This sugar-free, grain-free banana coffee cake is topped with a maple walnut cinnamon streusel crumble topping. It's a healthy coffee cake recipe that's paleo-friendly! Light and moist, it makes a delicious snack cake or dessert cake.
Don't you think a slice of this gluten-free coffee crumb cake would go down well right about now? This is an easy coffee cake recipe, sweetened with bananas and your choice of granulated sweetener. It makes a good coffee time snack or a quick dessert cake.
As you know, I use monk fruit sweeteners in my recipes, but this recipe works well with any granulated sugar. Made with almond flour and tapioca flour, this streusel coffee cake is light and has a texture similar to one made with wheat flour!
Ready to make a quick banana coffee cake with a yummy maple walnut cinnamon streusel topping? Let's get started!
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🛒 Ingredients
for the Coffee Cake Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- almond flour, cinnamon, walnuts, sea salt, granulated sweetener, maple syrup
for the Grain-Free Banana Coffee Cake
- bananas: you'll need 3
- melted butter or coconut oil
- granulated sweetener: granulated monkfruit, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar: your choice!
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- almond flour
- tapioca starch
- baking powder
- sea salt
Wait! Where's the coffee?
There's no coffee in coffee cake! In North America, a coffee cake refers to a simple, one-layer snack cake that you would serve with a cup of coffee or tea.
🔪 Instructions
This is an easy almond flour coffee cake recipe that doesn't need an electric mixer.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the streusel topping first. Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until no lumps remain, then whisk in the sweetener, melted butter or oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a spatula to combine until no traces of flour remain.
- Transfer the batter to the lined baking pan, smoothing to fill the corners. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top, pressing it down gently.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or almost clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 to 60 minutes, then carefully lift it by the edges of the parchment paper to a cooling rack. Slide the parchment paper out from beneath the cake and let it cool completely before cutting transferring it to a serving plate.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
I use a glass baking pan. If you're using a metal pan, baking time may be a little longer. Check frequently for doneness.
🔁 Possible Variations
If you don't like walnuts, you can substitute pecans, or you can leave the nuts out of the streusel topping completely.
Instead of topping this banana coffee cake with streusel topping, frost it with cream cheese frosting. You'll find the frosting instructions in this recipe for Mini Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Keep it Paleo: use coconut oil and coconut sugar.
🥶Storage and Reheating Instructions
This gluten-free banana cake will stay fresh at room temperature for a day or so. For longer storage, place it in a covered container in the fridge.
This cake freezes well, too. Store it tightly covered in the freezer for up to three months.
🍽 Serving suggestions
This banana coffee cake makes a welcome snack with morning coffee or afternoon tea! It is equally delicious as a light dessert cake. Serve it with a few fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, if you'd like, but it's delicious on its own.
📖 Recipe Card
Grain-Free Banana Coffee Cake with Maple Walnut Cinnamon Streusel
Ingredients
Maple Walnut Cinnamon Streusel
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener, Monkfruit, coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Banana Coffee Cake
- 3 medium bananas, overripe
- ¼ cup granulated sweetener, Monkfruit, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour, fine
- ½ cup tapioca starch, also called tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder, gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the streusel topping first. Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until no lumps remain, then whisk in the sweetener, melted butter or oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a spatula to combine until no traces of flour remain.
- Transfer the batter to the lined baking pan, smoothing to fill the corners. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top, pressing it down gently.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or almost clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 to 60 minutes, then carefully lift it by the edges of the parchment paper to a cooling rack. Slide the parchment paper out from beneath the cake and let it cool completely before cutting transferring it to a serving plate.
Margo
a great reliable recipe. I've made it several times. Love it.
Elaine
Thanks Margo!
Marnie
I made this last weekend and it turned out beautifully. The crunchy streusel topping is a perfect finishing touch. I'm going to try your banana cupcakes next!
Flavour & Savour
That's great to hear! You can top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting as the recipe says, or use this same streusel topping on them if you'd like. Enjoy!