These easy no yeast Banana Cinnamon Rolls combine the classic banana bread flavor with everyone's favorite cinnamon roll. This combo is a match made in heaven.
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Do you have a bunch of ripe bananas on the counter and want something new and exciting to make with them? Bananas are such a versatile ingredient that can be used so many different ways. Muffins, donuts, breads, cakes, cupcakes! You name it, I probably have added banana to it.
Normally when we have ripe bananas I make a loaf of this Banana Bread with sour cream. But I was craving cinnamon rolls, so I decided to mash up two recipes and create banana bread cinnamon rolls.
Oh, my goodness! Best idea of the week for sure.These no yeast banana cinnamon rolls were soft, gooey, and so delicious.
The best part about these rolls is that there is no rise time. And they can be made and eaten in less than an hour. They are one of my favorite ways to use up ripe bananas on the counter.
Still have leftover ripe bananas after making the banana rolls? Freeze them and make Banana Ice Cream for dessert later.
Bonus: If you love cinnamon rolls then try these orange sweet rolls or some funfetti cinnamon rolls.
Ingredient List
These banana sweet rolls use ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. The combo of banana and cinnamon gives these easy peasy cinnamon rolls a fun banana bread flavor.
For the Cinnamon Filling
- Sugars - A mixture of brown and granulated makes the filling sweet.
- Spices - The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg gives it a rich spicy flavor.
- Nuts - Use your favorite chopped nuts inside and on top of the frosted rolls. Leave out to keep the rolls nut free.
- Butter - Unsalted and melted.
For the No Yeast Dough
- Flour - Make sure to measure the flour
- Sugar - Just a little bit of granulated sugar adds sweetness to the dough.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda - Provides the lift in the dough.
- Salt - Adds flavor.
- Banana - One ripe banana gives the dough a delicious banana bread flavor.
- Butter - Unsalted and melted.
- Buttermilk - Gives the dough richness and a slight tang. You can also use whole milk or half and half.
How to make Banana Cinnamon Rolls
The dough for these banana nut cinnamon rolls comes together so easily with just a bowl and a fork. Roll it out, fill with cinnamon sugar goodness, and bake. In under 1 hour you can be enjoying warm and gooey banana bread rolls for breakfast.
Step One: Make Cinnamon Filling
- Stir together the sugar, brown sugar, spices, nuts (if using), and melted butter in a bowl.
- Set aside until needed.
Step Two: Make Banana Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together with a fork.
- Add the buttermilk, mashed bananas, and melted butter and continue to stir with the fork until a soft dough forms.
- Once the dough comes together into a soft ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a FEW times.
- Press and roll the dough out with your fingers gently. Gently keep working it until you get it into a 10" x 14" rectangle.
- Brush melted butter on top and sprinkle the cinnamon filling. Make sure you do not spread the cinnamon sugar all the way to the edges. Leave a 1 inch border all around.
- Carefully roll the dough and sugar up starting from the shortest side. The dough may stick to the counter if you do not have enough flour under it. Use a butter knife or flat edge spatula to loosen the roll if this happens.
- Finish rolling it up and cut the dough log into 9 even rolls. Place the banana rolls in the buttered baking pan. Drizzle the remaining butter over the top.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes in a preheated oven.
Step Three: Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Stir together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until the mixture is creamy.
- Spread the cream cheese icing on top of the warm banana cinnamon rolls and sprinkle with extra nuts.
Recipe Tips
- Do not knead the no yeast dough too many times because too much flour will make the dough tough. You want soft fluffy rolls to enjoy hot from the oven.
- Make sure to keep a very thin layer of flour under the dough to keep it from sticking to the counter.
- Use a butter knife or flat spatula to gently loosen the dough from the counter as you roll everything up.
- If you or someone in your family has a tree nut allergy, leave the nuts out of this cinnamon roll recipe!
- Use a serrated knife or dental floss to cut the log of dough without smashing the roll.
