These fluffy Banana Cinnamon Rolls are soft and tender thanks to ripe bananas right in the dough. Swirled with a brown sugar cinnamon filling and tangy cream cheese frosting, they are heavenly. Dairy free, vegan friendly (no eggs needed), and overnight instructions included.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and has since been updated with more notes, tips and frequently asked questions.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox.
If you love all things banana, you are going to love these banana bread cinnamon rolls. Think of it like a cross between my easy banana bread recipe and my vegan cinnamon rolls.
You can’t go wrong with this recipe.
And if you’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, I walk you through everything you need to know – step-by-step with all the tips and tricks! Trust me, it’s worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Banana cinnamon rolls are cushy and light with a fluffy texture.
- Banana-y (obviously) thanks to the banana used in the dough AND in the filling.
- Deliciously classic cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting.
Recipe Ingredients
I am forcing my banana loving ways on you in hopes that you’ll make this epic cinnamon roll recipe the next time your morning needs a special treat.
For the cinnamon roll dough + filling:
- milk of choice – use your favorite non-dairy milk, like cashew milk, almond milk, or oat milk (I just would stay away from pea protein milk or protein milks in general).
- rapid rise yeast – using instant yeast (or quick rise yeast) is best for a rise time that’s half the time.
- brown sugar – you can use light or dark brown sugar for both the dough and the filling.
- fresh banana – you will need overripe bananas for the dough and a thinly sliced banana for the filling. Make sure your bananas are nice and brown for the best banana flavor!
- unsalted butter – butter will give these rolls the best flavor, but you can also use softened coconut oil. If dairy free, use vegan butter, something like Country Crock plant butter sticks or Earth Balance.
- bread flour – I love using bread flour for the most squishy cinnamon rolls. You can sub all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour, but you will probably only need 3 1/2 cups total.
- fine sea salt – to enhance that banana flavor.
- ground spices – keep it simple with ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg, if desired.
For the cream cheese icing:
- cream cheese – use your favorite full-fat cream cheese or vegan cream cheese, if needed.
- milk or yogurt – this helps thin out the frosting. Use whole milk, dairy-free milk, Greek yogurt, or vegan yogurt.
- vanilla extract – to enhance the frosting.
- powdered sugar – confectioner’s sugar sweetens the frosting just right. You also have the option to make a simple glaze with confectioners’ sugar and non-dairy milk instead.
VEGAN SUBSTITUTIONS: this recipe is already egg-free and is vegan friendly using plant based butter and plant based cream cheese (i.e. Kite Hill, Miyoko’s, etc.).
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
Using Bread Flour for Cinnamon Rolls
Using bread flour in this recipe will produce the fluffiest, most delicious cinnamon rolls.
If you haven’t made cinnamon rolls with bread flour you’re in for a real treat.
I cannot get over how amazing these turn out, every time I make them.
How to Make Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
I want to go through some steps for you so you can see just how simple it is to bake cinnamon rolls. Don’t be afraid of yeast, my friends! Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: warm milk
In a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, heat milk until lukewarm, about 110ºF.
In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, sugar, and gently add the warm milk. Stir until combined and allow to sit for 10 minutes, until top is foamy.
TIP: if your milk mixture doesn’t get foamy, the yeast did not activate and you will have to start over.
Step 2: make dough
Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add melted butter and mashed banana, mixing on low speed until combined.
Add the dry ingredients, about ½ cup flour at a time, until you’ve added 3 1/2 cups flour and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. At this time, change the attachment to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes.
TIP: dough should remain soft but it should not be a sticky dough. This is typically where I add another 1/4 cup of flour with the mixer running, then stop the mixer once the flour has mixed in, reposition the dough, and start the mixer again.
Step 3: allow to rise
Oil a large bowl and shape dough into a ball. Place dough ball in the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Allow to do a first rise in a warm area until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
TIP: set oven to warm or preheated to 200F then turn off. Place bowl in the warmed oven and allow to rise.
Step 4: prepare rolls
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Lightly cover a rolling pin and flat work surface with flour.
Roll out dough into a large rectangle (15×9-inch) on the lightly floured surface. Be patient, and roll gently. Don’t use too much flour or your dough will be stiff.
Spread on softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place bananas slices flat in 3 long rows (see picture below).
Gently roll the dough into a long roll, seam side down. Use unflavored dental floss (or a serrated knife) to slice rolls into about 1 1/2″ width.
TIP: the way you use floss is to shimmy the floss under the log, pull the floss together towards each other in the center and pull down until you’ve cut the roll.
Place rolls in the prepared baking dish and allow to rise a second time. You can use the warm oven tip above. See below below for overnight adaptation.
