Imagine a delicious cinnamon roll, but with Nutella?  This recipe for Nutella rolls will help you create the fluffiest, most pillowy soft rolls you have ever tried. It has rich Nutella in the filling and a Nutella coating.

This recipe was posted over a year ago on our website, loved by so many on our social media platforms, so we decided to update the pictures and improve the recipe to something even better.

About two weeks ago, we shared a recipe for chocolate Nutella rolls that so many of you loved, which is why we got inspired to recreate this delicious recipe.

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The ingredients are very similar to so many of our brioche or rolls recipes, as they make the perfect base recipe to have perfect sweet rolls.

• Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens our dough and also helps it grow and color. Some people choose to use honey instead and reduce the amount of sugar.
• Active dry yeast: always use fresh yeast; you will notice if it’s not working properly on the first step.  
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe; it will give you a tender crumb and perfect structure.  
• Milk: it needs to be lukewarm, make sure not to use milk that is too cold or hot, as one might not activate the yeast, and the other one will kill it.  
• Eggs: It’s best to use room temperature eggs.
• Salt: it enhances the flavor of the dough. Don’t use too much because you don’t want the Nutella rolls to be savory.
• Butter: I like to add the room temperature unsalted butter in the last 10 minutes of kneading, which helps with the structure.
• Nutella: We are using a lot of Nutella! You can choose any other chocolate spreads you like.  

Granulated sugar

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Active Dry Yeast

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All purpose flour

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Milk

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Eggs

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salt

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Unsalted butter

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Nutella

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How do you activate active dry yeast?

When you activate the yeast, the most important things are: the freshness of the yeast and the temperature of the milk.  Hot milk will kill the yeast, while cold milk will not do anything to it. Below you will see all of the temperatures for the milk at any stage for activating yeast.

• The ideal milk temperature to activate the yeast: between 110F-115F (43C-46C). Between those temperatures, the yeast will be easily activated. You know it’s active when you notice a layer of foam on top of your milk mixture; it’s like a sponge.
• If the temperature is too cold: under 100F (38 °C), the yeast won’t be activated; it’s sleeping. All you can do is try to scoop some milk that has no yeast in it from the same mixture and warm it up, then mix it back with the rest and hope for the yeast to activate.
• When the temperature of the milk is too hot: at 120F (49 °C), the yeast is killed. At this point, you cannot save it, and you will need to start again from zero.

Best temperature to proof your rolls’ dough

The temperature you proof your dough at matters. I normally set my dough proofer temperature to 79F (26 °C) to 84F (29 °C) to proof most of my doughs. This gives me the best-proved doughs.

With a controlled temperature, you don’t have to worry about the weather factor, if it’s cold, windy, rainy, no matter what, the rolls will proof.  

If you prepare dough and try to proof it on summer, you have to be very careful specially if your house is super hot, or if you like to proof the dough outside. Not only because ants will attack your dough, but also because it can easily ferment.

Key points to make Nutella rolls

• Kneading. This dough and many other enriched doughs will need a lot of kneading. This is so you can have a very soft dough. it’s important you don’t skip this step.  
• Proofing. Without proper proofing, you will not have your Nutella rolls. Proofing makes your dough very tender. Don’t proof your rolls and you will end up with rocks.
• Baking: You know it is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 190F (88C). Follow the baking times and check the temperature to make sure your rolls are fully baked.

How to cut your Nutella rolls

There are different methods to cut rolls, and everyone has their favorite. Here I will show you three methods people love to do, so you can choose your favorite.

1. My favorite: this is the method I have been choosing for the past year. Roll out the dough, spread the Nutella, and then cut it into strips. You can roll each one of them and have better control over the shape.
2. Rolling it into a log. Roll out the prepared dough and then roll it into a big log. Using a knife, cut the rolls. This method is very traditional, and it’s the one I have seen around the longest.
3. Dental floss. All you have to do is roll the prepared dough into a log. Grab a long piece of unscented floss, and while you grab both ends, put it under where you want to, then cross them and pull from both ends. This will cut the dough. This is a good method.

Kneading

You can either knead by hand or using a stand mixer. I recommend the second option as the dough is sticky at the beginning.

We use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, which is the one that looks like a wrinkled tail.

It is important to keep the mixer on low at all times. I normally knead it at the lowest speed. Even after we add the butter, we keep it on low.

Tips to make Nutella cinnamon rolls

• Knead and proof the dough for the specific times mentioned in this recipe; this will help you have soft and tender rolls.
• Add a splash of heavy whipping cream on each of the rolls for softer results.
• You can customize this recipe and add any filling you like.
• Enjoy warm.

Grab the right tools

A few tools you will need: this recipe calls for a stand mixer, but you can knead the dough by hand if that is not an option.

• Mixing bowl or stand mixer. If you are using a stand mixer, use the same bowl from the mixer, but If you will be kneading the dough by hand, use a mixing bowl to prepare the dough ingredients.  
• Stand mixer: very useful to knead the dough. Especially sticky doughs.
• Dough proofer (optional): This is optional but helps control the temperature when proofing dough.
•  Baking dish: any baking dish you have that is safe for oven use can be used to make Nutella rolls. Baking trays, round oven dishes.
• Parchment paper: I recommend you line the tray with parchment paper; it makes cleaning easier, and also your rolls won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  
• Brush: this will be used in the egg wash.

Mixing bowls

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Stand mixer

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Brod & Taylor Proofer

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Porcelain Baking Dish

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Parchment paper

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How to store and serve nutella rolls

As someone who has to freeze so many rolls, brioches, and donuts all i can say is freeizng them is key. After you bake them, place any leftover rolls into a lined tray to quick freeze. All you need to do is freeze for 2-3 hours and then transfer into a freezer safe bag or container.

freeze for up to 2-3 monhts. make sure you add a name tag and date of the day you made them. whenever you want to enjoy them, microwave them until they turn soft again.

This way you will have rolls that taste fresh every time. You can store them ,in the fridge instead and then reheat them before eating.

Don’t forget to leave a rating for this recipe if you try it. You can find us on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok!  

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