Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake
This easy banana cake is light enough for a snack but tastes like dessert! It’s made with gluten-free flour and topped with a light and silky cream cheese frosting made with Greek yogurt.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I’ve made this banana snack cake recipe so many times that I could bake it in my sleep! It’s moist and tender, made with oat flour and almond meal, so it’s gluten-free. The dense, soft crumb makes it taste like banana bread smothered with tangy cream cheese frosting. Greek yogurt makes the frosting lighter, yet rich and creamy, in place of heavy cream. I eat the frosting by the spoonful while I frost the cake!
This banana cake is so light and versatile. It’s what I bake when I’m not craving something as indulgent or layered as my banana chocolate chip cake. For another variation of a banana cake, try my hummingbird cake.
Reasons to Love This Moist Banana Cake
- Dessert or breakfast. I wanted a banana cake that looked and tasted like dessert, while being light and nutritious enough to eat for breakfast! Simple tricks like adding almond meal, reducing the sugar, and using Greek yogurt in the frosting make this banana cake perfect for small children and snacking.
- Easy to bake. There aren’t any layers or steps to baking this cake other than mixing the batter, filling the pan, and baking.
- Storeable. This gluten-free cake stores wonderfully and freezes even better (ideally without the frosting). I love to bake two; one to eat right away, and a second to freeze for later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- Almond Flour or Meal: I use both for a heartier cake, but you can use all of one or the other.
- Oat Flour: Store-bought or homemade by blending rolled oats into a fine powder in the food processor. Be sure your oats or oat flour are certified gluten-free, if needed.
- Tapioca Starch: In a pinch, you can try using potato starch, but you should be able to find tapioca starch in the baking aisle at your local supermarket.
- Granulated Sugar: Use half brown sugar, half white sugar for more moisture.
- Baking Powder and Salt – Check that your leavening hasn’t expired, or the cake won’t rise correctly.
- Bananas – Choose ripe to overripe bananas. They’ll have more flavor and are easiest to mash. You can also make this cake with frozen bananas that have been thawed completely.
- Large Eggs – Bring these to room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil – Or canola oil.
- Milk – Any kind. Also brought to room temperature.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for a rich, silky frosting. Bring it to room temperature so it’s easy to mix.
- Greek Yogurt: I suggest sticking with plain yogurt. Any added flavors (even vanilla) will come through in the frosting, making it too sweet.
- Vanilla Extract – Or an equal amount of pure vanilla paste. Avoid imitation if you can.
- Powdered Sugar – For sweetness and structure.
How to Make a Banana Snack Cake
This gluten-free snack cake is a cinch to throw together. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Meanwhile, whisk together the almond meal, oat flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Next, whisk together the bananas, eggs, oil, and milk in a separate bowl.
- Fold the batter together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and fold gently to combine. Do not overmix.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a greased 9×9-inch square pan. Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is slightly browned and firm to the touch. It’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Adding the Cream Cheese Frosting
Frosting this homemade banana snack cake is optional. It’s delicious served warm as-is, topped with a scoop of yogurt or ice cream. But I highly recommend letting the cake cool first, then adding a thick layer of creamy frosting to really take it over the top.
- Allow the cake to cool. Once baked, let the banana cake cool in the pan. for 10-15 minutes. Then, remove the cake and cool it to room temperature on a wire rack. The cake needs to cool completely before you add the frosting.
- Make the frosting. As the cake is cooling, combine the frosting ingredients in a bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer until the frosting is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Frost the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting onto your completely cooled snack cake. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Banana Cake
- DIY oat flour. You can buy pre-packaged oat flour if you’d like, but it’s super easy to make at home with old-fashioned rolled oats. Use a high-speed blender or a food processor to grind them into a powder and sift out any larger chunks. Make sure the oats are certified gluten-free if you’re making a gluten-free cake.
