Nutella Rolls

A batch of Nutella cinnamon rolls in a pan with Nutella icing.

5 from 9 votes

These Nutella rolls are soft, fluffy and filled with Nutella. They are covered with Nutella cream cheese icing. They are gooey, super chocolatey and perfect for holiday brunches!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Resting time1 45

Total Time3 15

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: rolls

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Natalie

Ingredients

Dough

¼ cup water warm, 110 degrees F
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup granulated sugar divided
1 large egg room temperature
1 egg yolk
4 cups all purpose flour or bread flour plus more for dusting

Cinnamon Nutella filling

1 cup Nutella
1/2 banana optional, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional

Nutella cream cheese icing

1 ounce cream cheese full fat, block style, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar sifted
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
⅓ cup Nutella
½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, add more if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Dough

Grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine water, the yeast, and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Let stand 10 minutes til it's foamy.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, remaining sugar (about ⅓ cup minus 2 teaspoons used for the yeast), salt, and butter. Stir occasionally over medium heat. For best results use an instant read thermometer and heat til mixture reaches between 120-130℉.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 2 cups of flour, the egg, egg yolk, milk mixture, and yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until combined.
Switch to the dough hook attachment. With the mixer running on low speed, add the remaining 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between each addition. Continue mixing until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft ball around the hook. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 9 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time as needed while kneading. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticking to your hands. Place dough in the large oiled bowl and turn once to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Chop banana into small pieces, if using. If you're not adding banana, skip this step.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured suface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle (about a 16 by 12 inch rectangle).
Spread the Nutella evenly. Leave a 1/4 inch border on all sides. Sprinkle the cinnamon and finely chopped banana (if using) evenly on top.
Starting on the long side closest to use, tightly roll dough away from you into a log. Place the dough seem side down and put your hands on each end of the log. Push the ends gently towards the middle to compact the log a bit.
Slide an 11 inch string of unflavored dental floss (or thin sewing thread) under the roll. Hold the two ends up and cross them over the log. Pull through to cut. Cut off 1/2 inch to 1 inch off both ends. Discard those uneven end pieces then slice the rest of the log into 12 equal pieces.
Place rolls in a 9 x 13 inch rectangular dish lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with baking spray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until rolls are lightly golden brown. Centers should be set and the internal temperature should read about 190°F if using a thermometer. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Nutella cream cheese icing

In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter on medium speed with an electric mixer with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes til creamy and combined.
Add the Nutella and beat for an additional minute.
Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the Nutella mixture. Continue mixing on low til the dry ingredients are incorporated then turn the mixer up to medium speed. Beat on medium for 1 minute til icing is creamy and completely smooth. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of cream or milk at a time. Add as much cream or milk til you get the icing consistency you like.
Spread the icing over the warm or room temperature rolls with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

Notes

Yeast: I use active dry yeast. Make sure your yeast is fresh. If your yeast does not foam and bubble after 5 or 10 minutes, throw it away and start over.

Milk: Milk should be warm to the touch, between 100 and 110 degrees. If milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast and your rolls won't rise. For best results, use an instant read thermometer.

Banana: Banana is optional. Finely chop the banana and use no more than ½ banana. Larger pieces can release too much moisture while baking.

Unflavored dental floss: This dough is very soft and it's best to cut with unflavored dental floss. Cutting them with a knife can squish the rolls. If you don't have floss, thin sewing thread can also work. If using a knife, make sure it is very sharp. Use a gentle back and forth sawing motion instead of pressing down into the roll.

Baking: If the outside of the rolls are browning faster than the middles, very lightly top with aluminum foil during baking.

Overnight instructions: After placing the cut rolls in the baking dish (end of step 11), cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. The next morning, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes (or up to 1 hour til rolls look slightly puffy) while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake as directed.

Storage: Cinnamon rolls are best the day they're made. To store unfrosted cinnamon rolls at room temperature, cover the dish tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Cover the dish and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cinnamon rolls last longer in the fridge but dry out a little when refrigerated.

Nutrition