What do you get when you combine banana bread with cinnamon rolls? These incredible Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls! A cinnamon roll and banana bread in one, how could these not be good? Then when they are slathered generously with cream cheese frosting and finished off with toasted nuts, all I can say is wow yum! This is breakfast done right. Enjoy and be sure to eat them warm.
Ingredients
- 3 medium overripe bananas
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2/3 cup milk (I used whole)
- 3 Tbsp butter, diced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 3/4 cups bread flour, divided
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
- toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 6 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 tsp milk
Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- Puree bananas in a food processor along with 1 tsp lemon juice until mixture is smooth and no chunks remain, set aside (you should have just over 1 1/3 cups pureed bananas).
- Heat milk and 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Cook stirring occasionally until butter has melted. Remove from heat and pour mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Whisk in vegetable oil and allow mixture to cool to 110 degrees. Whisk in yeast, stirring until dissolved and allow mixture to rest 5 minutes. With the paddle attachment, mix in granulated sugar, salt, egg yolk, 2 cups bread flour and pureed bananas. Switch mixer to a hook attachment, add 1 1/2 cups bread flour and sprinkle in cornstarch, then knead mixture on medium low speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms (dough will be sticky). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise to until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- In a small bowl whisk together light-brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup bread flour and baking powder. Return bowl with dough to electric stand mixer, pour in flour/baking powder mixture and knead dough with hook attachment until mixture is well blended and smooth. Roll dough out on a floured surface (dough should be slightly sticky so I floured the surface fairly generously) to a 16 x 20 inch rectangle. Using the back of a spoon, spread 6 Tbsp melted butter evenly over the top of the dough. Sprinkle top evenly with brown sugar mixture and spread into an even layer, coming within a 1/2 inch of all edges. Starting on the 16 inch side, snugly roll dough to opposite end.
- Cut rolled dough into 12 equal pieces (I cut it in half first, then halves into halves, then those halves into thirds). Arrange rolls in a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish (reshaping flat sides as needed). Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I do this during the last 10 minutes of rising) and bake rolls in preheated oven for 22 - 26 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly then cut into rolls and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle with optional chopped nuts.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric and mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Pour in milk and mix until well blended.
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
Cream Cheese Frosting
Melissa @ No. 2 Pencil: These look wonderful! Two of my favorites! September 5, 2012 at 12:23pm
Meg @ Peaches and Cake: Oh my lord! Are these real?! These look incredible! I love banana bread, I love cinnamon rolls – how innovative and delicious! September 5, 2012 at 2:05pm
The Cooking Actress: Um, this is genius. Hello delicious! September 5, 2012 at 4:36pm
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: If I leave a duplicate comment, I apologize! I was in the process of pressing “publish” when chrome just unexpectedly shut down on me.
Anyway, I said that this combination of banana in cinnamon rolls is pure genius! I can’t wait to make this and gobble it all up for breakfast! September 5, 2012 at 7:26pm
Jaclyn: Chung-Ah – don’t apologize I love getting your comments and I wouldn’t mind getting the same twice at all =). You are definitely my best commenter (maybe that’s not a word or I just can’t spell). Anyway thanks so much for all the comments you always leave me, you are so nice to always stop by! I’m loving your blog by the way! September 5, 2012 at 10:13pm
holly: that’s so clever and yummy, two great foods merged into one! September 5, 2012 at 10:52pm
ally: i have never seen this idea before but it is totally brilliant! thank you for sharing the yum!
xo
http://hersuitcaseheart.tumblr.com September 6, 2012 at 10:42am
Brittany: No way! After you posted your pumpkin oatmeal, I laid awake that night dreaming of food and actually thought of this very idea! You’ve saved me the trouble of trying to come up with a recipe on my own. I can’t wait to try these! September 6, 2012 at 3:49pm
Shawn @ I Wash…You Dry: What a great idea! I love both banana bread and cinnamon rolls! A total winner! September 6, 2012 at 8:22pm
Lisa: Those look like a real winner! September 9, 2012 at 4:28pm
Michelle C {Krumble Cakes and Sweets}: YUM!!!!! These are definitely a great combination.
