Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls (Printer version)

Fluffy cinnamon rolls featuring mashed bananas, cinnamon sugar filling, and a smooth icing glaze.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (approximately 2 large bananas)
02 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 1/2 cup warm milk (110°F)
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 large egg

→ Filling

09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
11 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Icing

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of granulated sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Add mashed bananas, melted butter, egg, granulated sugar, and salt to the activated yeast mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
03 - Gradually incorporate flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm location until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
05 - Punch down risen dough and roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring 14 by 9 inches.
06 - Spread softened butter evenly across the dough surface. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon uniformly over the buttered dough.
07 - Starting from the longer side, roll dough tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, slice into 9 equal rolls.
08 - Place rolls in a greased 9-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes while preheating oven to 350°F.
09 - Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
10 - While rolls cool slightly, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle icing over warm rolls before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're soft enough to pull apart with your fingers, but sturdy enough to actually hold together unlike some rolls that fall apart mid-bite.
  • The banana adds moisture and natural sweetness, so you use less sugar and they stay fresh longer than regular cinnamon rolls.
  • One batch makes nine rolls, which means breakfast for days or enough to impress whoever wakes up to that smell.
02 -
  • Don't skip the five-minute bloom of yeast; if it doesn't foam, your yeast is dead and your rolls won't rise no matter what you do.
  • Overworking the dough after adding flour makes them tough; mix just until the flour disappears and knead gently, treating it like it's delicate.
  • Underbaking is better than overbaking here because they'll continue cooking slightly as they cool, and a slightly underbaked center stays softer longer.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, proof the dough inside your oven with just the light on, or place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with warm water and cover it with plastic wrap.
  • Rolling the dough from the longer side gives you more surface area for filling and creates better-looking swirls than rolling from the short side.
  • Let the rolls cool for about five minutes before adding icing so it sets into a nice glaze rather than sliding right off warm rolls.
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