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Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Banana bread cinnamon rolls with pillowy, swirled banana-enriched yeast dough and a brown butter cream cheese frosting that melts into every golden spiral. This easy cinnamon roll bake pairs warm cinnamon-brown sugar filling with a tangy-sweet frosting for soft, fluffy rolls.
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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: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

dough
  • 2 bananas ripe, mashed
  • 0.75 cup milk warm
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 0.333 cup butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
filling
  • 4 tbsp butter softened
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3 tbsp browned butter brown the butter first
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the banana yeast 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, indicating active yeast.
  2. Add mashed bananas, softened butter, egg, flour, and salt to the yeast mixture, then knead until smooth. Visual cue: the dough should look elastic and no dry flour should remain.
  3. Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour until noticeably puffy. Visual cue: it should nearly double and feel soft and airy.
Assemble the cinnamon swirl
  1. Roll the dough into a 12x18 rectangle, then spread softened butter over the surface. Visual cue: the rectangle should look glossy and evenly coated.
  2. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the butter layer. Visual cue: you should see an even brown-cinnamon dusting across the whole rectangle.
  3. Roll up the dough tightly from the long edge into a log. Visual cue: the roll should stay snug with a defined spiral.
  4. Slice the log into 12 rolls, then place them in a greased 9x13 pan. Visual cue: the cut sides should face up with visible swirls.
  5. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes until the rolls look thicker and puffed. Visual cue: the centers should rise closer to the rim of the pan.
Bake and frost
  1. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until golden. Visual cue: the tops should be deep golden and the edges should look set.
  2. Beat browned butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Visual cue: the frosting should be thick but spreadable with no lumps.
  3. Spread frosting over the warm rolls immediately so it melts into the swirls. Visual cue: frosting should ooze slightly into the spiral layers while staying mostly cohesive.

Notes

Let the yeast mixture sit until foamy—if it doesn’t bubble, start again with fresh yeast for the best pillowy rise. Store baked rolls covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm gently to soften. Freezing is yes (freeze frosted or unfrosted), thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm before serving. For a lighter option, replace the butter in the dough with an equal amount of plant-based butter stick and use dairy-free cream cheese in the frosting.