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Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans

These are welcome little banana, cinnamon-roll like treats that are quick to make and devilishly addicting.   I came across the idea of these mini cuties from another food site that made full sized rolls, layering the ingredients like you would an upside-down pineapple cake (butter, sugar then fruit before the batter) – but they used instant biscuit dough (like the Pillsbury canned biscuit dough) stuffed inside each regular-sized muffin cup/well.   Instead, we’re making our own dough and rolling the filling in it.   I’ve added nuts to both the sugary goodness  for the topping and within the rolled dough.   You could omit the nuts altogether and maybe add raisins.

Serve these warm or at room temperature.   Perfect pairing with any morning beverage.   Wouldn’t these be perfect for brunch and serving to the kids?

Warning: These will vanish so quickly. Because they’re mini and supposedly portion-controlled, you won’t even realize that you’ve just popped five of these little gems in your mouth.

Teenie Notes

  • Work with room temperature ingredients.
  • Avoid refrigerating the dough. It will dry it out and you won’t be able to slice it without the dough falling apart.
  • Like raisins? Adding some raisins to the sugar mixture instead of pecans might be another alternative.
  • Chop the pecans small.
  • I originally used 3/4 cup of chopped pecans.   Too many pecans made it more difficult to roll, but it was still doable.   In the recipe below, I took it down to 1/2 cup.
  • When placing the rolled dough into the muffin cup, gently press down on the dough so that it makes contact with the topping ingredients below.
  • When removing the rolls from the cups you need to do this quickly and right out of the oven before the sugar on the bottom cools. The sooner the better because when it’s hot, it more easily lifts out of the cup. It will take a couple to practice with.
  • Don’t get discouraged if the some of the sugary goodness on the bottom or the banana slice stays behind when unmolding. Gently scoop up and smooth into place on the warm, mini-roll.
  • I would suggest using two pans of 12-mini cups and baking them one right after the other.  Reason: You want to unmold these little rolls immediately when pulling from the oven.  Working to unmold 12 versus 24 at a time is more manageable before they cool on the bottom.
Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans - Prep
Makes 24 mini-muffin sized rolls

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped small

1 ripe banana, sliced crosswise into 24 slices

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of 24 mini muffin pan wells with some of the melted butter. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add cream and blend just until it forms a soft, smooth dough.

In another medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle a small amount of this sugar mixture into each mini-muffin cup/well. Place a slice of banana on the bottom.

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans - Prep

Lightly flour a flat surface to roll out dough and roll dough to 12×9 inches. Brush dough with the rest of the melted butter and evenly sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mixture. From one of the short ends of the dough, roll dough tightly. Cut the rolled dough in 24 equal slices with a serrated, sharp knife (after each slice, slightly rotate the roll to help keep the shape of the rolled dough). Place each sliced piece, cut side up in a mini-muffin well on top of the banana slice. Gently press each slice into the muffin well so that it rests even or lower than the top of the pan and so that it makes contact with the banana slice underneath it.

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans - Prep

Bake for about 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. As soon as you remove them from the oven, begin unmolding the rolls from the pan.  Nudge one edge of the roll to push the other side up, thus scooping up the topping underneath it.

Serve warm or at room temperature.   Store in an airtight container.

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans

Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites with Pecans

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nell says

    Just saw your blog for the first time this afternoon and made these tonight – they’re awesome!! Followed the recipe exactly and they came out just like the pix online. This is a great way to use up ripe bananas besides making endless loaves of banana bread. Next time I’ll try with even thicker or more banana slice(s?) – the flavor is perfect, and friends who tasted them all liked that they’re sweet but not not overly rich, i.e. can easily eat 3 in a row.

    • Cristina says

      Hi Nell: So glad you found TeenieCakes.com and that you tried these little bite sized banana cinnamon rolls and liked ’em!! 🙂 I think thicker slices would be fantastic, get in more of that banana-sugary flavor. I’ll try that next time too.

      The scary thing is that they’re small, so I can pop multiples in my mouth – one right after the other before realizing how many I’ve just indulged in. 🙂

      Happy Holidays to you and yours.

      ~Cristina

  2. Karen G. says

    I stumbled upon your website a couple weeks ago, just in time to find this recipe which I figured would be perfect for my parents’ Memorial Day breakfast potluck in Kensington. (I live in SD, too, so it makes it even more awesome that I accidentally found your website via Google.) I made a batch of these and, sure enough, everyone told me how much they loved them. I said “thanks” but gave credit for the recipe to you. Next year I’ll have to make 2 batches because the first batch went so quickly.

    One question: after baking them, was I supposed to turn them so that the bananas were on top? They popped out of the muffin tins easily, but I was worried that the bananas might stick to the serving plate, plus no one would know there were banana slices, so I flipped them over when I put them onto the plate. They weren’t as attractive with the banana side up, but this way people could see that they were more than just basic mini cinnamon rolls. The banana slices really add a lot of flavor to these mini treats. Thanks a million!

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Karen: We are practically neighbors! 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the recipe and how fantastic the banana slices are on top! They really are tasty little treats that vanish quickly.

      When serving them, the bananas should probably be on top, but really it’s your preference. I liked the way they looked on top and next time I make them, I might make the slices thicker so they show better…but there’s no denying the banana flavor one you bite into them.

      Thank you for sharing that you enjoyed them =) Have a fantastic week!

  4. Lynn says

    These look delish! I will be adding to my list of to do, what a great way to use up bananas in addition to banana nut bread! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Sara says

    omg I’m already in love with this recipe. I know I should not stop by your blog late in the evening…now I’m going to have cravings until I’ll make them.

  15. sandy says

    Oh Cristina these look stunning and delicious. I know someone who is opening a bakery this spring and she must put these on the menu. And of course I will have to try the recipe and taste test them !

  19. Lisa says

    Wow, those cinnamon rolls are phenomenal! The addition of banana and pecans is just brilliant. The photos are killing me..I want one so bad! Hope things are well with you, miss seeing your DB challenges!

  21. Monet says

    Oh yes…I can see how these would vanish quickly. They would be gone if they were at my house! Thank you for sharing such a delicious little morning treat. I love cinnamon rolls…and almost any baked good tastes better with bananas!

  22. Juliana says

    Cristina, I love your rolls, so creative the way you prepared them…and would love to have for breakfast…the photos are awesome 🙂

  26. Roxan says

    Cristina, these are so so so adorable! I love that they’re cooked in a muffin tin. They’re so adorable with the little slice of banana on top. I am totally starring this recipe to make myself. Thank you!

  29. Jean says

    I could easily eat an entire batch of these. Cinnamon, bananas and pecans? You’ve covered some of my cravings in one recipe. I love the soft, caramelized banana on top of these bites. This is a recipe worth bookmarking!

  33. Jasmine says

    OMG Teenie, those Banana Cinnamon Roll Bites looks deeelicious! Have to try those. What an excellent idea.

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