Banana Cinnamon Rolls are made with soft banana dough, vanilla cream cheese frosting, and crunchy brown sugar walnut topping.
Banana sweet rolls are popular around holidays like Christmas, Easter, and they're also one of our favorite fall baking recipes. The dough is made with bananas, just like banana bread and is a beloved weekend breakfast along with Banana coffee cake!
Banana Bread Cinnamon Roll Dough
Banana nut cinnamon rolls have an enriched brioche-like dough with milk, eggs, and a divine amount of butter. The dough is banana-flavored, the filling is the perfect balance of banana and cinnamon, and the lovely silky smooth cream cheese frosting is *chefs kiss* beautiful. And the CRUNCHIES on top! Walnuts and brown sugar and butter oh my! It's the perfect way to use up a bunch of bananas.
This recipe uses yeast, but don't worry, be not afraid. I will guide you through the process!
🥘 Ingredients
Make sure you check the recipe card for quantities, but here are the basics for what you'll need.
- Ripe Bananas - this recipe uses about four bananas total for the dough and filling.
- Milk - anything except skim!
- Egg
- Yeast - active dry is used in this recipe but instant will work as well.
- Sugar - white granulated and light brown.
- Salt
- Flour - all purpose
- Butter - salted
- Cinnamon
- Walnuts
- Cream Cheese - can use full fat or neufchâtel.
- Vanilla extract
📖 Substitutions
- Milk - can be substituted with nut or oat milk, but will impact flavor.
- Butter - coconut oil.
- Walnuts - pecans or peanuts.
- Vanilla extract - maple extract to make a banana maple cinnamon roll!
🥣 Instructions
1. Proof the yeast. Heat milk to 90-110 degrees F, add in sugar and stir in yeast. Let sit 3-5 minutes until foamy.
2. Make dough by combining flour, butter, egg, salt, mashed banana, and milk mixture together and kneading by hand or with stand mixer (dough hook attachment) for 4-5 minutes until elastic. The dough will be sticky!
3. Let the dough rise, covered, in an oiled bowl for 60 minutes at room temperature (70-75 degrees F), or until about doubled in size.
4. Make banana nut roll filling by combining mashed banana, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
5. Roll dough into a 12 by 24-inch rectangle, and spread softened butter evenly over the dough. Then spread banana filling over evenly, sprinkling chopped walnuts on last. Roll width-wise like a sleeping bag into a long roll.
6. Cut rolls by marking dough into 12 equal portions (about 2 inches wide) then cut using dental floss or a sharp knife. Place into an oiled 9x13 inch pan or a large baking sheet.
7. Let rise for the second time covered until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown on top, 25-30 minutes if in a 9x13 pan, or 22-25 minutes if spread out on a large baking sheet. Cool 15 minutes before putting on frosting.
9. Make cream cheese frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and mixing together until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over the banana cinnamon rolls generously.
10. Make the walnut topping (optional but DO IT) by warming butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then adding the walnuts and toasting for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in flour, remove from heat, then add in brown sugar. Cool and sprinkle evenly over frosted banana cinnamon rolls, then serve!
✏️ Top Tips
- Use a stand mixer with a dough hook for less mess!
- Use a potato masher to quickly mash the bananas, then divide for the dough and filling.
- Make the frosting and walnut topping while the dough is rising to be efficient with time.
- Don't skip the walnuts! They make these rolls absolutely irresistible!
💬 FAQ
No! I knead the dough by hand frequently and although it takes a little more time, works very well.
Either! This recipe calls for all purpose to make the rolls slightly more tender than bread flour would.
Yes! To make ahead, follow the recipe for the dough, let rise, roll out, fill, and cut the rolls. Then cover and let rise refrigerated overnight. Pull out of the fridge and let rise for 30-60 min in a warm place before baking if needed.
If you have any questions, be sure to let me know in the comments below. If you enjoy these rolls, feel free to share the recipe!
More Unique Banana Recipes
We have all of these unusual banana recipes (as in, not the usual muffins or bread) on the regular. They're great alternatives to banana bread. You can use up your ripe bananas in all of these!
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 bananas
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 egg
- 4-4½ cups all purpose flour
For the filling:
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons butter softened
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 4 Tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
For the walnut topping:
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
For the dough:
- In a small bowl combine warm milk (between 100-110 F), sugar, and yeast and let sit 5 minutes or until foamy.
- In a stand mixer with dough hook attachment (or large bowl if mixing by hand) combine mashed banana, salt, butter, egg, and 4 cups of flour. Pour foamy yeast mixture in and mix with a dough hook on low speed for 4-5 minutes until smooth and elastic. If mixing without a mixer, simply mix with a wooden spoon until you can’t mix anymore and then begin kneading by hand 6-8 minutes.Add another ½ cup (up to one cup if needed) of flour to make dough consistency thick and slightly sticky.
- Oil a large bowl, place dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.
For the filling:
- In a medium sized bowl combine mashed banana, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
- On a floured work surface with rolling pin, roll dough into roughly a 24 inch by 12-14 inch rectangle.Spread softened butter over the dough with a spoon or pastry brush. Spread banana filling evenly over butter, then sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
- Carefully roll dough lengthwise into a long roll. Mark the dough into 12 equal portions with a knife.
- Use a piece of clean string or dental floss and slide the string underneath the roll. Pick up both ends of the string, cross them, and pull tight to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place rolls cut side down into an oiled 9x13 inch pan or large baking sheet, being careful not to crowd the rolls so they have room to rise.Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 45 minutes to one hour until almost doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 25-30 minutes (9x13 pan), until light golden brown on top. (Glass or ceramic pans take more time, dark pans & large baking sheets take less time, 22-25 minutes.) Cool 15-20 minute before icing.
For the frosting:
- In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over baked banana cinnamon rolls.
For the walnut topping:
- In a frying pan over medium heat, warm butter and add walnuts, and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in flour, remove from heat, then add in brown sugar. Cool and sprinkle evenly over frosted banana cinnamon rolls, then serve!
Kathy
BEST way to use up over-ripe bananas!!
These are amazing!
Mary
Will using almond milk affect the recipe?
Sara
I have never tested the recipe with almond milk and can’t give you an accurate answer. If you try it let me know how it goes!