Description

These Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls are a delightful twist on the classic cinnamon roll, incorporating the sweet and natural flavor of ripe bananas. Made with a soft, fluffy dough enriched with mashed bananas and a fragrant cinnamon-sugar filling, these vegan rolls are perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack. Topped optionally with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple powdered sugar glaze, they offer a moist, flavorful treat perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
3 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 packet instant/fast-acting yeast (1 packet yields ~2¼ tsp)
1 Tbsp cane sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup mashed ripe banana
2 ¾ – 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (2/3 unbleached all-purpose, 1/3 whole-wheat pastry flour)

Filling Ingredients

¼ cup vegan butter, melted
⅓ cup cane sugar
½ – 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
~20 very thin banana slices (½ cup yields ~20 slices)
⅓ cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional, crushed, plus more for topping)

Topping Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
1 Tbsp sugar (cane or brown)
Dairy-free cream cheese frosting (optional)
Powdered sugar glaze (optional, simple recipe in notes)

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Instructions

Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, warm the almond milk and vegan butter either by microwaving in 30-second intervals or heating gently on the stovetop until melted and warm (about 110°F/43°C). Sprinkle the instant yeast over the liquid and let it activate for 10 minutes until frothy. Stir in the cane sugar, salt, and mashed banana. Gradually add the flour a little at a time, stirring until a dough forms. When the dough gets too thick to stir, knead it on a floured surface until a slightly springy ball forms. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour until doubled.
Prepare the filling: Roll out the risen dough on a floured surface into a roughly 12 x 20 inch rectangle. Brush the surface generously with melted vegan butter. In a small bowl, mix cane sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Lay very thin banana slices evenly over the surface and sprinkle with crushed walnuts or pecans if using.
Assemble and let rise: Starting from one long edge, gently roll the dough into a tight log. Cut the log into 1½ to 2-inch sections. Place the sliced rolls into a greased 8×8 inch or similar round baking pan. Brush the tops with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with sugar and additional nuts if desired. Cover and allow the rolls to rise while preheating the oven to 350°F (176°C).
Bake the rolls: Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 28-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly before frosting or serving warm.
Add frosting or glaze: Optionally, spread dairy-free cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls, or drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze as preferred.

Notes

If you want a sweeter glaze, mix powdered sugar with a small amount of dairy-free milk or lemon juice until it reaches desired consistency.
For best results, slices of banana used as filling should be very thin to bake through evenly.
Walnuts or pecans add a nice crunch but can be omitted for a nut-free version.
Ensure the liquid mixture is not too hot to avoid killing the yeast; 110°F (43°C) is ideal.
Rising times can vary depending on room temperature; dough should roughly double in size.