Nutella Cinnamon Rolls
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These Nutella cinnamon rolls keep the classic cinnamon swirl you love but swap the butter for Nutella in the filling and load up on it again in the frosting. Fluffy, chocolatey, and irresistibly gooey, they’re a must-bake for any Nutella fan.
MY FAVORITE CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE FOR THE NUTELLA LOVERS
When I set out to expand my cinnamon roll collection for 2025’s monthly baking themes, I wanted something in the chocolate realm that wasn’t just loaded with chocolate chips (looking at you, chocolate chip cookie dough cinnamon rolls and s’mores cinnamon rolls) but that also didn’t turn my classic cinnamon roll base into a chocolate bread. No shade to chocolate-based rolls, but the point of my monthly baking series is taking one base or concept of a base and creating variations on a theme.
And that’s where gobs of Nutella come in for these Nutella cinnamon rolls. We’re taking everything tried and true about my beloved small batch cinnamon rolls, keeping the integrity of the “loaded with cinnamon” vibe, and swapping out melted butter in the filling for an equal amount of nutty, chocolatey Nutella. We’re also sticking some Nutella in the frosting on top (more on that later). Truly no shortage of the good stuff in these rolls.
This recipe uses my trusted cinnamon roll dough, reduced to a manageable smaller batch of 6 rolls, but it doubles easily for a full dozen and can even be made into 24 mini rolls. The instructions are pretty straightforward and beginner-friendly, but if you’re new to yeasted rolls or breads, I’ve included step-by-step photos, tips, and a video to walk you through it. You can read over my guide to baking with yeast if you need more resources and confidence to tackle your yeast roll dough.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
Here’s a visual of what you’ll need for the yeasted roll dough. Be sure you check the recipe card for the exact amounts you’ll need for each part of these Nutella cinnamon rolls.
INGREDIENT NOTE
You’ll want all of your ingredients to be at room temperature unless otherwise noted. Allow your ingredients to sit out for at least 45-60 minutes before beginning your recipe to ensure a cohesive dough and to create an environment where your yeast dough will thrive.
OVERVIEw: HOW TO MAKE NUTELLA CINNAMON ROLLS
Make the dough: begin by blooming the yeast in warm water with a bit of granulated sugar to get it active, then stir in the remaining wet ingredients (warm milk, vanilla extract, and an egg). Mix in about half of the flour along with the salt and softened butter, then add the rest of the flour. Just like with biscuits and pie dough, working the butter into the flour in stages helps form small pockets of fat. Those melt as the dough bakes, creating light, flaky layers with plenty of texture.
Let the dough rest: while this cinnamon roll dough only needs one rise, it does benefit from a short resting period before shaping. This downtime gives the gluten a chance to loosen up, making it much easier to roll and stretch the dough into a rectangle without it springing back.
Roll into a rectangle: roll the dough into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle, or 12″ x 18″ for a double batch.
Prepare and add the filling: the filling for these rolls is the same cinnamon-sugar filling you find in my traditional cinnamon rolls, but we’re leaving out the butter and spreading the entire surface of this rectangle of dough with Nutella.
Shape and rise: after spreading the filling, roll the dough up tightly from the long edge to form a log. Cut the log into 6 even pieces and arrange them in your baking dish. Cover the pan with a towel and let the rolls rise until puffy and slightly expanded.
Bake the rolls: the rolls will turn golden brown as they approach the finish line.
Allow to cool briefly: give the baked rolls about 10-15 minutes to cool while you prepare the Nutella buttercream frosting.
Make Nutella frosting: this comes together quickly– it’ll take you just a few minutes if everything’s at room temperature. I like to spread it over the rolls while they’re still a little warm so it melts slightly, creating that perfectly gooey, drippy finish.
IF YOU’RE MISSING THE TRADITIONAL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
I get it, a cinnamon roll should have cream cheese frosting. Perhaps it should be a crime there isn’t any cream cheese in this Nutella rolls topping, but alas, I chose to leave it out because I wanted the pure flavor or Nutella to shine through. If you’d prefer a cream cheese based topping, see the notes at the bottom of the recipe for how to turn my favorite cream cheese frosting into a Nutella version. Or just go with classic cream cheese!
