Giant Cinnamon Roll Brownies
This cinnabrownie is the ultimate dessert mashup, combining a rich, fudgy brownie batter with soft, swirled cinnamon roll dough in one giant, gooey bake. Layers of chocolate, warm cinnamon sugar, and melty chocolate chips create a decadent spiral that’s finished with a silky cocoa icing. Perfect for special occasions or when you want a delectably sweet treat, this brownie-cinnamon roll hybrid delivers big bakery-style flavor in every slice.
Tasty Team
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
1 hr 45 min
Prep Time
10 minutes
10 min
Cook Time
1 hr 35 min
1 hr 35 min
Total Time
1 hr 45 min
1 hr 45 min
Prep Time
10 minutes
10 min
Cook Time
1 hr 35 min
1 hr 35 min
Ingredients
for 8 servings
Brownie Batter:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1.75 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1.3 cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 5 cups self-rising flour, plus more for work surface and as needed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- cooking spray
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Icing:
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Nutrition Info
- Calories 1222
- Fat 53g
- Carbs 173g
- Fiber 9g
- Sugar 82g
- Protein 23g
Estimated values based on one serving size.
Preparation
- Make the brownie batter: Place a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add the butter, oil, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the bowl. Cook, stirring gently, until melted and smooth, 2–3 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa and espresso until fully dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly, 5–10 minutes. Set aside.
- Stir together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat the mixture for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and paler in color. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly stream in the melted chocolate mixture, beating until fully incorporated and smooth, 1–2 minutes. The batter should look shiny and uniform.
- Sift the flour and salt into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should look dense and glossy, with no pockets of flour. Do not overmix. Set aside.
- Make the cinnamon roll dough: Place the self-rising flour and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer, and add the egg yolks, milk, and melted butter. Beat on low speed until the mixture starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Turn off the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl, making sure no dry bits remain in the bottom of the bowl. Beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a generously floured large (24 x 18-inch) cutting board. Knead gently for 2–3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and can be formed into a rough ball, adding additional flour as needed. Cover the dough on the cutting board with plastic wrap or a large bowl, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly coat a square 9-inch baking dish or metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line the coated baking dish with parchment paper on all sides, leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy removal. Re-coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Uncover the dough. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 22 x 16-inch rectangle (about ¼ inch thick), with the longer edge facing you. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 2 minutes, then continue rolling. Set aside.
- Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture: Stir together the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined and smooth.
- Using a spoon or a spatula, dollop the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the surface of the dough rectangle. Using a spatula, smooth and spread the mixture to evenly cover the surface, leaving a ½-inch border along the top of the rectangle.
- Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, dollop the brownie batter over the surface of the dough rectangle, and spread gently with an offset spatula or spoon. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle crosswise into 9 strips, each 2–2½ inches wide and 16 inches long. Scatter the remaining ¾ cup chocolate chips evenly across the dough. Scatter the finely chopped chocolate bar evenly across the dough. Transfer the cutting board with the strips into the refrigerator, and chill for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chilled strips from the refrigerator. Tightly roll up 1 strip into a spiral. Place the spiral, seam side down, at the bottom of another strip, and roll it upwards, rolling the spiral into the new strip, until you have 1 large spiral. Repeat this process with 1 more strip. You will have now combined 3 strips into 1 large spiral base. Place the spiral base in the prepared 9-inch baking dish. Working with 1 additional strip at a time, wrap each remaining strip around the spiral base in the baking dish until the ends of the strip meet and 1 side can be tucked under the other to secure each new strip to the base. Repeat this process with the remaining strips until 1 giant cinnamon roll has been formed in the baking dish.
- Bake until the cinnabrownie is puffed and golden brown on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roll registers 200°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Set aside.
- Make the icing: Place the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, milk, espresso, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. If a pourable consistency is desired, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. For a liquid glaze consistency, the frosting can be warmed in the microwave on HIGH for about 10 seconds.
- Spread the icing over the warm cinnabrownie, and serve while warm and gooey.
- Enjoy!
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