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The next time you have ripe bananas to use up, try this banana snack cake recipe. It has a cake-like texture, but is made without white flour or oil and is 100% fruit-sweetened. (Other than the optional chocolate chips, which my kids do recommend adding.)
Despite being mostly made with peanut butter, banana, and eggs, it’s a healthy cake that really does taste amazing!
If you’ve ever tried my peanut butter banana muffins, this recipe is inspired by them. The combination of nut butter and eggs creates a surprisingly fluffy texture, so it feels like it’s made with flour, even though it’s not. That means it’s naturally gluten-free, too!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This was better than I anticipated! I thought it would be a bit mushy but was tempted to try it out. I’m glad I did! It has more of a cake texture than I expected! Really great recipe!” – Sophia
Healthy Banana Cake Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas. It’s ideal if you have bananas with lots of brown spots on their skin. The more brown spots, the sweeter the bananas will be. While the recipe calls for 3 large bananas, it’s also flexible if your bananas are smaller or larger.
- Peanut Butter. Use all-natural creamy peanut butter for the best results. This means you’ll need to stir the peanut butter when you first open it, as the oil will often separate to the top of the jar. I like to use salted nut butter for a flavor boost, but unsalted will work, too.
- Eggs. Large eggs create the fluffy structure of this cake, while also adding protein. This is not the time to use an egg substitute, as the cake will be gooey without this element.
- Baking Powder. This recipe originally called for baking soda, but over the years I’ve found that baking powder makes the cake rise slightly better. I’ve included notes in the recipe below if you prefer one over the other.
- Spices. I like to add ground cinnamon and a splash of vanilla extract for flavor, but this is optional.
Feel free to add in any other mix-ins you’d like for extra texture, such as chocolate chips, pecans, or walnuts, which would pair nicely with the banana flavor. You can also add in dried or fresh fruit!
How to Make Banana Snack Cake
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×13-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl, add the peeled bananas and mash them will with a fork. They don’t have to become perfectly smooth, but the better you mash them, the more consistent the batter will be later.
Step 2:
To the large bowl, add in the eggs, peanut butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well, until the batter looks relatively smooth. (It’s okay if there are still some visible chunks of banana.)
Fold in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, if you like, or a handful of chopped nuts or dried fruit.
Step 3:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then use a spatula to smooth the top, and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.
Bake until the center feels firm to the touch, about 30 minutes at 350ºF. You can also test the center with a toothpick, to make sure it comes out clean.
Healthy Snack Cake Serving Tips
Let the banana snack cake cool completely in the pan, then it’s ready to slice. Slice it into 12 to 15 slices, and serve it slightly warm or at room temperature. It is reminiscent of banana bread, only it bakes faster!
Storage Tip: Leftover cake slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This cake is quite moist, but it will dry out if you leave it uncovered at room temperature for too long.
Banana Snack Cake (Healthy Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas , mashed (about 1 3/4 cup mashed)
- 1 cup peanut butter or almond butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with oil or cooking spray. In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas with a fork until they look relatively smooth.
- Add in the nut butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and stir well, creating a slightly lumpy, cake-like batter. Fold in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, if using. (Reserve the rest for the top)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top, then bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes, or until the center of the cake feels firm to the touch.
- Let the banana cake cool completely in the pan, then slice it into 12 to 15 slices, depending on how large you'd like them to be. The slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this banana snack cake recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
I am terrible in the kitchen but still give things a try. This one is easy and everyone in my family loved it. No need to know how to keep it longer than a day because it doesn’t last that long!
I just want to say everything – I mean everything I make of yours is fabulous . I buy your books I follow you .
Thank you Megan
This is so easy to make! To top it off, I had everything I need from my pantry. I used almond butter and added walnuts for extra crunch as Megan suggested. It is so delicious! Thank you, Megan!
Are these snack cakes really healthy considering the amount of carbs in them ?
Hi Elaine! I don’t consider carbs to be unhealthy, but you can certainly omit the chocolate chips and use another add in, like crunchy walnuts or pecans, to eliminate any added sugar. That would mean these bars are made from simply bananas, eggs, and peanut butter, which I would consider a healthy snack. Hope you enjoy them!
I love the Bananas Snack Cake! I make it almost every week!
This is quick to throw together and it’s a perfect breakfast when we’re in a hurry. I did add 1/2 cup almond flour a couple times because it seemed too runny (bananas were very large), and it was great. I usually freeze part of it for later. Another great recipe!!
It looked simple and good enough to try, so I did try. Must say whatever I try turns out fine because I copy paste everything without using my judgements at all, no regrets! I dont like to use my judgement during cooking- if only I had a machine that would cook healthy food for me:-) An affordable machine:-).This one didn’t work out fine for me, am trying to guess why! It was way too moist on the inside. It did bake properly, is it supposed to be moist like that? Anyway, I dont want to be found out to have used so much peanut butter, luckily I got the one pack I used at very cheap at superchain store. I dont know what to do now, I don’t want it all to be wasted! Any suggestions? Thanks!
So good. My family LOVES this bake!!