These ultra soft and fluffy banana bread cinnamon rolls use just banana as the egg and create the sweetest soft pillows of banana bread in cinnamon roll form! Topped with a creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting!

banana bread cinnamon rolls iced

The best of banana bread and cinnamon rolls combined:

Can’t decide between making an AMAZING loaf of fluffy and soft banana bread and deliciously pillowy cinnamon rolls?

Let’s combine the two into one then 🙂

This might actually be my favorite breakfast creation yet (although I do love my salted caramel vegan banana pudding!). We’re taking my ultra soft and moist vegan banana bread recipe (that just uses banana as the egg!) and combining it with my award winning cinnamon rolls to give you the ultimate banana bread cinnamon roll recipe.

The result? The softest and most lovely cinnamon rolls that are sweetened with rich brown sugar and nutmeg and full of fresh banana flavor.

banana bread cinnamon roll on a plate

These cinnamon rolls truly taste like a bite of banana bread and yeasted sweet dough in one. It’s a feat. Then we go ahead and top with a luxuriously creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting for the ultimate flavor combination.

I mean, you’re going to be speechless. There’s banana and peanut butter in every bite thanks to my method for filling the cinnamon rolls with banana in the swirl (it’s super easy- instead of banana coins, we’re mashing the banana!).

You’re going to LOVE making these banana bread cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

Simple Ingredients:

What I love most about these banana bread cinnamon rolls: you don’t need any eggs. That’s right! The banana will act as the vegan egg replacement, but also the flavor component. It’s a win win! Here’s what you need:

  • All purpose flour
  • Cinnamon & nutmeg: Classic banana bread flavors
  • Banana
  • Brown sugar & granulated sugar
  • Dairy free milk: Soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk will work here!
  • Vegan butter: I like Miyoko’s vegan butter- tastes just like the real deal!
  • Dry active yeast: I prefer to make these banana bread cinnamon rolls with dry active versus quick rise yeast. However, for the gluten free version, you’ll use quick rise.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Peanut butter
  • Vegan cream cheese: I prefer Tofutti or Kite Hill vegan cream cheese here!
banana bread cinnamon rolls ingredients

Overview: how to make banana bread cinnamon rolls:

dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
Start by activating the yeast. Then combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment OR a large bowl.
Mixed dough in a stand mixer
Once the dough forms into a shaggy yet sticky dough, knead the dough into a smooth ball.
dough before proofing
Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
dough after proofing
Once doubled in size, you can begin to shape your banana bread cinnamon rolls.
mashed banana
Before rolling the dough, mix your filling ingredients and mash the banana for the cinnamon rolls filling.
Rolled out cinnamon roll dough
Roll out the dough to be 12×18″ in size.
banana bread cinnamon rolls before banana filling
Spread the classic cinnamon roll fillings on top: brush with vegan butter then sprinkle on the brown sugar cinnamon mixture.
mashed banana bread cfilling.
Then spread the mashed banana on top.
banana bread cinnamon rolls
Slice the cinnamon rolls into 12 equal rolls and allow them to rest for 30 minutes before baking.
baked banana bread cinnamon rolls
Bake the banana bread cinnamon rolls until golden on top.

The peanut butter cream cheese frosting:

This is my favorite part of the sweet rolls. Almost like an Elvis take on cinnamon buns! We’ll start by creaming together the cream cheese and vegan butter. Then add in the peanut butter and powdered sugar to combine.

Spread onto your cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

peanut butter cream cheese frosting
spreading the peanut butter frosting on top
peanut butter frosting onto banana bread cinnamon rolls

Can I make these cinnamon rolls gluten free?

