Description
These Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls combine the comforting flavors of banana bread with the sweet, spiced swirl of cinnamon rolls. Using vegan ingredients, including almond milk and vegan butter, this recipe creates a soft, fluffy dough filled with banana slices, cinnamon, sugar, and optional nuts, perfect for a delicious vegan breakfast or dessert treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 3 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 packet instant/fast-acting yeast (1 packet yields ~2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 Tbsp cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
- 2 ¾ – 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (2/3 unbleached all-purpose, 1/3 whole-wheat pastry)
Filling Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 – 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ~20 very thin banana slices (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional, crushed, plus more for topping)
Topping Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter
- 1 Tbsp sugar (cane or brown)
- Dairy-free cream cheese frosting (optional)
- Powdered sugar glaze (optional, recipe in notes)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, heat the almond milk and vegan butter in the microwave in 30-second increments or over medium heat on the stove until warm and melted. Let the mixture cool to 110°F (43°C), then sprinkle the yeast on top and let it activate for 10 minutes. Stir in the cane sugar, salt, and mashed banana. Gradually add flour while stirring until the dough becomes too thick to stir. Knead on a floured surface until you form a slightly springy dough ball. Place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the filling: Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle approximately 12 by 20 inches on a floured surface. Brush the entire surface with melted vegan butter. Mix cane sugar and ground cinnamon and evenly sprinkle the mixture over the dough. Lay the thin banana slices evenly across the dough and sprinkle the crushed walnuts or pecans if using.
- Assemble the rolls and let rise: Carefully roll the dough into a log from one long edge, then slice into 1 1/2 to 2-inch sections. Place the rolls into a greased 8×8-inch or similar-sized round baking pan. Brush the tops with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with additional sugar and walnuts. Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise again while preheating the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Bake the rolls: Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 28-35 minutes or until golden brown. After baking, let them cool slightly before adding any frosting or serving warm.
- Add frosting or glaze (optional): Top the slightly cooled rolls with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple powdered sugar glaze as desired. The powdered glaze recipe is included in the notes.
Notes
- For the powdered sugar glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk and a splash of vanilla extract until smooth.
- To achieve the perfect dough rise, ensure your almond milk mixture is not hotter than 110°F (43°C) before adding yeast to avoid killing it.
- Use ripe bananas for better sweetness and moisture in the dough.
- Feel free to swap walnuts for pecans or omit nuts altogether for nut-free rolls.
- These rolls can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
