This banana coffee cake is so decadent! It’s gluten-free, paleo-friendly and it’s a great way to use up ripe bananas!
Overly ripe bananas somehow ALWAYS find their way into my kitchen. Being a green banana fan, I just can’t get myself to eat a black spotted banana. I usually try and pawn them off onto my husband by sneaking them into his lunch bag. He’s not a ripe banana fan either though (is anyone?!), so he brings them home. 🤷🏽♀️
I hate wasting food, which means I’m constantly thinking of new ways to use up ripe bananas. (Here are a few favorite recipes of mine that call for ripe bananas fyi: banana bread, banana n’oatmeal, banana malpua, banana fudge & this smoothie).
The problem is that I get bored really easily when I make/eat the same foods. I suppose this “problem” is good news for you – because I mean, can you really have enough recipes that call for ripe bananas? No. No you can’t. Because you know what happens without a variety of recipes that use ripe bananas? Children end up hating banana bread as adults because that’s all their mommas ever made with their overly ripe bananas. True story.
This my friends is not banana bread. It is is banana CAKE. excuse me. It’s banana coffee CAKE. It’s so soft, so moist, so sweet and so delicious. And to make this cake even more decadent, it’s topped with a mixture of coconut sugar, pecans and butter (or ghee).
Do you see that sweet, buttery crumb? This cake is tooooo good.
If you don’t have ripe bananas sitting on the counter nagging you to use them up then you can always make my cinnamon coffee cake which is just as good as this banana cake. I’m kind of tempted to make both one day and see which I like better. I’m not even sure – it’d be a close call. I know both are versions of coffee cake, so they’re “acceptable” as breakfast food – but I feel like the banana cake is more “acceptable” since it has, you know, bananas.
This is how I spend far too much of my time. Thinking about which of my coffee cakes is more “acceptable” for breakfast. It’s a good way to procrastinate from thinking about real life/responsibilities. Go grab yourself a cup of piping coffee and an inappropriately large piece of cake. 🙂
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large ripe bananas ~2 cups mashed or pureed
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted ghee coconut oil or butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut milk
Topping:
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ghee or grassfed butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F using the convection setting if available.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and mix well.
- Next, mash or puree the bananas if you haven’t already, then add this to the bowl along with the eggs, ghee, maple syrup and coconut milk. Mix using a hand mixer until well combined.
- Allow the batter to rest in the bowl while you prepare the topping.
- Add the topping ingredients to a bowl and using your hands, mix well.
- Pour the batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9-inch round pan then sprinkle the topping on top of the cake.
- Bake at 350F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool, then slice and serve.
Looking for more recipes like this one? Check out my Recipe Index 🙂
Jenn says
Delicious!!! I definitely did NOT check to see if I had everything needed so had to make some last minute tweaks that luckily worked out. Used 1 cup almond flour, 1/4ish cup cassava flour, 1/4 cup coconut flour. used 2Tbs honey instead of maple syrup. 2% milk instead of coconut milk. Cut the topping down a little since I also ran out of stuff. Sigh. But?? This was still amazing! Thank you! 🙂
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jenn, that’s great – glad it worked with those substitutions! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out 🙂
Marianne says
Hi Ashley- do you have any nut substitutions? Can I sub oatmeal flour for almond? And any ideas for a nut-free topping that will provide a similar texture – thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Marianne, I haven’t experimented with a nut-free coffee cake, sorry! But I do have these muffins that are always a hit and also call for banana: https://myheartbeets.com/chocolate-chip-banana-oatmeal-muffins-gluten-free/
Nina C says
You’re an angel! thank you for this perfect recipe! Was so delicious and easy to make!
My Heart Beets says
Nina, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it!!
Mareen says
Really good. Not to sweet so it is perfect for me. Used a loaf pan as I don’t have the round one so the crumb topping was a bit thick, but who cares!
My Heart Beets says
Mareen, so glad you liked it!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Sarf says
Hi Ashley! Thanks for your wonderful recipes. So far I’ve made your paleo pancake and paleo naan recipes and my fiance and I loved them both! I made this banana coffee cake tonight and the taste is amazing! The only issue I’m having though is that the cake is quite wet inside. I did bake for the hour and a toothpick came out clean in the middle, but it’s just got a wet consistency. Is that normal you think or is there something I could do dry it out a little? Thanks again!! – Sarf
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Sarf! Hmm, did you use a smaller pan by any chance? If so, then it would need a longer bake time…
Sarfraz Khan says
I used a 9 inch pan, but next time I’ll try baking it a bit longer anyway and see what happens – maybe it’s my oven. Either way, it’s delicious and half-finished already by my fiance and I in less than 24 hours!!! :-). Thanks again!!!
