Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Last Updated on November 20, 2022 by Annie

These quick, flavorful banana bread cinnamon rolls start your morning off right. Bursting with delicious banana bread flavor, these cinnamon rolls are sure to please!

This banana bread, cinnamon roll mash-up sprang out of a hankering for both cinnamon rolls AND banana bread. Why not take the cinnamon roll and stuff it with all the delicious flavor of a moist slice of banana bread?

When I set out to make these cinnamon rolls I wanted the banana flavor to come through in the filling as well as the dough. Using the quick Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls as a guide, I replaced the pumpkin puree with mashed banana and found it worked beautifully. With a quick rising time, these cinnamon rolls can be ready and on your table in about an hour!

HOW TO MAKE BANANA BREAD CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients You’ll Need

These banana bread cinnamon rolls break down into 3 main parts, the cinnamon roll dough, the banana bread filling, and the simple glaze at the end. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for each part of the recipe but be sure to check out the recipe card below for full details on what and how much you need.

• Non-dairy milk + vegan butter melted together.
• Sugar + yeast to give the dough a light and fluffy rise.
• Banana– for a little sweetness and that banana bread flavor these sweet rolls are loaded with.
• Egg– Helps to bind the sweet roll dough together.
• Dry ingredients– A blend of flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• Filling– A mashed banana with some vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
• Simple glaze– Made with powdered sugar and some dairy-free milk to drizzle on the top.

Make the Banana Bread Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Melt non-dairy milk and butter: To begin, melt vegan butter into the non-dairy milk but be sure to check the temperature to not exceed 110°F.
• Add to mixer: Pour melted butter and non-dairy milk mixture into the base of a stand mixer, stir in sugar and yeast.
• Activate the yeast: Allow to rest for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

• Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside until the yeast mixture is ready.
• Add banana and egg to mixer: Once the yeast is activated, stir in the mashed banana and egg, mix until combined.
• Add dry ingredients to the mixer: Then, pour the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and stir together using a dough hook.
• Slowly add remaining flour: Once combined add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until combined.
• Knead the dough using the hook on medium speed for about 5 minutes. If using your hands, knead on a lightly floured counter for about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

SHAPE THE ROLLS

• Prepare for baking: While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare the filling.
• Make banana filling: Mash a banana into a bowl, add brown sugar, cinnamon, melted vegan butter, and vanilla. Set aside until you’re ready to add it to the dough.

• Roll out dough: On a lightly floured surface or on a pastry mat, roll the cinnamon roll dough out into a rectangle, roughly 12 in x 18 in.
• Spread with filling: Once rolled out, spread the banana bread mixture out onto the dough to cover.
• Add pecans: Then sprinkle with chopped pecans.
• Roll the cinnamon roll dough into a log along the short edge.

• Cut into 8 rolls. BE WARNED the filling might splooge out the sides a bit, just tuck it in as you go. Any extra filling can be scooped and topped on the top of the cinnamon rolls.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the centers are cooked through.

Make the Simple Glaze

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze.

• In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and non-dairy milk until smooth.
• Allow the rolls to cool for at least 5 minutes before glazing. Serve and enjoy.

DAIRY FREE CHANGES TO CINNAMON ROLLS

Cinnamon rolls can often be loaded with ingredients like butter, milk, and cream cheese. For these dairy-free banana bread cinnamon rolls you can count on simple, easy to find dairy free swaps including:

• Vegan Butter– I like to use Country Crock’s Plant-Based Butter sticks. They can easily replace traditional baking sticks and I have yet to use them in a recipe where they were not pure perfection.
• Non-Dairy Milk– I’ve used both oat milk and almond milk when making these banana bread cinnamon rolls and find they work perfectly.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Here are just some of the tools I find helpful while making fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls.

• Pastry mat– Great for rolling out the dough and measuring the sides to get an even cut for each of the rolls.
• Thermometer– For measuring the temperature of the non-dairy milk so you know if it is warm enough to activate the yeast without being so warm it kills the yeast.
• 9×13-inch Baking Dish– A simple glass pyrex dish with a helpful lid that allows you to store your baked goods easily.

PRO-TIPS FOR CINNAMON ROLLS

Here are just a few helpful tips for making these delicious banana bread cinnamon rolls.

• The dough takes a minute to come together, be patient while kneading to get it smooth with a tacky to the touch feel.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface or use a pastry mat. This prevents any dough from sticking to the counter.

Serving and Storing Suggestions for Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

• Store fully cooled cinnamon rolls in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
• To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds to bring them back to life.
• If you are looking for a more traditional dairy-free cream cheese frosting, check out the cream cheese frosting recipe I use in my Traditional Cinnamon Roll recipe. It’s thick, creamy, and has the perfect balance of sweetness and tang.
• Another way to dish out these cinnamon rolls is along side a warm cup of vanilla proffee (protein coffee) It’ll give you that extra boost your afternoon needs.

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Make Next

If you find yourself hankering for something sweet in the mornings, these dairy-free sweet rolls might just do the trick for you!

• Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls
• Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
• Traditional Cinnamon Rolls with Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting

Did you make these sinfully delicious Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls? Share a quick pic of them with my by tagging me on Instagram @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!

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Print

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

These quick and flavorful banana bread cinnamon rolls are the perfect sweet treat to begin your day!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana, Banana Bread, Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 rolls

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• ¼ cup Vegan Butter
• ½ cup Non-dairy Milk
• ¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
• ½ cup Mashed Banana 1 large banana
• 1 Egg
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 4 cup Flour

Cinnamon Roll Filling

• 1 Banana mashed
• 2 Tablespoon Vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ¼ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ cup Pecans

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk

Instructions

1. Melt ¼ cup vegan butter into ½ cup non-dairy milk. Allow to cool to 110°F.

2. In the base of a standing mixer, stir together ¼ cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon yeast, and the non-dairy milk mixture. Let rest for 10 minutes while yeast activates.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together 2 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.

4. Once the yeast blooms, add the egg and ½ cup mashed banana to the yeast mixture and stir until combined.

5. Next, pour the flour mixture in ½ cup at a time and stir until combined using the dough hook. Next add the remaining 2 cups of flour ½ cup at a time until combined.

6. Knead the dough for 5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand. Shape into a ball and let rest 15 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by coating it in vegan butter. While the dough rests make the fillings for the cinnamon rolls.

8. Melt 2 Tablespoons vegan butter and mix it together with a mashed banana and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In another small mixing bowl stir together ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Chop ½ cup pecans into bite sized pieces and set aside.

9. After 15 minutes, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 in x 18 in spread the banana mixture over the dough, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top, and then sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of that.

10. Roll the cinnamon roll dough into a log along the short side of the dough. Cut into 8 pieces and place in the baking dish.

11. Bake for 25 minutes or until centers are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before frosting.

12. To make the frosting, stir together 1 cup Powdered sugar with 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk. Drizzle over the cinnamon rolls, serve, and enjoy!

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