Healthy Banana Cake

If you are looking for ways to use ripe bananas, this recipe is for you. Moist and delicious, this Healthy Banana Cake will satisfy your sweet tooth without guilt. It’s made with whole grain, is oil-free, gluten-free and naturally sweetened with bananas.

Chocolate banana bread, low calorie banana bread, keto banana bread and even protein banana bread. Oh gosh, last day I was surfing my website and got kind of shocked at the amount of banana bread recipes I have made. But still, I was equally shocked at the amount of ripe bananas lying around in our fridge. I wanted – and needed – to find a new way to use them up as soon as possible. Thinking on my low calorie brownies, I soon encountered my first obstacle: no cocoa powder. Nada, nothing, zero. The last spoon went straight into my protein oats that same morning.

Those dead bananas deserved a new life, but no banana breads and no brownies. I calmly laid back, sat in the kitchen and started thinking with closed eyes. No more than two minutes in and I had my “aha!” moment: “Let’s combine the classic bread with brownies and make a banana cake, healthy and super moist!”. Oh my dear friend, what for a genius idea. This is one of my very BEST recipes to date.

Banana cake or banana bread, what’s the difference?

The day I baked this dessert some friends were coming over for dinner. When it was finally time for the dessert, they were quite confused to hear Banana Cake. “Banana cake? What the hell is this supposed to be? Is it just a new fancy way to call banana bread? Or is it a new TikTok trend?” Out of five people, no one had ever heard of this recipe before and stared at me, puzzled, as if I were an alien.

Maybe you’re also confused, wondering whether this healthy banana cake is just anther way of calling banana bread. Well, let me tell you this. No, even if they share similar ingredients, they are not the same thing. At all.

First of all, they have a slightly different texture. If banana bread is typically denser and more loaf-like, banana cake tends to be lighter, fluffier, and more tender, just like a traditional cake. The cake also tends to be sweeter, and is often served with frosting or icing. While banana bread is more for breakfast, the cake is better for desserts.

Why you should make banana cake?

• A healthy treat for your diet. Imagine a world where you could eat cake everyday and still be healthy, without overdoing on sugars or fats. Well, let me tell you that this is now possible with my healthy banana oat cake. Besides being lower in fats and calories, each slice provides plenty of nutrients such as minerals, vitamins and fibers from the oats. What’s more, this recipe is oil-free, dairy-free and gluten-free. 
• A quick and simple recipe. Made with common household ingredients, this dessert comes together in a bowl in under 30 minutes. I promise, you don’t need to be an expert to make a cake worth a bakery. 
• The queen of moisture and taste. Get ready to dig your fork into pure heaven because this banana cake is irresistibly delicious, soft and moist.
• An alternative way to use ripe bananas. If you are tired of banana bread, this dessert is all you need. Banana cake is the ultimate dessert to surprise your family, friends and guests in a simple yet unique way.

The secrets to make oil-free cakes moist

Have a bite and it will feel like eating a bakery treat. Believe me, you will never guess this is a banana cake without oil, dairy or refined sugar. The secret in my recipe hides behind a fruit called “banana”. Similar to applesauce, ripe bananas have the power of making healthy desserts moist and subtly sweet without the need for oil and excessive sugar. In this regard, a further tip I’d like to give you is preferring ripe and overripe bananas that are softer to the touch and brownish to the eyes. Those and only those are the ones that will yield the best result. 

Healthy recipe ingredients

This easy banana cake recipe only uses simple ingredients that are also very healthy. Besides ripe bananas you will mainly need whole grain flour such as oat flour, maple syrup and a couple of things more. Read further for all ingredients, details and substitutes.

