Paleo Cinnamon Rolls (with Banana!)
Cinnamon rolls are a delight to eat but often intimidating to make. I've steered clear of them for years because I didn't have a rolling pin and didn't want to make a huge mess with one recipe. BUT...I took the leap when my kids started wanting more "normal" foods as they got older.
The recipe I want to share with you is simple (very few ingredients), delicious, AND helps use up those brown bananas (but doesn't taste like banana)!
- 3 overripe bananas
- 3 cup Paleo flour blend (see notes)
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 2-3 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set out an 8x8" baking dish as well as a regular cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tapioca flour across the parchment paper.
- Step 2
Mash the bananas on a plate until almost a liquid. Pour into a medium mixing bowl.
- Step 3
Add the flour to the bananas 1 cup at a time and use a spatula to combine until a doughy ball forms (the ball may be slightly sticky but if it is too sticky, add more flour a Tablespoon at a time until the dough is barely sticky).
- Step 4
Add the ghee to the 8x8" dish and set in the warming oven (this will melt the ghee and make it easy to pour on the rolled-out dough as well as grease the dish).
- Step 5
Set the dough on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and using your hands, work the dough out into a smooth rectangle (this helps you skip the rolling pin step if you don't have one on hand and gives a guide for your rectangle - the dough will not fill the sheet, but you can use one pair of edges as a guide).
- Step 6
With an oven mitt, remove the 8x8" baking dish from the oven and pour the ghee over the dough and set the dish on a safe surface. Use a pastry brush to spread the ghee. Combine the cinnamon and coconut sugar in a small bowl, then sprinkle across the surface of the dough. Starting at one short end of the dough rectangle, gently use your fingertips to roll the dough from one end to the other, sprinkling and incorporating small amounts of extra tapioca flour if needed.
- Step 7
Using a knife, cut the dough roll into 9 rolls and gently nestle them next to each other in the 8x8" baking dish.
(*If the knife is sticking in the dough, sprinkle a little bit of tapioca flour on the knife in between cuts.
**If you have extra ghee or want to melt 1-2 Tbsp more, brush the tops of the cinnamon rolls with additional ghee.)
- Step 8
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 22-25 minutes until cooked through. Remove the baking dish and allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes before devouring! Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.