These banana bread cinnamon rolls are soft, rich, unapologetically indulgent, and exactly what happens when banana bread decides it wants to be brunch.
If banana bread and homemade cinnamon rolls had a very committed relationship, this would be the result. These banana bread cinnamon rolls use ripe bananas directly in the cinnamon roll dough, a brown sugar-heavy cinnamon filling, cream cheese frosting, a banana caramel drizzle, and a streusel topping for good measure. They're plush, deeply banana-forward, and meant to be baked slowly until golden brown and impossible to ignore. This is not a "little time" situation - but it is absolutely worth it.
If you love banana-forward bakes, you should also check out my Banana Bread with Streusel, Brown Butter Banana Bread, and Caramel Banana Bread Cookies - because once you start baking with ripe bananas, there's really no going back.
Why You'll Love Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Made with real mashed banana in the cinnamon roll dough for true banana bread flavor
- Rich cinnamon sugar filling with dark brown sugar
- Finished with cream cheese frosting, banana caramel, and streusel
- Perfect for brunch, holidays, or baking when you have too many ripe bananas
- Soft, tender crumb that stays moist for days
Ingredients Overview
- Ripe bananas - The spottier the better. These bring classic banana bread flavor straight into the cinnamon roll dough.
- Instant yeast - Helps the enriched dough rise despite the mashed banana and sugar.
- Warm milk - Activates the yeast and keeps the dough soft and tender.
- Bread flour - Gives the rolls structure so they bake up fluffy, not floppy.
- Room temperature butter - Adds richness to both the dough and the filling while keeping everything smooth and cohesive.
- Dark brown sugar - Deepens the cinnamon sugar filling with caramel-like flavor.
- Ground cinnamon - The backbone of any good cinnamon roll situation.
- Cream cheese - Balances the sweetness with a little tang in the frosting.
- Banana reduction - Concentrated banana flavor used in the filling and caramel without adding extra moisture.
How to Make Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Make the banana reduction: Cook mashed bananas with butter and brown sugar until thick and jammy. Let cool completely.
- Make the dough: In a stand mixer, combine warm milk, a little sugar, and instant yeast. Add remaining sugar, mashed banana, eggs, bread flour, butter, and salt. Mix until smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until puffy and lighter in texture.
- Make the caramel: Cook sugar, water, and corn syrup until amber, then stir in warm cream, vanilla, salt, and banana reduction. Set aside.
- Fill and shape: Roll dough on a well floured surface, spread with cinnamon sugar filling, and cut into even inch sections using a serrated knife.
- Second rise: Arrange rolls in a prepared pan and let rise until pillowy.
- Bake: Pour warm cream over the rolls and bake in the oven until golden brown.
- Finish: Frost with cream cheese frosting, drizzle with banana caramel, and sprinkle with streusel.
What Does Pouring Milk Over Cinnamon Rolls Before Baking Do?
Pouring warm milk or cream over cinnamon rolls before baking helps keep the rolls soft and moist while they bake. The liquid seeps into the cinnamon roll dough, preventing the edges from drying out and creating that bakery-style, pull-apart texture. It's optional - but once you try it, you won't skip it again.
Tips and Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas. The spottier, the better. Ripe bananas bring sweetness and real banana bread flavor to the dough.
- Bloom the yeast, even if it's instant. A quick bloom in warm milk and sugar confirms the yeast is active before you commit to the dough.
- Expect a soft, slightly sticky dough. Banana dough is plush by design. Resist adding extra flour unless it's truly unworkable.
- Proof based on texture, not time. The dough won't double dramatically. Look for puffiness and a gentle spring-back when pressed.
- Flour generously when rolling and slicing. A well-floured surface and a sharp or serrated knife help keep the rolls clean and evenly shaped.
- Watch browning in the oven. Banana dough browns quickly. Tent loosely with foil if the tops get dark before the centers are baked through.
- Let rolls cool slightly before frosting. Warm rolls = perfect frosting spread. Hot rolls = melted mess.
Common Mistakes
- Using bananas that aren't ripe enough. Yellow bananas won't give you enough sweetness or banana flavor. Wait for brown spots.
- Adding too much flour. Banana dough should be soft. Too much flour leads to dense, dry cinnamon rolls.
- Underproofing the dough. Banana bread cinnamon rolls rise more subtly than classic cinnamon rolls. If the dough still feels heavy, it needs more time.
- Pouring cold cream over the rolls. Cold cream won't soak in properly and can affect how evenly the rolls bake.
- Overbaking. Banana dough browns quickly. Bake until golden brown, not dark, and tent with foil if needed.
How to Shape Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Cut into even strips. Starting with the long edge farthest from you, use a sharp pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 even strips, about 1⅓ inches wide. Straight cuts help the rolls bake evenly.
- Roll with gentle, steady pressure. Roll each strip into a spiral starting from the bottom edge and working upward. You're aiming for snug, not tight - too loose and the rolls will unravel, too tight and the dough won't have room to rise.
- Watch the filling as you roll. If filling starts to squeeze out, ease up slightly and tuck it back in. A little mess is normal; losing all the filling is not.
- Keep the rolls compact, not compressed. The dough should hold its shape without being squeezed thin. Think "contained" rather than "cranked."
