Gluten Free Banana Peanut Butter Cake takes two of my favorite things - bananas and peanut butter - and folds them into a tender gluten-free batter that bakes into a beautifully fragrant and moist cake. A cap of peanut butter frosting takes it over the top.
Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cake
This easy gluten free banana peanut butter cake needs just one bowl to make and results in a sweet and tender bake that's topped with an optional smear of peanut butter frosting (though you can leave it off and the cake will still be perfectly delicious and a bit more packable). One gluten free flour and a handful of easy ingredients are all you'll need to make this simple cake. Make the most of your ripening bananas and tuck them into this fragrant cake!
Jump to:
- Easy Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Cake
- Why You'll Love This Banana and Peanut Butter Cake
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Banana Peanut Butter Cake
- Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store Peanut Butter Butter Banana Cake
- More Banana Recipes
- Recipe
- Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Why You'll Love This Banana and Peanut Butter Cake
This sweet little snackable bake trades butter or oil for protein-rich and flavorful peanut butter. I love swapping peanut butter for butter in places where it will complement the flavors of the other ingredients - banana and peanut butter being an enduring favorite of mine! - and it works wonderfully in this recipe. More recipe highlights include:
- Easy - This is a one-bowl cake that comes together in a few minutes. Do you love a one-bowl recipe as much as I do?
- Gluten Free. You need one gluten free flour to make this cake, and the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten free too! See a few flour substitutions lower down if needed.
- Simple ingredients. You'll probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry already, and you can freeze ripe bananas so you can make this cake whenever you're in the mood!
Ingredient Notes
Here's a look at what you'll need to make this banana and peanut butter cake. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Peanut butter - Use creamy peanut butter, preferably a natural variety. If you use peanut butter with added salt, omit the salt in the recipe so the cake isn't too salty.
- Brown sugar - Either light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Eggs - Like all my recipes, this cake was developed using large eggs.
- Greek yogurt - Use low-fat or full-fat plain Greek yogurt. You could also use vanilla yogurt.
- Bananas - Those ripening bananas on your counter are perfect in this cake! You'll need about 2-3 large bananas.
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon - A little ground cinnamon adds warmth.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt.
- Oat flour - Naturally gluten free oat flour is a great whole grain choice here. Or, use sorghum flour by weight.
Frosting
- Butter - Unsalted butter is best!
- Peanut butter
- Powdered sugar
Add-Ins
- Chocolate - A handful of mini or regular semisweet or milk chocolate chips stirred into the batter would be lovely.
- Nuts - Chopped walnuts or chopped peanuts will add crunch.
- Coconut - Add a little unsweetened shredded coconut for a tropical touch.
- Blueberries - Make this into a version of my gluten free blueberry banana bread with an extra cup of frozen or fresh blueberries.
How to Make Banana Peanut Butter Cake
You can see how to make this peanut butter banana cake below.
- Prep: Grease an 8" square pan with nonstick spray or softened butter and line with parchment.
- To make the batter: In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds. Beat in the eggs, followed by the yogurt, then the mashed banana.
- Add dry ingredients: Beat in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add flour: Gently fold in the flour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Rest: Preheat the oven to 350°F and rest the batter while the oven heats.
- Bake and cool: Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cake completely.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Frost: Spread the frosting evenly on the cake.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Oat flour substitute - If you can't have oats or oat flour, a nice substitute is sorghum flour which you can swap in by weight for the oat flour. Or, use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour substitute by weight.
- Rest the batter - For the tenderest and most hydrated crumb, let the batter rest for 20 minutes, or at least as long as the oven heats.
- Use ripe bananas - A ripe baking banana is very yellow with streaks and spots of brown. It may be going soft, but should not smell like it's rotting. Extra ripe bananas are perfect in cake and bread because they add natural sweetness and flavor.
- Try other spices - Add or substitute ground ginger for the cinnamon. Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for a slightly different flavor note.
- Make it refined sugar-free - Substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Go dairy-free - Use your favorite non-dairy yogurt for the Greek yogurt.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes, you absolutely can use frozen bananas. To make life easier later, peel and slice the bananas into coins before placing them in a freezer-safe, sealable bag. Or, just leave them whole. Defrost the bananas and let them drain before measuring them out to include in this cake.
Serving Suggestions
Make this wholesome cake as written with a bit of peanut butter frosting, or omit the frosting altogether for a simpler treat. You can dust a little powdered sugar over the top if you wish, or serve it plain.
Or, try a different frosting! This cake is also great with chocolate buttercream frosting, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or a spoonful of caramel sauce. I like it for afternoon snacking or as a rustic dessert.
How to Store Peanut Butter Butter Banana Cake
Here's how to easily store leftover cake:
- Fridge - To store, cover the cake tightly with foil, or place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Freeze the whole cake or slices of cake by wrapping them in a layer of plastic wrap then foil, and storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw in the fridge before serving.
Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted peanut butter, use a creamy variety
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup bananas mashed (about 2-3 very ripe bananas)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups oat flour (210 grams)
Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Grease an 8" square pan with nonstick spray or softened butter. Line with a long piece of parchment paper extending up and over two opposite sides of the pan to create a sling. (For details on how to make an 8" round cake, see "tips," below.)
- To make the batter: In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds. Beat in the eggs, followed by the yogurt, then the mashed banana.
- Beat in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the flour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and rest the batter while the oven heats.
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then turn it out to cool completely.
- Make frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, then sift in the powdered sugar. Add a splash of milk if needed. Frost the cooled cake with the frosting.
Notes
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Oat flour substitute - If you can't have oats or oat flour, a nice substitute is sorghum flour which you can swap in by weight for the oat flour. Or, use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour substitute by weight.
- Rest the batter - For the tenderest and most hydrated crumb, let the batter rest for 20 minutes, or at least as long as the oven heats.
- Use ripe bananas - A ripe baking banana is very yellow with streaks and spots of brown. It may be going soft, but should not smell like it's rotting. Extra ripe bananas are perfect in cake and bread because they add natural sweetness and flavor.
- Try other spices - Add or substitute ground ginger for the cinnamon. Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for a slightly different flavor note.
- Make it refined sugar-free - Substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Go dairy-free - Use your favorite non-dairy yogurt for the Greek yogurt.
Juliet says
Would these work as muffins/cupcakes? Thank you!
Nicole Spiridakis says
Hi Yes I think they would work as cupcakes! You will probably need to bake them for a little less time.
Juliet says
This was wonderful- moist and delicious. Thank you!