This Banana Coffee Cake is the BEST brunch recipe! Fluffy, moist Banana Cake topped with a cinnamon sugar crumble. It’s a healthier twist on classic coffee cake too!
I don’t make coffee cake often.
After all, I’m a mom of two young kids. So, I’m not throwing a brunch party at my house every month, which just screams for some homemade coffee cake (I wish I was though!).
Usually I’m making some sort of muffins, quick bread or breakfast cookies for us to eat. But, we were over at my Mom’s house a little while ago and she made coffee cake.
Coffee Cake had been on my mind anyway, after seeing several recipes on Pinterest lately. So, I stole my Mom’s Coffee Cake recipe (thanks Mom!) and added my own twist.
I did my usual: a gluten-free, healthier version. Classic Coffee Cake is typically loaded with oil, a couple cups of sugar, and milk.
This Banana Coffee Cake only has one cup of sugar total, in both the cake AND the cinnamon sugar crumble on top! It’s gluten-free, easily made dairy-free, fluffy, moist and filled with banana flavor.
So, go ahead and eat this Banana Coffee Cake for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. A whole pan disappeared in our house within two days, which I think is a new record. I might have eaten half the pan myself… oh well! It’s worth it. 🙂
There’s a couple things to keep in mind.
First, you’ll want to make sure you have overripe bananas. If you use bananas that are just a little spotty, the banana flavor won’t be as strong. So, be sure to use some nice and brown, mushy bananas.
Second, this Banana Coffee Cake can easily be made dairy-free too. For the Cake itself, it’s as easy as using softened coconut oil (or a dairy-free butter alternative) instead of butter, and almond milk (or another similar dairy-free milk).
For the Cinnamon Sugar Crumble on top, you have a few options. You can use melted butter, a dairy-free butter alternative, or coconut oil, and stir it into your sugar and flour mixture. I think butter or a butter alternative provides the best flavor, but if you prefer coconut oil then you can go ahead and use it.
This Cinnamon Sugar Crumble topping is a bit of a cross between a traditional crumb topping and a cinnamon sugar topping, which is really fun. Overall, I love this Banana Coffee Cake because it’s a really easy recipe, with simple ingredients.
It’s the perfect fun quarantine recipe too if you’re fitting in a little extra quarantine baking into your life! 🙂
If you’re looking for a fun, simple, and healthier coffee cake recipe, then this gluten-free Banana Coffee Cake is IT!
I hope you all enjoy it, AND I hope it lasts a little longer in your house than it did in mine! 😉
Love Banana? Check out my Banana Nut Oat Muffins, Banana Spinach Pancakes, Carrot Cake Banana Bread, and Soft Banana Oatmeal Cookies.
- 1/2 cup white sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup softened butter, dairy-free butter alternative, or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup overripe banana, mashed (about 2 large bananas)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup white sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/3 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup melted butter or dairy-free butter alternative (or coconut oil, read post above for notes)
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To begin, preheat your oven to 350 and line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper (or spray with non-stick spray).
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To a medium mixing bowl, add your sugar and butter and cream them together with a hand mixer. Add your banana and egg and lightly blend them in. Add your milk and blend till smooth.
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To the same bowl, add your flour and sprinkle your baking powder and salt across the top of it. Stir all of your ingredients together, to form the banana cake batter. Pour the batter into the pan and evenly spread it into the bottom.
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To a small mixing bowl, add your sugar, flour and cinnamon and stir them together. Add your butter and mix your ingredients together.
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Evenly sprinkle the mixture across the top of your coffee cake batter.
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Bake the Banana Coffee Cake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Let cool, cut into pieces, and devour!
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this coffee cake should last about a week (but will taste best within the first 3-4 days).
I made this today, followed the recipe and it’s great! Light, fluffy and flavourful with the crunchy topping. It’s pinned in my favourite recipes!
