Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls

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All over the internet people are having baked oats and "nature's cereal" for breakfast...and here I am with these! For the ultimate in breakfast (or brunch!) decadence: Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls!

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Roll on a white plate.

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I'm calling these babies Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls just for an easy name for them. What we're actually talking about here are soft sweet rolls filled with chocolate filling and homemade dulce de leche. Then, after I topped them with a dulce de leche cream cheese frosting, I swirled some dark chocolate ganache into the frosting because CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP.

Spoiler: this isn't a quick recipe. Even if you choose to use store bought dulce de leche (as making/cooking it takes 5+ hours), the dough is chilled overnight for maximum flavor. I highly suggest a casual approach to these babies, starting the day before you plan to eat them!

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like my recipes for Cherry Almond Sweet Rolls, Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls, and Chocolate Rolls with Espresso Glaze!

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Ingredients
How to Make Dulce de Leche
How to Make the Sweet Rolls
How to Make the Frosting
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Posts You May Like
Recipe

Unbaked chocolate and dulce de leche rolls.

Ingredients

Homemade Dulce de Leche Ingredients:

I really like to make homemade dulce de leche, but store-bought is still amazing if you don't want to take the time! If you can't find it in your local store, you can find some here.

Sweetened Condensed Milk - The one and only ingredient that you need to make homemade dulce de leche! Please heed my safety warnings in the recipe! I've never seen a can of sweetened condensed milk explode, and I don't want you to, either!

Sweet Roll Dough Ingredients:

Sour Cream - For moisture and richness. I used full fat sour cream. If you prefer, you can substitute full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. Unsalted so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Salt - To balance and enhance the flavor of the dough.
Sugar - For sweetness and moisture.
Water - For moisture.
Yeast - For leavening and flavor. The flavor develops when the dough rests. I use instant yeast, which technically you don't need to bloom (wait for it to get foamy), but I still like to do this step to ensure that my yeast is active/alive.
Eggs - For moisture, richness, and a little leavening.
Flour - For structure for the rolls. I used all-purpose flour.

Chocolate Filling Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter - For richness and a spreadable consistency for the filling. Unsalted so that your filling isn't salty. You want your butter to be at room temperature so your filling will be smooth.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder - For flavor. Dutch process cocoa powder darker and smoother than regular cocoa powder, so I prefer it here. If you don't have it on-hand, you can substitute with regular cocoa powder.
Powdered Sugar - For sweetness. I chose powdered sugar because it dissolves completely for a smooth filling.

Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

Cream Cheese - For unbeatable flavor! I used full-fat cream cheese. You want your cream cheese to be at room temperature so that your frosting will be smooth.
Unsalted Butter - For a richer, silkier texture for your frosting. You also want the butter to be at room temperature. I used unsalted so the frosting wouldn't be salty.
Dulce de Leche - For flavor.
Vanilla Bean Paste - For amazing flavor! Vanilla bean paste is more flavorful than extract and less expensive than whole beans--it's one of my favorite ingredients ever! If you prefer, you can substitute with an equal measure of vanilla extract.
Powdered Sugar - For sweetness. I chose powdered sugar because it dissolves completely for a smooth texture for your frosting. If your powdered sugar looks lumpy, you want to sift it first to avoid lumpy frosting (I always do).

Chocolate Ganache:

Chocolate, chopped finely - For flavor. Because there's so much sweetness in the rest of the recipe, I chose a dark (bittersweet) chocolate.
Unsalted Butter - For a rich, silky ganache! I used unsalted so that the ganache wouldn't be salty.

Partially frosted chocolate and dulce de leche rolls in a white baking dish with an offset spatula on top.

How to Make Dulce de Leche

Place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk (removing any label) and place the can in a pot tall enough that you can cover it with a few inches of water. After filling the pot, with the can completely submerged, place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and keep the water at a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer 3 hours, checking regularly to ensure the can is still covered with water. Add additional water to the pot as necessary to keep the can submerged. **It is possible that the can will EXPLODE if not kept submerged. I think it's a small chance, but no one wants that!!**
After three hours, turn the heat off and leave the can to sit in the water until it's cool enough to handle. Let the can sit at room temperature for at least two hours after removing from the water. If you want to make the dulce de leche in advance, it will keep up to one month (unopened) in the refrigerator.

Frosted chocolate dulce de leche rolls in a white baking dish.

How to Make the Sweet Rolls

For Dough:

In a saucepan, combine sour cream, butter, salt, and ¼ cup sugar. Warm mixture just until the butter melts. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy.
Combine sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the flour while mixing until a soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning the dough over to grease the top. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough overnight (8-24 hours).
After refrigerating, roll the dough into a 20"x16" rectangle.

For Chocolate Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Gradually add the cocoa and powdered sugar until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Assembly/Baking:

Spread the chocolate filling and the dulce de leche (reserving 3 tablespoon for the frosting) over the dough evenly.
Roll the dough up from a long edge. Trim rough ends, if necessary, and discard. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
Place the cut pieces in a greased 9"x13" pan. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until doubled.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake cinnamon rolls 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

I roll my dough out on a pastry mat for this recipe. It's not a necessity, but it keeps the dough from sticking to your counter (and it won't stick to the pastry mat!) without introducing additional flour to the dough. If you're looking for one, you can find them online here.

I include specific instructions for spreading the dulce de leche and chocolate fillings on the dough to ensure you get both in every sweet roll! You can also check out the reel that I made on Instagram that shows you the whole assembly process!

Closeup of a chocolate and dulce de leche roll on a white plate with a fork.

How to Make the Frosting

For Frosting:

Combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth.
Add the vanilla bean paste and reserved dulce de leche and mix until incorporated.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated and smooth. Frost the tops of the sweet rolls with the frosting.

For Ganache:

I almost listed the ganache swirled into the frosting as "optional" in the recipe, but I figure we've gone this far, what's a little more chocolate?? I wanted to ensure we were still celebrating both the dulce de leche AND the chocolate in the frosting, so I just had to.

Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave on 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Dollop or pipe ganache on top of the frosted sweet rolls and swirl the ganache into the frosting with a spoon or offset spatula.

Partially eaten chocolate dulce de leche roll on a white plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these rolls be made in advance?

Yes! The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, so you can make it ahead and shape/bake them when you need them. Once the rolls are baked and cooled, you can freeze them (wrapped well and unfrosted). They'll stay good for several months in the freezer if wrapped well, then you just thaw and frost them. Once baked and frosted, they'll keep on your counter (covered) for 2-3 days (if they last that long)!

Does the dough really need to be rested overnight?

Er...no. Not officially. The overnight rest in the refrigerator will give you the best flavor from the yeast. If you're in a hurry, you can simply let the dough rise on the counter for about an hour before shaping them, you just won't have the most flavorful rolls possible.

This recipe was so much fun to make AND to eat!! So treat yo'self to this decadent, delicious (and ridiculous?) breakfast! 🙂

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls