Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread (Vegan GF-Option)

A delicious and fluffy banana bread loaf with a sweet cinnamon swirl and crunchy cinnamon sugar top frosted with vegan cinnamon buttercream and decorated with homemade cinnamon roll cookies. This loaf is naturally vegan and has gluten-free options.

This month’s banana bread may be coming quite late in the month but it’s definitely worth the wait – well, we think so at home, anyway. I have wanted to make another cinnamon banana bread for a while after making one for a client a few months ago and this one has the tastiest swirl. Although the swirl may not be as swirly as others, it really packs a cinnamon-sugar punch. The loaf itself is fairly simple and comes together in one bowl – it is quite a thick batter, so don’t be fooled, it still comes out fluffy and moist. It’s a heartier loaf but is delicious, especially with all the toppings.

For the Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread loaf, we need:

• Ground chia or flaxseeds and water: this makes an egg equivalent to bind the batter. If you can’t find them ground, simply grind your own in a high-powered blender to a fine meal. It works better to thicken batters when it is ground and makes for a better texture.
• Bananas: the key ingredient! The riper the better and remember to weigh them as they can vary so much in size.
• Thick vegan yoghurt: you want a thick one to bind the batter and opt for a natural or plain flavoured one.
• Vegan butter/margarine or coconut oil: you can use any of these for this recipe as it calls for the fat to be melted and cooled. It’s important to let it cool slightly so it doesn’t solidify when mixed with the colder ingredients.
• Sugar: I love coconut sugar for the flavour, but you can use any for the batter. For the swirl, though, a good crunchy sugar like coconut, brown or demerara works best.
• Lemon juice: I add this to a lot of my baking as it acts as an extra binder with the yoghurt.
• Vanilla essence: adds a subtly sweet and warming aroma.
• Plain or GF plain flour: if you’re using GF flour, make sure to use a blend with xanthan gum in or add 1 tsp of the binder yourself. I haven’t tried this with other flours, but I am sure spelt would work really well.
• Baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt: all for a rise and flavour.
• Cinnamon: this is essential for the cinnamon swirl centre! Mix this with the sugar and butter/oil to make a thick paste to add into the batter and on top of the loaf.

Add all of the ingredients for this Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread into a mixing bowl and then create the swirl using a knife or the handle of a thin spoon. And then it’s time to bake!

While this banana bread is a winner on its own, let’s talk frosting: thick, creamy, sweet, fluffy, cinnamon-y and totally addictive. This cinnamon cream cheese buttercream may just be my favourite frosting yet! You just need icing sugar, vegan cream cheese, vegan butter/margarine and cinnamon. Be prepared to lick the bowl clean.

The final element to this Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread is the cinnamon roll cookies. These have been in my mind for a long time now and I’ve been so excited to make them – in miniature form. They’re fairly simple and are much like a cinnamon roll but instead of yeasted dough, we’re making cookie dough. All of the cookie ingredients are the same as the banana bread ones, too:

• Chia or flaxseeds and water
• Vegan butter or margarine
• Coconut or caster sugar
• Vanilla essence
• Plain flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon

First make the cookie dough before rolling out onto a well-floured surface. Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar before carefully and tightly rolling up into a log. It’s important to allow the cookie dough to rest and for the shape to firm up before slicing the log into cookies and baking. They’re mini but they’re mighty!

A dusting of cinnamon and a sprinkle of two and that’s it for this Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread. It’s moist and fluffy but hearty and wholesome with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl running through. Topped off with thick and fluffy vegan frosting and the best cinnamon roll cookies, this is one special loaf. 

It is naturally vegan, easily gluten-free and can be refined sugar free if you opt for a frosting without icing sugar and use coconut sugar throughout the bake. It’s a great mid-week bake as it doesn’t take long at all or serve it at the weekends with a cup of tea – it was great after our crisp walk in the woods one Sunday afternoon.

If you want to catch up on my previous banana breads, here are a few:

• Toffee Pecan Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Brittle Banana Bread
• Blueberry and Hazelnut Banana Bread
• Triple Chocolate Banana Bread
• Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread – I hope you will love it as much as we do at home. Let me know what you think below and tag me in your bakes, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With cinnamon roll banana bread love x