- Want to make this a vegan friendly recipe? Use vegan butter and vegan buttermilk in place of the original ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my cinnamon rolls tough?
Kneading the dough too many times with too much flour will produce rolls that are tough and dry.
How do you cut cinnamon rolls easily?
Using unflavored dental floss is the easiest way to cut cinnamon rolls without smooshing the roll. Slide a long piece of floss under the roll and wrap it around the roll. Pull tightly in opposite directions until it slices through the dough. It's that quick and easy to make uniform rolls.
A serrated knife is my other favorite way to cut cinnamon rolls. Gently cut back and forth on the dough using short motions until you get all the way through the dough.
Other Easy Banana Recipes
- Best Banana Cake recipe
- Banana Scones
- Banana Waffle
- Banana Nutella Muffins
- Maple Pecan Banana Bread
- Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
Love a recipe you tried from Inside BruCrew Life?
Please consider leaving a 5 star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further below.
Recipe
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
These easy no yeast Banana Cinnamon Rolls combine the classic banana bread flavor with everyone's favorite cinnamon roll. This combo is a match made in heaven.
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Filling
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
For the Rolls
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour (plus more for kneading & rolling)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mashed banana (1 banana)
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
- ¾ cup buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Grease an 8x8 pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Mix together the filling ingredients until they resemble sand. Set aside.
- Sift together the dry ingredients. Create a well in the center of the flour.
- Add the buttermilk, banana, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix with a fork until a soft dough forms. It will be very sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead the dough 8-10 times. Let rest 10 minutes.
- Press the dough out on the well floured surface with your fingers forming a 10" by 14" rectangle.
- Spread 2 tablespoons melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon filling, leaving ½ inch on all sides.
- Roll the log up gently from the shortest end. The dough may stick to the counter. Use a spatula or butter knife to loosen the roll and push flour under it if this happens.
- Cut the roll into 9 even slices using a piece of dental floss, and place the rolls in the prepared pan.
- Drizzle the rolls with the last 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Stir together the frosting ingredients. Serve the rolls warm with frosting and extra nuts, if desired.
Notes
*Leave the nuts out if you or a family member has a tree nut allergy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 477Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 494mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 7g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The recipe for Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls was originally published on February 23, 2014. The post and pictures were updated and republished on July 8, 2021.
Anita
Could you double the recipe and bake in a 11x15 pan? I have a work breakfast pitch in coming up so I need to feed a crowd. Thanks!
Jocelyn
I've never tried doubling this recipe, but it should work just fine. Just make sure to press the dough out twice the length, so you can cut it into 18 rolls. Happy baking!
Riya
Would it be possible to omit the banana?
Jocelyn
No, this particular recipe was developed using the bananas for some of the moisture. I would suggest making this cinnamon roll recipe instead. It's the same basic no yeast roll with sprinkles.https://insidebrucrewlife.com/funfetti-cinnamon-rolls/
Fabiola
Hi !
I am wondering if these can be made using whole wheat or oatmeal flour? Trying to make them a little “more healthy” 🙂
Jocelyn
I have honestly never tried these cinnamon rolls with any other flour, so I can't say for sure. But I think it would be fine to use either of those in this recipe. Definitely keep me posted on how it turns out if you try it this way.
Kerrie
Made these this morning and they were a hit! Especially for me as I am not a banana bread fan but will eat bananas. I omitted the walnuts (since I couldn’t find mine) and used pecans instead. I also added an extra banana to the dough for more flavor. As for the frosting I turned it into a spiced cream cheese frosting. I have a tendency to find recipes on Pinterest and use them as a guideline and then kind of create my own version.
Anne
Very good!
Wanda Castleman
I love green bananas too. I do not eat them when they get brown spots. I will be using those bananas for recipes like yours.
Cheryl Crump
These were so good I don’t even know what to say!! I did struggle at first rolling them up but I just used a light touch when rolling, worked quickly and after cutting them I scooped them up and put them in the baking pan. Wonderful!
