Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

These banana bread cinnamon rolls are made with an easy yeast dough made with fresh banana. The rolls get rolled up with brown sugar, cinnamon, and even more sliced bananas! I top them with cream cheese frosting for the best brunch treat. You can assemble these day before baking too!

 

Ok it’s probably obvious by now that I love a homemade cinnamon roll. Like my small batch cinnamon rolls, or my apple cinnamon rolls made with a fresh apple cider glaze. And I never say no to a warm slice of banana bread. Like my banana bread with sour cream. 

So it was only a matter of time I combined my two loves into one – these fluffy banana bread cinnamon rolls. It’s everything you love about traditional cinnamon rolls with banana bread flavor.

I used my cinnamon roll recipe as a jumping off point, but instead of using an egg in the dough I replaced it with a fresh banana to bind the dough together. It was the perfect solution! So that means these are also eggless cinnamon rolls as well!

And I layered in more fresh banana after sprinkling on brown sugar and cinnamon and slathering on softened butter. I pour on some heavy cream right before baking, which helps createst the softest rolls ever. And after baking I slather on my cinnamon roll icing made with cream cheese. Because every cinnamon roll needs a cream cheese frosting right?

I’ll give you all the tips, step by step photos, and show you how you can make these ahead of time! Let’s get baking!

Why You Will Love These Banana Cinnamon Rolls

• Made with fresh, ripe bananas
• Tastes like a moist banana bread in cinnamon roll form!
• Easy yeast dough made in your stand mixer
• Can be assembled the day before and kept in the fridge
• Topped with quick cream cheese frosting

Ingredients Needed 

• Milk: I always use whole milk for my cinnamon rolls because it has a higher fat content which will yield a more tender roll, but low-fat milk could also be used.
• Butter
• Instant yeast- I used instant yeast, but you can also use active dry yeast in this recipe in a 1 to 1 exchange. However, the rising times will vary (I put the differences in times in the recipe for you). I always use and recommend Red Star’s yeast – it’s by far the best yeast and always yields amazing results.
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour I always use all-purpose flour for my cinnamon rolls. I know some recipes call for bread flour to give the dough more structure but I find that all-purpose flour works just fine.
• Salt
• Bananas – Instead of an egg in the dough I use a mashed banana. I also layer the cinnamon roll dough with sliced bananas.
• Light brown sugar – You can also use dark brown sugar. If you’ve run out read my tutorial on how to make homemade brown sugar.
• Ground cinnamon
• Heavy Cream
• Cream cheese – Soften the cream cheese to room temperature. Read my tutorial on how to soften cream cheese.
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered Sugar – If you’ve run out, read how to make homemade powdered sugar.
  

How to Make Banana Cinnamon Rolls

Make the cinnamon rolls

Warm milk. In a medium saucepan, heat milk, butter and sugar until butter is melted and the temperature is 120^oF-130^oF on an instant-read thermometer. If you’re using active dry yeast I recommend heating to 105-110^oF. Remove from the heat.

Make dough. In a bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together 4 ½ cups (540 g) flour, yeast and salt. Add in melted  butter mixture and mashed bananas stir to combine until a shaggy dough comes together. 

Knead the dough. Fit the mixer with a dough hook attachment, and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour a little at a time if needed. If you are kneading the dough by hand, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes by hand.

Dough will be sticky at first, and get less sticky as you knead, so I add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should still be slightly sticky to the touch but feel smooth and elastic. Do not use more than 5 cups of flour and not over knead or your cinnamon rolls will become out dense and chewy!

Let the dough rise. Lightly grease a large bowl, and place dough into the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you’re using active dry yeast, the rise time will take longer.

Roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and with a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough into a 18×12 inches rectangle.

Spread the dough with the softened, leaving about a ½-inch border at the top long edge.

Spread filling.  In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the butter, pressing down lightly to adhere. Place the bananas slices on top. 

Cut rolls. Starting on the long edge with filling, roll up the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the dough to seal. Using a serrated knife cut the log into 12 equal rolls. You can also cut the rolls using a piece of thread or unflavored dental floss,which I find gives the cleanest cuts. I place a long piece of thread underneath the dough, bring up the thread on each side, criss cross it, and then pull the thread through the dough so it cuts right through leaving the spiral intact.