- Use overripe bananas. Don’t be afraid of overripe bananas with lots of brown spots on the peels – these are actually ideal for baking. As long as there’s no mold on the bananas, they’re safe to use.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Be sure to bring your refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before using them in the cake or the frosting. If they’re cold, they’ll be difficult to combine with the other ingredients.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Yes. This banana snack cake can be baked, cooled, and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to store in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. You could also keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months, adding a second layer of plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Defrost it prior to serving it, then add the frosting and enjoy!
How to Store Extra Cake
- Store in the fridge. Leftover snack cake should be refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last for up to 5 days! Since the frosting contains yogurt and cream cheese, avoid leaving it out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours.
- Freeze it for later. Even with the frosting on top, this cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. First, freeze it on a baking sheet for 1 hour, or until the frosting is solid. Then wrap the cake tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe container. Unwrap it and thaw it out in the fridge before digging in.
Serving Banana Snack Cake
A slice of frosted banana snack cake makes a delicious breakfast, topped with tropical granola, or a light gluten-free dessert with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce. There’s truly no wrong way to eat this cake! These are more topping ideas my family loves:
- Fresh Banana Slices
- Chopped Nuts
- Chocolate Shavings
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
- Sprinkles
- Fresh Berries
- Orange or Lemon Zest
Shop the Recipe
More Gluten-Free Banana Recipes
Gluten-Free Banana Snack Cake
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Banana Snack Cake
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 cup oat flour certified gluten-free if necessary. Make your own by using a blender/food processor to grind rolled oats into a powder, sifting out any chunks
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder certified gluten-free if necessary
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 3 small, very ripe bananas
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1/4 cup milk at room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (I used light)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt I used nonfat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square cake pan with cooking spray or mist with oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal, oat flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the bananas, eggs, oil, and milk.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until slightly browned and firm to the touch.
- Let cool completely to room temperature in the pan on a rack.
- Combine all of the frosting ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Frost the completely cooled cake, cut into slices and enjoy.
Notes
- To Store: Refrigerate extra cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze cake on a baking sheet for 1 hour, or until frosting is solid. Then wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw before enjoying.
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Looks amazing – can’t wait to try! Can you sub apple sauce for the oil?
Thank you, Christina! Apple sauce is a great low fat substitute for oil. I bet the muffins will taste delicious with the apple flavor added to them!
Thanks for the link love!
Oh hello magically moist cake that I want to shove in my face ALL DAY and night!
Looks so yummy! I made a gluten fee pumpkin banana bread that I loved, so I bet this one is just as delicious!
xoxo Sarah Grace, Fresh Fit N Healthy.
Oooh, that does sound good!
Do you know of a way to substitute another type of flour for the almond flour? This looks amazing and I’d love to make it for my son’s first birthday but several family members have various nut allergies so I’m trying to stay “nut free”. Thanks!!
Sorry for the delay – I got behind on comments around the holidays. I would think you could use coconut flour, though a lesser amount because it absorbs more moisture. I have not tried.
I’m confused about about the first part. Do you oil the pan then put parchment paper over the top of the oiled pan?
A bit of oil in the pan helps hold down the parchment and helps the cake and parchment slide out.
This cake looks super yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipe on the Monday Funday Party!
This looks very tasty and I would make it for my friend (who is a celiac victim, as so many others are), but for the fact that it contains oat flour. She cannot tolerate oats and, like me, finds it very frustrating that so many gluten-free recipes contain oats. Is this because many people who are eating gluten-free food do so for reasons other than gluten intolerance? She reacts to oats the same way as to any other wheat product, and it is not a good thing.
Oh wow! I’ve heard of people reacting to oats because of cross contamination with gluten, but not the oats itself, if you can find certified gluten free oats. I eat pretty much gluten free because I have an intolerance, but it isn’t severe, so trace gluten isn’t an issue for me. So while I’m not gluten free just to be “trendy”, I also don’t have the same concerns as someone with celiac.
Thank you for sharing my zucchini bread! I can’t wait to make this banana cake for my kids!
You post whatever you want! It’s good to have a little variety sometimes. But this cake is also amazing-like the perfect treat!