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–+ servings
Freshly baked cinnamon rolls with chocolate chips in a baking dish.

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls With Chocolate Chips

Amber Bondar
Soft banana bread cinnamon rolls made with ripe banana in the yeast dough and a cooked banana-brown sugar filling. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and dark chocolate give the rolls a warm banana-bread flavour with pockets of melted chocolate.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Course Breads Biscuits Scones, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 11 Servings
Calories 493 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Cups
  • Tablespoon
  • Teaspoon
  • Fork or Masher
  • Small Skillet
  • Wooden Spoon or Sturdy Spatula
  • Rolling Pin
  • Sharp knife
  • 3 loaf pans or one 9×13-inch baking dish plus one 8-inch round pan

Ingredients
  

Banana Cinnamon Roll Dough

  • 1 Cup Milk Or Oat Milk, Warmed to lukewarm
  • 3 Tsps Active Dry Yeast
  • ½ Tsp White Sugar for blooming the yeast
  • ½ Cup White Sugar
  • ⅓ Cup Butter Lightly melted
  • 2 Eggs Room temperature, beaten
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Banana Mashed, overripe (3 medium)
  • 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cloves
  • 1½ Tsp Salt
  • 5 Cups White All Purpose Flour Plus a little more as needed
  • Neutral Oil For greasing the bowl

Banana Cinnamon Filling

  • 2 Medium Bananas Overipe, mashed
  • 5 Tbsp Butter
  • ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ⅓ Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips Or chopped Dark Baking Chocolate

For Finishing

  • Dark Chocolate Bar Small amount, broken into little pieces.

Instructions
 

Bloom the yeast.

  • Warm the milk directly in a large mixing bowl until lukewarm.
    • If using the microwave, heat it in short intervals so it does not become hot.
  • Stir in the ½ teaspoon sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over the milk.
  • Let it stand for a few minutes, until the yeast begins to bloom and looks foamy.

Build the dough in the same bowl.

  • Stir the lightly melted butter into the bloomed yeast.
  • Add the remaining granulated sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla, mashed banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  • Add the flour gradually. Begin mixing in the all-purpose flour a little at a time.
    • The mixture will be very wet at first and will gradually turn into a shaggy dough as more flour is incorporated.
  • Knead the dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it forms a soft, workable ball. Add a little extra flour only when necessary.
    • The dough should remain soft and slightly tacky rather than becoming dry or stiff.
  • Lightly coat the cleaned mixing bowl with neutral oil and return the dough to the bowl.
  • Cover and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, usually about 1½–2 hours.

Make the banana filling.

  • Add the mashed bananas, butter, and dark brown sugar to a saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the bananas, until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture is soft, glossy, and spoonable.
  • Small pieces of banana can remain. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Roll the dough.

  • Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press it out, then roll it into a large rectangle.
  • Spread the cooled banana-brown sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the filling, then scatter the chocolate chips or chopped dark baking chocolate over the top.
  • Instead of rolling the entire rectangle into one log, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the filled dough into long strips.
  • Roll the buns. Starting at one end of each strip, roll it up individually to make a large spiral cinnamon roll.
  • Place the rolls in greased baking dishes, leaving some room between them to expand.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place until the rolls are noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size, usually about 1 hour.

Add the chocolate topping.

  • Break a small amount of dark chocolate bar into pieces and scatter them lightly over the tops
  • Don't use too much or the chocolate can overpower the banana and warm spices.
  • Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, until the tops are browned and the rolls in the centre of the pan are baked through.
  • Let the rolls stand for a few minutes before lifting them from the pan.

Notes

  • Very ripe or overripe bananas work best because they mash easily and provide stronger banana flavour.
  • The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Avoid adding flour until it feels completely dry.
  • Oat milk was used successfully in the original batch.
  • Let the cooked banana filling cool before spreading it over the dough.
  • Cutting the filled dough into strips before rolling creates the large individual spirals shown in the recipe.
  • This recipe makes about 11 very large cinnamon rolls.
  • The full batch fits approximately 3 loaf pans, or one 9×13-inch baking dish plus one 8-inch round pan.
  • Keep the dark chocolate topping light so it complements rather than overwhelms the banana-cinnamon flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 11gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 430mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 9gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 431IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 3mg
Keyword banana baking recipe, banana bread cinnamon rolls, banana cinnamon rolls, chocolate cinnamon rolls, overripe banana recipe, yeast cinnamon rolls
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