Cookies & Cream Sourdough Chocolate Rolls

Inspired by my viral Sourdough Cinnamon Roll dough, these chocolate rolls are made with the addition of cocoa powder for a rich, chocolatey twist. The dough is mixed the night before and left to rise overnight so they are ready to shape and bake the next morning. If you’re short on time and still want cinnamon rolls, try out my Quick Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls. 

“My family and I loved these! 10/10” -Trisha

Why you will love this recipe

• Naturally leavened – These Cookies and Cream Sourdough Chocolate Rolls are naturally leavened with a sourdough starter, no commercial yeast needed. 
• Overnight rise – Just like my Sourdough Sticky Buns, this recipe has an overnight rise so you can make the dough the night before and bake fresh in the morning. 
• Rich chocolate flavor – The cocoa powder and the Oreos make this the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers. If you love chocolate, don’t miss my Hot Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia with a marshmallow topping, Sourdough Chocolate Artisan Bread stuffed with chocolate chips, and Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies for a sweet treat.

Important Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sourdough starter- you want to use active, bubbly sourdough starter that has recently been fed to leaven the rolls. If you do not have a sourdough starter, you can make one with just flour and water with my easy sourdough starter recipe in as little as two weeks.
• Cocoa powder- this is essential for turning sweet rolls into chocolate rolls. I use unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Milk- I like to use whole milk but you could swap it out for a lower fat milk or a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk. I recommend microwaving the milk for 30 seconds to help the dough start at a warmer temperature.
• Flour- you can use all-purpose or bread flour in this recipe. If you use all-purpose flour you’ll need to increase the amount of flour to about 630 grams.
• Oreos- you could always try mixing things up by swapping out chocolate Oreos for another flavor. Blend the oreos in a blender or place them in a ziplock and crush them up to a powder.
• Cream cheese–  The main ingredient in the sweet and tangy frosting. Soften the cream cheese so it easily blends.

See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.

Step-by-step Instructions

The Day before:

Step 1 – Feed your starter

10-12 hours before making the dough, make a levain or feed your sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio (20 grams starter: 100 grams flour: 100 grams water) and leave it covered at room temperature.

Skip this step if your starter is already activated and ready to bake with.

Step 2 – Mix dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add dough ingredients.

Option 1- Mix in a stand mixer: Mix the dough with a dough hook attachment on low speed in a stand mixer for 3-5 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, soft ball. 

Option 2- Mix in a bowl: Mix the dough with a Danish dough whisk or your hands until the dough begins to come together. Once you can no longer mix it in the bowl, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough forms a soft, smooth ball. 

If the dough is too sticky, add a little extra flour until it comes together.

Step 3 – Bulk Fermentation

Place the dough in a bowl and cover.

Step 4 – Bulk Fermentation

Let the dough rise until doubled in size in a warm spot. At 72ºF, this took my dough 11 hours.

The Next Morning:

Step 5 – Roll out the dough

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll the dough out into a 12×18-inch rectangle with a rolling pin.

Spread the softened butter over the dough.

Step 6 – Make the filling

Place 9 Oreo cookies in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush the Oreo cookies. Pour in a bowl with the brown sugar and mix. Sprinkle over the dough.

Sample schedule

For this recipe, you need to use a sourdough starter that is active and bubbly. For that reason, you will need to give your sourdough starter time to double before making your chocolate roll dough.

Here is an example schedule for your timeline for baking your sourdough chocolate rolls. The timeline can depend on the temperature and the activity of your starter, so your time may vary. This schedule assumes the dough temperature at 72°F.

Make ahead directions

These chocolate rolls can be made ahead of time which can be especially helpful for a busy holiday morning. Here are a few options but note that if you leave the dough in the fridge overnight the rolls will have more tang as they are fermenting for a longer period of time. 

Bake & Reheat– This is a great option because you don’t have to worry about the rolls over proofing in the fridge or even worry about baking the next day. For this method, feed your starter in the evening 2 nights prior and make the dough the morning before you want the rolls. I recommend starting as soon as you get up. Go through the entire process and finish the night by baking the rolls. Cover with foil and leave on the counter. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F and brush the tops with just a little bit of water to rehydrate them. Cover and bake for 8-10 minutes or until warm, and then add your icing.  

Prep & bake later- This option can work, but if your rolls overproof they may not be as light and fluffy when baking. Don’t leave the rolls longer than 12 hours in the fridge. For this method, feed your starter in the evening two nights prior to when you want to eat it and make the dough the morning prior. Follow all the instructions for the first and second rise and then once the rolls have almost doubled in size in the pan, place in the fridge overnight. Then, the next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let them sit out while the oven preheats, then bake.

Freeze & bake later- After you finish rolling up the rolls, place them on a pan and flash freeze them until solid (about 1 hour). Place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container. When you want to eat them, put them in a greased pan and cover. Let them thaw and rise overnight, about 10-12 hours. Once doubled and puffy, bake. For best results, use within a week of freezing.

How to store sourdough chocolate rolls

Without the icing the chocolate rolls can be stored on the counter for 1-2 days in an airtight container followed by a few extra days in the fridge. If the icing is on the rolls they need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat the rolls place them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Recipe FAQ

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Tried this Cookies and Cream Sourdough Chocolate Rolls or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!