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Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Banana bread cinnamon rolls with pillowy swirled yeast dough and a brown butter cream cheese frosting that melts into every golden swirl. Soft, fluffy banana sweet rolls filled with brown sugar and cinnamon, baked until the tops turn deeply golden.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 2 ripe bananas Mash until smooth.
  • 0.75 cup warm milk Warm to about 100–110°F for yeast activation.
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 0.33 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For the filling
  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
For the frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp browned butter Brown butter, then cool slightly.
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking pan

Method
 

Make the banana dough
  1. In a bowl, mix warm milk, instant yeast, and sugar, then let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Visual cue: the surface should look bubbly and active.
  2. Add mashed ripe bananas, softened butter, egg, all-purpose flour, and salt, then knead until smooth. Visual cue: dough should feel elastic and no dry flour patches remain.
  3. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until puffy and increased in size. Visual cue: dough should spring back slowly when gently poked.
Fill, roll, and rise
  1. Roll the dough into a 12x18 rectangle and spread with softened butter. Visual cue: cover the surface evenly edge to edge.
  2. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the buttered dough. Visual cue: you should see a uniform brown speckled layer.
  3. Roll up tightly from the long edge into a log, then slice into 12 rolls. Visual cue: you should see a clear spiral interior at the cut face.
  4. Place the rolls in a greased 9x13 pan and let rise for 30 minutes. Visual cue: rolls should look taller and slightly touching in the pan.
Bake and frost
  1. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until golden. Visual cue: tops should turn deep golden brown with lightly set edges.
  2. Beat browned butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, then spread over warm rolls immediately. Visual cue: frosting will melt and pool into the swirls and corners.

Notes

For the best soft rolls, weigh flour if possible and keep the dough warm during rising (a turned-off oven with the light on works). Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm briefly to soften. Freezing is yes: freeze frosted or unfrosted rolls for up to 2 months, then thaw and warm. If you want a lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese for the frosting while keeping the brown butter for flavor.