Follow these steps at home to bake this rich, super moist gluten-free banana snack cake. With heaps of banana flavor and a light and fluffy texture, it’s such a simple sheet cake. The key to the soft & moist texture is a combination of blanched almond flour and gluten-free oat flour. Frost the cake with homemade vegan chocolate ganache frosting, and enjoy this dairy-free banana cake as a snack or for dessert!

Step aside banana bread – we have a new recipe to use your ripe bananas in, and oh my goodness, it is a scrumptious one. This sheet pan cake is fluffy, moist, and ready in less than an hour. It’s topped with a luscious, easy-to-make vegan chocolate ganache that takes this easy sweet treat from breakfast-friendly to decadent dessert – but it’s definitely still breakfast worthy.

It’s safe to say I’m obsessed with all the sweet banana recipes. I can’t live without a good banana bread, and I swoon for these banana blueberry pancakes. In fact, I regularly buy more bananas than I need so I can end up with the brown spotty bananas that are perfect for turning into banana bread, banana brownies, and this new favorite gluten-free & vegan banana snack cake.

This easy banana cake is all the things you want in a sweet, nourishing treat:

  • Ready in less than an hour
  • Uses up three of your ripe bananas
  • Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and free of refined sugars!
  • Perfectly sweet with just 1/3 cup of coconut sugar
  • Simple to make in one bowl
  • Packed with chocolate chips
  • Topped with a luscious vegan chocolate ganache

Ingredients for banana sheet cake & substitution options

Full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below! Hit “jump to recipe” at the top of the post to go right to it.

  • Bananas: make sure they’re nice and ripe so they add the best sweetness and moist texture.
  • Dairy-Free Milk: I used almond milk but any dairy-free milk will do.
  • Coconut Sugar: stick to a granulated sweetener, avoid replacing with a liquid sweetener.
  • Nut or Seed Butter: I used almond butter. Look for an unsalted, creamy variety that is only one ingredient – the nut or seed!
  • Coconut Oil: I prefer refined coconut oil so it doesn’t add a coconut flavor. Any neutral flavored oil with work.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Flax Meal: this helps replace the eggs you’d usually use in a cake recipe by adding some structure and stability.
  • Gluten-Free Oat Flour: make sure it’s gluten-free if you’ll be serving someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity. If you’d like to replace the oat flour and make this recipe grain-free, use double the amount of almond flour (2 cups or 192g) plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour to help absorb any extra moisture.
  • Blanched Almond Flour: blanched almond flour provides the best texture – this is different than almond meal! If you want to replace the almond flour, you can use more oat flour. However, because oat flour is more absorbent than almond flour, you’ll want to use a total of 1 2/3 cups instead of a full 2 cups.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: for a good texture and rise.
  • Sea Salt & Cinnamon: for flavor! Skip the salt if your nut butter is salted.
  • Chocolate Chips: a must for all my banana loaves, but since we’re also adding a chocolate ganache, you can skip this if you don’t want it to be overly chocolatey.
Square piece of gluten-free banana cake covered with chocolate ganache on a white ceramic plate on a wooden table. Photo from above with a bite of the cake on a silver fork set to the side of the plate.

Instructions for making Banana Snack Cake

Mash the bananas and add the rest of your wet ingredients, including the dairy-free milk, coconut sugar, nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and flax meal. Whisk to combine.

Add in the dry ingredients and stir until they are completely incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the pan and bake until the cake is light and fluffy when touched. Let it cool completely.

Make the ganache by pouring the heated milk over the chocolate and peanut butter. Whisk until smooth, and then spread it all over your cooled cake. Enjoy!!

Tips and Tricks for the best Banana Cake:

  1. Use ripe bananas for the best flavor. The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be!
  2. Use the correct flours and try not to adjust the flour blend, and avoid using a store-bought blend – different blends contain different ratios of flours and starches, which can affect the texture of your cake. If you are planning to make adjustments, refer to the “substitutions” section above.
  3. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting with the vegan chocolate ganache. This will prevent the ganache from melting too much and running off the sides.

