A delicious variation of cinnamon rolls, these high altitude tested chocolate cinnamon roll knots feature fluffy homemade yeast dough filled with butter, brown sugar and chocolate, twisted into buns, and baked in a muffin pan. This is a wonderful recipe for the holidays, since you can make the dough at night, and bake the rolls in the morning!
You might also love these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, chocolate rolls with vanilla icing, and cardamom orange rolls.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Make at Night, Bake in the Morning. If you love making cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, these cinnamon roll knots make a lovely breakfast for the holidays. Simply make the dough in the evening, let it rise, and then refrigerate it overnight. The rolls are easy to fill and shape before baking the next morning.
Simple to Shape. Don’t be intimidated by the twisted shape of these buns, because as you’ll see in the step by step photos below, they’re actually very easy to shape. Today’s recipe uses the same reliable dough and filling from my favorite soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls. But instead of shaping the dough into spirals, it gets twisted and baked in a muffin pan. You could call these cinnamon knots, cinnamon twists, or even twisted cinnamon buns!
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. Today’s recipe should work at any altitude without adjustments, though, with the main difference simply being in how long the dough takes to rise. Yeast dough tends to rise faster at higher altitudes, so be careful not to over-proof the dough.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Dough. This is a very soft, fluffy yeast dough, enriched with butter, eggs and whole milk. Be sure to read through all my tips and FAQs for making the best cinnamon rolls.
Filling
- 1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Filling. You’ll just need butter, brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling.
- Chocolate. A sprinkling of chocolate is a nice addition to the filling, but it’s optional. I used semi sweet mini chocolate chips but you could also use finely chopped chocolate.
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare the Cinnamon Roll Dough, as instructed. After letting the dough rise to double in size, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 15×18 inches.
Filling
- Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon to make a paste. Spread the filling over half the dough, as shown in the photos.
- Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips, if using.
Shaping
- As shown in the photos, fold the dough over to cover the filling, and gently press it down with your hands.
- Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel cutter, cut the dough into 12 strips.
- Take each strip and cut it lengthwise into two thinner strips, not cutting all the way through one end. Twist the two strips together, then roll it up into a bun.
Baking
- Grease inside the cups and the top of a non-stick muffin pan (such as the USA Bakeware Pan) with butter. If baked goods tend to stick to your muffin pan, you should spray it with non-stick baking spray.
- Place each of the buns in the muffin pan, then set aside to rest for just 20 minutes. The buns will be slightly puffed, but you don’t want to let them puff up too much, since they will puff up quite a bit more in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the buns for 18-22 minutes, until a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads between 185-190 F. Some of the filling may leak onto the pan, which is totally fine.
- Gently remove the buns from the pan, set on a plate, cool several minutes and serve warm.
Recipe Variations
Drizzle with Icing. For more sweetness, make a simple powdered sugar drizzle, or vanilla icing to spread onto your cinnamon roll knots.
Coat in Cinnamon Sugar. Brush the warm rolls lightly with melted butter, then roll in a bowl of cinnamon sugar for a cross between a cinnamon bun and a doughnut.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reheat cinnamon rolls?
- A cinnamon roll is always best when it’s freshly baked, hot from the oven, but these are still great leftover. Any cinnamon rolls that don’t get eaten right away should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- The best way to reheat them is in your microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power.
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Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Knots
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Dough
Filling
- 1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Filling
- â…“ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare the Cinnamon Roll Dough, as instructed. After letting the dough rise to double in size, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 15×18 inches.
Filling
- Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon to make a paste. Spread the filling over half the dough, as shown in the photos.
- Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips, if using.
Shaping
- As shown in the photos, fold the dough over to cover the filling, and gently press it down with your hands.
- Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel cutter, cut the dough into 12 strips.
- Take each strip and cut it lengthwise into two thinner strips, not cutting all the way through one end. Twist the two strips together, then roll it up into a bun.
Baking
- Grease inside the cups and the top of a non-stick muffin pan (such as the USA Bakeware Pan) with butter. If baked goods tend to stick to your muffin pan, you should spray it with non-stick baking spray.
- Place each of the buns in the muffin pan, then set aside to rest for just 20 minutes. The buns will be slightly puffed, but you don't want to let them puff up too much, since they will puff up quite a bit more in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the buns for 18-22 minutes, until a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads between 185-190 F. Some of the filling may leak onto the pan, which is totally fine.
- Gently remove the buns from the pan, set on a plate, cool several minutes and serve warm.
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