Can I freeze leftover banana cake?

Absolutely! This banana cake with peanut butter frosting freezes very well, so if you don’t get around to enjoying the entire cake within a few days, place individual pieces of frosted cake on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet. Freeze overnight or until completely frozen then transfer the frozen pieces to a freezer-safe container or reusable zip-top bag . Thaw frozen cake in the refrigerator or on the counter before enjoying. Note: We do not recommend freezing leftover cake with banana slices on top. Remove bananas before freezing for best results.

Is this banana cake healthy?

While we can’t say this cake is ’healthy’ we’ve taken steps to reduce the total amount of sugar in the cake and replacing some of the butter or oil with yogurt. We've also used plenty of nutritious real-food ingredients, including bananas, yogurt, eggs, and peanut butter.

Can I replace the sugar with honey or maple syrup?

We have not tested this banana cake recipe using liquid sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup in place of the cane sugar so we can’t say for sure how much you’d need or what the results would be. If you’d like to use a low-calorie sweetener, we suggest using a 1:1 option like Swerve or Lankanto (Note: we have not tested this recipe with these sweeteners, but in theory, they should work just fine when you use a product formulated to replace sugar in equal amounts).

Will coconut sugar work in this banana cake recipe?

Yes, coconut sugar will work in this recipe. It will add a mild caramel flavor and darken the color of the cake a bit. You may also need to add a few teaspoons of water to the batter depending on the brand of coconut sugar you use (some soak up more liquid than others).

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting (Dairy Free Option)

Servings: 16 pieces 1x

Ingredients

For the Bars:

½ cup sugar (may substitute coconut sugar)
⅓ cup melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas (300 g)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour* (296 g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt

For the Frosting:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened (may substitute vegan cream cheese for dairy-free)
2 tablespoons butter, softened (may substitute softened coconut oil or vegan butter for dairy-free)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar

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Instructions

For the Bars:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Mash the banana and stir into the batter.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir together. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly onto bottom.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

In a bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and peanut butter. With a handheld mixer, cream together until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until smooth.
Once the banana cake is completely cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting. Top with sliced bananas and/or chopped peanuts, if desired.
Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Notes

* If you don’t need cake that is gluten-free, you can use an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour

For Dairy-Free Cake and Frosting:

Replace butter with melted coconut oil or plant-based (vegan) butter
Replace yogurt with plant-based yogurt
Replace cream cheese with vegan cream cheese

Cupcakes: This recipe also makes delicious cupcakes! It makes 18 cupcakes and there’s enough frosting to cover them all. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners (or use a standard 12-cup muffin tin for 1 batch and then a second time to make 6 more.) Mist the liners with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before topping with the frosting.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 piece
Calories: 220
Fat: 9 g
(Sat Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 372 mg
Carbohydrate: 30 g
(Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 13 g)
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 39 mg

Dietary

Dairy-Free Gluten-free Vegetarian

Recipe By: Ana Ankeny