Gluten Free Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls (2024)

These banana bread cinnamon rolls are the best of both worlds. Sweet and tender flavor of banana bread with the fluffy texture of cinnamon rolls. They’re gluten free, dairy free friendly and so fun to make!

My traditional gluten free cinnamon rolls have been such a big hit lately, and banana bread is one of my favorite snacks so we have the best of both worlds with this recipe!

These are surprisingly so easy (and fun) to make and are bound to impress your friends and family. Perfect for a Christmas morning treat, Easter recipe or just a fun gluten free dessert.

I opted to make 10 large rolls, but you can also make 12 regular sized ones if you prefer! Just depends on your baking dish and how many people you need to serve. If you love this recipe, try my cinnamon roll pancakes or cinnamon swirl oat flour banana bread next.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Big & fluffy
• Easy to make
• Perfectly sweet
• Dairy free friendly

Key ingredients

FLOUR. For this recipe, we’re using Bob’s Red Mill Bread flour. I suggest buying it on amazon because it’s hard to find in stores, but it truly is what makes this recipe so amazing! I do not recommend swapping for any other flour here.

YEAST. Yeast is going to give these gluten free cinnamon rolls that classic big fluffy texture. We’ll also pair it with some baking powder to ensure they rise really well.

SUGAR. You need some white sugar for the rolls which will sweeten them up and activate the yeast, plus some white sugar and cinnamon for the filling.

BANANA. For the dough itself, you need banana puree from ripe bananas. I do not recommend mashed bananas because the banana chunks can create a weird texture in the dough. You’ll also need some extra bananas for the filling!

EGGS. Two eggs will help bind all ingredients together and really help give these banana bread cinnamon rolls a fluffy texture.

MILK. You can use any kind of milk you want here. I used almond because that’s what I had on hand, but regular cow’s milk, soy milk etc. all work.

BUTTER. Melted butter for the rolls and then some softened butter for the filling.

FILLING. We’ll fill the rolls with butter, cinnamon sugar, then some sliced bananas and walnuts.

How to make gluten free banana bread cinnamon rolls

Step 1. Heat the milk to about 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important that it is warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that it kills it. Same with the butter!

Step 2. In a bowl of a stand mixing, combine the flour (discard the package of yeast from the flour, we want instant yeast here), sugar, instant yeast, baking powder and salt.

Step 3. Combine with the bread hook until mixed. While running on low, add in the warmed milk, banana puree, butter and vanilla. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, then let the mixer run on medium/low for about 5 minutes.

Step 4. Transfer to a generously floured piece of parchment paper. I just use regular gluten free all purpose flour for this. Flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin and roll the dough to a roughly 12×15 rectangle.

Step 5. Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter for about 20 seconds in the microwave, then stir so it’s softened but not fully melted.

Step 6. Brush evenly on top of the dough. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small dish and evenly sprinkle on top. Add sliced bananas and crushed walnuts. Working from the 15 inch end, slice into 10 strips about 1 1/2 inches wide.

Step 7. Roll each strip into a cinnamon roll and place in a baking dish.

Step 8. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. They won’t double in size but will puff up. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Bake for 28-33 minutes depending on how “done” you like them.

Step 9. Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and cream cheese for the glaze, then slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.

Step 10. When the rolls are done, let cool for about 5 minutes, then top with the glaze and enjoy!

How to roll cinnamon rolls

There are two methods for rolling gluten free cinnamon rolls. One is to roll the whole rectangle of dough into a log and then slice either using a sharp knife or dental floss so they don’t get squished.

I’ve used this method before (it works well with my vegan cinnamon rolls) but for these banana bread cinnamon rolls, I find it a lot easier to slice the filled rectangle of dough using a pizza cutter into long strips.

Once you have the long strips, then you can roll each up into a cinnamon roll. This will ensure nothing gets squished and they’ll roll up really nicely!

Prep in advance!

To prep these cinnamon rolls ahead of time (perfect for Christmas morning!), follow all of the steps as usual. Once the cinnamon rolls have been rolled, sliced and risen for the hour, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and let the rolls sit on top of the oven while the oven preheats. Bake as usual for about 30 minutes, frost and enjoy!

How to store and freeze

These banana bread cinnamon rolls are definitely best served fresh! It’s unfortunately just the nature of gluten free baked goods, especially yeasted ones.

If you want to store them, your best bet is to freeze after they bake, then thaw and reheat in the oven until warm through the center. Frost them once they are re-heated for best results.

If you don’t want to freeze them, just store at room temperature, keeping them tightly covered and reheat in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds before enjoying.

More recipes you’ll love!

• Cinnamon Swirl Oat Flour Banana Bread
• Banana Waffles
• Gluten Free Banana Muffins
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
• Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

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