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.

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

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.
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

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.

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

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!

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

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.

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

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

Cinnamon Roll Cookies (Vegan)

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Deliciously sweet and flaky sugar cookie swirl cookies with a cinnamon sugar filling – they are like cinnamon rolls in cookie form. They are easy to make, naturally vegan and make a tasty snack.

Ingredients

    Cookies Dough:
  • 1/2 tbsp chia or flax seeds, ground
  • 1 ½ tbsp water
  • 50g vegan butter or margarine
  • 40g coconut or caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 130g plain flour, plus extra to dust
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • Filling:
  • 2 tbsp coconut or brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  1. Add the ground chia or flaxseeds to the water and stir. Leave for 5 minutes to form a gel.
  2. Beat together the butter and sugar until really creamy. Stir in the vanilla and the chia gel.
  3. Pour in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and stir to a dough.
  4. Lay down a sheet of baking parchment and dust with flour. Tip the dough onto the parchment, bring together with your hands and sprinkle flour on top, too. Roll out to an oblong about 20cm x 30cm
  5. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Using the shorter edge carefully and tightly roll up the dough to form a roll and press down firmly to seal the edge. Transfer to a baking tray and transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C.
  7. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into cookies 2-cm thick to make about 16 cookies. Lay the cookies swirl side up and bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread (Vegan GF)

  • Servings: 1 loaf, serves 10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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.

Ingredients

    Banana Bread:
  • 2 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 2 ripe bananas, 200g
  • 150g thick vegan yoghurt
  • 100g vegan butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled
  • 100g coconut or caster sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 280g plain or GF plain flour (with xanthan gum if using GF)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • A pinch of salt
  • Cinnamon Swirl:
  • 40g coconut or brown sugar
  • 30g vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream:
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 50g vegan butter/margarine
  • 50g vegan cream cheese
  • 1 tsp cinnamon, plus extra to dust
  • Topping:
  • ½ batch of Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Stir together the chia or flax seeds and water and leave for 5 minutes to form a gel.
  3. Mash the bananas into a mixing bowl and stir in the yoghurt, coconut oil or butter, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and chia/flax gel.
  4. Pour in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt and stir to a thick batter.
  5. Stir together the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl to a thick paste.
  6. Add half of the banana bread batter to the loaf pan, smooth over the top. Sprinkle over half the cinnamon sugar and top with the rest of the banana bread batter. Smooth over the top and sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon sugar. Use a blunt knife or handle of a spoon and drag swirls through the banana bread from side to side and up and down. Smooth over the top of the banana bread.
  7. Bake for 45-55 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean – it will look dark, but this is the cinnamon. Transfer to a wire rack, take out of the tin after 10 minutes and allow to cool fully.
  8. Make the frosting by adding all the ingredients to a food processor or add into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until fluffy.
  9. Spread the frosting over the banana bread and top with the cinnamon roll cookies and some extra cinnamon.
Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll 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 TwitterFacebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With cinnamon roll banana bread love x

  1. […] Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread (or just the cinnamon roll cookies) […]

  2. Hey my great friend Amy! Aww 😍 looks delicious 😋 happy Monday and wow love cinnamon swirls so much. Definitely want to make your banana cinnamon bread for sure, me and my parents love your banana 🍌 bread recipes. Splendid photography as always and awww love the cinnamon cookie 🍪 dough cookies. I so enjoy reading your amazing food blog it’s so inspirational, informative and so easy to follow. Can’t wait to see your next month Bananna Bread recipe. Your blog and posts make me smile 😃 each day. Definitely will tag you into my bakes/makes using your recipes
    Best Wishes Sophs and my dog 🐶 Ben says woofs 😋😍😊🌈🐶🌱🍌xxxxxx

  3. Sorry for commenting twice on here and on your Instagram. Can’t wait to see more of your festive bakes soon xxxx

  4. […] Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread […]

  5. […] icing sugar, but for good reason. This vegan gingerbread cream cheese buttercream is similar to my cinnamon one as I loved it so much. Spread it think and then top with lots of gingerbread cookies – I used […]

  6. […] Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread […]

  7. […] Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread […]

  8. […] On a side note, if you don’t use protein powder and want to use a more traditional (but less breakfast-like) frosting, try out my Vegan Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream. […]

  9. […] said, if you don’t have this cream, you could top these cupcakes with my Vanilla Buttercream, Cinnamon Buttercream or for a lighter option, my Vanilla Protein Yogurt […]

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