• Bananas. The riper they are, the better. Look for brown-ish bananas, with dark spots all over their skin. If your bananas are still yellow, let them ripe before making this recipe.
• Eggs. Use two large fresh eggs to ensure the best taste and texture. As a vegan replacement you can swap them out for two flaxseed eggs.
• Oat flour. For a healthy cake with no refined ingredients, this recipe uses oat flour (gluten-free if necessary). You can replace it with any other flour such as wholewheat flour, spelt flour or almond flour.
• Almond flour. The almond flour is going to give this cake a nutty flavor and soft texture. Further, almonds boost the nutritional profile of this dessert with additional fibers, vitamins and nutrients. You can replace with more oat flour, whole-wheat flour or any flour you have at home.
• Maple syrup. Instead of refined sugar, this recipe uses maple syrup to provide natural sweetness in a healthier way. You can replace with honey or any other liquid sweetener of your choice, such as honey, agave syrup or date syrup. Another great option is calorie-free maple syrup, if you are looking for a cake with zero added sugars. 
• Nut butter. Together with ripe bananas, the nut butter will allow you to make a super moist banana cake with no oil. My recommendation is to prefer almond butter, cashew butter or walnut butter because they have a more delicate flavor. Nevertheless, also classic peanut butter works. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini for a nut-free dessert.
• Spices and flavors. The combination of vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt will give your banana dessert an irresistible flavor.   
• Baking powder. Be sure you add some baking powder to help the cake rise and get soft as desired.

Which bananas for baking?

When baking, it’s generally best to use ripe or overripe bananas. The reason is that ripe bananas are sweeter and have a better flavor, which in turn enhances the taste of your cake. Overripe bananas also come with a softer texture, making them easier to mash and incorporate into the batter.

Look for bananas that have a deep yellow color with brown speckles on the skin. Furthermore, touch the fruit: ripe bananas should feel slightly soft to the touch.

Healthy Greek yogurt frosting

This super moist banana cake comes with a delicious healthy frosting made with Greek yogurt, cream cheese and powdered sweetener. For fewer calories, I used low fat yogurt and cream cheese. But any other option works, also if dairy-free. What truly matters is that the chosen yogurt has a firm (thick) texture. If you don’t have powdered sweetener (calorie-free & sugar-free), replace with normal powdered sugar.

Optional mix-ins

• Nuts: Crushed walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts.
• Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, poppy seeds.
• Chocolate chips: Dark chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips. 
• Dried fruits: Raisins, cranberries, dried berries.
• Protein powder: Replace 50 grams (1/2 cup) of the oat flour with your favorite protein powder.

How to make banana cake healthy?

• Mash the banana and combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash the two ripe bananas and combine with eggs, maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla extract. Once combined, whisk in ground cinnamon and mix until smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or fork, stir in oat flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until you get a smooth batter. Optionally, you can stir in now pieces of walnuts.
• Bake and let cool. Pour the batter into a prepared pan. Bake in hot oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your banana cake comes out clean. Let cool over a baking rack or dish before frosting and serving.

Storage information

Before storing, you’ll need to let the banana cake cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, wrap the dessert very well without frosting and it will stay fresh for up to 3 days, if kept at room temperature.

For a longer storage, place in a food container and refrigerate for a maximum of 5 days. As an alternative you can also seal it in airtight zipping bags and freeze. If frozen, this oil-free cake with bananas will last for up to 3 months. Whether you keep it outside, in the fridge, or in the freezer, be sure to add the frosting only before serving your dessert. This will preserve freshness, taste and quality.

Recipe tips

• Be sure to use ripe bananas, those with a brownish skin and softer texture. In comparison to green and yellow fruits, they tend be sweeter and more delicious.
• Make banana cake with oats or whole grain alternatives if you want a healthy dessert without refined flours. My recommendations are oat flour, whole-wheat flour, spelt flour and almond flour. 
• Choose natural almond butter or cashew butter over average peanut butter. They add a delicious flavor and moisture without the overpowering taste of peanuts. 
• Mix in some extra ingredients such as crushed walnuts or chocolate chips for a crunchy experience and plenty of taste.
• Allow the dessert to cool down before frosting and serving. As for most banana desserts, I feel that also this cake tends to taste better if enjoyed the next day (at least for me).

More recipes with ripe bananas

• Healthy chocolate banana bread
• 3 ingredient banana brownies
• Protein chocolate banana bread
• Banana bread cookies
• 2 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies
• Low calorie banana bread
• Keto banana bread
• Banana oatmeal muffins
• Healthy banana mug cake