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Paleo Banana Coffee Cake

Paleo Banana Coffee Cake made grain-free with coconut flour and sweetened primarily with bananas (and a touch of coconut sugar!). This sinfully delicious coffee cake recipe is a something-for-everyone treat!

Oh hello, hunk of everyone’s dreams…

If you’re wild about coffee cake, banana bread, and/or anything cinnamony, sweet, and/or delicious, you’re going to go berserk over this banana coffee cake!

As a side interjection, I believe the aforementioned statement applies to everyone on the planet, except those who are allergic to fun…or bananas.

Kidding.

Kind of.

This site is speckled with both coffee cake recipes and banana bread recipes of all flavors and varieties. 

Because both genres of recipes do very well on my site, I could only assume a combination of the two would make the internet temporarily implode.

If only for a nano second. Blink and you’d miss it.

Moving right along.

Let’s discuss this recipe in technicolor detail.

Recipe Highlights:

  • Grain-free and gluten-free
  • Paleo
  • Refined sugar-free
  • Dairy-free
  • Ultra fluffy
  • Sinfully moist
  • Something-for-everyone adventure
  • Perfect for brunch, snack, dessert, etc.

Ingredients necessary for this Paleo Banana Coffee Cake: mashed ripe bananas, eggs, coconut flour, tapioca flour, ground cinnamon, and coconut sugar. As an optional add in, you can throw in a couple tablespoons of instant coffee to make it a bit richer and give it a special je ne sais quois.

..Which brings me to my next point:

Does Coffee Cake Contain Coffee?:

No. Traditional coffee cake does not contain coffee of any kind. The reason it is called coffee cake, is it is a cake designed to go alongside your coffee (or to be dunked in your coffee).

Each time I post a coffee cake recipe, I get at least one person asking where the coffee is on the ingredient list. So this time, I thought it would be fun to add some instant coffee granules just to appease those who are under the impression coffee cake contains coffee. And who would have guessed it, but instant coffee granules add a nice little flavor boost to the coffee cake.

Don’t have instant coffee on hand? No problem, skip it!

Can I use Almond Flour Instead of Coconut Flour?:

So glad you asked! While you can absolutely make coffee cake using almond flour, I have yet to develop a coffee cake recipe that uses it. Don’t you worry, I will circle back to you when I do so. In the meantime, if you prefer baking with almond flour, check out Paleo Running Momma’s Banana Nut Coffee Cake.

How to Make Paleo Banana Coffee Cake:

Begin by preparing the coffee cake topping. Stir together the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl or measuring cup until combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” pan with parchment paper.

Place the ripe bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until most of the clumps are out.

Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract and stir together until well combined.

In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), stir together the remaining ingredients for the cake (coconut flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, sea salt, and instant coffee granules if adding).

Pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until very well combined.

Pour half of the cake batter into the parchment-lined pan and smooth into an even layer. 

Sprinkle half of the topping mixture on top. 

Repeat for the remaining cake batter and topping mixture.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 28 to 30 minutes, until set up. Turn off the oven and leave the coffee cake in the warm oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow coffee cake to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Note: I have included another additional topping option, since the topping is THE BEST part of coffee cake. Feel free to add it, or leave it as is 😀 

Paleo Banana Coffee Cake

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Replace coconut sugar with brown sugar.
  • Use pecans or almonds instead of walnuts
  • Replace tapioca flour with arrowroot flour.

Which is better: banana bread or coffee cake? Now you don’t even need to decide 😉

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Paleo Banana Coffee Cake - a hybrid of banana bread and coffee cake! Grain-free coffee cake made with coconut flour and coconut sugar

Paleo Banana Coffee Cake

Paleo Banana Coffee Cake is a mashup of banana bread and coffee cake for an amazing treat!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
1 9-inch cake

Ingredients

Walnut Topping:

Banana Coffee Cake:

Optional Additional Topping:

Instructions

  • Begin by preparing the coffee cake topping. Stir together the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl or measuring cup until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” pan with parchment paper.
  • Place the ripe bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until most of the clumps are out. Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract and stir together until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), stir together the remaining ingredients for the cake (coconut flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, sea salt, and instant coffee granules if adding).
  • Pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until very well combined.
  • Pour half of the cake batter into the parchment-lined pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture on top.
  • Repeat for the remaining cake batter and topping mixture.
  • Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 28 to 30 minutes, until set up. Turn off the oven and leave the coffee cake in the warm oven for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow coffee cake to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
  • Note: Whip up the Optional Additional Topping if desired. To do so, simply stir together the ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 15 - Calories: 222kcal - Carbohydrates: 21g - Protein: 5g - Fat: 13g - Fiber: 3g - Sugar: 12g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coffee cake, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, paleo
Servings: 1 9-inch cake
Calories: 222kcal
Author: Julia

Recipe Rating




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Donna in Inwood

Monday 13th of April 2020

I know it must drive you crazy when people want to substitute stuff. So my apologies in advance.

In other baking recipes using bananas, if have subbed applesauce for the banana with some success. Mashed bananas are a slightly thicker consistency than applesauce, but not much. And they're about the same sweetness.

Do you think I could get away with that sub here?

The recipe looks terrific but bananas and I don't get along. Thanks.

Julia

Monday 13th of April 2020

Hi Donna,

No worries, I get it! I would think applesauce would work, but I do think there may be a bit of an issue with the thinness of it. If you can do sweet potato, I would try subbing some mashed sweet potato in there with the applesauce to help thicken it. If not, perhaps just use a little less applesauce. I'm curious to know how it works out, so let me know if you try it!! xoxo

Nancy

Monday 13th of April 2020

The directions say to add vanilla but the recipe does not have vanilla listed as an ingredient. Should I assume a teaspoon of vanilla?

Julia

Monday 13th of April 2020

Hi Nancy, my apologies! Yes, 1 tsp is correct! I added it to the recipe :D

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