These Chocolate Pistachio Rolls feature the most fluffy Tangzhong Milk Bread dough. They are filled with pistachio cream, chopped pistachios, then topped with more pistachio cream and then finished with an incredible chocolate icing!
I can't quite call these Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls since they don't contain any cinnamon, so we'll go with Pistachio Chocolate Rolls, but they're made with my base Cinnamon Rolls recipe that features a milk bread dough that is so fluffy and soft, you'll wonder why it has taken you so long to hop on the wagon!
If you're ready to dive into the world of Tangzhong Milk Bread, be sure to check out my other variations: Raspberry Lemon Rolls, and Chocolate Almond Rolls.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Milk Bread Dough: These Chocolate Pistachio Rolls are made using a soft and fluffy Tangzhong milk bread dough that creates the softest rolls with a pillowy texture.
Pistachio cream: This year, pistachio cream went absolutely viral because of the Dubai Chocolate Bar, and it's so delicious in absolutely anything. Try my Pistachio Stuffed Cookies or Pistachio Blondies for more recipes!
Chocolate Icing: The ingredients for the chocolate icing are few, but the results are delicious and it works so well with the pistachios in this recipe!
！What is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong is a an Asian method that pre-cooks a small part of the liquid and flour of the recipe into a roux-like consistency, then adding it to the remainder of the ingredients before kneading into a dough. It helps the dough mixture absorb more liquid, which then yields a softer dough, making it last longer. For more detailed information, King Arthur Baking has a great post.
📝 Ingredient Notes
Below you'll find some notes on ingredients for these Chocolate Pistachio Rolls. Full recipe and measurements in the recipe card.
Tangzhong Milk Bread Dough
- Bread flour: I love using King Arthur Baking Bread Flour because it has a higher protein content which then yields more gluten. It can also absorb more liquid than regular all purpose flour, and we are all about that in this rolls recipe!
- Whole milk: I love using whole milk in my rolls because it contains more fat than 2% or other milks. If you're in a pinch, you can use a lesser fatty milk.
- Yeast: I like using active dry yeast to first activate the yeast before adding it to my dough mixture.
- Sugar: For both the yeast mixture as well as to sweeten the dough.
- Butter: I like using melted butter with the first knead, and then softened butter for the second knead for a more enriched dough. It's best to use unsalted butter.
- Eggs: whole eggs to add more fat and richness to the dough.
- Salt: To add flavor.
Fillings & Toppings
- Pistachio Cream: I like buying my Pistachio Cream instead of making it, but feel free to make your own if you like. It is typically a pretty pourable spread, but if it's too solid, make sure to warm it slightly before spreading it on the dough.
- Pistachios: Chop up some pistachios to add to the inside of the rolls as well as the top.
- Cocoa powder: I like using Dutch Process cocoa powder instead of natural because it gives a deeper and more intense chocolate flavor, but if all you have is natural, then you can use that.
- Powdered sugar: Used to sweeten the chocolate icing.
- Butter: You can use unsalted or salted, but make sure it's melted.
See recipe card for quantities.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
Below you'll find written and photo instructions on how to make Chocolate Pistachio Rolls
Make the Tangzhong
Step 1: Weigh out your flour and milk and and add them to a sauce pan or small pot.
Step 2: place the pan on medium heat and whisk to combine, then continue whisking until it forms a roux-like consistency. Place the Tangzhong paste in a bowl and set it aside to cool.
Make the milk bread dough
Make the Yeast mixture: In a small bowl, add warm milk, activated yeast and sugar and mix. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast activates and becomes foamy.
Step 3: Combine bread flour, sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, yeast mixture and Tangzhong paste in the bowl of a standing mixer.
Step 4: knead using a dough hook for at least 10-15 minutes.
Step 5: Then, slowly add the softened butter and knead for at least another 10-20 minutes.
Step 6: The mixture should look like the picture. The dough should be smooth and silky.
💭Tip: To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test, where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
Step 7: Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let proof for at least an hour.
Step 8: Dough after an hour of proofing
🎩Trick: One trick I love doing is to pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning off the oven and letting my dough proof in the oven. This cuts down on proofing time, especially if I'm in a hurry, but it also helps in the winter when it's especially cold.
Rolling and Shaping
Step 9: Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with parchment paper and set it aside.
Flour your surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 18x12 or so), and about ¼" thickness. It doesn't have to be perfect, but generally in the shape of a rectangle and a pretty large one. Spread with pistachio cream and sprinkle with chopped pistachios
Step 9: Working from the 18" of the dough, roll the dough into a large log. Using a knife (or to get cleaner slices, unflavored dental floss), cut into 12 even slices. I like to trim the ends before doing this so I can get the cleanest slices. Line the rolls in the baking pan and cover loosely with saran wrap and let rise for an hour.
Step 10: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Once risen, add half a jar of pistachio cream into a piping bag (or you could just use a spoon) and pipe extra pistachio cream over the rolls, in a sort of circle around the swirls.
Step 12: Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might need to cover the rolls with aluminum foil halfway through baking so the inside can cook but to prevent the outside from burning. Once out of the oven, top with the remaining pistachio cream (you can drizzle this on).
💭Hint: If you aren't sure if the rolls are baked through, you can use a cooking thermometer to check for doneness. The thermometer should read 190° or above.
Make the Chocolate Icing
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the icing and whisk until well combined. You can smother this icing all over the rolls or drizzle it on top. Then add crushed pistachios on top.
⇄ Substitutions
All Purpose Flour: If you don't have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour. You'll probably need a little extra flour.
Yeast: In a pinch, you can use instant yeast, but since it does not need to bloom, you will need to make sure it's fresh and not expired.
