Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
These fluffy banana cinnamon rolls are about to steal the spotlight on your table! They’re super soft with banana bread flavor baked into every bite, thanks to plenty of overripe fresh banana (no extracts needed). Think of them as the love child between classic homemade cinnamon rolls and your favorite loaf of banana bread!
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Perfect for dessert or a sweet breakfast treat, these warm rolls are swirled with a gooey banana-cinnamon filling and topped with a rich and tangy brown sugar cream cheese frosting that melts right into the swirls while they’re still hot. Banana bread might be played out, but these banana-packed rolls are anything but ordinary. One taste and you’ll see why this mash-up deserves a permanent spot in your weekend baking rotation.
Looking for more ideas for all those ripe bananas? Try this family-favorite banana pudding cheesecake, this hummingbird cake recipe or this chocolate banana bundt cake!
Key Ingredients
Bananas. Overripe bananas flavor both the dough and the banana-cinnamon filling. Pick bananas with at least some black spots. These are riper and inherently sweeter with a more intense banana flavor.
Bread flour. Has more gluten than all-purpose flour giving the cinnamon rolls their stretchy texture.
Cinnamon. Store-bought ground cinnamon works perfectly for this recipe.
Yeast. I use instant yeast but active dry yeast can also be used. Instant yeast allows you to skip the blooming stage and reduces the total rise time needed for the dough. Instant yeast also only requires a single rise compared to active dry yeast which tends to need a second rise.
Milk. I opt for whole milk for the added flavor but skim milk is also fine.
Whole egg. This softens the cinnamon roll dough and enrichens the flavor.
Sugar. Dark brown sugar is used in the cinnamon sugar filling. Brown sugar is also used in the dough but only to feed the yeast so there is sufficient rise. Light brown sugar is less rich but can also be used. It’s also okay to use granulated sugar, honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar used in the dough.
Unsalted butter. Works with the egg to soften the cinnamon roll dough and makes the flavor more rich. It is also used in the cinnamon sugar filling forming a sticky syrup as it melts and these banana cinnamon rolls bake!
Heavy cream. Poured in the pan right before baking. A magic trick for a gooey cinnamon roll.
Cream cheese. These banana cinnamon rolls are topped with a classic cream cheese glaze!
Tips for the Best Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Use a kitchen scale. Precise measurements are key to fluffy cinnamon rolls. Too much flour can cause them to be dense and too much liquid or bananas will cause the dough to be too sticky and difficult to work with. If you use a measuring cup, you risk packing the flour and using way too much.
Make sure your yeast isn’t expired. Expired yeast will cause your dough not to rise as much as it should (if at all) and your banana cinnamon rolls won’t turn out nearly as pillowy. If you’re not sure whether or not your yeast is expired you can add the amount called for in this recipe to a small bowl along with a ¼ cup of the milk and a teaspoon of the sugar for the recipe. The mixture should bubble and give off a strong, “yeasty”, fresh baked bread aroma.
How to Make Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Make the Banana Cinnamon Sugar Filling
Step 1. Puree the bananas along with the melted butter, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate. The mixture will seem a bit loose as moisture releases from the bananas. This is fine. Refrigerating it will give it a thicker consistency so the banana cinnamon rolls are easier to handle once you assemble.
Make the Banana Bread Dough
Step 1. Add the bread flour, dark brown sugar, instant yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
Step 2. Puree the bananas with the milk until completely smooth then heat to 120-130°F. I heat in the microwave for 30 second bursts until the desired temperature is reached. It’s important to use an instant read-thermometer to check the temperature. Too cold and the yeast won’t work, too hot and you’ll kill the yeast.
Step 3. Add the heated banana/milk mixture, egg and unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Attach a dough hook to the mixer and knead on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and clings to the dough hook. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.
If you plan to make the banana cinnamon rolls later or the next morning, refrigerate the covered dough for up to 24 hours. Bring it out just before the next step. Cold dough is easier to manage since this is a relatively sticky dough. Refrigerating the dough can also help slow down the softening of the banana filling.
