These chocolate chip cookie rolls pair soft, pillowy sweet dough with a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough rolled up inside, then finished with a creamy glaze. Plan on about 3 hours 5 minutes, most of it hands off rising time, and expect bakery style rolls that taste like warm cookies.

A tangzhong, which is a cooked paste of flour and water, keeps the dough soft and fluffy for days. A few extra steps up front give you rolls that stay tender instead of drying out by the next morning.

The tangzhong locks in moisture, so the rolls stay soft well past the day you bake them. It takes only 3 minutes on the stove and makes a clear difference in texture.

The cookie dough filling uses brown sugar, a little baking powder, and both regular and mini chocolate chips, so it melts into gooey pockets as the rolls bake.

A simple cream cheese glaze adds a tangy finish that keeps the rolls from tasting too sweet.

1/4 cup all purpose flour (for the tangzhong)
3/4 cup water (for the tangzhong)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (dough)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (dough)
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (dough)
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature (dough)
1 tsp vanilla extract (dough)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (dough)
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (filling)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (filling)
2 tbsp granulated sugar (filling)
1 large egg, room temperature (filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract (filling)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (filling)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt (filling)
1/4 tsp baking powder (filling)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (glaze)
1 oz cream cheese, softened (glaze)
1 cup powdered sugar (glaze)
3 tbsp heavy cream (glaze)
1 tsp vanilla extract (glaze)

Tangzhong: Whisk the flour and water over medium low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens like pudding, then let it cool to room temperature.

Yeast: Instant yeast mixes right into the flour with no proofing. If you only have active dry yeast, bloom it in the warm milk first.

Cookie dough filling: It has no added liquid, so it spreads easily and bakes into the rolls instead of leaking out.

Two sizes of chips: Regular chips give big melty pockets and mini chips spread evenly through the spiral.

1. Make the tangzhong. Whisk 1/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and pudding like. Cool for 10 minutes.

2. Mix the dough. In a stand mixer bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups flour, the sugar, yeast, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Add the cream, milk, egg, vanilla, and cooled tangzhong, and mix with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Add the butter. Mix in the 6 tablespoons softened butter a little at a time, then knead on medium low for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.

4. Let it rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

5. Make the filling. Beat the 8 tablespoons butter with the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in both kinds of chips.

6. Roll and fill. Roll the dough into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 1/2 inch border, then roll up tightly from the long side.

7. Cut and rise again. Slice into 12 rolls, place them in a greased 9×13 baking dish, cover, and let them rise for 45 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F near the end of the rise.

8. Bake. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until deep golden and a thermometer in the center of a roll reads 190 degrees F.

9. Glaze. Beat the glaze ingredients until smooth and spread over the rolls after they have cooled for 10 minutes.

Serve the rolls warm for breakfast, brunch, or dessert with coffee or cold milk. They also work well on a sweet table with gooey cinnamon rolls, cinnamon roll cheesecake cookies, streusel coffee cake, and soft yeast cinnamon rolls.

Cover the glazed rolls and refrigerate for up to 3 days, since the glaze contains cream cheese. For longer storage, freeze unglazed baked rolls wrapped tightly for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature, warm for 10 minutes at 300 degrees F, and glaze fresh. A single roll also reheats well in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Watch the flour. The dough should be soft and just tacky. Add up to 2 tablespoons more flour only if it sticks badly to the bowl.

Use thread to cut. Unflavored dental floss or plain thread slices the roll cleanly without squashing the spiral.

Keep the dough warm. A turned off oven with the light on gives a gentle spot for rising.

Do not skip the second rise. Puffy rolls bake up taller and softer.

Prepare ahead. After cutting, cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight. Let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.

Watch the color. If the tops brown too fast, tent the pan with foil for the last 8 minutes.

Add a drizzle. Warm chocolate sauce over the glaze looks great for parties.

Wash up after raw dough. The filling holds raw egg and flour, so clean hands and tools well, as explained in this Texas A&M AgriLife food safety brochure.

Yes. Shape and cut the rolls, cover the dish, and refrigerate overnight. Bake the next morning after 45 minutes at room temperature.

The cooked flour paste holds extra water, which keeps the rolls soft and fluffy for days.

Yes. Freeze the baked, unglazed rolls for up to 2 months, then thaw and add fresh glaze.

Because the rolls bake to 190 degrees F inside, the filling is cooked through. Avoid tasting the filling raw.

Can I swap active dry yeast for instant yeast?

They can be swapped one to one, but active dry yeast should bloom in warm milk first and may need a little longer to rise.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Rolls

Soft tangzhong dough rolled with chocolate chip cookie dough, baked golden and topped with cream cheese glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 40

Cook Time 25

Total Time 3 5

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 rolls

Calories 580 kcal

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook
Small saucepan
Rolling Pin
9×13 Baking Dish
Instant read thermometer
Whisk

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

¼ cup all purpose flour for the tangzhong
¾ cup water for the tangzhong
3 ½ cup all purpose flour dough
⅓ cup granulated sugar dough
2 tsp instant yeast
1 ¼ tsp fine sea salt dough
⅓ cup heavy cream room temperature
⅓ cup whole milk room temperature
1 large egg dough, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract dough
6 tbsp unsalted butter softened, dough
8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature, filling
½ cup light brown sugar packed, filling
2 tbsp granulated sugar filling
1 large egg filling, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract filling
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour filling
½ tsp fine sea salt filling
¼ tsp baking powder filling
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips filling
½ cup mini chocolate chips filling
4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature, glaze
1 oz cream cheese softened, glaze
1 cup powdered sugar glaze
3 tbsp heavy cream glaze
1 tsp vanilla extract glaze

Instructions

Cooking

Cook the paste. Stir 1/4 cup flour into 3/4 cup water over medium low heat until thick, then cool 10 minutes. Knead. Mix the dough ingredients with the cooled paste, add the softened butter gradually, and knead 8 to 10 minutes.
First rise. Let the covered dough double, about 1 hour. Cookie dough. Cream the filling butter and sugars, beat in egg and vanilla, then add flour, salt, baking powder, and both chips.
Spread. Roll the dough to 12 by 18 inches and cover it with the filling, leaving a 1/2 inch edge. Roll up. Roll tightly from the long side and cut 12 equal slices.
Second rise. Arrange in a greased 9×13 dish and let rise 45 minutes.
Bake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 28 minutes, until the center of a roll reaches 190 degrees F.
Frost. Beat the glaze until smooth and spread it on rolls cooled 10 minutes.