cinnamon rolls

Banana bread cinnamon rolls – these vegan cinnamon buns are a different way to use up brown bananas! Soft, fluffy banana yeast bread with a sweet cinnamon filling; they are great for breakfast, brunch or snacking! Egg and dairy free.

I forever have over-ripe bananas in the fruit bowl; I just can’t seem to get through them before they go brown and past the point where I am happy to eat them.

There are only so many loaves of banana bread that a girl can eat (spoiler, it’s quite a lot), so I am always on the hunt for different ways to use them up.

A few years ago I made this nutella swirled banana yeast bread which was amazing, and I was keen to adapt the recipe to turn it into cinnamon rolls. It worked out perfectly.

These vegan banana bread cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, with a mild banana flavour, a sweet cinnamon filling and a vanilla glaze. They are perfect for an indulgent breakfast or brunch, or just for snacking on.

How To Make Vegan Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

I like to split making these over two days – I make the dough and refrigerate it overnight for it’s first rise. The cold dough is easier to roll out and the slow rise results in a better flavour. You can do it all on the same day if you prefer though.

This is quite a soft, sticky dough so it is best made in a stand mixer if you have one. If you don’t then they can still be made by hand just be prepared to get a bit messy!

To make the dough, place the flour (bread flour gives the best texture), sugar, salt and yeast (instant/fast action is best) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix to combine.

Add in mashed ripe banana, lukewarm non-dairy milk and melted vegan butter and mix to form a rough dough.

Knead with the stand mixer on a high speed for about 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. The dough should be soft and sticky, don’t be tempted to add more flour as this can result in dry cinnamon rolls.

If you don’t have a stand mixer it can be kneaded by hand on a lightly oiled surface but it is quite a messy job and a bench scraper will come in handy.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl, cover and place in the fridge to rise overnight. (Or in a warm place until doubled in size – 1-2 hours.)

For the filling, mix together light brown soft sugar and ground cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and give it a brief thirty second knead to knock out any air bubbles.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to an approx 30×45 cm / 12×18 inch rectangle then spread softened vegan butter evenly over the surface.

Scatter over the cinnamon sugar mixture and press it down gently.

Roll the dough up tightly from one of the long edges into a sausage and trim off and discard the ends. (You can keep and bake them if you want, they just tend to not have much filling in).

Use a sharp knife to slice the roll into nine even slices then arrange them cut side down in a 23cm/9inch square tin lined with baking parchment.

Cover loosely and set aside to rise for another 30-40 minutes until nice and puffy. If you press one gently the dough should spring back slowly. If it springs back quickly then they need a little bit longer. While they are rising preheat the oven.

Once the buns have risen, bake for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 94C/201F on a probe thermometer; this is the best way to tell when they are ready, you don’t want to be eating raw bread dough! Cover them loosely with tin foil partway through baking if the tops start to colour too much.

Leave the cinnamon rolls to cool in the tin for about half an hour then carefully lift them out using the baking parchment and place on a wire rack.

To make the vanilla glaze, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually stir in a little non-dairy milk and vanilla extract until it forms a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the buns and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days.

Can I Freeze Them?:

Yes, the baked cinnamon rolls can be frozen. Allow to defrost at room temperature then refresh in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving.

More Recipes To Use Up Ripe Bananas:

• Fluffy vegan banana pancakes
• Banana porridge with blueberry compote
• Vegan chocolate chip banana bread
• Vegan biscoff banana bread
• Vegan chocolate banana bread
• Chocolate peanut butter banana breakfast smoothie
• Vegan Banana nut muffins
• Vegan roasted banana ice cream
• Vegan banana cake with peanut butter chocolate frosting
• Nutella swirled banana yeast bread

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