No Roll Banana Bread Cinnamon Roll Buns

These No Roll Banana Bread Cinnamon Roll Buns have everything you love about banana bread and homemade cinnamon rolls, without actually having to roll and slice the dough. Mashed banana goes right into the soft yeast dough, and each bun gets covered in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon before baking.

Once they’re golden brown, the whole pan gets drizzled with cream cheese frosting. They’re soft, gooey, loaded with cinnamon sugar, and honestly SO much easier than making traditional cinnamon rolls.

• No rolling or slicing: Divide the dough into nine buns and put them straight into the baking dish. No giant rectangle, rolling a log, or trying to cut even cinnamon rolls.
• Banana in the dough: A full mashed banana gives the dough banana-bread flavor without turning these into actual banana bread.
• Cinnamon sugar everywhere: Instead of a traditional swirl, the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon go over the dimpled tops of the buns.
• Extra soft: Heavy cream gets drizzled over the risen buns before they bake.
• Cream cheese frosting: The warm buns get finished with a simple cream cheese frosting made with butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk.
• Made for brunch: You get nine big, soft buns from one 9×13-inch pan.

Dough

• Milk: Warm the milk to about 110°F before adding it to the dough.
• Unsalted butter: Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.
• Egg: Use a room-temperature egg so it incorporates easily into the dough.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the banana dough.
• Banana: You’ll need one large banana, or about ½ cup mashed.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adds vanilla flavor to the dough.
• Bread flour: Gives the buns their soft, chewy texture. All-purpose flour can also be used.
• Rapid rise instant yeast: You’ll need two packets, or 4½ teaspoons.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness.
• Heavy cream: Poured over the risen buns just before baking to help make them extra soft and gooey.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• Unsalted butter: Melted and drizzled over the risen buns.
• Light brown sugar: Pack it into the measuring cup for the correct amount.
• Ground cinnamon: Mixed with the brown sugar for that classic cinnamon roll flavor.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Unsalted butter: Bring it to room temperature before mixing.
• Cream cheese: Room-temperature cream cheese will give you a smoother frosting.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adds flavor to the frosting.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
• Milk: Thins the frosting so it’s easy to drizzle over the buns.

• Make the dough. Warm the milk to about 110°F and melt the butter, allowing it to cool slightly. Whisk together the egg, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla, warm milk, and melted butter. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for 2–3 minutes.
• Mix and knead. Add the bread flour and salt. Using a dough hook, mix on speed 2 for 5–8 minutes, until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
• Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Prepare the pan. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Shape the buns. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. The dough will be sticky. Divide it into 9 approximately equal pieces, gently shape each into a ball, and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
• Let them rise again. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and a towel and let the buns rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Add the topping. Use your fingers to press dimples into the tops of the risen buns. Drizzle the heavy cream over the buns, followed by the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, uncovered, until the buns are lightly browned.
• Frost and serve. Top the warm banana bread cinnamon rolls with the cream cheese frosting and enjoy.

• Keep the milk around 110°F. You don’t want it so hot that it affects the yeast.
• The dough will be sticky, so lightly flour your work surface when dividing it into the nine buns.
• Give the dough enough time to double in size during both rises rather than rushing it.
• Try to make the nine dough balls roughly the same size so they bake evenly.
• Don’t skip the dimples. They give the heavy cream, melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar places to settle into the tops of the buns.
• Add the cream cheese frosting while the buns are still warm so it melts slightly over the tops and into the crevices.

• All-purpose flour: You can use all-purpose flour in place of the bread flour.
• Peanut butter frosting: If you love the banana and peanut butter combination, try the peanut butter frosting from my Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls with Peanut Butter Frosting instead of the cream cheese frosting.

• Store leftover Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep them refrigerated once frosted.
• To freeze, let the buns cool completely. Store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• To reheat, warm an individual bun in the microwave until just heated through.