Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Total Time
55 minutes + 1 hour rising
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(5)
Ingredients
12 cinnamon rolls
- 4 1/2 – 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 packets (4 1/2 tsp) rapid rise or instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
- 3/4 cup (200g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas, but don’t forget to measure)
- 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, room temp (or vegan butter)
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 yellow or ripe bananas, sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temp (or vegan cream cheese)
- 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, room temp (or vegan butter)
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
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Preparation
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
Step 2
In a heat-safe bowl, combine the water and butter (cut into tablespoons). Heat in the microwave for 30 sec – 45 sec, until warm to the touch but not hot. The butter will not melt completely.
Step 3
Pour into the dry ingredients with the banana and mix with a wooden spoon.
Step 4
Add in 2 more cups of flour and mix. It should turn pretty thick and sticky at this point.
Step 5
Add in 1/2 cup of flour and mix again. It should now turn shaggy and become difficult to stir. Once it reaches that point, set the spoon to the side and use your hands to mix and knead the dough.
Step 6
It will be sticky, so add another 1/4 cup of flour and continue to mix and knead by hand. It should turn into a smooth mass that’s soft and tacky.
Step 7
With a clean finger, press it into the dough. If your finger is sticking, add another 1/4 cup of flour and knead. If it’s not, shape it into a ball and let it rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
Step 8
When the 10 minutes is up, the dough should have puffed up quite a bit but not quite doubled in size.
Step 9
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rough rectangle shape. Roll it into a 10×15 inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
Step 10
Spread the room temperature butter into a thin and even layer, leaving about 1/2 inch border all around the outside of the dough.
Step 11
Sprinkle with the brown sugar and spread it even with your hand. Then top it with the cinnamon.
Step 12
Lay an even layer of the banana slices, followed by an even sprinkling of the walnuts.
Step 13
Working from the 15 inch end of the dough, roll it up into a log. Place your hands at each end of the log and give it a gentle squeeze in to compact the log of dough. It may have stretched out a bit during the rolling process so this brings it back together.
Step 14
For best results, use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. If you don’t have floss, you could also use really thin sewing thread. If using a sharp knife, gently saw back and forth and try not to press straight down into the rolls. This will squish them into an odd shape.
Step 15
Using the floss, slide it under the roll and toss both ends of the floss over top. Pull them through to create a cut. Cut off the two ends of the log and then cut the remainder into 12 pieces.
Step 16
Cut the entire log in half, then cut those two halves in half to create 4 segments. Cut each of those 4 segments into 3 rolls to get a total of 12.
Step 17
Place the rolls in a buttered or greased 9×13 dish (you could also use two 9” round pans, placing 6 rolls in each).
Step 18
Place in a warm spot and cover with a towel to rise for 1 hour. If you live in a colder climate, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature. Once it’s ready, turn the oven off and place the rolls inside. This creates a warm environment for the rolls to proof.
Step 19
Preheat the oven to 350F (first remove the rolls if you proofed them inside) and check on the rolls. They should have nearly doubled in size.
Step 20
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. While they cool, make the icing.
Step 21
Place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and use a fork to mash the two together. Make sure they’re both softened to room temperature, otherwise the icing will be lumpy.
Step 22
Add the powdered sugar and maple syrup and mash again with the fork. Once the mixture starts to loosen, switch to a whisk and mix until smooth.
Step 23
Spread onto the warm rolls, top with extra walnuts if desired, and dig in!
Step 24
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Chef's notes
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS – After step 16, cover the rolls in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking the next day, allow the rolls to rest at room temperature (covered) for about 45 minutes. They may not puff up but that’s OK. Follow the same baking instructions. Also note that the banana slices may brown a bit which is normal.
