Chocolate Hazelnut Rolls are sweet and fluffy, with swirls of Nutella, crushed hazelnuts and dulce de leche. They require no yeast and no rising time, so you can have warm and gooey rolls on the table in 40 minutes!
*This recipe was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated with new photos and text, as well as a few adjustments to the recipe. Scroll to the bottom to see an original photo.
I don’t often share full blown decadent treats on the blog but these Nutella rolls are a favourite brunch treat in our house, so I decided to polish up the photos and re-share them today with a few additional tips for making them.
Details on a few ingredients
Flour: While I’ve made variations of these rolls with whole wheat flour, for the best results, I recommend using all purpose white flour.
Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter that has been cut into cubes. Ensuring your butter is cold will result in tender, flaky biscuit layers.
Chocolate hazelnut spread: While Nutella is the obvious choice, you can use any kind of hazelnut chocolate spread.
Hazelnuts: You’ll need crushed hazelnuts for the filling and to sprinkle on top of the rolls. I just buy natural, whole hazelnuts and pulse them in the food processor to get crumbly pieces. For additional flavour and texture, you can also roast the crushed hazelnuts. Just place them on a baking sheet and toast on 350F for 6-8 minutes.
Dulce de leche: You can make your own, but in the spirit of saving time, I use store-bought. And, if you can’t find dulce de leche, feel free to use butterscotch or caramel sauce.
How to make Nutella swirl rolls without yeast
- Step 1: Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a food processor bowl and pulse a few times until combined.
- Step 2: Add in the cold cubes of butter.
- Step 3: Pulse until the mixture has a crumbly texture with bits of butter throughout. (Don’t over process as the butter will start to warm up and melt).
- Step 4: Stir the vanilla into the milk, and with the food processor running, slowly pour it into the flour mixture. Keep processing until a sticky dough forms.
- Step 5: Place the dough onto a well floured surface and start kneading by folding it over a few times to incorporate the flour from the work surface. The dough should start to get firm and less sticky.
- Step 6: Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it’s 15 inches long and 10 inches wide. As you’re doing this, you may need to add more flour to the work surface and the rolling pin to ensure the dough doesn’t stick.
- Step 7: Spread the Nutella onto the surface of the dough.
- Step 8: Sprinkle on the crushed hazelnuts (reserving some to add to the top of the baked rolls).
- Step 9: From the long edge, roll the dough into a log, folding in the dough at both ends to ensure the filling doesn’t come out.
- Step 10: Slice the log into 12 even pieces.
- Step 11: Arrange the slices in a single layer in a greased 8×11 inch oval baking dish (or 10-inch round dish).
- Step 12: Bake for 20-22 minutes on 425F, or until the rolls start to brown on top. Remove from the oven and pour the dulce de leche over the warm rolls. Sprinkle reserved hazelnuts on top.
How to ensure you get tender and flaky rolls
These rolls are essentially biscuits, so you want to treat the dough as you would biscuit dough. As the best texture for biscuits is tender and flaky, here are a few things I’ve learned from making this recipe over the years:
- Be careful not to warm up the butter too much as you work it into the flour. This means not over processing it in the food processor or working your handheld pastry cutter too hard. You want little pieces of butter throughout the dough. That’s why it’s important for the butter to be cold.
- Don’t knead the dough too much. You want to fold it over and knead it a few times to ensure flour from your work surface gets incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky, but you don’t want to knead it endlessly. This will result in tough, dense rolls.
Storage and freezing
These Nutella buns are best enjoyed warm and gooey right out of the oven. If you have leftovers, just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They will get a little firm in the refrigerator, so just warm them in the microwave before eating.
If you forego the dulce de leche or use a caramel that doesn’t require refrigeration, you can leave the rolls at room temperature for a few days.
You can freeze these rolls, but I would do so without the dulce de leche. Just store them in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then top with the dulce de leche.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour with a handheld pastry cutter.
- Make sure you’re properly measuring your flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then use a knife to level off the top. You don’t want the flour packed into the measuring cup.
- Ensure your work surface is well floured so the dough doesn’t stick as you try to shape and roll the dough.
- To cut rolls into neat slices, some recipes recommend using dental floss. I’ve never tried this technique but it looks pretty efficient. I normally use a serrated knife and just gently cut the slices.
Other decadent brunch treats to enjoy
If you make these chocolate hazelnut rolls, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Chocolate Hazelnut Rolls (Made Without Yeast)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 rolls
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chocolate Hazelnut Rolls are sweet and fluffy, with swirls of Nutella, crushed hazelnuts and dulce de leche. They require no yeast and no rising time, so you can have warm and gooey rolls on the table in 40 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose white flour (plus 3–5 tablespoons for work surface)
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 4 heaping teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
- 1 cup natural whole hazelnuts, crushed
- 1/2 cup dulce de leche
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and grease an 8×11 inch oval baking dish (or 10-inch round dish).
