Oreo Cinnamon Rolls

Oreo Cinnamon Rolls are the soft, fluffy cookies and cream treat of your dreams. Filled with black cocoa powder and crushed Oreo cookies then slathered with cream cheese frosting, these rolls are the bomb for breakfast or brunch.

No offense to Father Time, but what on Earth is he actually doing? I mean, the man just let 2023 march in without a drum major, CNN missed the New Year’s Eve countdown and somehow January 1st already feels like January 52nd. For someone literally in charge of time, Father T doesn’t seem able to manage it very well. Then again, Don Lemons isn’t doing much better. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, the network anchor missed the stoke of midnight because he was busy dancing to a song called “Back that Azz Up”.

Unlike Don, who’s probably hiding under his sheets after embarrassing himself on live TV, I could not wait to jump out of bed today. Instead of spending last night busting a move, I spent my time busting out a batch of make ahead cinnamon rolls for breakfast. And to ring in the new year right, I did an over-the-top delicious twist on my go-to recipe. The result is the bombdiggity of all cinnamon rolls: cookies and cream rolls filled to their swirly rims with crushed Oreo cookies.

Forget all the “new year, new you” talk, what you really need this new year is a new recipe. I’m talking soft, fluffy chocolate cinnamon rolls loaded on the inside with black cocoa powder and Oreos then slathered on the outside with cream cheese icing. If you want to start the year off right, then start by scarfing down a warm cinnamon roll on a cold January day. Then keep on noshing throughout spring, summer and fall. There’s a wrong time to dance to booty themed music on TV, but there’s no wrong time to eat Oreo Cinnamon Rolls.

Before sharing the Oreo Cinnamon Rolls recipe, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Oreo Cookies get their flavor from black cocoa powder which is why this recipe uses black cocoa powder in the cinnamon roll filling. If there isn’t black cocoa powder in your pantry, feel free to substitute Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder (or any other Dutch process cocoa powder brand).

The secret to soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls is bread flour. All-purpose flour can be used as a substitute but will not yield the same results as bread flour.

Quick rise yeast is recommended for this recipe since it does not require proofing or dissolving in liquid before use. Active dry yeast can be substituted but will require proofing and longer rise times.

The egg and egg yolk need to be at room temperature before making the dough. If you’ve forgotten to take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time, speed up the process by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.

Take care not to overheat the milk. Liquid hotter than 115 degrees will kill the yeast and your cinnamon rolls will not rise.

Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls

Oreo cinnamon roll dough can be made the night before and refrigerated prior to the second rise. Arrange the cut cinnamon rolls in a greased 10-inch pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove wrap and allow dough to come to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.

Oreo cinnamon roll dough can be made ahead and frozen before the second rise. Simply arrange the cut cinnamon rolls in a greased 10-inch pan and cover first with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then uncover and allow dough to come to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.

Storage and Freezing Tips for Oreo Cinnamon Rolls

Cover cinnamon roll leftovers with plastic wrap then store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze cinnamon rolls, place leftovers in an airtight container and store up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy these Oreo Cinnamon Rolls! Please leave a rating and review below once you try them out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like cookies and cream cinnamon rolls then you’ll love this recipe for S’mores Chocolate Rolls. Stuffed with melty chocolate and graham cracker crumbs then topped with toasted marshmallow meringue, s’mores rolls are the best breakfast you can have without a bonfire. 

Oreo Cinnamon Rolls

Heather Wolf

Oreo Cinnamon Rolls are the soft, fluffy cookies and cream treat of your dreams. Filled with black cocoa powder and crushed Oreo cookies then slathered with cream cheese frosting, these rolls are the bomb for breakfast or brunch.

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Breads and Rolls

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 3/4 cup whole milk warmed to 110 degrees
• 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast (1 packet)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3/4 tsp sea salt fine

Oreo Filling

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp black cocoa powder
• 4 Oreo cookies finely crushed

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract pure

Topping

• 1/2 cup Oreo cookies crushed

Instructions

 

Dough

• Heat milk in microwave for 40 seconds or until it's warm to the touch (about 110 degrees).
• Pour milk into the bowl of an electric mixer then sprinkle with yeast.
• Add sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Whisk until combined.
• Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form.
• Knead dough by hand on a floured surface for 10 minutes or use an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 8 minutes.
• If dough sticks to the counter/bottom of the bowl add an additional 1 to 2 Tbsp of bread flour and continue kneading until a soft, slightly sticky ball forms.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a dry, warmed towel and let it rise for 1 hour to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough with a rolling pin until it is a 14 x 9 inch rectangle.
• Spread softened (not melted) butter over the surface of dough.
• Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, black cocoa powder and crushed Oreos in a bowl, stir until combined then sprinkle over buttered dough. Gently press mixture into the butter with your fingertips.
• Tightly roll dough into the shape of a log starting with the short side. Trim and discard uneven ends then cut dough into ten 1-inch rolls with a serrated knife or non-minty dental floss. (Fishing line also works great.)
• Grease a 10-inch baking pan then line with parchment paper for ease of removal after baking. Arrange Oreo Cinnamon Rolls in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and a dry, warm towel then allow to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove towel and plastic wrap from baking pan then bake cinnamon rolls for 25 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Avoid overbaking.
• Allow rolls to cool in pan for 5 minutes while you make the cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

• Beat milk, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Spread icing over warm cinnamon rolls, sprinkle with crushed Oreos and enjoy

Store

• Cover leftover rolls with plastic wrap and store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Keyword cinnamon, oreo, rolls