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Banana Cinnamon Rolls With a Brown Butter Frosting

These soft and gooey banana cinnamon rolls have just the right amount of banana in the dough and the filling. This dough recipe is adapted from Sarah Keiffer's "Soft and Gooey Cinnamon rolls." Topped with my brown butter cream cheese frosting, these are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
PRep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 rolls
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Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 9X13 pan

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup whole milk warm 100-110F
  • 1/4 cup honey 84 grams
  • 1 small banana 100 grams
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour 568g
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast *must be instant!
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 10 tablespoons 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter softened to room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces, 142 grams

Filling

  • 1 small overripe banana 100 grams
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 grams
  • 1/3 cup white sugar 66 grams
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, 42 grams

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 113 grams
  • 4 oz cream cheese 113 grams
  • 3 cups powdered sugar 339 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Dough

  • Prepare a large bowl with nonstick spray or a light coat of oil and set aside (to will be for the dough to rise in).
  • In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and honey. Mix with a whisk or fork to combine. In a small separate bowl or ramekin, thoroughly mash banana until there are no chunks and the mixture is smooth.
  • Add the mashed and smooth banana to the eggs, milk and honey. Mix again until homogenous.
  • Add all of the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, and salt) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Attatch to the standmixer and fit the mixer with the paddle attatchment.
  • Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in the standmixer and mix on medium speed to combine. Let dough mix for until shaggyt dough forms, about 3 minutes and then add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, pausing after each addition so the butter can incorporate. Once all the butter is added. increase the speed to medium and beat for another 2-3 minutes until dough is sticky but smooth.
  • Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. Feel free to use a spatula or even greased hands to move the sticky dough.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, you will start a series of folds. First, place your fingers underneath the dough and gently pull the dough up and fold it back over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this folding again. Continue 6 to 8 more times, until all the dough has been folded over on itself. Re-cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this series of folding 3 more times, for a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings
  • After all of the foldings, tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

Filling

  • In a medium bowl, mix banana, cinnamon and sugars until completely smooth. Add in melted butter. Let sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes so it is smooth enough to spread.

Frosting

  • Brown the butter- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the stick of butter. Let butter melt and continue to stir with a nonstick spatula. The butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring. Depending on your stove, in about 6-10 minutes the butter will turn golden brown. Once the butter is browned remove the pan from the heat and pour butter into a heat-proof bowl.
  • Let butter cool to room temperature before proceeding with the frosting, it should be solid but softened.
  • When the butter is cool, add cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. This will take a few minutes to combine.
  • Next, add in powdered sugar and salt. Mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy! Lastly, add in the heavy cream and beat again with the mixer until smooth.

Assembly

  • Flour a large work surface and remove dough from refrigerator.
  • Remove dough from bowl and place onto work surface. The dough will be hard, but easy to work with. Knead the dough about 10 times and then shape dough into a ball, cover the top lightly with flour, and cover with a tea towel and let come to room temperature.
  • Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
  • Roll the dough into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread banana filling over entire rectangle.
  • Starting at a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. The tighter the cylinder, the more rolls, the more swirls!
  • Pinch the seam gently to seal it and position the dough seam side down. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12-equal pieces. Transfer the pieces to the prepared pan and place them cut side up. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Remove the plastic and bake 27 to 32 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the rolls are golden brown. While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing.
  • Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Top with the icing and serve.