Pistachio cream: Instead of buying store-bought, you can make your own. If you don't want the added ingredients, you can just make pistachio paste, which is essentially adding pistachios to a food processor and processing until it becomes a fine paste. At that point, you can add extra things like sugar and milk to create a cream/butter, but if you want a less sweet roll, you can leave out the extra ingredients.
✨ Variations
Spices: If you choose to only use pistachio paste and not the cream, you can add extra spices like cinnamon and cardamom for extra flavor.
Vanilla icing: Instead of a chocolate icing, you can make a vanilla icing, which will include powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a little milk until it's a smooth and drizzle consistency.
🍴Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Baking Pan: My favorite 9x13 Metal Baking Pan is from USA pan. It has straight edges, bakes evenly, and never fails. I highly recommend purchasing a good quality baking pan for your bakes.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Stand Mixer: I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this milk dough recipe because it takes a while to knead. You can absolutely still do it by hand, but it will require a bit of elbow grease.
❄ Storage
The Chocolate Pistachio Rolls will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days, covered tightly. You can warm them for 25-30 seconds in the microwave before eating, if you like.
💡Pro Tips
Weigh your ingredients. There’s no way around it. Using a kitchen scale will yield the most accurate measurements for both dry and liquid ingredients called for in this recipe.
Don’t skip the tangzhong method! It may seem daunting if you’ve never tried it before, but don’t skip it. It’s incredibly important and absolutely worth it!
Don’t skimp out on the kneading time. Kneading the dough develops the gluten, and creates the soft and silky dough.
Don’t add more flour! At first, you’ll be tempted because it will look as though the dough is wet and not coming together, but that is why it’s so important to knead, knead, knead! Let the dough knead for at least 10-15 minutes. Add the softened butter, then knead again for 10-20 minutes and it should all come together perfectly!
Windowpane test: To know if your dough is ready, perform the windowpane test where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. If it stretches out without tearing and light can pass through, then it has passed the windowpane test. If it tears, let the dough knead another 5 minutes, then perform the test again.
Proof in pre-heated oven: One trick I love doing is to pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning off the oven and letting my dough proof in the oven. This cuts down on proofing time, especially if I'm in a hurry, but it also helps in the winter when it's especially cold.
? FAQ
My favorite way to measure my ingredients for almost all recipes is using a scale. This particular recipe I find best when I use the absolute exact measurements, especially the flour to milk ratio. Because of that, I prefer that this recipe be measured out using a scale, so I did not give an option for cup measurements as that can really change the recipe if not measured correctly.
With this recipe, yes! It was tested out specifically with this method, and it is so important to achieve that soft and fluffy rolls that will stay delicious for days.
Absolutely, but be prepared to use a lot of elbow grease. It will probably take much longer than 10 minutes per kneading process, so just be warned!
📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Pistachio Rolls
Equipment
- 1 9x13 metal pan
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Stand mixer
Ingredients
Tangzhong Paste
- 100g whole milk
- 25g bread flour
Yeast Mixture
- 212g whole milk 110°
- 1 package active dry yeast 7g
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Rolls Dough
- 485g bread flour
- 70g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter melted
- 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter softened
Filling & Toppings
- 2 jars Pistachio Cream About 12-14 oz. total - you could make your own
- ½ cup crushed pistachios + more for topping after it's baked
Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Tangzhong Paste
- Add milk and flour into a sauce pan over medium heat.100g whole milk, 25g bread flour
- Whisk the mixture until it comes together and thickens (see image in post). Remove from heat and add to a bowl and let cool.
Yeast Mixture
- Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a bowl, stir and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast activates and foams.212g whole milk, 1 package active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar
Rolls Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixture, add bread flour, sugar, eggs, salt and melted butter, yeast mixture, and Tangzhong Paste. Using a hook attachment, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes.485g bread flour, 70g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon salt, 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- After 10 minutes, slowly add in the softened butter, then knead for another 10 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic and as pictured in the post.42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- Add the dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise for at least an hour until doubled in size.
Shaping the Chocolate Pistachio Rolls
- Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Flour your surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 18x12 or so), and about ¼" thickness. It doesn't have to be perfect, but generally in the shape of a rectangle and a pretty large one.
- Spread one entire jar of pistachio cream all over the dough. If you make your own, you'll need about 6-7 oz. Then spread ½ cup of crushed pistachios all over.2 jars Pistachio Cream, ½ cup crushed pistachios
- Working from the 18" of the dough, roll the dough into a large log.
- Using a knife (or to get cleaner slices, unflavored dental floss), cut into 12 even slices. I like to trim the ends before doing this so I can get the cleanest slices.
- Alternate method: instead of rolling and cutting, you could use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut long strips and then roll each strip individually. This makes it easier to roll and cut.
- Line the rolls in the baking pan and cover loosely with saran wrap and let rise for an hour.
Baking the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Once risen, add half a jar of pistachio cream into a piping bag (or you could just use a spoon) and pipe extra pistachio cream over the rolls, in a sort of circle around the swirls.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might need to cover the rolls with aluminum foil halfway through baking so the inside can cook but to prevent the outside from burning.
- If you aren't sure if the rolls are baked through, you can use a cooking thermometer to check for doneness. The thermometer should read 190° or above.
- Once out of the oven, top with the remaining pistachio cream (you can drizzle this on).
Chocolate Icing
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the icing and whisk until well combined. You can smother this icing all over the rolls or drizzle it on top. Then add crushed pistachios on top.1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon milk
Storage
- The rolls will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days, covered tightly.
- You can warm them for a 25-30 seconds in the microwave before eating, if you like.
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