This cake turned out amazing. I have so many food allergies it’s not even funny, but I was able to make this cake with gf flour, ghee, and Bob Mill’s egg replacer. I was able to enjoy it with my family, and what a treat it was. The crumble is delicious and I’ve never heard of banana coffee cake. This did not disappoint in the least! Thank you so much!
Can I use sour cream instead of milk to make the cake more moist?
Hi Melanie. With all of the banana, you should not need to use sour cream instead of milk. I’d be worried that it would make it too stodgy with both banana and sour cream.
Does this freeze well?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m betting it would.
I can’t pin this recipe because it takes me to a different banana cake recipe/website. Is this recipe on Pinterest?
Hi Joanne. If you click the red pinterest button at the top of the page it will pin the same site to your pinterest, there’s just a different image for the Banana Coffee Cake. If that doesn’t work, yes, you should be able to find a pin on pinterest if you search “gluten free banana coffee cake.”
I need help! I have tried this twice and both times there is tons of butter on top of it. To the point it won’t bake all the way. I just pulled it out at 30 min and tipped the pan and tons of butter came out. I am only doing 1/4 in the batter and 1/4 in the topping. It smells amazing so I really wanna figure out what I am doing wrong.
Hi Brooke. I’m so sorry to hear that, that’s very weird! Are you sure that you are creaming together your softened butter and sugar for the coffee cake? Also are you baking in high altitude? And what flour? The crumb topping may spread a bit but there shouldn’t be butter seeping out of the cake.
Do you think if she rests the batter before baking it would help to absorb some of the butter?
Hi Eleanor. I don’t think that will make a difference.
Hi Chelsea, I tried it again and it turned out Amazing!!!! I think my bananas were too ripe and I mixed it too much the first time? This time it was a big hit! Thank you so much! I t
Awesome, Mary! I’m happy to hear that it turned out even better than the first time!
Hi Casey, I was so excited to try this. It was easy to make, smelled wonderful, but when I went to cut and serve it, it tasted great but very dense and not light like your photo shows. Not sure what happened, any suggestions??
Thanks, Mary
Hi Mary. I’m sorry to hear that! Did you measure out your banana, and how ripe was it? What flour did you use? What type of milk and sugar? This Banana Coffee Cake is thick, but it’s still fluffy and shouldn’t be too dense.
Hi Chelsea, ( sorry, don’t know where I got Casey)
Thanks for responding. I made it again and it was amazing! A HIT with everyone!!! I think my bananas were too ripe, and/ or I over mixed the batter.. Can’t wait to make it dairy free for my 5 year old Granddaughter. Thank you so much!!
Mary C
Hi Chelsea, I did measure Very ripe Bananas. Flour I’ve used is Namaste, Bobs Red Mill, and Trader Joe’s GF. I’ve used Almond and milkadamia milk and TJs organic sugar, FYI after all that I believe the problem was “past date” baking powder! I’ve made three since buying new baking powder and they were enjoyed by many!! Thank you!!
Great to hear, thanks Mary! 🙂
Hi! If I only have a 1-1 gluten-free flour that includes xanthan gum, is that okay? Thank you!
Yes, that’s perfect!
This looks delicious! Along with gluten and dairy I am also allergic to egg yolks. Do you know if you can substitute just egg whites or something else for the whole egg?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah. That’s a hard question! You could try substituting just egg whites, I would assume with the banana that the cake would still be plenty moist. But, you could use the egg whites and then add a couple extra tablespoons of banana too in place of the egg yolks instead, that may work well too. I hope this helps, and if you try it that it works and you love it!
Make a flax egg 🙂
Do you know how many carbs per serving?
Hi I was wondering if you would know how many carbs are in each serving, by any chance?
Hi Casey. In 16 servings, each piece is about 191 calories. Hope this helps!
Wondering why there is no coffee in this banana coffee cake recipe. Was it omitted by mistake?
Hi Lise. Yes, as odd as it is, coffee cake doesn’t typically have coffee in it! It can, but the name “coffee cake” comes from the cake being served with coffee, not having coffee in it.