Brown Butter Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Published 12/2/2023
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Go from ordinary to extraordinary with these brown butter banana bread cinnamon rolls! The dough rests in a delicious mixture of mashed banana, maple syrup, egg, brown butter, and vanilla to create the literal best cinnamon rolls to ever grace your taste buds.
But that’s not all! These fluffy banana bread cinnamon rolls have a banana cinnamon swirl filling and are topped with a mouth-watering brown butter cream cheese icing. Basically, everything about this recipe is next level.
What You’ll Need to Make Brown Butter Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.
The stars of these cinnamon rolls are the brown butter and bananas. You also need quick rise east, maple syrup for sweetness, and all the ingredients for the easy cream cheese frosting.
- Stand mixer (with dough hook attachment): you’ll need this to help make both the dough and icing.
Variations and Substitutions
With cinnamon rolls, there are endless possibilities. Feel free to add or swap ingredients to make this recipe more personalized for you. For instance, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour for a healthier twist. You can also make this recipe vegan by using non-dairy butter and cream cheese and swapping the egg for a flaxseed or chia seed egg.
If you want to mix things up, try adding chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the filling, or even drizzling some melted peanut butter on top of the icing. The options are endless, and you can truly make these cinnamon rolls your own!
Storage + Freezer Directions
Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To freeze, place your cinnamon rolls in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Brown Butter Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Wondering what breakfast items to eat with your cinnamon rolls? From savory to sweet, there is plenty to pair with this tasty treat. When it comes to savory, you’ll absolutely love these Instant Pot Egg Bites, Avocado Baked Eggs, or Seriously Easy Microwave Bacon.
For sweet, this Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie, Pumpkin Waffle Casserole, or Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oatmeal Cups are totally wow-worthy.
Brown Butter Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup 2% milk warmed to 100-110°F
- 1 packet of quick rise yeast
- ½ cup mashed banana, ~1 medium banana
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large bananas, sliced
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Brown Butter Icing
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, browned
- 1 ¼ cup powdered
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3- oz. cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. The butter will start to foam and bubble while melting. When brown specs start to form turn the heat off and transfer the brown butter to a bowl. Set aside.
- Make the cinnamon rolls. Add the warm milk and yeast to a large bowl. Set aside until the yeast has bloomed– about 5 minutes.
- Next add the mashed banana, maple syrup, egg, brown butter, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Using a stand mixer on low-medium speed with the dough hook attachment, slowly stir the flour and salt into the wet ingredients. Once all of the flour has been added and a shaggy dough has formed, knead for 2-3 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should bounce back when you poke it).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and then a tea towel. Place it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size — about 1-1.5 hours.
- Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting. In a small pot or skillet, brown 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, stirring continuously. About 5 minutes. Let cool.
- Combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and browned butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- When the cream cheese and butter are smooth, turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat for 30-45 seconds or until the frosting is light and fluffy. Set aside.
- Assemble the cinnamon rolls. Once the dough has risen for 1 to 1.5 hours, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll it into a rectangle that is approximately 18” long, 12” wide, and 1/4” thick.
- Spread the butter over the dough and then sprinkle the filling over the butter, and then lay the banana slices over the filling. Then roll into a tight log, starting at one of the long sides. For larger rolls, roll the tight log starting at one of the short sides.
- Slice the log into 1” rolls. This will yield about 12 rolls, depending on how tightly you roll your log and whether you start rolling at a long or short side of the dough.
- Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper. Add the rolls to the dish, making sure they just barely touch. Depending on how tightly you rolled dough into the log, you can either place rolls 3×4 OR 2×4 with extra rolls in another baking dish.
- If you’re making the rolls in advance, wrap them in plastic and place them in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Bring the rolls to room temperature (about 30 minutes) when you’re ready to bake and then skip to step 13.
- If you aren’t making the rolls in advance, cover with plastic wrap and then a tea towel, and place them in a warm spot to rise until the rolls begin to touch — about 30 minutes. While the rolls rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 22 minutes (depending on your oven) or until the centers are set, be sure not to overbake.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Tips & Notes
- It is best to brown the butter first and allow it to cool slightly before using it.
- Mixing in the brown butter during step 3- if the butter is too hot it could cook the egg.
- Even if it is cooled some it will solidify when mixed with the cold ingredients. That is ok as long as the egg hasn’t curdled.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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