How to store

  • Store leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, foil, or in a sealed container on the counter for up to three days.
  • You can also store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  • I like to slice it and then freeze and heat a piece in the microwave for about 15 to 30 seconds when I’m craving it!
Photo from the side of a banana sheet cake with a bite taken out of the side. The square cake piece is on a white ceramic plate with the rest of the cake in the background.

Other banana favorites…

Vegan Flourless Banana Brownies

Step aside banana bread, you need to turn your ripe bananas into these Vegan Flourless Banana Brownies! They’re naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free, and easy to make in 30 minutes.

Get the recipe
This No-Bake Chocolate Banana Tart has an easy date crust, filled with creamy chocolate ganache and sliced bananas! This quick and simple recipe is only has five ingredients and it's gluten-free, Paleo and vegan.

No-Bake Chocolate Banana Tart

This No-Bake Chocolate Banana Tart has an easy date crust, filled with creamy chocolate ganache and sliced bananas! This quick and simple recipe is only has five ingredients and it’s gluten-free, Paleo and vegan.

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A slice of this gluten-free and vegan Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread makes the perfect easy breakfast, snack, or even dessert! This soft and sweet loaf is especially delicious when slathered with some vegan butter or nut butter.

Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

A slice of this gluten-free and vegan Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread makes the perfect easy breakfast, snack, or even dessert! This soft and sweet loaf is especially delicious when slathered with some vegan butter or nut butter.

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Gluten-Free Banana Snack Cake with Chocolate Ganache

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 9 large slices 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Healthy
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

Follow these steps at home to bake this rich, super moist gluten-free banana snack cake. With heaps of banana flavor and a light and fluffy texture, it’s such a simple sheet cake. The key to the soft & moist texture is a combination of blanched almond flour and gluten-free oat flour. Frost the cake with homemade vegan chocolate ganache frosting, and enjoy this dairy-free banana cake as a snack or for dessert!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1⅓ cups overripe bananas, mashed, about 3 medium bananas, mine weighed ~375g
  • ¼ cup dairy-free milk
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup (64g) nut or seed butter of choice, I used peanut butter
  • ¼ cup (50g) coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons flax meal
  • 1 cup (120g) gluten-free oat flour
  • 1 cup (96g) blanched almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅔ cup (4 oz.) chocolate chunks or chips

For the ganache

  • 4 oz. dark chocolate chips or chunks, make sure they’re dairy-free to keep this recipe vegan
  • ⅓ cup dairy-free milk of choice, I used oat milk
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter of choice, optional, I used peanut butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8×8” pan with coconut oil and/or line with parchment paper.
  2. Place bananas in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to mash them well. Add almond milk, coconut sugar, nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and flax meal, stirring to combine.
  3. Add oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.
  4. Pour into the pan. Add a sliced banana and/or more chocolate chips on top.
  5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when pressed.
  6. Once done, let cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
  7. For the ganache, place the chocolate in a bowl with the nut butter, if using. Heat the milk until it begins to simmer and then pour over the chocolate, making sure it’s all submerged. Let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes until the chocolate is melted, and then whisk to combine. Spread the ganache all over the cooled banana cake.
  8. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, foil, or in a sealed container on the counter for up to three days. You can also store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to slice it and then freeze and heat a piece in the microwave when I want it!

Equipment

Notes

  • Make it nut-free: use a seed butter in place of the nut butter and replace the almond flour with tigernut flour, sunflower seed flour, or another ⅔ cup oat flour.
  • Make it grain-free: if you’d like to replace the oat flour and make this recipe grain-free, use double the amount of almond flour (2 cups or 192g) plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour to help absorb any extra moisture.
  • Less chocolatey? Feel free to skip the chocolate chips in the loaf itself if you want the banana cake to be a little less chocolatey.

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