MORE OF MY FAVORITE CINNAMON ROLL RECIPES
Nutella Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
ROLL DOUGH
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm water
- 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (4g) dry active yeast or half of one packet
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm milk
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 and ¼ cups (270g) all purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into 4-6 pieces
NUTELLA CINNAMON FILLING
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (111g) Nutella
NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (74g) Nutella
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons (15-30mL) milk or cream if needed
Instructions
ROLL DOUGH
- Spray a baking dish1 with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Place warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Whisk with a fork, wooden spoon, or spatula and allow to rest and activate for 10 minutes.¼ cup (60mL) warm water, 1 and ⅛ teaspoons (4g) dry active yeast
- Once the yeast mixture is active and bubbly, add the milk, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and egg. Whisk to combine.¼ cup (60mL) warm milk, 2 and ½ Tablespoons (32g) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Gradually stir in the flour. If using a stand mixer, use your dough hook. If mixing by hand, continue to use a wooden spoon. Add about 1 cup of the flour, allow dough to come together, then add the softened butter and continue to blend. When butter is mostly incorporated, add the remaining 1 and ¼ cup of the flour and blend until dough has mostly come together. It may still be shaggy, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl fairly easily.3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, 2 and ¼ cups (270g) all purpose flour
- Turn out dough on a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, adding flour about 1 Tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky, until smooth and elastic. Your dough should resemble the surface texture of PlayDoh when it is done. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
NUTELLA CINNAMON FILLING
- In a medium size bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk or stir until well-blended. Set aside.¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 and ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 9" x 12" in size. Dough will be very elastic, so be patient and keep rolling. There is no need to rush this step.
- When you have your rectangle, spread the Nutella evenly over the dough, leaving about ½" border around the edges. You can warm it gently in the microwave to make it easier to spread. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the Nutella.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE DOUGH
- Starting with one of the long sides, roll the dough up into a tight 12" log. Use your fingers or palms on either end of the log to gently squeeze the log to "contain" the uneven ends. Using a sharp serrated knife and taking care to keep the seam side down, cut the log into 6 even slices. Don't worry if filling squishes out.
- Place the slices cut side down in the prepared pan, gather any cinnamon-sugar that fell out, sprinkle over the rolls, then press down gently to flatten slightly. Cover loosely with foil or a kitchen towel. Allow rolls to rise for 1 and ½ hours.
- When roll dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Bake the rolls for 28-32 minutes or until rolls just start to brown on top. You can cover the rolls with foil to prevent browning, if desired. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes while you prepare the meringue topping.
NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and Nutella on medium-high speed until smooth.¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and the salt and continue mixing until smooth. Utilize the liquid if you prefer a thinner consistency for your buttercream.1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Spread the buttercream frosting2 onto slightly cooled rolls and serve rolls immediately. Leftover rolls stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 8-10 seconds before serving. See notes section below for other storage and preparation suggestions.
Video
Notes
- Baking dish: I like to use either an 8″ square baking pan or an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan or pie plate. If using a square dish, arrange them in 2 rows of 3. If using a round pan, place one in the center and the other 5 evenly spaced around it.
- Frosting: if you’d prefer a more traditional cream cheese frosting for these rolls, add 2 ounces of full fat block cream cheese to the butter and Nutella in step #1 under the frosting instructions. You will likely not need any additional liquid if you go this route.
- Make ahead: this dough can be made the ahead of time through step 1 of the “assemble and bake dough” instructions. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm environment, about 1 hour. Continue with step 2 in the “assemble and bake dough” instructions.
- To freeze: baked rolls freeze well, up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm before enjoying.
- To freeze unbaked rolls: bake the rolls in step 2 in “assemble and bake dough” instructions for 10 minutes at 350°F (177ºC). Allow to cool completely, cover tightly, then freeze. Remove the rolls from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Finish baking for the remaining 20-25 minutes before frosting and serving.
- Working with yeast: for a comprehensive look at working with yeast in a recipe, see my post about how to bake with yeast.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.