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Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Banana bread cinnamon rolls with a banana-flavored dough are rolled with a cinnamon-brown sugar swirl and baked until golden. Finished with brown butter cream cheese frosting that melts into every swirl for a soft, bakery-style texture.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 2 ripe bananas Mash until mostly smooth.
  • 0.75 cup warm milk Warm to about 100–110°F.
  • 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
Filling
  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
Frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp brown butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the banana dough
  1. Mix mashed bananas, warm milk, instant yeast, and sugar, then let rest 5 minutes until foamy and aromatic.
  2. Add softened butter, egg, flour, and salt, then knead until smooth, elastic, and no dry flour remains.
  3. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Fill and shape the rolls
  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle, keeping an even thickness so the layers bake uniformly.
  2. Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon in an even layer.
  3. Roll up tightly into a log, keeping the seam on the bottom to prevent unspooling.
  4. Slice into 12 rolls and place them in a greased 9x13 pan with cut sides facing up.
  5. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
Bake and frost
  1. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until the tops are deep golden and the center rolls feel set.
  2. Beat brown butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, then spread over warm rolls so the frosting melts into every swirl.

Notes

Pro tip: Use bananas that smell sweet and are very ripe for a stronger banana flavor in the dough. Store baked rolls covered in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm gently in the microwave so the frosting loosens again. Freezing is yes—freeze unfrosted or frosted rolls for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, substitute half the butter in the frosting with full-fat Greek yogurt and beat until smooth, keeping the texture creamy.