There is nothing better than homemade cinnamon rolls packed with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas and topped with smooth and tangy cream cheese icing. Great sweet breakfast idea for a family or potluck.
There is nothing more exciting than waiting for weekend slow morning. These cinnamon rolls crossed with banana bread are just what you need for your next Sunday! Incredibly soft and fluffy, they won’t last longer than a couple of days, so perfect for the weekend!
Gina’s Recipe Rundown:
Texture: Warm, chewy, fluffy rolls with sweet cinnamon filling and silky smooth frosting – all different textures in every bite.
Taste: Everyone’s favorite cinnamon rolls taken to another level – it is a happy marriage of two home-baked staples: cinnamon rolls and banana bread flavor, and both flavors complement each other!
Ease: The recipe requires more patience than skills with two dough rise times. However, it is still very easy to make to make these cinnamon rolls and the ingredients are all pantry staples.
Why I love it: These are the perfect cinnamon rolls for a cozy morning with family.
My top tip for making cinnamon rolls is to use active dry yeast and let them properly rise twice – you will get the softest homemade cinnamon rolls!
To enhance the flavors, I love adding chopped nuts and vanilla extract, but the recipe leaves plenty of room for experiments! You can start with trying my Apple pie cinnamon rolls or Blueberry cinnamon rolls, but I have plenty more to browse.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Large batch for a few breakfasts or to pack as a sweet snack.
- Amazing way to change up things if you’re tired of simple banana bread and still need to use all the ripe bananas.
- This cinnamon roll banana bread will be a great sweet fix and kids of any age (and adults) absolutely love it.
- Despite a longer list of ingredients, it comes together with just pantry staples, very affordable and family-friendly.
Ingredients Notes
Dough
- Whole milk. The milk will be used to activate the yeast so it should be just warm enough – about 110°F, but not hotter or it will kill the yeast mixture and the dough won’t rise! It is the trickiest part of the recipe. Buttermilk works too.
- Active dry yeast for the soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls we all dream about!
- Granulated sugar not only adds sweetness but helps to activate the yeast.
- Banana. Medium-ripe bananas with brown spots are just perfect for making cinnamon rolls and you will need to mash them nicely to make sure there are no lumps (unless you want more texture and banana flavor in every bite).
- Unsalted butter. For the dough I use melted butter.
- Vanilla extract. As it is just for flavoring, you can use either vanilla or banana extract.
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
Filling
- Unsalted butter. For the filling we need room temperature butter, it won’t be mixed with cinnamon and sugar though, we will smother the dough in it and it will help the filling stick nicely.
- Brown sugar. I love using dark brown sugar for a more pronounced caramel flavor, but light brown sugar works in a pinch.
- Ground cinnamon – should be still fragrant!
- Walnuts (or pecans). Using nuts in the filling is completely optional.
Glaze/Frosting
- Confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar- makes the frosting sweeter and real thick.
- Cream cheese, softened
- Milk. You can adjust how thick you want the frosting to be – thinner glaze or icing style or proper smothering amount 🙂
- Vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract is always the best choice for cinnamon rolls bake.
Kitchen Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cup
- 9×13 baking dish (greased or lined with parchment paper). You can use the round baking dish, it will make around 9 rolls vs 12 in a 9×13 pan. Adjust the quantities!
How to make banana bread cinnamon rolls
1: Activate The Yeast
Combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes to proof the yeast. You know it is done when the yeast mixture is foamy on top.
2: Make The Banana Bread Dough
- Add the mashed banana, melted butter, vanilla, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Mix the dough. Use a dough hook and slowly mix flour into it until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
- Let the dough rise. Transfer the banana cinnamon roll dough to a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3: Add Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the cinnamon roll dough.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and then sprinkle it evenly over the top of the butter, along with the nuts or extra banana slices. (if using)
3: Divide The Dough
- Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly into a log, but not too tightly, or the centers will pop out during baking!
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and place the sliced rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife is best to cut the sticky, soft dough.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
4: Bake Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls for 22–25 minutes or until slightly golden brown. They can be slightly underbaked in the center – it is better than overbaking cinnamon rolls!
5: Make The Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep the frosting while the rolls bake by whisking the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together until smooth.
- When the rolls are done baking, drizzle the frosting over the warm rolls before serving.
- Garnish with additional nuts if desired.
Storage
Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days or store in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat in the oven or microwave ( I love the cinnamon rolls warm!)
Banana bread cinnamon rolls recipe is freezable. You can tightly wrap cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the dough after the first rise. Thaw overnight, then let it do the second rise and bake.
To make ahead, leave the dough in the fridge overnight before the second rise. Take it out and let it warm up for about 30 minutes, and continue as the recipe follows.
Substitutions & Variations
- To make this recipe vegan, you should stick to alternative milk like soy milk, coconut, or almond milk, use vegan cream cheese frosting, and melted vegan butter for the dough.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use gluten-free flour or self-rising flour to make the cinnamon roll dough; everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Yeast mixture. I prefer using yeast, but you can also substitute it for a mix of lemon juice or white vinegar and baking soda. The dough will rise.
- Filling. You can also add banana slices to the filling, right with cinnamon sugar mixture and nuts (if using).
- Frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the classic, but you can swap it with peanut butter frosting or any other glaze you love.
- Cinnamon rolls dough. Can be made with bread flour too, the rolls will be even denser and more chewy. Add honey or maple syrup for natural smoky sweetness.
- Use instant yeast to cut down rising time.
Expert Tips To Make The Best Banana Cinnamon Rolls
- Butter and cream cheese should be room temperature to mix well without leaving any lumps. Remember to take them out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before making cinnamon rolls.
- You can make brown butter for cream cheese frosting. Simple melt and simmer butter in a pan until it is foamy and has a deep golden brown color.
- If the yeast is bubbling instead of foaming, it is most likely expired (dead) and it won’t help your dough rise. Start over or use baking soda mix.
- You can let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before frosting them – it will make more of the frosting sit on top. Or frost them while they are still hot, then the mixture will soak in the baked dough quickly. Both ways are delicious!
- You can knead the dough by hand too, just work on a lightly floured surface. Wooden spoon helps to start mixing the dough first in a bowl too, then switch to hands.
- Prepare the special sauce for the bottom of the rolls so they are not dry and bland! You can mix cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and some honey in a medium bowl to make a sauce you will pour at the bottom of the pan.
If you love this recipe with a banana bread flair, you’re going to love these other banana bread recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Cinnamon Rolls To Try
Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
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Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 banana mashed (medium-ripe)
- ¼ cup butter melted – unsalted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or banana extract flavoring
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup butter softened – unsalted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans *optional
Glaze/Frosting
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes to proof the yeast. You know it is done when it is foamy on top.
- Add the mashed banana, melted butter, vanilla, and salt.
- Use a dough hook and slowly mix in the flour until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter evenly over the dough.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and then sprinkle it evenly over the top of the butter, along with the nuts. (if using)
- Starting with the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and place the sliced rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls for 22–25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prep the frosting while the rolls are baking by whisking the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together until smooth.
- When the rolls are done baking, drizzle the frosting over the warm rolls before serving.
- Garnish with additional nuts if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Created by Gina Kleinworth
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