Go Back

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls combine moist banana bread-style dough with a gooey cinnamon sugar swirl and a thick cream cheese frosting. The yeast-raised rolls rise until puffy, bake golden at 350°F, then get generously frosted while warm for a melt-into-each-swirl finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
rising 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 2.25 tsp active dry yeast
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 0.5 cup mashed ripe banana about 1 large banana
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
Cinnamon Filling
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp whole milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Combine warm whole milk, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar in a large bowl; let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy at about 110°F milk warmth.
  2. Whisk in eggs, mashed ripe banana, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Add all-purpose flour and salt, then mix until a soft dough forms.
  4. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First rise
  1. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours until doubled in size.
Fill and shape
  1. Roll the dough into a 16×12-inch rectangle.
  2. Spread softened unsalted butter evenly over the dough.
  3. Sprinkle brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg over the buttered dough.
  4. Roll the dough tightly into a log and cut into 12 equal rolls.
  5. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, cover, and let rise for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.
Frost
  1. Beat cream cheese, softened unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whole milk until smooth and creamy.
  2. Spread frosting generously over the warm cinnamon rolls, allowing it to melt slightly into every swirl before serving.

Notes

For best texture, keep the milk around 110°F so the yeast foams reliably, then watch the first rise until the dough has visibly doubled. Store leftover rolls in the refrigerator up to 4 days, rewarm in short bursts in the microwave; freeze frosted rolls for up to 2 months (best thawed overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the frosting without changing the method.