Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (2024)

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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.

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (1)

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.

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (2)

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.

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (3)

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

  1. Stir together the sugar, brown sugar, spices, nuts (if using), and melted butter in a bowl.
  2. Set aside until needed.

Step Two: Make Banana Cinnamon Roll Dough

  1. Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together with a fork.
  2. Add the buttermilk, mashed bananas, and melted butter and continue to stir with the fork until a soft dough forms.
  3. Once the dough comes together into a soft ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a FEW times.
  4. Press and roll the dough out with your fingers gently. Gently keep working it until you get it into a 10" x 14" rectangle.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Bake for about 18-20 minutes in a preheated oven.

Step Three: Make Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Stir together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until the mixture is creamy.
  2. 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.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

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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

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Recipe

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (6)

Banana Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 9 cinnamon rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Grease an 8x8 pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
  2. Mix together the filling ingredients until they resemble sand. Set aside.
  3. Sift together the dry ingredients. Create a well in the center of the flour.
  4. Add the buttermilk, banana, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix with a fork until a soft dough forms. It will be very sticky.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead the dough 8-10 times. Let rest 10 minutes.
  6. Press the dough out on the well floured surface with your fingers forming a 10" by 14" rectangle.
  7. Spread 2 tablespoons melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon filling, leaving ½ inch on all sides.
  8. 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.
  9. Cut the roll into 9 even slices using a piece of dental floss, and place the rolls in the prepared pan.
  10. Drizzle the rolls with the last 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
  11. 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: 9Serving Size: 1
Amount 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.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (7)
*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.

Easy Banana Cinnamon Rolls Recipe {No Yeast} - Inside BruCrew Life (2024)

FAQs

Why do you not put baking powder in banana bread? ›

Its mind boggling, but rising agents like baking powder and baking soda do NOT make baked goods rise. They simple create the bubbles for steam to expand and grow in the baked good. Therefore, adding more rising agents like baking powder and baking soda will NOT enable greater rise.

Which of the following are common mistakes made when preparing cinnamon rolls? ›

14 Mistakes You're Making With Cinnamon Rolls
  • Sticking with the same conventional cinnamon roll recipe. ...
  • Using the wrong kind of yeast. ...
  • Not using a sourdough starter. ...
  • Avoiding experimenting with fats. ...
  • Using hard butter or melted butter. ...
  • Not using different kinds of cinnamon. ...
  • Using a weak flour.
Oct 26, 2022

Why are my homemade cinnamon rolls not rising? ›

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

Is baking soda or powder better for banana bread? ›

Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves. Recipes generally include just enough baking soda to balance the acidity in the batter.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in banana bread? ›

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.)

What happens if my cinnamon roll dough doesn't rise? ›

The rolls won't have a light and fluffy texture without enough air bubbles. There are a few more reasons your yeasted dough doesn't seem to be rising, including yeast that's too old or expired, a room temperature that's not sufficiently warm, or the liquid you bloomed the yeast in being too hot.

How do you know when cinnamon roll dough is kneaded enough? ›

Step 2: Knead the Dough

Turn, fold dough over, and push down again. Repeat this process over and over. You know the dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic.

What happens if you add too much flour to cinnamon rolls? ›

Adding too much flour will make your rolls very dry. Once you have added the appropriate amount of flour, turn your mixer to a low speed and let the machine do all the kneading for you.

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise for too long? ›

The rolls are still prone to over-proofing if left in the fridge too long; and the cinnamon-sugar filling can melt and make the bottoms of the rolls syrupy and damp if left unbaked for too long. Also note that some cinnamon roll recipes are made with chemical leaveners versus yeast.

What do you pour over cinnamon rolls before baking? ›

Say “goodbye” to dry, stale rolls and “hello” to this easy cinnamon roll hack that you'll keep with you for luscious, ultra soft, and moist rolls: pour heavy cream over cinnamon rolls before baking.

Why do you pour milk over cinnamon rolls? ›

Julie Clark, the blogger behind the website, notes that after years of research, she discovered that the key to getting perfectly gooey rolls is to “pour heavy cream over the cinnamon buns before baking. THIS is the secret ingredient and what makes the rolls rich and gooey.”

Why are my cinnamon rolls not fluffy? ›

There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity. But the most common reason cinnamon rolls don't turn out fluffy is because the dough didn't have enough time to rise.

What happens if you don't put baking powder in bread? ›

Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.

Why baking powder is not used in baking? ›

Baking soda is used in recipes that also include an acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, buttermilk, or citrus juice. Conversely, baking powder is typically used when the recipe doesn't feature an acidic ingredient, as the powder already includes the acid needed to produce carbon dioxide.

What happens if you add baking powder to bread? ›

As with baking soda, baking powder also releases gas bubbles into your quick bread, giving it a softer, fluffier texture in the oven.

How does baking powder affect bread? ›

Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening agents, which means they cause dough or batter to expand by releasing gas. Yeast is another leavening agent you might know about.

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