Absolutely! To make these banana bread cinnamon rolls also gluten free (as well as dairy free and vegan), we’ll modify my gluten free cinnamon rolls recipe with the following:

  • Swap out the yogurt for banana: You’ll use an equal amount of mashed banana for the yogurt found in the dough of the cinnamon rolls.
  • Add in nutmeg and cinnamon to the dry ingredients: For the flavor combination!
  • Swap in half the amount of sugar with brown sugar: This will give these rolls a true banana bread flavor.
  • Swap in the filling found here: Instead of a classic cinnamon roll filling, you’ll used my mashed banana cinnamon roll filling here.
  • Follow the procedure for making the gluten free cinnamon rolls: You’ll keep everything else the same with that recipe from how you shape the dough to proofing and baking.
  • Use the peanut butter cream cheese frosting! The full effect comes with this deliciously creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting. You’ll feel like you’re actually eating the real deal- no one will know it’s gluten free!
bite taken from banana bread cinnamon roll

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

banana bread cinnamon roll pinterest pin

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
banana bread cinnamon rolls

Fluffy Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls (Gluten Free Option)

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Proof Time: 60
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These ultra soft and fluffy banana bread cinnamon rolls use just banana as the egg and create the sweetest soft pillows of banana bread in cinnamon roll form! Topped with a creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 1/4 cups (540 g) + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, (plus more for flouring surface)
  • 1 packet (8 g) activated yeast
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup (270 mL) dairy-free milk, unsweetened, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (87 g) banana mashed, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) salted vegan butter, melted and room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Banana Filling:

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, softened
  • 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup (160 g) brown sugar
  • 2 large bananas, mashed

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Please read through all instructions before beginning. The overnight option and gluten free option are down below in the notes section.
  2. Prep: Grease a medium sized bowl with olive oil or coconut oil, and set aside. Make sure the vegan butter for the dough is melted and cooled.
  3. Activate the yeast: In microwave-safe bowl, heat the dairy-free milk until it reaches 110F- use a food thermometer to accurately measure the temperature. Any cooler or hotter, and the yeast won’t activate properly. Add in 1 tbsp sugar. Gently whisk together, then sprinkle yeast, mix with a spoon lightly, cover, and let activate for 10 minutes in a warm area.
  4. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment or in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and sugar. When the yeast is activated, pour the mixture into a large bowl or a stand mixer with the dough attachment. Add in the banana, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combine until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly flour a clean surface and place the dough onto the surface, sprinkling some extra flour on top or kneading.
  5. First proof: Knead the dough lightly, for 2-4 minutes, until it forms a smooth dough ball that’s not sticky. Then place the dough into the greased medium bowl, cover with a cloth or wrap, and place into a warm area to let rise for 1 hour. It should be double in size. If it’s at least 80F outside, you can place the bowl outside, otherwise you can place it in the oven (which is turned off) and turn on the oven light or start preheating the oven to 350F and place the bowl near or on top of the oven.
  6. While the dough is rising: grease a large casserole dish with oil and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
  7. Make the vegan cinnamon rolls: After the dough has doubled, lightly punch down the dough. Lightly flour a clean surface, and place the dough in the middle. Sprinkle a little extra flour on top of the dough and flour the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to be a large rectangle (12 in x 18 in). Lightly spread the dough with melted vegan butter to the edges of the dough. Then sprinkle on the sugar cinnamon mixture evenly, and spread the mashed banana on top. Roll into tight rolls and away from you. Slice the roll into 12 even cinnamon rolls. To easily slice, you can use a piece of thin twine or unflavored floss. Place into the oil-greased dish.
  8. Second proof: Cover again with a clean towel or wrap, and place over or by the oven while the oven preheats to 350F. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.
  9. Bake the cinnamon rolls: Place the cinnamon rolls into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing.
  10. Make the peanut butter frosting: in a medium bowl or stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and vegan butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then add in the peanut butter and mix again until combined. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and cream again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
  11. Serve and enjoy! Spread the frosting onto the vegan banana bread cinnamon rolls and serve warm. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply warm them on a baking sheet with parchment paper at 350F for 5-7 minutes.

Notes

Gluten free: Use my gluten free cinnamon roll dough as a base, swapping out the yogurt for an equal amount of mashed banana, and add in 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Use the filling here as well. Then make the cinnamon rolls according to the gluten free cinnamon roll instructions!

Overnight Option: If making a day ahead of time, complete Step 7 through the second rise, then cover the cinnamon rolls and place them in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, allow the rolls to sit in the oven (not started) with the light on for 20-25 minutes. Then, remove the rolls from the oven, and allow the cinnamon rolls to rest over or by the oven as it preheats.

Keywords: banana bread cinnamon rolls, vegan cinnamon rolls, vegan banana cinnamon rolls, banana cinnamon rolls

frosted cinnamon rolls