Step 5: bake
Once the rolls have finished their second rise (about 15 minutes), remove the rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Then, if necessary, cover the top of the dough with foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 6: make cream cheese frosting
In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat softened cream cheese and yogurt until light and fluffy.
Add in vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined. Spread on warm banana cinnamon rolls.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
Here are some of my expert tips for the best banana cinnamon rolls recipe:
- Leave enough room in your baking dish for the rolls to rise again. I spread mine out a bit so they don’t overcrowd each other during the second rise.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls until the tops are lightly golden brown and they spring back to the touch.
- Check the rolls half way through baking and if the tops are browning too quickly, cover the cinnamon rolls with aluminum foil.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Method
If you’re looking to have fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning but don’t want to be up super early, here are the overnight instructions:
- Prep the recipe up until you’ve sliced the dough and placed in the baking pan.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, remove the baking pan from the fridge 45 minutes before preheating the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, uncover, and bake for 25-35 minutes.
How to Store & Reheat
Leftover banana cinnamon rolls can be stored covered in the fridge or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a low oven (300 degrees F) for 5-10 minutes, until warm.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the best way to heat the milk?
I love to heat it in the microwave in 15-20 second increments for a fast approach. Use a candy thermometer or instant read thermometer to make sure the temperature of the milk is between 100 – 110 degrees F.
Why are my cinnamon rolls dense?
Your cinnamon rolls will be dense if you overmix the dough (creating too much gluten), do not let the dough rise long enough, or you add too much flour when rolling out the dough.
Can I make banana nut cinnamon rolls?
Absolutely! Simply add some chopped walnuts or pecans right on top of the bananas in the filling and push them in slightly.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I am unsure of the results. Let me know in the comments if you do!
Let me know if you make my Banana Cinnamon Rolls recipe by leaving a comment and rating below the recipe card. It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup cashew milk, or your choice of milk
- 2.25 teaspoons rapid rise yeast, 1 packet
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 medium bananas, equal to 3/4 cup mashed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter,
- 3.5 – 4 cups Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour*, see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter or vegan butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- 1 medium banana, thinly sliced into about 30 slices
Frosting
- 5 ounces cream cheese, softened, sub dairy-free as needed
- 2 tablespoons milk or Greek yogurt, to thin as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Warm milk: In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup, heat milk for about 20-30 seconds. Allow temperature of mixture to reach 110ºF (or lukewarm). If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. Add yeast and sugar into large mixing bowl of stand mixer and gently add milk. Stir until combined and allow to sit for 10 minutes, until top is foamy. If your mixture doesn't get foamy, the yeast did not activate.
- Make dough: Once the milk and yeast mixture is foamy, add melted butter and mashed banana mixing low speed until combined. Start to add flour and salt – about ½ cup at a time. You will likely need about 3 1/2 cups. Dough should be elastic and start to pull away from edge of bowl when it is ready. At this time, change the attachment to the dough hook, and allow the hook to knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes. Dough should remain soft but not overly sticky – this is typically where I add another 1/4 cup of flour with the mixer running, then stop the mixer once the flour has mixed in slightly, reposition the dough and start the mixer again.
- Rise: Oil large bowl and shape dough into ball, place dough in bowl and cover with towel and let rise in warm environment until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes. TIP: set oven to warm or preheated to 200F then turn off. Place bowl in the warmed oven and allow to rise.
- Prepare rolls: Grease a 9×13″ baking dish with butter or coconut oil, set aside. Once the dough has about doubled in size, lightly cover rolling pin and flat surface with flour. Roll out dough into a 15×9 inch rectangle. Be patient, and roll gently. Don’t use too much flour or your dough will be stiff. Spread on softened butter, sprinkle sugar and spices; gently pat to let sugar absorb into butter slightly. Place sliced bananas flat on dough in 3 long rows (see picture in post). Using the heels of your hands and thumbs, gently roll dough into a long roll, placing seam side down. Use floss method to slice rolls or a serrated knife to gently cut into about 1 1/2" width. You should get about 12 rolls for a 9×13 pan. Place rolls in greased pan, leaving room to rise, and put pan in draft-free environment.You can use the warm oven tip above. See notes below for overnight adaptation.
- Bake: Once the rolls have risen again slightly (about 15 minutes), preheat oven to 350ºF (take rolls out and wait for oven to get up to 350ºF). Bake cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Then, if necessary, cover top of rolls with foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Covering the rolls for the last 5-10 minutes will prevent them from getting too brown on the top.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: In medium bowl using electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat softened cream cheese and yogurt until light and fluffy. Add in extract and powdered sugar; mix on low speed until combined. Spread on slightly cooled banana cinnamon rolls. Best served warm – enjoy!
Leave a Reply