Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
As I’m sure I have mentioned before, cinnamon rolls are one of my absolute favorite treats. One of my best friends and I are actually discussing getting matching cinnamon roll tattoos. What’s not to love? Well to turn a traditional cinnamon roll up a notch, I decided to make banana bread cinnamon rolls. They have bananas in both the dough and the filling, and are SO good. They are just as easy to make as regular cinnamon rolls, and would be perfect for your next brunch/breakfast situation.
The banana bread cinnamon roll dough:
The dough starts out like most cinnamon rolls and the only difficult part is waiting for them to rise. Start with warm milk, sugar and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer. The milk should be warmed to about 110 degrees, too hot and it will burn your yeast. Because we are using instead rise or rapid rise yeast in this dough, no need to let it bloom. Mix on medium speed to combine. Add the melted butter, egg, salt, and ½ cup of mashed bananas. Be sure to measure this, bananas come in varying sizes so it is much more accurate to mash and then measure instead of just using a set amount of bananas in the dough.
Add the flour one cup at a time and mix on the lowest speed to combine as you are adding it. Once it is combined and resembles a soft, sticky, dough switch over to the dough hook attachment. Knead using the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes. If you are not using a stand mixer, then knead by hand for four minutes. After four minutes the dough should be soft, smooth and easy to handle. Place the dough in a large bowl greased with butter or non-stick cooking spray and cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap.
Place in a warm place to rise for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until the dough has doubled in size. A trick to helping your dough rise if your house is a bit on the cool side is to turn your oven to the lowest setting. This is usually a “keep warm” setting, or in my oven it is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to heat up for about ten minutes, place the dough into the oven, shut the door and then turn the oven back off. It is just enough heat to help it rise properly. Otherwise you can just let the dough sit on the counter.
The filling:
In addition to your typical cinnamon roll filling: butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, these cinnamon rolls have sliced bananas. After your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place on a floured work surface. In a bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until it looks like a thick paste. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, using your hands to help pull and shape the dough so it holds its rectangular shape as you roll it out. It should be about ¼ inch thick. Be careful not to roll it too thin or you might tear holes in the dough while trying to roll it up.
Once you have your rectangle, dump out your melted butter mixture all over the dough in spoonfuls. Use a knife or spatula to spread evenly all over the dough. Thinly slice about 2 small to medium sized bananas. Place thin sliced bananas evenly all over the dough on top of the butter and sugar mixture. Tightly roll the dough into a log towards you with the longest edge. Cut the small ends off and slice evenly into rolls. It should make about 12, but if you are me you always cut them way too big and end up with about 10. Place the rolls into a greased 9X13 inch baking dish and cover again with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise again for another hour, or until puffed up and touching each other.
Baking and frosting your cinnamon rolls:
While your rolls are rising, preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brown butter for the brown butter cream cheese icing. Place six tablespoons of butter into a small saucepan or pot and cook on low to medium heat until browned bits appear on the bottom and it becomes fragrant. Pour into a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool. Once ready, remove the towel or plastic wrap and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes. They will be just slightly golden brown on the edges and the filling will be bubbling. When you remove your rolls from the oven, allow to cool slightly on a wire rack in the baking dish while you make the icing.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer add your cooled, browned butter (it’s ok if it has started to solidify, just be sure to scrape the bowl and get all of the brown bits) and room temperature cream cheese. Mix on medium speed for about a minute until combined. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on medium speed for about 30 seconds between each addition. Add in vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream and mix on medium-high speed for one minute. Top the banana bread cinnamon rolls with icing while they are still warm and enjoy immediately.
Check out my recipe for classic cinnamon rolls here.
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Banana bread cinnamon roll dough
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 packet instant or rapid rise yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup mashed, ripe bananas
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour
Cinnamon roll filling
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 small to medium sized bananas, sliced
Brown butter cream cheese icing
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream or milk
Instructions
Banana bread cinnamon roll dough
- Warm milk in the microwave or on the stove to 110°. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add packet of instant rise yeast and granulated sugar. Using paddle attachment or hand mixer on medium speed mix to combine, about 30 seconds. Add the egg, melted butter, and mashed banana, and salt. Mix to combine on medium speed.
- Add the flour one cup at a time and mix on the lowest speed to combine as you are adding it. Once it is combined and resembles a soft, sticky, dough switch over to the dough hook attachment. Knead using the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes. If you are not using a stand mixer, then knead by hand for four minutes. After four minutes the dough should be soft and smooth and easy to handle. Place the dough in a large bowl greased with butter or non-stick cooking spray and cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm space to rise, about an hour to an hour and a half. The dough should double in size.
Filling and assembly
- Once the dough has doubled in size prepare your filling. In a bowl whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Punch the dough down and dump onto a floured work surface. Use your hands to stretch the dough into a rectangle shape and begin to roll out using a floured rolling pin. Continue to use your hands while you are rolling the dough out to help keep a rectangular shape. Roll out slightly larger than a 9X13 pan, about 1/4 inch thick. Drop spoonfuls of the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough. Spread out into an even layer all over the dough and close to the edges. Place thinly sliced fresh banana pieces all over the the dough on top of the brown sugar and butter filling. Roll the dough tightly into a log towards you.
- Cut off the small ends and then use a knife to score the cinnamon rolls into 10-12 even pieces. Slice the areas you scored fully, creating your cinnamon roll. Place in a greased 9X13 inch pan and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside again for an hour to an hour and a half. The cinnamon rolls should be puffed up and touching each other when they are ready. While they are rising, preheat your oven to 350°. While your oven is preheating, slice your six tablespoons of butter for your brown butter cream cheese icing into pieces. Add to a small pot or saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until browned bits appear on the bottom and it becomes fragrant. Pour into a heat proof bowl and set aside to cool while the rolls finish rising. If it starts to solidify that is ok.
Baking and frosting
- Once the rolls have finished rising and the oven is preheated, place into oven on the middle rack and bake for 20-22 minutes. When they are done the rolls will be slightly golden brown and the filling will be bubbling. Place the baking dish on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the brown butter cream cheese icing.
- Add room temperature cream cheese and browned butter from the previous step to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed to combine for about a minute. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on medium speed for about 30 seconds between each addition. Add in vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream and mix on medium-high speed for one minute. Top the banana bread cinnamon rolls with icing while they are still warm and enjoy immediately.
One of the best recipes I’ve ever tasted! So delicious. Don’t miss out!