orange dark chocolate sweet rolls

Happy happy Tuesday! Another week, another sweet roll recipe. Ha! Okay, not quite, but with the collection of roll recipes I'm amassing, it sure feels that way sometimes 😉 Today's twist on the original is inspired a bit by the canned orange rolls, except this version also includes chocolate. Because, well, I still haven't found a sweet food that hasn't been improved by the addition of chocolate, have you? Didn't think so. These Orange Dark Chocolate Sweet Rolls are delicious and seriously SO simple. Let's get to work!

These orange dark chocolate sweet rolls start as all my roll recipes do, with my trusty dough! It's just so well-behaved and easy to work with, and it tastes great soooo if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This time, I decided to experiment a little, though. Since having established that nondairy milk can be used with identical results as dairy milk, I decided to toy around with the vegetable oil today. I tried using melted coconut oil in its place and I couldn't be more pleased with the results! The dough came out pretty much exactly the same as normal, no coconut taste or anything, but I had the satisfaction of knowing I used a healthier option. Win-win!

If you don't particularly like orange desserts, worry not! I've never had the canned orange rolls because I thought I wouldn't like them, but I absolutely love these orange dark chocolate sweet rolls! The orange preserves are sweet without being cloying, and the dark chocolate chips add the perfect amount of bitterness to balance it out! The frosting is simply made with some fresh orange juice and powdered sugar. I added a couple drops of my Fiori di Sicilia essence, but if you don't have any, you can definitely use orange or lemon extract, or just leave that out altogether! These sweet rolls are the perfect spring version to the classic recipe, and they'll become your new favorite!

Looking for more sweet roll recipes? You can check out my Sour Cherry Chocolate Rolls, Peach Cinnamon Rolls, Chai Pear Cinnamon Rolls, and my Lemon White Chocolate Rolls 🙂 Happy baking!

Print Recipe

orange dark chocolate sweet rolls

Prep Time4 hours hrs

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 14 -16 rolls

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• *for the rolls*
• 1 cup milk {dairy or non-dairy}
• 2 cups white flour {+ ½ cup separated}
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ½ tablespoon instant active dry yeast {about ½ a package}
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• zest of 1 orange
• *for the filling*
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup sugar
• *for the glaze*
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup powdered sugar more or less depending on consistency you want
• ½ teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia extract

Instructions

• In a large nonstick pot, combine the milk, oil, and ¼ cup of sugar. Heat up to about 120F {warmer than body temperature but NOT burning hot} over medium heat, then remove from burner and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
• Afterwards, mix in the 2 cups of flour, cover the pot with a clean tea towel, and let the dough rise for about 1 hour.
• After the first rise, add in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and additional flour. Knead until all the flour has been absorbed, and add more if needed. You want the dough to be soft and smooth but not too sticky! Using a sharp knife, cut an X on top of your dough {this helps it rise }, cover with a tea towel again, and let rise for an additional 3+ hours. You can let it rise overnight at this point, or you can also wait until the next step!
• After the second rise, lightly flour a clean surface, and dump the dough on top. Add in the orange zest and knead it for 2-3 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with, so add flour if it's too sticky!
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, making sure you don't roll it out too thin. Spread the orange marmalade all over the surface, and top with the chocolate chips and sugar.
• Starting on the long side closest to you, roll up the dough, being careful that no filling falls out of the sides.
• Using a large, smooth knife, cut 1½-2 inch slices of dough, and place them in a greased 9x13 pan or two 9x9. Make sure to leave some space between the rolls to allow them to rise more!
• At this point, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and either let them rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, or place them in the refrigerator overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake the rolls 18-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and no longer doughy.
• While the rolls cook, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, powdered sugar, and Fiori di Sicilia. Add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you want your glaze to be.
• Let rolls cool slightly before glazing, and enjoy!