http://krumblecakesandsweets.blogspot.com/2012/09/link-up-party-hop-to-my-blog-and-show.html September 9, 2012 at 7:44pm
mindrunningwild: Making these now- they smell like banana bread in the oven. Do you have any tips for baking with yeast? I’m not sure I did it right. They LOOK nice, but they didn’t really rise…. September 29, 2012 at 2:29pm
Neel: Lovely Lovely recipe …have to try it . September 29, 2012 at 9:13pm
Jaclyn: mindrunningwild – I don’t think my dough rose quite as much as a regular yeasted white bread dough I think due to the weight of the banana in them (just an uneducated guess =), but if you were having trouble with them rising it could be due to a number of things such as yeast being expired, killing the yeast (with liquids too hot) or sometimes even a cool draft can slow the rising process. I hope they turned out okay for you though =). September 29, 2012 at 11:00pm
Anna: What is your technique for applying frosting to make the buns look so good? Most cinnamon buns in the world with frosting look quite messy and not very appealing for that reason. October 7, 2012 at 4:10am
Jaclyn: Anna – I took a chopstick and just kind of followed the swirl of the cinnamon roll (or imitated where I thought it was anyway), it’s super easy to do and its quick trick to make it look prettier =). Thanks for your comment =)! October 8, 2012 at 9:15am
Anna: Hi Jaclyn,
A chopstick? I could never have guessed. I thought you perhaps used a piping bag with a round attachment. So do you just scoop the frosting onto the bun with a spoon first, before you used the chopstick?
You seriously need to do a blog post just about how to make frosting look good on cinnamon buns. The world needs it! Just do an online search on “cinnamon rolls frosting” and look at the images you get. It hurts my eyes!
Can you freeze the buns once they have frosting on or will it end up as a nasty mess? October 8, 2012 at 7:29pm
Jaclyn: Hi Anna – You’re so nice =)! Yeah I like to use a chopstick when I like to get a good indentation in something, random I know =). I do spread the frosting on first and then swirl. I wouldn’t recommend frosting before freezing but who know it may just work out ok. October 11, 2012 at 8:14pm
Anna: Hi Jaclyn,
Just me again. What is the rationale for using both yeast and baking powder in the dough? Most recipes call for one of those ingredients, not both. How would the end-result be different if you did not use baking powder? October 20, 2012 at 7:50pm
Jaclyn: Anna – Hi, my friend gave me a recipe a while ago that used both and it made delicious cinnamon rolls. The pioneer woman uses both in her cinnamon rolls as well. I can’t explain the exact science behind it, I just know that the rolls are fluffy and delicious =). I can’t say for sure how different the end result would actually be? I hope you give them a try though! October 22, 2012 at 9:14pm
Anna: Ok, I will try it sometime soon for sure!
I included your frosting technique in my new blog post and linked to this post. See http://www.thefoodmethod.com/2012/10/spicy-cinnamon-buns-with-pumpkin.html. Unfortunately, I was not able to do it as pretty as you, but I will learn over time. October 30, 2012 at 7:48pm
Jaclyn: Anna – WOW do those look delicious! I definitely want to try that recipe before Fall is up. And they look beautiful too! November 1, 2012 at 7:36am
Jessica: My sister made these! Thanks so much for your post & inspiration :)
http://flash-in-a-pan.com/2012/11/25/bananacinnamonrolls/ November 25, 2012 at 5:43pm
Food Ninja: Just finished making these tonight and…. wowza! Was so surprised at the incredible banana flavor that comes thru in these. Did up a simple white chocolate glaze and sprinkled with Skor bits – great treat while watching some Christmas movies :) December 1, 2012 at 7:41pm
Anyes – Far Away in the Sunshine: Just finished this recipe with Darling Daughter and I wish the aroma filling the house now could be bottled Thank you :-) December 29, 2012 at 7:53pm
Jaclyn: Me too =). You are welcome! Thanks for your comment! December 29, 2012 at 10:54pm
Tia: i made these and they were delish! i will post and reference your site when i do. thanks! March 29, 2013 at 10:30am
Jaclyn: Awesome! Thanks. Glad you liked them! March 30, 2013 at 8:56pm
Summer @ Mallow and Co: Made these this weekend (general conference treats ;) ) and they were delicious! I let them rise overnight in the fridge for the second rise time and they worked out perfect! I did have to use a little more flour but my bananas were pretty big so that’s probably why. Thanks! April 7, 2013 at 10:25am
Jaclyn: I’m so glad you enjoyed these banana bread cinnamon rolls Summer! What a fun general conference treat – we had pie for the special occasion =). Thanks so much for your comment! April 7, 2013 at 10:03pm
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Chris: Wow! These are wonderful! I made them for my coffee shop. The first one sold was to a regular customer who took it back to her office and 10 minutes later I had 4 of her co-worker in my shop to buy one. This may become a regular offering in my shop. May 12, 2013 at 11:18am
Jaclyn: Awesome!! May 12, 2013 at 1:19pm
Jessica Feehan: I am so excited to try these! What are your tips for freezing ahead? Would I pre-bake, and then reheat and frost the morning I want to use them? May 16, 2013 at 8:31pm
Jaclyn: Yeah I think that would work fine. Hope you love them! May 16, 2013 at 9:56pm