Banana Coffee Cake
5/8/2026
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I brought this banana coffee cake to a baby shower, and it was the only baked good that had a completely empty cake by the end of the party. I am obsessed with the intense banana flavor, the crumbly topping, and the delicious, moist cake. Do not skip this recipe, people.
Why I’m Obsessed
Love that the sweetness of the banana coffee cake comes from roasting or sauteeing the bananas. It adds sweetness, but also adds an intense banana flavor.
The crumble top adds delicious texture and crunch to the coffee cake. And? What is coffee cake without a crumble topping?🧐
It is the perfect cake to make for fun occasions. People will be asking for the recipe by the end of the party. Period.
Featured Ingredients You Need
Ripe bananas: I’m talking brown bananas. Not yellow and (definitely) not green. When bananas are brown, they are at their sweetest. If you use a yellow or green banana, you will end up with a bland cake, and ain’t nobody got time for that!
Avocado oil: I use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil. Either will do, but avocado oil offers some health benefits while also adding a ton of moisture to the cake.
Maple syrup: The sweetness of this bread comes from bananas, a few tablespoons of brown sugar, and maple syrup. I love that maple syrup gives moisture and a sweet breakfast flavor to this banana coffee cake.
Greek yogurt: The yogurt adds moisture to the coffee cake, don’t skip it!
Ground cinnamon: The cinnamon adds a sweet warmth to the banana coffee cake.
How to Make Banana Coffee Cake
- Prepare the streusel topping first; it will make life easier when the batter is ready. Cut the oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla together until they form a crumble. Set aside.
- Mix all of the wet ingredients together until combined, and then add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir to combine. Transfer the batter to a lined 8×8-inch pan and top with the crumble topping.
- Bake the cake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the tent and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Check the middle of the cake, and if the cake produces an almost clean toothpick, pull it out. It will continue to bake in the pan.
- While the cake is cooling, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk together to create a glaze.
- Remove the cake from the oven and top it with the glaze just before serving.
Tips for the best banana coffee cake
- Always use very ripe bananas.
- Do not add the glaze to the coffee cake until you are ready to serve it.
- Try your best not to overbake the cake. Check the center of the cake every 40 minutes to be sure it’s not overbaking. I suggest taking the bake out with a little give to the center because it will continue to bake in the hot pan. Do not keep the cake in the pan for too long, or else it will turn into a crumbly, dry cake.
Storage
Let the cake cool completely before sealing with plastic wrap or tin foil for up to 3 days on the counter or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
More Cake Recipes
Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup avocado oil + 1 tablespoon, separated
- 3 large ripe bananas, peeled and halved
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup 5% Greek yogurt
- ½ cup almond milk
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bananas in the pan and cook for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes or until the bananas are golden brown. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8×8-inch dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the streusel topping. Add the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Use a spoon (or your hands) and cut the ingredients together until a crumble forms. This may take 4-5 minutes. Set streusel topping aside for later.
- Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl and toss together. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add maple syrup, avocado oil, vanilla extract, eggs, roasted bananas, yogurt, and almond milk and mix using an electric mixer.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the baking dish and top with the streusel topping. Bake the cake for 20 minutes, cover it with a tin foil tent, and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven if the middle of the cake is mostly baked (it will continue to bake for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven).
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Remove the coffee cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.
Tips & Notes
- To cook the bananas in the oven, bake at 400° on a lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes.
- Roasting or cooking the bananas ahead of time helps bring the sweetness out before mixing the batter.
- I made this recipe with an 8×8-inch baking dish; if you use a 9×9-inch dish, you may need to reduce the bake time. Check for doneness after the first 20 minutes when covering with tinfoil.
- If you use a ceramic 8×8-inch dish, the bake time will be longer compared to a metal dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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