Jocelyn
I'm so glad that you liked them. Rolling them up is probably the hardest part, but so worth the effort. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you liked them.
Julie Blanner
What a great twist to the classic cinnamon roll! Can't wait to make this!
Sabrina
These are so good! My kids ate them up and are now requesting them every weekend.
Steph
These look so delicious! Can't wait to try them.
Andie Thueson
I like banana nut bread and I like cinnamon rolls - I am sure this will be ahhhmazing!
Rachael Yerkes
These are AMAZING! I'm obsessed with them!
Hannah
Mine were not nearly as neat as the pictures, but they were delicious! Had no trouble with the dough as many stated they did, worked out perfectly!
Tabitha
Can I use regular milk? It's Christmas day.. stores are closed and I have all if the other ingredients!! Woohoo!! Please say yes!!
Jocelyn
I am so sorry for not seeing this earlier because I took the day off from checking computer stuff. But yes, you can use regular milk as long as you mix some lemon juice into it to make it into homemade buttermilk. I hope you were able to make these and enjoy them!
Ceylon Spice Kingdom
This is really good, I never thought banana will go along with cinnamon. Must try this recipe at home. My wife loves banana cakes and she will sure be exited to try this out.
Jean
Love cinnamon rolls so had to try this recipe .Very disappointed .Dough was so stickey couldn`t handle it .Finely put it all in a pan and cooked it .Didn`t want to throw it out . Checked the recipe . everything ok . What di I do wrong .
Jocelyn
The dough should not have been that sticky when you took it out of the pan. Mine is usually a little bit sticky at that point, but the recipe says to knead it a few times with flour on your surface. If you did this, it should be ok to press out with your fingers. Did you use ripe bananas or frozen bananas?
janis whisenant
I made these yesterday. They were delicious! I had to add more buttermilk because the dough would not come together. I guess I added too much as it was so soft I could not roll it up completely so just sliced and plopped in the pan. It turned out to be like a cake. Also, I was afraid the baking soda was too much so decreased it. Is that the correct amount of baking soda?
Jocelyn
The amounts in the recipe for the buttermilk and baking soda are correct. I have made them so many times, and never had any trouble with the dough not coming together.
Heidi
Substitute for the bananas ?
Jocelyn
I would recommend making these Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls instead. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/apple-butter-cinnamon-rolls/
gee
.i dont have an oven..but when i bake i steam it and comes out good..how about this,can i cook it in a steamer??or can it be cooked in a microwave convection oven??thanx in advance...
Jocelyn
I have never tried anything other than baking them in an oven. My guess is that steaming them would not work though. A convection oven would probably work but I don't know how long to tell you to bake them. If you make them, let me know how they turn out for you.
Ann
I don`t call them green bananas at all. They to me, are how bananas are meant to be eaten..LOL I am the only one in the family that likes them that way, the rest like theirs "rotten"...haha Looks like a great recipe and I will make them soon. Love the fact that no yeast is required since I usually don`t have that on hand any way.
Tara Magee
Can you make these ahead of time and then refrigerate them until you are ready to bake them? I would like to serve them fresh and hot.
Jocelyn
I have never tried to do that with these rolls. I know that as soon as you add buttermilk and baking soda, the leavening starts to work. I would worry that the rolls would not rise properly, but I can't say that for sure. If you try it, definitely let me know how they turn out. Also, we always microwave these rolls the next day for about 10-20 seconds, and they taste almost as good as fresh from the oven.
Sue
Jocelyn,
I think you are correct. I made these and then drove to my parents house (about 25 minutes away), where we were having brunch, to bake them, so I could serve them hot out of the oven. Well, they didn't rise, and that caused the filling to not be distributed enough, so they were overly sweet. After problem solving, we deduced that it was probably due to the nature of the leavening, and that you need to bake them right away.
So I would say you are correct and not recommend making them ahead of time. I loved the banana and cinnamon favors, and will definitely be trying them again. 🙂