Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (2024)

· Natalie 69 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These sticky swirly sweet banana cinnamon rolls are healthier, simpler, and sweeter than any ordinary cinnamon roll, and made in the oven with only fruit!

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (1)There are a lot of fruits I miss from my week at the Woodstock Fruit Festival.The sweetjuice-drippy mangoes. The perfectly petite strawberry papayas. The hot pink pitayas that I suspect willnever show up in any grocery store around here (especially sincespell check doesn’t even believe ‘pitaya’ is a word). But there is onefruity sweet snack I miss most of all…

Banana Cinnamon Rolls!And when I mentioned them many of you seemed pretty eager to try them too, so I am finallysharing that recipe. Although I must say I will miss the delicious job ofrecipe testing these.

Fortunately dates, bananas, and cinnamon are neither exotic nor elusive ingredients. However, thesebread-lessbuns are typically a raw recipe made in the dehydrator. But I don’t have a dehydrator, soI experimented withanother way…

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (2)Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (3)

The oven. It’s the oven obviously. There is no other secret magical banana-drying method or anything, at least not the I know about. But rather than use the oven like a mock dehydrator at it’s lowest setting and have to wait forever for your sticky swirlyrolls, Iexperimented until I found the highest possible temp that would still dry them out butnot actually bake or burn them.Higher temperature = faster cook time = snacking sooner!

And I actually found the texture preferable with this method too–not as gooey need-twelve-napkinsmessy. You can pick up and eatthese little banana bundles with grace.

It’s still a low and slow process that will take a few hours, but most of that time is just waiting while the oven does it’s work. The actual ingredients and assembly is very easy, and you really only need 3 ingredients! You couldadd vanilla or salt to the date filling. Or you could add raisins on top likethey did at the festival. But honestly I just love them the simple banana + date + cinnamon way.

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (4)

The trickiest part of the whole process is slicing the bananas lengthwise. If you’ve never tried to do that, trust me it’s much harder than it sounds. They have a tendency to break and mush everywhere.

A few tips…
– Use spotty but not overripe bananas. Bruises and mushy spots make it almost impossible.
– Slice each banana into 3 strips. In the video I attempted 4, but since then I have found that 3 is much more doable and actually makes for a sturdier cinnamon roll.
– Leave half of the peeling on and slice it in the peeling. It is easier to hold this way and gives the banana some support.
– The straighter the banana the better.
– If they do break, save thoseshorter strips. You can piece them together androll them up inside larger ones.

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (5)

These Banana Cinnamon Rolls are naturally SO sweet from the combination of candy-likedates and concentratedbanana sugars. If you like those two fruits, you will love them.Better than any baked bread-style cinnamon roll will ever be if you ask me!

>>> Click Below To Pin <<<

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (6)

Print

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (7)

Banana Cinnamon Rolls

★★★★★5 from 5 reviews

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 180 minutes
  • Total Time: 200 minutes
  • Yield: 10 -12 rolls 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 spotty bananas
  • Cinnamon

Date Paste

  • 1 cup Medjool dates (about 12)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Optional: 1 tsp vanilla and/or a pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250F
  2. Slice the bananas lengthwise into 3 strips each (see tips in the post and watch the video for technique).
  3. Lay out the slices on 2 baking trays lined with parchment paper. Do not overcrowd. I recommend 6 slices per tray. If you have any smaller strips that broke, lay them out too.
  4. Bake for 1 hour at 250F.
  5. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 15-20 mins.
  6. Gently run a finger or dull knife under each slice to release it from the pan. Flip them over so the side with more moisture is facing upwards.
  7. Blend all the ingredients for the date paste.
  8. Spread about 1 tablespoon of date paste down the length of a banana slice. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll.
  9. Repeat with the remaining slices. You can roll the shorter pieces inside the longer strips.
  10. Arrange all the rolls on one lined pan.
  11. Return them to the oven for 1.5-2 hours at 250F.
  12. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool. Eat immediately or refrigerate for a firmer consistency. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (8)

Related Posts

  • Cinnamon Buckwheat Banana Bread

  • "Snickers" Cinnamon Rolls

  • Oil-Free Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan + GF)

  • Banana Blueberry Bark

Banana Cinnamon Rolls (No Dehydrator!) | 3-Ingredient Vegan Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls not dry? ›

Canned Cinnamon Rolls: I use and love a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls here! But different brands should work just the same. Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a slightly optional ingredient here, but I do not think it is. I find that adding a splash of cream to the cinnamon buns before cooking keeps them extra moist.

