No-knead banana cinnamon rolls
Makes: 12 buns
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
No-knead banana cinnamon rolls
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if banana bread and cinnamon rolls had a baby... now you can taste it for yourself. Perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast treat
Makes: 12 buns
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
413Kcal
Fat
17gr
Saturates
9gr
Carbs
55gr
Sugars
16gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
9gr
Salt
0.8gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 40g butter
- 300ml milk
- 2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 300g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
- 300g plain flour
- 50g light muscovado sugar
- 1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
For the filling
- 75g very soft salted butter
- 75g light muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 50g pecans, finely chopped
- 2 medium bananas, sliced
For the icing
- 25g very soft salted butter
- 150g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 60g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 6, leaving the rolls to prove for 20 minutes then chill overnight. Bake from chilled, adding 5 minutes or so to the cooking time.
- Melt the butter in a small plan, remove from the heat and add the milk to give a just-warm mixture. Mix in the mashed banana and egg.
- Combine the flours, muscovado sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl, then mix in the banana-milk mixture using a wooden spoon, to give a sticky rather lumpy dough. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes to allow the 6 flour to absorb the liquid and the gluten to start developing.
- After 15 minutes, wet your hand then reach in under the dough, pull it up and fold it over the top. Repeat for another 7 folds, turning 7 the bowl with your other hand as you go. The dough will become smoother and more elastic as you do the folds. Flip it over, re-cover and leave for another 15 minutes. Repeat the folding and resting process twice more, then leave the dough to rise until doubled in size.
- When doubled, punch the dough down and shape into a rough ball then pop the bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes (or the fridge for an hour), to make it easier to roll out. Prepare the filling by creaming together the butter, muscovado sugar and cinnamon until soft and spreadable.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and dust with more flour. Shape into a rough square, then roll out to about 30cm x 45cm. Spread the cinnamon butter thinly all over the dough then scatter on the pecans and sliced bananas. Roll up from one of the long sides, pinching the seam closed.
- Cut the roll into 12 fat slices then transfer to a lined roasting tin, about 25cm x 35cm. Cover and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes until the buns feel soft and pillowy. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.
- Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the butter and cream cheese together then mix in the icing sugar and vanilla. Spread over the still-warm buns, and leave to cool for 20 minutes before eating. Best eaten freshly baked but will keep for about 2 days in an airtight container. Warm gently to serve.
