My parents recently gifted me with bananas—a lot of bananas.
So, looking at the bunches lining my countertop, I decided it was time to try every banana recipe on my Pinterest board.
As I perused the large number of recipes I’d set aside, one popped out at me for banana cinnamon rolls. Not only did they look amazing, but there was no yeast to wait for, so I was excited to try it.
Plus, it got rid of a banana.
Yeah, just one banana. But, hey, at least that’s one fewer banana on my countertop, and these rolls were phenomenal.
This comes from the blog “Inside Bru Crew Life.” You can find the original at https://insidebrucrewlife.com/banana-nut-cinnamon-rolls/. I doubled the spices and vanilla in my version.
Banana Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Roll Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- 7 tablespoons butter divided
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or use regular milk with a touch of vinegar
Frosting Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter the inside of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan, and set it aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the filling until well combined, and set it aside.
- In a separate bowl, for the rolls, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir with a fork to combine. Add the banana, two tablespoons of the butter, melted, and the buttermilk. Mix by hand until the dough comes together.
- Dump the dough onto a floured workspace and begin kneading with floured hands. Once the dough is together (it will likely still be a bit sticky), spread it out with your hands into about a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Spread out two more tablespoons of the butter, melted, on the dough. Sprinkle on all of the filling, evenly, leaving about one-half inch empty around the edges.
- Starting on the long side (so you create a nice, long tube), start rolling the dough. (I had to use a flat, bendy spatula to help mine along, because it was firmly stuck to the counter. It also tore as I went, but don’t worry if that happens. Baking will cover all your sins.)
- Cut the tube into nine slices and place them, spiral side up, in your prepared pan. Go ahead and crowd them together.
- Melt the last three tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top of the rolls.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the rolls look golden brown.
- While the rolls bake, combine all the frosting ingredients, except the walnuts, until it is smooth. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and sprinkle the walnuts on top. Serve warm and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Despite only using a solitary banana, the flavor really came through in these rolls. They were soft, gooey and so, so good. If you’re looking for a good fall recipe to get cinnamon in your life, I highly recommend giving this a try.
And be prepared for some more banana recipes from me over the next few weeks. I have to do something to reclaim my countertop, and unless I get a visit from a troupe of monkeys, it looks like it’s all up to me.
This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 15, 2020.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.