Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

By Jennifer

10 Person

120 Minutes

304 Calories

The banana bread infusion happens in two ways: 1) banana puree in the dough, and 2) banana slices and walnuts in the centers. The result is an amazingly moist, banana-bread like cinnamon roll just begging to be frosted (and that, we must do). This recipe is seriously simple! Just 1 bowl and 9 ingredients (10, including the glaze). Plus, there’s only one true rise and no fancy methods required. Just pure, easy, simple cinnamon roll goodness that takes about 2 hours total.

Ingredients

TOPPING

1 tbsp. sugar (cane or brown)
1 tbsp. vegan butter

FILLING

1/3 cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional // crushed // plus more for topping)
20 very thin banana slices (1/2 cup yields ~20 slices)
1/2-1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup vegan butter

DOUGH

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used a ratio of 2/3 unbleached all-purpose, 1/3 whole-wheat pastry)
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cane sugar
1 packet instant/fast-acting yeast (1 packet yields ~2 1/4 tsp)
3 tbsp. vegan butter
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

Method

01

DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, heat the almond milk and vegan butter in the microwave in 30 sec increments (or heat over medium heat in a large sauce pan), until warm and melted (never reaching boiling). Let cool to 110 degrees (43 C) - the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. (If you used a saucepan to heat the milk, transfer to a large mixing bowl now.)
02

Sprinkle on yeast and let activate for 10 minutes. Then add sugar and salt and stir. Next, add in mashed ripe banana and stir. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go. The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so, adding flour as needed, until it forms a loose but still springy ball. Only use as much flour as it will take.
03

Rinse out your mixing bowl, coat it with avocado or olive oil, and add your dough ball back in seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (see photo) - mine only took 40 minutes.
04

FILLING: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a long rectangle ~1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted vegan butter and top with cane sugar (I used a little brown sugar mixed in with the cane sugar) and 1/2 - 1 Tbsp cinnamon (up to preference // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Then add banana slices so it's easy to roll, and walnuts.
05

Slowly and tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. With a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1 1/2 - 2-inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8x8 square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls as original recipe is written).
06

TOPPING: Brush with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with sugar (brown or cane) and remaining walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
07

Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 28-35 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm. Optional: Frost with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple dairy-free glaze (recipe below).
08

Cinnamon rolls should keep covered at room temp for up to a few days, though best when fresh. You can freeze at the stage where the dough is cut into cinnamon rolls and placed in a pan. Cover well and freeze in a pan, then let thaw for at least 6 hours before baking. Cover and set on top of the oven while preheating to help rise. Bake as instructed.

Related Tags

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

3.8

( By Jennifer )

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 10 servings
Calorie 304 Kcal
Prep Time 90 Mins
Cook Time 30 Mins
Total Time 120 Mins

02 Ingredients

TOPPING

1 tbsp. sugar (cane or brown)

1 tbsp. vegan butter

FILLING

1/3 cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional // crushed // plus more for topping)

20 very thin banana slices (1/2 cup yields ~20 slices)

1/2-1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup vegan butter

DOUGH

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used a ratio of 2/3 unbleached all-purpose, 1/3 whole-wheat pastry)

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. cane sugar

1 packet instant/fast-acting yeast (1 packet yields ~2 1/4 tsp)

3 tbsp. vegan butter

1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

03 Method

Step 1

DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, heat the almond milk and vegan butter in the microwave in 30 sec increments (or heat over medium heat in a large sauce pan), until warm and melted (never reaching boiling). Let cool to 110 degrees (43 C) - the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. (If you used a saucepan to heat the milk, transfer to a large mixing bowl now.)

Step 2

Sprinkle on yeast and let activate for 10 minutes. Then add sugar and salt and stir. Next, add in mashed ripe banana and stir. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go. The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so, adding flour as needed, until it forms a loose but still springy ball. Only use as much flour as it will take.

Step 3

Rinse out your mixing bowl, coat it with avocado or olive oil, and add your dough ball back in seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (see photo) - mine only took 40 minutes.

Step 4

FILLING: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a long rectangle ~1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted vegan butter and top with cane sugar (I used a little brown sugar mixed in with the cane sugar) and 1/2 - 1 Tbsp cinnamon (up to preference // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Then add banana slices so it's easy to roll, and walnuts.

Step 5

Slowly and tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. With a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1 1/2 - 2-inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8x8 square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls as original recipe is written).

Step 6

TOPPING: Brush with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with sugar (brown or cane) and remaining walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).

Step 7

Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 28-35 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm. Optional: Frost with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple dairy-free glaze (recipe below).

Step 8

Cinnamon rolls should keep covered at room temp for up to a few days, though best when fresh. You can freeze at the stage where the dough is cut into cinnamon rolls and placed in a pan. Cover well and freeze in a pan, then let thaw for at least 6 hours before baking. Cover and set on top of the oven while preheating to help rise. Bake as instructed.

04 Author

Jennifer

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