Are Costco cinnamon rolls vegan? ›

Costco customers can now find vegan iced cinnamon roll dough from organic brand Annie's at stores nationwide. Annie's specializes in organic, allergen-friendly vegan and vegetarian versions of popular convenience foods such as boxed mac n' cheese, chocolate chip cookies, pizza pockets and Pop-tarts.

Why are my homemade cinnamon rolls hard? ›

Don't Overmix the Dough

When making cinnamon rolls, mix the dough just until the ingredients are incorporated and the dough is smooth and soft. Overmixed dough leads to tough cinnamon rolls. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and feels tacky but doesn't stick to your fingers.

Why do my cinnamon rolls dry out so fast? ›

Most cinnamon rolls use a yeast rasied dough. You may have simply not given them enough time for a second rise after rolling and shaping them. Because you're using a sweet dough, and then rolling it with cinnamon and sugar and butter, the yeast needs to work hard to raise the dough.

How do you make store bought cinnamon rolls less dry? ›

Pour heavy whipping cream into the spaces between rolls, and drizzle a little on top before putting them into the oven. As the rolls bake, the cream is absorbed up into the dough, keeping them moist and plump.

Are Trader Joe's cinnamon rolls vegan? ›

9 Trader Joe's Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Yup, these cinnamon rolls are accidentally vegan. Look out for the seasonal pumpkin version that appears every fall.

Why did Costco stop selling cinnamon rolls? ›

According to a 2020 Reddit post, shoppers believed the pull-apart cinnamon rolls were discontinued, but their disappearance may have been a pandemic-related pause or a rebranding opportunity.

Why are Costco cinnamon rolls so good? ›

One fan called the new edition “phenomenal” and a “must-try,” especially when heated up. The gooey cinnamon rolls are made with buttery dough, brown sugar, cinnamon, and honey—and no one can deny they look absolutely swoon-worthy.

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

Is melted butter or softened butter better for cinnamon rolls? ›

It can definitely be tempting to just stick that butter in the microwave if you've been storing it in the fridge, which can easily lead to accidentally melting it, but ensuring that your butter is softened will make all the difference: It will make it easier to evenly spread the filling on top of the dough.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise too long? ›

The rolls are still prone to over-proofing if left in the fridge too long; and the cinnamon-sugar filling can melt and make the bottoms of the rolls syrupy and damp if left unbaked for too long.

Why not refrigerate cinnamon rolls? ›

Do you need to refrigerate cinnamon rolls? Unfrosted cinnamon rolls do not need to be refrigerated and will keep best at room temperature. Iced cinnamon rolls, and especially rolls with cream cheese frosting, should be stored in the fridge.

How do you moisten cinnamon rolls? ›

Place the rolls in a baking dish. Add a little dribble of water (1 teaspoon per roll) over each roll to rehydrate the rolls as they are reheated. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. This will create steam as they warm and will rehydrate the rolls.

How do you fix tough dough? ›

Start by adding 1 teaspoon of fat into dough at a time, whatever the recipe originally called for, usually butter or oil, until it's moistened. Your hands are the best tool for this job, as you can much more gently bring the dough together than a mixer, and too much mixing will make for some tough cookies.

How do you moisten dry cinnamon rolls? ›

Place the rolls in a baking dish. Add a little dribble of water (1 teaspoon per roll) over each roll to rehydrate the rolls as they are reheated. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. This will create steam as they warm and will rehydrate the rolls.

How do you keep cinnamon rolls moist after baking? ›

How to Store Gooey Cinnamon Rolls. Homemade cinnamon rolls are best served fresh and warm – right out of the oven if possible! You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. Rewarm in the oven or microwave before serving.

Do you cover Pillsbury cinnamon rolls when baking? ›

Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 12 to 15 minutes longer or until dough is baked thorough in centers of rolls and edges are light golden brown. Let stand 2 minutes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Horacio Brakus JD

Last Updated:

Views: 6512

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Horacio Brakus JD

Birthday: 1999-08-21

Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

Phone: +5931039998219

Job: Sales Strategist

Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.