- Pinch the seam lightly. A gentle pinch at the end helps the roll stay closed during the second rise and baking.
- Leave space in the pan. Arrange the rolls cut-side up with a bit of room between them so they can expand and rise into each other.
Banana Reduction
Banana reduction is simply mashed banana cooked down until thick and concentrated. It removes excess moisture while intensifying flavor, making it ideal for fillings, caramel, and frostings without watering anything down.
FAQ
- Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? Yes, but bread flour gives a softer, more structured roll.
- Do these need to go in the fridge? Store leftovers in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting.
- Can I add walnuts? Absolutely. Sprinkle chopped walnuts into the filling if you like.
- Can I make these ahead? Yes - bake, cool, and reheat gently in the microwave before serving.
- My filling came out, why? Two reason, under proofed dough make its so the butter comes out. Another problem is if your dough too tight when you are shaping it!
Storing and Freezing
Store banana bread cinnamon rolls covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave until warm. For longer storage, freeze unfrosted rolls tightly wrapped; thaw at room temperature and frost before serving.
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Recipe
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
These banana bread cinnamon rolls are soft, rich, unapologetically indulgent, and exactly what happens when banana bread decides it wants to be brunch.
Ingredients
Banana Reduction
- 4 ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
For The Dough
- 1 cup lukewarm milk 240g
- ¾ cup mashed banana
- 2 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast 7g
- ½ cup + 2 teaspoon granulated sugar 120g
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 6 cups bread flour 755
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 2¼ teaspoon salt 14g
To pour on before baking
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Filling
- ¾ cup unsalted butter very soft (113g)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar 150g
- 1½ tablespoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup banana reduction from your batch
- Pinch of salt
Banana Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup banana reduction
Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the banana reduction
- In a medium bowl, mash all the bananas until nice and smooth. Measure out the ¾ cup of mashed banana for the banana dough.4 ripe bananas
- With the remaining mash banana, in a medium saucepan over medium high hear, melt the butter, add the rest of the mashed banana, and brown sugar.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every minute or so. The mixture will go from pale yellow to deep brown and thick. You're looking for a jammy, goopy texture - like banana jam or apple butter.
- Once thickened and glossy, remove from heat and spread the mixture onto a large plate to cool faster. Let it come to room temperature before using. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top!
For the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast. Whisk together and let sit for 10 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy.1 cup lukewarm milk, 2 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- Add the remaining sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, bread flour, butter, and salt to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for 6-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough might be sticky, and thats normal!!¾ cup mashed banana, ½ cup + 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 6 cups bread flour 755, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2¼ teaspoon salt
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until visibly puffy and lighter in texture, about 1½-2½ hours. The dough will not double, but it should clearly look alive and expanded. While the dough is rising, make the caramel.
Banana Caramel Sauce Instructions
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir gently to moisten all the sugar, then stop stirring completely.1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- Set the pan over medium heat and cook undisturbed for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will go from clear to golden to deep amber. Meanwhile, warm the heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 minute.¾ cup heavy cream
- Once the caramel reaches a rich amber color (like honey or copper), immediately remove from heat. Slowly pour in the warm cream - it will bubble up rapidly, so pour carefully and whisk as you go.
- Once bubbling calms, whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and banana reduction. Return to low heat briefly if needed to smooth everything out.2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup banana reduction
- Let cool slightly, then transfer to a heat-safe jar. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week and warm before using.
Filling and Shaping Instructions
- Once the dough has proofed for 1-2 hours and the volume of the dough is bigger, make the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together brown sugar, banana reduction, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Set aside.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, 1½ tablespoons cinnamon, ¼ cup banana reduction, Pinch of salt
- Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to get it all the way to the edges.
- Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter. Each piece should be about 1⅓ inches wide. Take your time to keep the cuts straight so the rolls bake up evenly.
- Working one at a time, roll each strip into a tight spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward until you reach the top. As you roll, gently tuck in any filling that tries to escape and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact and uniform. Once rolled, pinch the end seam lightly so it stays closed.
- Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting later. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan. 3 across and 4 down. They should have a little space between them - they'll puff and rise into each other during proofing and baking.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 45-90 minutes, or until puffy and nearly doubled in size.
Baking Instructions
- Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Warm the heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (microwave for about 15-20 seconds). Gently pour the cream evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, until the rolls are deep golden brown on top. These rolls take a long time to bake because they need to absorb the cream.
- If the rolls begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 20 minutes before frosting.
- While the rolls are cooling making the cinnamon streusel and the cream cheese frosting.
Cinnamon Streusel Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork or spatula until large clumps form. Don't overmix - you want rough, crumbly pieces, not a dough.½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- If it looks too fine or sandy, gently squeeze parts together with your hands to form bigger clusters.
- Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until golden and set.
- Let cool completely, then break into large pieces.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then beat for 2 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.4 oz cream cheese softened, ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until combined.¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of salt
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 more minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting feels too soft to pipe, chill it for 10-15 minutes.
Assembly
- Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, spread the cream cheese evenly over the tops of the rolls.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the frosted rolls. You can use a spoon or piping bag.
- Generously sprinkle the prepared streusel crumble evenly on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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