- In a food processor bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, and pulse a few times to combine. Add in the cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly with pieces of butter throughout.
- Stir the vanilla into the milk, and with the food processor running, slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture and process until a sticky dough forms.
- Add the dough to a well floured work surface, and start kneading the dough by folding it over a few times to incorporate the flour from the work surface. The dough should start to get firm and less sticky. If the dough is too sticky, just add a little bit more flour.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it’s 15 inches long and 10 inches wide. As you’re doing this, you may need to add more flour to the work surface and the rolling pin to ensure the dough doesn’t stick.
- Spread the Nutella onto the surface of the dough and sprinkle on most of the hazelnuts (reserving some for the top). From the long edge, roll the dough into a log, folding in the ends to ensure the filling doesn’t come out.
- Cut the log into 12 even pieces and arrange in a single layer in the prepared dish. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the rolls start to brown on top.
- Remove from oven and pour the dulce de leche over the rolls. Sprinkle on the reserved hazelnuts.
Notes
- To crush the hazelnuts, just pulse them a few times in a food processor or blender until they are crumbly.
- For additional flavour and texture, you can roast the crushed hazelnuts. Just place them on a baking sheet and toast on 350F for 6-8 minutes. They burn quickly, so keep an eye on them.
- To measure the flour, use the spoon and level method.
- To get little pieces of butter throughout the dough, make sure you’re using cold butter. Also, be careful not to warm up the butter too much as you work it into the flour. You don’t want it to melt.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour with a handheld pastry cutter.
- Ensure your work surface is well floured so you have enough to work into the dough and to ensure it doesn’t stick as you shape and roll the dough. I usually use about 3-5 tablespoons, but feel free to add more if your dough and work surface are still sticky.
- Don’t knead the dough too much. Just fold it over and knead it a few times to ensure flour from your work surface gets incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
Goodness these look good Leanne!! Definitely need to give this one a try!
Thanks so much Tasia!
I want to reach into my screen and grab one Leanne! Wish I had one with my morning coffee!
They definitely go well with coffee! Thanks Mary Ann!
Just made these today. I did have a homemade hazelnut butter I made this week and just added melted chocolate, almond milk and a bit of coconut oil. These rolls turned out absolutely delicious, my kids loved them! Thank you for the great recipe, Leanne!
Thank you! I’m so happy you and your kids liked them! And I love the substitutions you made. I’ll have to give that a try!
Why haven’t I thought of making rolls with nutella and hazelnuts myself? This combination is heavenly, and the rolls look fantastic! Indeed I only make rolls maybe once a year, normally around Christmas, so this recipe might be very appropriate now. Happy holidays!
Thanks Ben! Happy holidays to you too. Hope you had a good one! These were definitely a nice Christmas treat, but I’ll be sure to make them year round!
These look just so delicious Leanne. Definitely a great holiday breakfast.
Happy holidays and a Merry Christmas to you and your family Leanne 🙂
Thanks so much Ashika! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!
These look totally decadent Leanne. And the holidays are for delicious sweet treats, so I wouldn’t feel one bit guilty treating myself! My husband would have the same reaction as yours for sure!
Thanks Mary Ann! They were definitely a lovely Christmas treat. But I’m pretty sure my husband is going to want me to make them year round!
My mouth is literally watering looking at these gorgeous rolls, Leanne! Such a perfect treat for Christmas morning!
Thanks Marissa! They were a big hit at our holiday brunch!
Holy Cow these look amazing! Enough said
Haha! Thanks Patrick!! Enough said indeed!
This is my new favourite recipe!! These look incredible! Thanks for sharing. These will men made over the holidays guaranteed 🙂
Thanks so much Terry! I hope you got a chance to make them over the holidays! And I hope you had a great holiday!
Oh my goodness! My mouth is seriously watering. These look seriously so amazing, Leanne! I’d love to have a warm batch of these waiting for me on Christmas morning. Hope you and your family have an amazing Christmas!
Thanks Haylie! It was a fantastic Christmas and we enjoyed plenty of these rolls over the holidays! I only wish I had someone to make them for me!
Oh my!! Between the hazelnuts and the caramel sauce these look SO GOOD!!! Perfect for christmas morning (we always do cinnamon rolls that day!). Happy Holidays!!!
Thanks Ashley! The rolls taste great without the caramel sauce, but it adds a sweet and sticky texture that just goes perfectly with the Nutella. Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning sounds like a delicious tradition. I hope you had a lovely holiday!
We all deserve an indulgent treat every once in a while and these rolls look like the answer. Plus, calories don’t count during the holidays, do they 😉 Hehehe…. Love how quickly these beauties come together and the flavours just go so well together. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Leanne! Hope Santa is good to you!
Thanks Dawn! Santa was good to me, as usual! 😉 And I treated myself to more than one of these rolls. I totally agree with your calorie logic. I hope you had an enjoyable holiday season too!