Looking for a taste of Greece in a bite-sized treat? Meet roxakia – a delicious Greek dessert known for its chocolate-cinnamon flavors and soft, syrup-soaked texture.

Imagine a swirl of chocolate and cinnamon in each bite, a light crunch on the outside, and a syrupy, melt-in-your-mouth center.

They’re ideal for the holiday season, but honestly, they’re too good not to make year-round.

Plus, they look stunning on a dessert platter!

Ingredients

For the Dough

550gr all-purpose flour

1 packet dry yeast, 7gr

170ml light olive oil (or half oil and half melted butter for richer flavor)

2 eggs

1 tbsp sugar

190gr warm milk

Zest of 1 orange

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

A piece of lemon peel

Directions

For the syrup: Place a saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the water, sugar, anise, and peels, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

For the dough: In a large bowl, add the eggs and sunflower oil. Whisk them together until the eggs are fully blended.

Next, pour the milk, sugar, and yeast into a small bowl, mix with a fork, and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.

Then, add the flour and baking powder to the egg mixture in the large bowl, creating a small well in the center. Pour the milk mixture into the well and start kneading until a firm dough forms.

Take one-third of the dough, transfer it to another bowl, add cinnamon and cocoa, and knead again until well combined.

Place both doughs in separate plates, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 90 minutes.

Lightly flour your work surface, knead the plain dough slightly by hand, and divide it into three parts. Repeat the same for the chocolate dough.

On the floured surface, roll out a piece of plain dough with a rolling pin into a 35×30 cm rectangle, adding more flour as needed.

Shape a piece of chocolate dough into a 20 cm log, place it along the lower edge of the rectangle, and roll up the dough, brushing the top edge with water to seal it.

Trim the edges, slice into 3 cm pieces, and place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this for the remaining dough.

Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan setting) for 15 minutes.

Once the rolls are out of the oven, dip them immediately into the cold syrup, leave them for about 30 seconds, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

Let the roxakia cool completely and absorb the syrup. They’re even better the next day as the syrup fully soaks in.