipes that use butter, whole eggs, and whole milk. This version still contains plenty of sugar and fat, but it has a few ingredient swaps that make it a little bit lighter overall—namely with egg whites, unsweetened almond milk, and nonfat Greek yogurt. This recipe also uses whole-wheat flour instead of the general all-purpose white flour. The former contains many more nutrients than the latter, including fiber, B vitamins, iron, and protein.
The Secret To Perfect Cinnamon Roll Slices
I have a potentially game-changing cinnamon roll tip for you: Ditch the knife and grab some dental floss. Yes, I’m being serious. The secret to cutting perfectly even slices of cinnamon roll dough, without squishing all your hard work, is dental floss. A knife tends to mash everything down, but floss slices right through like a dream.
All you need to do is slide a length of dental floss under the rolled-up log of dough. Crisscross the ends over the top of the log, and pull to slice through. Boom—clean, perfect cuts. And now you don’t have to clean a knife! Unflavored floss works best, but even if all you have is the minty variety on hand, you should not be left with any weird mint aftertaste in your rolls.
How To Make Ahead And Store
If you want to make the dish ahead of time, you can prep the dough up through cutting the rolls the night before. Then, put them in the fridge, covered, and let them rise slowly overnight. When you’re ready to bake, let them sit at room temp for about 30 minutes first. If you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container at room temp for around 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re really feeling indulgent, you can wash your cinnamon rolls down with a matching Peanut Butter Milkshake or Chocolate Milkshake. A Caramel Macchiato or homemade Caramel Frappé would be deliciously decadent, too. Of course, you could always keep things a bit on the lighter side with a Coconut Milk Smoothie instead.
Ingredients
For the Regular Dough:
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 package instant yeast about 1 teaspoon
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek nonfat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon egg whites
For the Chocolate Dough:
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 package instant yeast about 1 teaspoon
- 1/16 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek nonfat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon egg whites
For the Filling:
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 3-4 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk depending on how thick you want the glaze
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the regular dough (the flour, salt, and yeast). Do the same in a separate medium bowl with the dry ingredients for the chocolate dough (the flour, cocoa powder salt, yeast, and baking soda).
- In two separate, microwave-safe measuring cups, heat the water, honey, almond milk, and oil for each dough until it reaches 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t want it hotter than that or it will kill the yeast. Mix each honey/oil mixture into each bowl, adding the Greek yogurt and egg whites. Stir each dough until the Greek yogurt is well mixed and the dough is soft and a little bit sticky.
- Turn the regular dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 minutes until soft and elastic. Spray the bowl that it was in with cooking spray and place it back inside to let it rest. Repeat the kneading with the chocolate dough, and then let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Once the doughs have rested, roll them each between your hands, and then twist them together to form a rope. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14×8-inch rectangle.
- In a small bowl, melt the peanut butter and coconut oil until smooth. Mix well and spread out onto the rolled dough, making sure to really cover it.
- Ina separate small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Spread the sugar mixture all over the peanut butter, using your fingers to really rub it in. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over top, lightly pressing into the dough.
- Tightly roll the dough up and cut into 11 buns. You can use a very sharp knife or, my favorite, dental floss. Just slide the floss under the dough, and then cross each side over top of each other at the top of the roll and pull down to make a smooth slice.
- Spray a 9-inch circular baking dish (or pie dish) with cooking spray and place the rolls inside. Cover lightly with tinfoil and let the buns rise in a cool, dry place for 90 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes. Then lightly cover with tinfoil to prevent too much browning, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- While the buns bake, whisk together the peanut butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and almond milk until smooth. Make sure the cream cheese is nice and soft or you will have chunks in your glaze.
- Pour the glaze over the buns and serve immediately.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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