How ripe should the bananas be?

Very ripe — heavily spotted or even blackened skins. Those bananas are sweeter and far more flavorful, which is what gives the rolls their banana-bread taste.

Can I leave out the walnuts?

Absolutely. Skip them for a nut-free version, or swap in pecans or a handful of mini chocolate chips for banana-chocolate rolls.

Why is my dough so sticky?

Mashed banana adds a lot of moisture. Add flour gradually while kneading until the dough is soft and just slightly tacky rather than wet.

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 140 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 177 min
Yield: 12 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.5 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F); 2.25 tsp instant yeast; 0.75 cup mashed very ripe banana; 3 tbsp granulated sugar; 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted; 1 egg large egg; 4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.33 cup unsalted butter, softened; 0.75 cup packed brown sugar; 2 tbsp ground cinnamon; 0.75 cup toasted walnuts, chopped; 4 oz cream cheese, softened; 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; pinch of salt

Soft cinnamon rolls that taste like banana bread — ripe mashed banana in the dough, a brown-sugar-walnut filling, and a tangy cream cheese frosting.

a pan of banana bread cinnamon rolls with chopped walnuts visible in the cinnamon swirl (AI-generated editorial image) — Image: CinnamonRollsRecipe.com · AI-generated editorial (Flux)

Total time: 2 hr 57 min
Bake: 27 min
Yield: 12 rolls
Level: intermediate

The quick answer

Banana bread cinnamon rolls use about two mashed ripe bananas in an enriched dough with a brown-sugar-walnut filling. Because banana adds moisture and sugar, use very ripe (spotty) bananas, hold back some milk, and expect a soft, slightly tacky dough that needs a touch more flour.

This is the recipe for that bunch of bananas gone spotty on the counter. Mashed ripe banana goes into an enriched dough for a tender, faintly banana-bread crumb, then the rolls get a brown-sugar-cinnamon filling shot through with toasted walnuts — exactly like a good loaf of banana bread, but pull-apart and topped with cream cheese frosting. They fill the kitchen with that unmistakable banana-bread smell as they bake.

a banana cinnamon roll pulled apart to show the soft crumb and a walnut-studded cinnamon swirl (AI-generated editorial image) — The soft, pull-apart crumb you're after.

Ingredients

Make

rolls

Dough

½ cupwarm whole milk (about 110°F) — warm, not hot
2¼ tspinstant yeast — one packet
¾ cupmashed very ripe banana — about 2 spotty bananas
3 tbspgranulated sugar
⅓ cupunsalted butter, melted
1 egglarge egg — room temperature
4 cupsall-purpose flour — plus more as needed
1 tspfine salt

Brown sugar walnut filling

⅓ cupunsalted butter, softened
¾ cuppacked brown sugar
2 tbspground cinnamon
¾ cuptoasted walnuts, chopped

Cream cheese frosting

4 ozcream cheese, softened
¼ cupunsalted butter, softened
1 cuppowdered sugar
1 tspvanilla extract
pinch of salt

mashed very ripe spotty banana in a bowl beside whole spotted bananas on a wooden board (AI-generated editorial image) — A look at the method — follow the steps below.

Instructions

Whisk the warm milk and yeast and let it sit until foamy.
Surface looks foamy.
Mix in the mashed banana, sugar, melted butter, and egg. Add flour and salt, then knead until soft and elastic, adding flour a tablespoon at a time only if too sticky.
Dough is smooth, supple, slightly tacky.
Cover and rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Dough has doubled.
Roll into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter, then scatter brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts evenly, leaving a clean edge.
Filling and nuts cover the dough.
Roll up tightly from the long side, cut into 12 rolls, and arrange in a buttered 9x13 dish.
Rolls hold a tight spiral.
Cover and proof until puffy and touching.
Rolls look pillowy and fill the pan.
Bake at 350°F until golden and set.
Tops are golden; center roll reads about 190°F.
Beat the frosting until smooth and spread over the warm rolls.
Frosting melts slightly into the tops.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead: Assemble through cutting, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight; let sit at room temperature 45–60 minutes before baking. Mash the banana just before mixing so it doesn't brown.
Storage: Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days — banana makes them a touch more perishable.
Reheating: Microwave a roll 15–20 seconds, or warm the covered pan at 300°F for about 10 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls up to 2 months; thaw, warm, then frost.

Substitutions

Toasted pecans instead of toasted walnuts
Vanilla glaze if you prefer no cream cheese instead of cream cheese frosting

Troubleshooting

Dough too sticky to handle: Banana adds moisture — add flour a tablespoon at a time until supple, and be sure to hold back milk if your bananas are very large.
Banana flavor is faint: Use very ripe, heavily spotted bananas — underripe bananas have little flavor and more starch.

Tools I reach for

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Frequently asked questions

How ripe should the bananas be?: Very ripe — heavily spotted or even blackened skins. Those bananas are sweeter and far more flavorful, which is what gives the rolls their banana-bread taste.
Can I leave out the walnuts?: Absolutely. Skip them for a nut-free version, or swap in pecans or a handful of mini chocolate chips for banana-chocolate rolls.
Why is my dough so sticky?: Mashed banana adds a lot of moisture. Add flour gradually while kneading until the dough is soft and just slightly tacky rather than wet.

Nutrition (estimate): 1 roll (of 12) · ~445 kcal. Nutrition is an automated estimate and will vary with brands and exact quantities.

Food safety: don't taste dough containing raw flour or raw egg. Refrigerate anything with cream cheese frosting, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.