These banana bread cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and super easy to make. You only need one bowl, and they're topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack!
Homemade cinnamon rolls are one of my all-time favorite treats, and this banana bread version is NEXT LEVEL! The warm cinnamon and sweet banana create cozy vibes, just like mornings at my grandma's house.
These soft, fluffy rolls taste just like banana bread. The fresh banana slices caramelize as they bake, making them irresistible. You don't need any fancy gadgets—just a mixing bowl and your hands!
These banana cinnamon rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or sweet afternoon snacks. They taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee or tea, and that cream cheese frosting takes them to the next level.
Why you'll love this cinnamon roll recipe:
- Fluffy Goodness: Soft, pillowy rolls that melt in your mouth.
- Super Easy: No stand mixer or fancy gadgets—just simple steps anyone can follow.
- Banana Bread Vibes: The perfect combo of cinnamon rolls and banana bread flavors.
- Gooey & Sweet: The cinnamon sugar filling is irresistibly gooey and sweet.
- Anytime Treat: Perfect for brunch, a cozy breakfast, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
These banana cinnamon rolls are beginner-friendly and made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Milk: Activates the yeast and makes the dough soft. You can use 2% cow's milk, almond, oat, or whole milk.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor. Unsalted is best to control salt levels.
- Instant Yeast: Helps the dough rise quickly for fluffy rolls.
- Sugar: Use coconut sugar for a refined sugar-free option, or go classic with brown sugar.
- Banana: Adds fresh banana flavor and keeps the rolls moist.
- Bread Flour: Creates soft, chewy rolls with the perfect texture.
- Salt: Enhances the sweetness and balances the flavors.
- Cinnamon: Brings a cozy spice to the filling, making these rolls taste like banana bread!
- Light Cream Cheese: Gives the frosting a creamy, tangy finish.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and makes the frosting smooth and fluffy.
- Vanilla: Adds a sweet, fragrant touch to the frosting.
Instructions
These banana bread cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and delicious—and you don't need a stand mixer! The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Warm the milk to 110°F, sprinkle the yeast on top, and let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy. Stir in melted butter and coconut sugar.
In a bowl, mix bread flour and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a dough forms.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour until it doubles in size.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently if sticky. Roll into a ¼-inch thick rectangle.
Spread softened butter over the dough.
Then, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Now, layer with the thinly sliced bananas.
Roll the dough from the long edge and seal the seam.
Slice into 12 rolls using a sharp knife or dental floss.
Place the rolls in a greased baking dish, cover loosely, and let them rise while you heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and a pinch of salt, and mix until creamy.
Frost the warm rolls with cream cheese frosting and serve with extra banana slices if desired.
Tip: Enjoy your warm banana bread and cinnamon rolls when they are so gooey and delicious!
Top tips
- Check Your Yeast: Make sure it's active by adding it to warm water with a pinch of sugar. If it foams, it's good to go!
- Measure the Flour Correctly: Scoop flour into the cup with a spoon, then level it off. Don't scoop straight from the bag—it adds too much!
- Use Warm Ingredients: Keep your milk and butter warm (not hot) to help the yeast work its magic.
- Let the Dough Rise: Find a warm spot for proofing, like a turned-off oven or microwave.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl + Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- Knife or dental floss
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- Plastic wrap or dish towel
- Electric mixer (optional)
Substituions & Variations
- Milk: Any milk will do! Almond milk or oat milk can easily replace cow's milk.
- Butter: Coconut oil or vegan butter are great substitutes.
- Coconut Sugar: You can swap it for light or dark brown sugar.
- Bread Flour: All-purpose flour works fine, but the texture will be a bit softer.
- Instant Yeast: If you don't have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast instead—just be sure to proof it first! Mix the active dry yeast with warm milk and a bit of coconut sugar, and let it sit for about 15 minutes to activate before adding it to your dough.
- Light Cream Cheese: Use regular cream cheese.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Substitute regular butter with coconut oil or vegan butter, and use dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting. You can also swap cow's milk with almond or oat milk for a completely dairy-free version!
- Add Nuts: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the cinnamon sugar filling for a bit of crunch and extra flavor!
Storage
If you plan to eat the cinnamon rolls within 1-2 days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them soft. For more extended storage, refrigerate them in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. They'll stay fresh for up to a week, though they may be a bit drier. To revive them, simply heat them up in the microwave or oven!
Frequently Asked Questions
Soggy cinnamon rolls can result from too much moisture in the dough or from not baking long enough for them to set correctly. Measure the ingredients carefully and bake the rolls until they are golden brown and puffed up.
You can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour, but the texture might be a little softer.
No, bread flour and all-purpose flour are not the same. Bread flour has a higher protein content (around 12-14%) compared to all-purpose flour (about 9-11%), which helps create more gluten for a soft, pillowy texture. While you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute, the rolls may not rise as much and may have a slightly different texture.
Absolutely! You can substitute the milk with almond or oat milk and use a dairy-free butter alternative.
I have not tried this cinnamon roll recipe with gluten-free flour. It will change the texture.
If you let cinnamon rolls rise too long, the dough can become overproofed and lose its structure, leading to flat, dense rolls. It may also cause the dough to collapse during baking, resulting in less fluffy rolls.
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📖 Recipe
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
The Dough:
- 1 cup milk, any type but I like 2%
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 (1.25 oz) package of instant yeast
- ¼ cup coconut sugar, OR brown sugar
- ¼ cup mashed banana, about ½ ripe banana
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
The Filling:
- 1 cup coconut sugar, OR brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 banana, sliced thin
- Remaining mashed banana
The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz) block light cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon milk, any type, nut or oat
Instructions
- Start by greasing a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Activate the Yeast: To activate the yeast, heat the milk to 110°F by microwaving it in 5-10 second increments. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Once activated, whisk in the melted butter and coconut sugar.
- Make the Dough: Combine the bread flour and salt in a bowl. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until a dough ball forms.
- Proof the Dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a dish towel, then place it in a warm area, like the microwave, allowing it to proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Make Filling: While the dough is proofing, prepare the cinnamon sugar filling by mixing the cinnamon and sugar together.
- Shape the Dough: Flour a large surface and turn out the proofed dough onto it. If the dough is sticky, add more flour in small increments, up to ½ cup (I would start with ¼ cup). Gently knead for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Form the dough into a large rectangle using your hands (it should be ¼ inch thick).
- Add Butter: Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough.
- Add Sugar + Banana: Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top and layer with thinly sliced bananas.
- Roll + Cut: Now, Roll the dough up from the long end (hot-dog style) and seal the edge gently. Using a sharp serrated knife or piece of floss, carefully cut 12 individual 2-inch rolls.
- Add to Dish: Place each cinnamon roll into the greased 9×13 inch dish and cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and let the rolls sit on top of the oven or in a warm spot while it preheats.
- Bake: Bake for 22 - 25 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed and golden.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: For the cream cheese frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk, mixing until creamy.
- Serve: Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven and still warm, frost them with the cream cheese frosting and serve with banana slices if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Baking: When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, allow them to rise at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes before baking as directed.
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Claire says
Fantastic recipe! Tati made these for us last sunday and we finished them in one day!!