Assemble your Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out in a rectangular shape until about ¼-inch thick.
Step 2. Remove the banana cinnamon sugar filling set aside earlier and, using an offset spatula, spread the filling in an even layer across the top of the dough leaving a border of at least ⅛ an inch around the perimeter. It’s important to work quickly since as the banana cinnamon filling warms up it becomes looser and more difficult to work with.
Step 3. Starting at one end along the longer edge of the dough, roll the dough into a log. Roll up the dough firmly so that the log holds it shape but don’t roll too tightly where the filling starts pushing out.
Step 4. Slide a piece of floral wire or unflavored dental floss under the log in the center, positioning each hand on either side of the log. Holding the floss between your index finger and thumb, bring your hands toward each other, finally crossing them while pulling the floss to “cut” the cinnamon rolls.
Avoid using a knife or dough cutter for these cinnamon rolls as the pressure can cause the filling to easily ooze out.
Step 5. Repeat the process, cutting each log in half to get 8 cinnamon rolls.
Step 6. Line a heavy 10-inch baking dish (I like cast iron) with parchment paper and arrange the cinnamon rolls to that they are evenly spaced. It is okay if they touch each other a little but they shouldn’t be smashed together. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Step 7. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 8. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the cinnamon rolls and bake for 30-40 minutes until completely golden brown.
Make the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing
Step 1. Add the dark brown sugar, milk and the softened cream cheese to a small bowl and whip until completely smooth.
Step 2. Top the banana cinnamon rolls with the brown sugar cream cheese frosting while they are still hot and enjoy warm!
Refrigerate any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute before serving again.
Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Puree the bananas along with the melted butter, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate. The filling will thicken as it gets cold.
- Add the bread flour, dark brown sugar, instant yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
- Puree the bananas with the milk until completely smooth then heat to 120-130°F. I heat in the microwave for 30 second bursts until the desired temperature is reached. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Too cold and the yeast won’t work, too hot and you’ll kill the yeast.
- Add the heated banana/milk mixture, egg and softened unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Attach a dough hook to the mixer and knead on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and clings to the dough hook. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- If you plan to make the banana cinnamon rolls later or the next morning, refrigerate the covered dough for up to 24 hours. Bring it out just before the next step.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out in a rectangular shape until about ¼ -inch thick and the longer edge measures about 18 inches.
- Remove the banana cinnamon sugar filling set aside earlier and, using an offset spatula, spread the filling in an even layer across the top of the dough leaving a border of at least ⅛ an inch around the perimeter. It's important to work quickly since as the banana cinnamon filling warms up it gets looser and is more difficult to work with.
- Starting at one end along the longer edge of the dough, roll the dough into a log. Roll up the dough firmly so that the log holds it shape but don’t roll it too tightly where the filling starts pushing out.
- Slide a piece of floral wire or unflavored dental floss under the log in the center, positioning each hand on either side of the log. Holding the floss between your index finger and thumb, bring your hands toward each other, finally crossing them while pulling the floss to “cut” the cinnamon rolls.
- Avoid using a knife or dough cutter for these cinnamon rolls as the pressure can cause the filling to easily ooze out.
- Repeat the last step, cutting each log in half to get 8 cinnamon rolls.
- Line a heavy 10-inch baking dish (I like cast iron) with parchment paper and arrange the cinnamon rolls to that they are evenly spaced. It is okay if they touch each other a little but they shouldn’t be smashed together. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour the heavy cream evenly over the cinnamon rolls and bake for 30-40 minutes until completely golden brown.
- Add the dark brown sugar, milk and the softened cream cheese to a small bowl and whip until completely smooth.
- Top the banana cinnamon rolls with the brown sugar cream cheese frosting while they are still hot and enjoy warm!
- Refrigerate any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute before serving again.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale – it’s more precise!
- Pick bananas with some brown spots. The browning indicates ripening so it will be more sweet than perfectly yellow bananas
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