My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that you and your fiancé liked it so much! 🙂
Jodi says
I made this today and it was wonderful! I didn’t have coconut milk so I used almond milk and it didn’t hurt it at all. Thanks again!
My Heart Beets says
Jodi, I’m so glad you made the coffee cake! And it’s great to know that almond milk works in this recipe! 🙂
Lisa says
Hi Ashley!
It’s been awhile since I’ve cooked, LOL so I have not been around!
BUT I had three spotty, overripe bananas and I was perusing your blog. I HAD to make this. O.M.G- this is AMAZING! My husband and I had to step away from the cake! We almost ate the whole thing…I’m getting ready to have another slice with my iced coffee. This was our dessert after the Thai Beef Casserole- reviewing that one now. . Thanks for another GREAT recipe. This will be a staple! Oh- I also only used a 1/4 cup coconut sugar for the topping, and I did not have pecans so I used walnuts and it was still plenty sweet & tasty just in case anyone does not do coconut sugar. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you made this and that you and your husband liked it so much!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out! Also, I love that you used walnuts – I love the flavor combo of banana/walnuts and will have to try that the next time I make this 🙂
Merrie says
I used cashews the last time I made it, just as yummy!
Rob says
Hi – did you realise you can freeze bananas, & they work perfectly in baking? (Also whizzed up to make instant ice-cream….)
My Heart Beets says
Great to know, thanks Rob! 🙂
Merrie says
Holy SMOKES! I made this yesterday afternoon for our “treat” after our Paleo Butter Chicken and Naan dinner and my family ate it up!!! It was so good that it was requested AGAIN today to be frozen for the week! I also made an apple variation that smells unbelievable! I will let you know how that turned out as soon as I get a piece, if I get a piece! ;0) Thanks for sharing your recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Merrie, I’m so glad you made and liked this recipe!! And I can’t wait to hear how your apple variation turns out! 🙂
Merrie says
The apple variation was just as good!!! I used 2 small/medium sized Gala apples (that’s what I had, at the moment).
Merrie says
I’m thinking this may make an awesome carrot cake….=0)
My Heart Beets says
Merrie, yum, I bet it would! Let me know how it turns out if you make that 🙂
judy says
I’d love to know about the apple version, too!
Thanks,
SA says
Hi Ashley, Can I use regular whole milk instead coconut milk?
My Heart Beets says
Hi, I haven’t tried this with whole milk so I can’t say for sure but since it’s such a small amount I think it’ll be fine. Please let me know how it turns out!
Sarah says
Hi Ashley,
I made this last night and it was excellent! The house still smells like sugary cinnamon 🙂 It’s currently 64 degrees here and raining (welcome to the Pacific Northwest in July) so baking house-heating treats like this keeps me from thinking about why it’s too cold to grill outside.
I encourage this wave of recipes for tasty baked goods 😉
My Heart Beets says
Sarah, I’m so glad you liked it!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Josi says
Hi, one of my kids is allergic to eggs (she just turned one and we found out just recently), I am not good with substituting yet. I had a few baking fails. Any idea for this particular recipe? I’d love to make it. Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Josi! I’m not sure how this would turn out without eggs – hopefully a reader will reply if they try. In the meantime, maybe you can make some of my egg-free dessert recipes? You can look through my easily searchable recipe index to find those!
Ananth says
I had the fortune of being able to try this. Amazingly moist and the nuttiness of the flour works perfectly with the bananas. I’d recommend a slice of this with a cup of black coffee as a perfect accompaniment. I may “accidentally” let some bananas get a little ripe so I can eat this again. #Tasty #MHB.
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that!! I’m really glad you liked it 🙂
Rebecca says
Hi Ashley! I can’t wait to try this coffee cake! It looks so good! 🙂 Thank you for posting this recipe! 🙂 We are going to hopefully make this on the weekend 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Rebecca! 🙂 I know you’ll love it!!
Rebecca says
We are going to Whole Foods now to get ingredients for the Banana Coffee Cake. My birthday is tomorrow 🙂 I am having two cakes for my birthday, the banana coffee cake and your chocolate cake! 🙂 By the way I also don’t like brown spotted bananas:)