Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting (Dairy Free Option)

You’re going to flip over this dreamy gluten-free Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting! Light and fluffy banana cake sits beneath a layer of luscious layer of whipped topping. The flavor of lightly sweetened peanut butter frosting compliments every bite in the perfect way. This cake is the perfect use for overripe bananas that you want to use up!

Banana Cake made delicious with yogurt

You’re going to love this one-bowl banana cake because it’s perfect for any season and it’s a great way to use up overripe bananas. Garnish the peanut butter frosting topping with slices of banana and crushed peanuts to take this banana cake recipe to the next level! The addition of yogurt to the batter creates a tender, airy crumb with the perfect amount of moisture. We’ve included options for making this banana cake both gluten-free and dairy-free. See the full list of swaps and substitutions in the recipe card below.

Is your mouth watering yet? Grab your apron and run to the kitchen. You’re about to bake your new favorite banana cake with the most delectable peanut butter frosting. You’re going to get so many rave reviews when you serve this!

Ingredients for Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Here are the simple real-food ingredients that come together to make the most delicious Banana Cake. The Peanut Butter Frosting is the perfect topper for it!

For the Bars:

• Sugar – cane sugar is a good choice for this banana cake because the flavor is light and neutral and creates a pleasing texture. Coconut sugar may be substituted for cane sugar but just know it will make the cake slightly darker in color
• Eggs
• Ripe bananas 
• Yogurt – plain yogurt adds moisture and a pleasant tang to this banana cake. See the recipe card below for dairy-free options, if needed
• Vanilla extract
• Butter – we recommend unsalted butter for best results. Melted coconut oil or plant-based (vegan) butter may be used to make this banana cake recipe dairy-free
• All-purpose gluten-free flour – we recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour as our go-to gluten-free flour. If you don’t need this banana cake to be gluten-free, feel free to substitute an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Fine salt

Ingredient to make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream cheese – cream cheese gives this peanut butter frosting recipe a perfect bright taste and smooth, creamy texture. See the recipe card below for dairy-free options
• Butter – we recommend unsalted butter for best results. Melted coconut oil or plant-based (vegan) butter may be used to make this peanut butter frosting recipe dairy-free
• Vanilla
• Peanut butter – creamy peanut butter will produce the best results. If you want to add a bit of crunch, sprinkle the frosted cake with chopped dry-roasted peanuts before serving
• Powdered sugar

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Banana cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Here are the quick steps to make this banana cake today:

Steps to make Banana cake:

1. Preheat the oven. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray at set aside.
2. Combine the sugar, butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Mash the banana into the egg mixture and stir.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the banana mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter the prepared baking dish. 
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Steps to make Peanut Butter Frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and peanut butter until smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the whipped frosting is light and fluffy.
2. Let the banana cake cool before adding the frosting. Spread it on in an even layer, then frost the cooled bars, cut, and serve. Leftover frosted cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen for longer storage.

For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Recipe Swaps and substitutions

Need to make these dairy-free? Don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free? Need a nut-free option? We’ve got you covered.

Make It Dairy-Free

Use the following swaps to make this banana cake dairy-free:

• Use non-dairy plain yogurt in place of regular yogurt (we like siggi’s plant-based yogurt made with almond and coconut milk)
• Replace the unsalted butter in the cake and peanut butter frosting with melted coconut oil or plant-based (vegan) butter
• Replace the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese

Make It Nut-Free

• Replace the peanut butter in the frosting with sunflower seed butter. This will change the color of the frosting a bit, but will be an equally delicious option for those with nut allergies or sensitivities

When to Serve this Banana Cake

We think this banana cake with peanut butter frosting is delicious any time of day! Enjoy a slice with a mid-afternoon cup of coffee or tea with a friend or coworker, serve it up as sweet finish to a Sunday supper, or for an informal birthday celebration with family or friend.

Video: How to make Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!