Soft, buttery overnight brioche dough is rolled up with a rich and fudgy chocolate babka-inspired filling and honey toasted pecans. After baking, the warm, gooey rolls are topped with creamy browned butter mascarpone frosting. They are the most divine treat for a holiday morning.
I can say with total confidence that these chocolate pecan brioche rolls are my favorite rolls EVER, and probably my favorite food of all of Christmas this year. It doesn’t take much of an explanation to show you why. They are essentially chocolate babka crossed with with fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls and topped with the most divine browned buttery mascarpone frosting. You get a crunch from toasted honey pecans, notes of warm cinnamon and vanilla bean, rich, deep chocolatey flavor, and just the right balance of sweetness.
The filling can be made a few days in advance and the dough prepped the night before, making them the perfect ready-to-go dish for a peaceful Christmas morning, celebratory brunch, or a weekend indulgence.
Brioche Dough
The magic starts with homemade brioche dough, which is way simpler to make than you might think! You just need:
- whole milk (+/- full fat eggnog if you have some leftover), warmed to about 110ºF
- instant yeast
- granulated sugar
- an egg + a yolk, at room temp
- unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- fine sea salt
- bread flour (higher protein content = more gluten formation = stretchier dough = taller, airier, fluffier rolls)
To knead the dough, all you need a hand-held electric mixer or stand mixer with a dough hook, and it will do all the work for you in just about 8 minutes. Then you just plop the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours.
After the first rise, you’ll roll out the dough, layer on the fillings, cut into strips (I like to use a pizza cutter), then roll into pinwheels.
Chocolate and Pecan Filling
Chocolate babka was the inspiration for this filling, which is a magical ganache made from:
- bittersweet chocolate
- butter
- cream
- Dutch cocoa
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon, espresso, and sea salt
You just melt it all together on the stovetop and stir until smooth and luscious. When the mixture cools, it becomes a fudgy chocolate ganache that spreads onto the dough. The chocolate filling keeps the rolls gloriously soft and moist in the center and delivers uber rich chocolatey flavor in every bite. The sweetness level is balanced, not overwhelming, so that all of the deep and delectable flavors shine through.
For added texture and to bring out more warm, nutty flavor, I add pecans toasted with honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Browned butter mascarpone frosting
This is not your average cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting. The flavors of nutty browned butter, creamy mascarpone, and vanilla bean take this glaze to another level. It tastes like soft vanilla ice cream and pairs beautifully with the rich chocolate and toasty pecans in the rolls. You’ll need:
- 4 oz mascarpone, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, browned, cooled until solid, and softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/16 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 – 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 Tbsp cold heavy cream
I know it’s tempting to skip the vanilla bean paste and sub vanilla extract, but trust me when I tell you it makes a huge difference in flavor! A little bit goes a long way, and I promise it won’t go to waste if you splurge on a small jar to use in other recipes when you want to really taste the vanilla.
In these photos, I divided a single batch of brioche dough to make these chocolate pecan rolls (1/2 recipe as written) and used the other half to make my Christmas morning orange rolls.
Chocolate Pecan Brioche Rolls
Soft, buttery overnight brioche dough is rolled up with a rich and fudgy chocolate babka-inspired filling and honey toasted pecans. After baking, the warm, gooey rolls are topped with creamy browned butter mascarpone frosting. They are the most divine treat for a holiday morning.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3/4 cup whole milk (or 1/2 cup full fat eggnog + 1/4 cup whole milk), warmed to ~110ºF
- 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- oil for the bowl
For the filling:
- 5 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter + 1-2 additional Tbsp butter for assembly
- 5 Tbsp heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp Dutch cocoa, sifted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp finely ground espresso powder (optional)
- pinch sea salt, to taste
- about 1/3 cup pecans
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2-3 tsp honey
- light sprinkle cinnamon for the pecans
- pinch sea salt for the pecans
For the frosting:
- 4 oz mascarpone, softened to just cooler than room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, browned, solidified, and softened to just cooler than room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/16 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 Tbsp cold heavy cream
Instructions
Make the filling:
- This can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to make the rolls.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add the chocolate, butter, and heavy cream. Heat until the chocolate and butter are completely melted, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the cocoa, powdered sugar, cinnamon, espresso, and salt. Stir over low heat until fully combined and smooth.
- Remove from heat. Transfer to a heat-proof container and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until set.
- Prior to filling the rolls, set the chocolate out at room temperature to soften. It should be solid but easily spreadable.
Toast the pecans:
- On a baking sheet lined with foil (non-stick foil works great here), toss the pecan halves with honey, vanilla bean paste, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Toast them either (1) in the oven at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, or (2) in the toaster oven on the toast setting for about 3 minutes. Watch closely so they don't burn. Cool completely, then chop.
Make the dough:
- Warm the milk: Pour milk (and eggnog, if using) into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave about 35-40 seconds, or to 110ºF (like warm bath water). Make sure it is not scalding, as it could kill the yeast.
- Transfer the warm milk/eggnog to the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add sugar, egg, yolk, and melted butter (room temp or warm, not hot). Mix until fully combined.
- Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
- Place the dough hook attachments on a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, and knead dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes. The dough should form into a structured, stretchy ball and be slightly sticky to the touch. (If too wet or sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add in 1-2 Tbsp additional bread flour.)
- Transfer the dough ball to a large, well-oiled bowl, and loosely cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Place in a warm spot (such as a slightly warm oven, turned off, with the door cracked) and let it rise 1 - 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a lightly floured surface. I also rub flour on the rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a 14 x 9-inch rectangle, with the long axis oriented horizontally.
- Spread 1-2 Tbsp softened butter over the dough (enough to cover with a thin coat). Then spread softened chocolate all over the dough. Expect to have some chocolate leftover. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the chocolate layer.
- Use a pizza cutter wheel to slice the dough into 9 equal vertical strips, each about 1.5 inches wide. Tightly roll each strip of dough away from you into a pinwheel. (Alternatively, roll the whole rectangle into a 14-inch-long log, starting at one end and progressively tucking the edge closest to you under, then rolling tightly away from you. Then, using a serrated knife or unscented floss, cut the log into 9 equal rolls, about 1.5 inches each.)
- Prepare a 9x9-inch baking pan or 9-inch round cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Place rolls in the prepared pan, pinwheel side facing up. They should be close enough to barely touch each other, with room to expand.
- For the overnight option: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge, loosen the plastic wrap to allow room for expansion, and cover with a warm towel. Bring to room temperature on the counter, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours total from the fridge. For the same-day option: Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and let rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove plastic wrap and towel. Bake the buns 20-25 minutes, or until golden on the edges.
Make the frosting:
- The butter can be browned in advance and stored in the refrigerator until about an hour before you make the frosting. Add butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan to help it melt evenly. Once the butter begins to foam, continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes, until it turns golden and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan are toasty brown. Remove from heat, transfer to a heat-proof container, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Set out at room temperature to soften before making the frosting (it should be solid but near room-temp).
- Combine softened mascarpone and softened browned butter in a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to mix until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until evenly combined without lumps.
- Add the salt, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream. Whip until smooth and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Spread frosting over warm rolls after baking. Serve warm.
For leftover rolls:
- After they have cooled, wrap any leftover rolls tightly with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator up to 3 days.
- To reheat leftovers, I recommend using the oven or toaster oven. Preheat to 350ºF. Place cold rolls on a large sheet of foil, and pour about 1 Tbsp water over each roll. Wrap them up in the foil so they are completely covered. Place in the heated oven for 10 minutes, or until warmed through. In a pinch, you can wrap a cold roll in a damp paper towel and microwave 20-30 seconds, or until heated through.
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