These banana bread cinnamon rolls have mashed bananas & walnuts in the filling for fruity sweetness + nutty crunch. Whipped crème fraiche is dolloped on for a tangy, elevated topping, while still tasting like nostalgic banana bread. You can bake these same-day or overnight, depending on your schedule.
Got Brown Bananas? Make Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls!
My dad has been making the absolute best walnut banana bread since I was a kid, and a loaf in our home never lasted more than a day. So when I started seeing banana bread cinnamon rolls pop up online, I immediately knew I wanted to make my own version. This sweet breakfast takes something cozy and familiar and makes it feel genuinely special for a weekend bake, similar to my miso banana bread (which you should definitely try next!)
I wanted these banana cinnamon rolls to actually taste like bananas, not just have a subtle hint that bakes off in the oven, so I tried roasting them first. But the extra time & effort didn't really pay off in a noticeable flavor difference, so instead I experimented with spices. That's how I found out cardamom amplifies the flavor of the bananas far better than cinnamon.
While some recipes mix mashed banana directly into the dough, I found that added too much moisture & turned everything into a sticky mess. Kneading felt near-impossible, and the rolls turned out dense & heavy. Instead, I mash a few overripe bananas then add that hint of cardamom. Then a tablespoon of flour gets sprinkled both under and on top of the banana filling to absorb excess moisture, so they bake up nice and fluffy, not soggy.
Finally, I tested different flavors for the frosting. Mashed banana in the frosting was kind of overpowering, and cream cheese frosting was fine, but I wanted it to have that European twist like so many of my other bakes. Eventually I landed on whipped crème fraîche, which adds some tang to cut down the sweetness while elevating everything.
Let's Bake Banana Cinnamon Rolls!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Carissa's Baking Tip
In a taste-test, my family couldn't detect the difference between roasted versus regular mashed bananas in the filling, so I skipped that in the recipe. However, I think it's essential if your bananas don't have a ton of brown spots yet, since roasting them will concentrate their sweetness.
Rise Overnight, Bake Tomorrow
I love making the dough the night prior and letting them proof in the fridge. All I have to do in the morning is let them warm up for an hour, then pop them in the oven!
Recipe Tips
- Shaping: To get perfectly uniform cinnamon rolls, I use a ruler to lightly score where to make each cut with a knife. Then I actually use dental floss instead of a knife to slice them, which prevents the spiral from getting squished.
- Proofing: The most common culprit of dense cinnamon rolls is underproofing the dough. Make sure they noticeably puff up, and pass the "poke test." When you poke the dough with your finger, it should take 2-3 seconds to slowly fill halfway back to its original shape.
- Nuts: Banana + walnut is such a classic flavor combo, but feel free to swap in your favorite nuts, or leave them out if you prefer.
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
CINNAMON ROLL DOUGH
- 1¼ cups milk
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4¾ cups all purpose flour 570g
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
BROWN SUGAR FILLING
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
BANANA FILLING
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour, divided (for sprinkling on top)
- 1½ cups walnuts, roughly chopped
WHIPPED CREME FRAICHE
- ½ cup creme fraiche
- ½ cup heavy cream, cold (also called heavy whipping cream)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, until it's between 105°F and 115°F (40°C to 46°C).
- To the warm milk, mix in the active dry yeast and brown sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk & yeast mixture with the eggs, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and mix with a large spoon just until there are no clumps of dry flour, after a minute.
- Add the softened butter and mix the dough in the mixing bowl until it starts to form a sticky dough, after a minute.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour. Knead the dough by hand for a full 8 minutes, until the dough springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball back in a clean mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel or dinner plate. Let it rest and rise in a warm place (like an empty oven with the light turned on) for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
Make the Banana Filling
- Mash the bananas and cardamom in a bowl until it's smooth (some lumps are okay).
Prepare the Filling & Shape the Rolls
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish and/or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the brown sugar filling by mixing the softened, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl until it forms a thick, creamy paste. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1 cm-thick rectangle (roughly 30 cm by 45 cm).
- Gently spread the brown sugar filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5cm) gap on the long edges (to prevent the rolls from unraveling). Sift 1 tablespoon of flour evenly over the dough.
- Spread the mashed banana filling on top, again leaving a 1-inch (2.5cm) gap on the long edges. Sift 1 more tablespoon of flour evenly over the banana filling. Then sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting from a long edge. Slice the dough log into 12 even pieces using a sharp kitchen knife or dental floss (I prefer using floss to avoid squishing the spiral design.)
- Place the rolls cut-side-up in your prepared baking dish. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bake and Decorate the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden. Let the rolls cool for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the creme fraiche, heavy cream, and brown sugar until it forms soft peaks, after about 5 minutes. Dollop onto the slightly cooled rolls.
Notes
- Bananas: The more brown spots, the better on your bananas, because they'll be naturally sweeter when they're more ripe.
- Filling: The little extra flour sprinkled under and on top of the mashed bananas helps absorb excess moisture so it doesn't inhibit the bake of the dough.
- "Soft peaks" means the mixture makes a curved point when you pull the mixer straight out from it.
- Storing: I recommend storing these cinnamon rolls in the fridge, due to the fruit filling & whipped topping.
- Roasted Bananas: If you want to make these before your bananas are overripe (and they look mostly yellow or even have some green spots still, I recommend roasting them first. With the peels on, poke them a few times with a fork, and bake at 300F (150C) on a baking sheet lined with foil for 20-30 minutes, until the peels are shiny and black.
- Overnight Rise: After arranging the rolls in a baking dish, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let them cold-proof in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours. Set them out at room temperature for one hour before baking.
Nutrition
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