Description
Ultra-soft and gooey banana bread cinnamon rolls made with ripe bananas in a rich milk-bread dough, swirled with banana-brown-sugar cinnamon filling, and topped with creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A bakery-style brunch treat that combines classic banana bread flavor with fluffy cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients
- For the banana reduction:
- 1 3/4 cups mashed ripe banana
- For the tangzhong:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour
- For the cinnamon roll dough:
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cooked mashed banana
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 large egg
- Prepared tangzhong
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- For the banana bread filling:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Remaining mashed banana (about 2/3 cup)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cook the mashed bananas in a saucepan over medium heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens. Let cool completely.
- Make the tangzhong by whisking the water and bread flour together in a small saucepan over medium heat until thickened into a paste. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add heavy cream, cooked mashed banana, milk, egg, and prepared tangzhong. Mix until a rough dough forms.
- With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.
- In a bowl, mix the remaining mashed banana, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla paste, and cornstarch to make the filling.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the filling evenly over the surface.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal strips and roll each strip into a spiral. Place rolls into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Cover and let rise again for 1–2 hours until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 325°F (162°C).
- Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden brown and the center reaches about 185°F.
- While the rolls bake, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon; mix until creamy.
- Cool rolls for 15 minutes, then spread frosting over the warm rolls. Garnish with extra cinnamon or caramelized banana slices if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor.
- Dough can be prepared through shaping and refrigerated overnight before baking.
- Knead by hand for 12–15 minutes if not using a stand mixer.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds before serving.
- Freeze baked and cooled rolls for up to 3 months.
- Tangzhong improves softness but can be omitted if necessary.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