Let rolls rise. Grease a 9”x13” baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Place rolls into pan spiral side up. Cover the baking dish and let rise in a warm, draft free place for 45 minutes until the rolls are slightly puffy, and nearly doubled in size. If you used active dry yeast, the second rise time will be near 75 minutes.

Near the end of the second rise time, position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Pour the slightly warmed heavy cream over the rolls right before baking.

Bake rolls. Bake rolls in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then spread the frosting on. I like to spread on the frosting on when they are still slightly warm so it melts into the rolls a bit.

Make the cream cheese icing

Beat cream cheese and butter. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed, for about 2 minutes until smooth and combined.

Add sugar. Add in the confectioners sugar, about a ½ cup at a time and mix on low speed until combined.

Add vanilla. Then beat in vanilla extract until combined. Beat on medium-high speed for about an extra 1-2 minutes until fluffy and light in texture. You can always add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk to thin it out.

Ice rolls. Spread the cinnamon rolls with the cream cheese icing. I like to ice the rolls while they are still slightly warm so the icing melts on top of the rolls a bit.

Recipe Tips

• Warm Whole Milk-  I always use whole milk for my cinnamon rolls. I haven’t tested these with non-dairy milk. You want your milk to be lukewarm, not cold straight from the fridge, so it can begin to activate the yeast. Cold milk will slow down the rising time. I aim to warm my milk somewhere between 120-130^oF (for active dry I recommend 105-110°F).
• Butter– I always bake with unsalted butter vs. salted butter because it’s fresher and I can control the salt amount. If you do you want to use salted butter than you will you want to reduce the salt in the dough by 1/4 teaspoon
• Cream Cheese- I used cream cheese in the frosting that gets spread on top after they bake. I recommend full-fat cream cheese, but low-fat would also work. I do not recommend fat-free or the whipped tub varieties.
• Before Baking: After the first rise, roll, fill and cut the rolls. Place in a freezer-safe pan, cover well and then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring them out about an hour before baking them to bring them to room temperature and allow to rise. Then bake as normal. 
• After Baking: Once they are baked, let them cool to room temperature before freezing. You can freeze the whole pan if you choose or individual cinnamon rolls. For individual rolls, place in a freezer safe container or bag and wrap well and freeze for 3 months. When ready to eat, you can defrost overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature quickly and warm in your microwave for 10-15 seconds, or in a 350oF preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
• Use Parchment Paper: Consider lining the baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal and cleaning.
• Even Rolling: Roll the dough into a precise 15 by 5-inch rectangle for consistent and well-proportioned cinnamon rolls.
• Measure Correctly: You may want to use a kitchen scale like this one to make sure everything is measured correctly.

Recipe Variations

• Add nuts – Make these banana nut cinnamon rolls by sprinkling on toasted pecans or toasted walnuts before rolling up the dough.
• Add Chocolate: For chocolate lovers, incorporate chocolate chips into the filling or drizzle a little bit of melted chocolate over the rolls before serving, transforming them into a chocolatey delight.
• Top with peanut butter cream cheese frosting instead of regular cream cheese frosting. 
• Try my easy cinnamon roll icing if you’re short on time!
• Sweeten with maple syrup- You can add a few tablespoons of maple syrup to the frosting for a fun Fall twist.

Make Ahead And Storage Instructions

After the first rise, roll out the dough, add the filling, roll up, and cut the rolls. Place them in the baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Then bring them to room temperature and let go through the second rise until puffy.

Due to the cream cheese icing, it’s recommended to store the rolls in the fridge in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent the icing from softening too much. You can store the rolls in the fridge for up to 5 days. Beyond this period, the texture and flavor may be affected.

You can freeze them before or after baking for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes to Try

If are you are craving more brunch treats, try my easy chocolate chip muffins. They are better than a bakery! I love slathering on my honey butter recipe.

And if you’re craving pancakes, try my fresh strawberry pancakes!