Gluten-Free Banana Coffee Cake with Maple Walnut Streusel

Don't you think a slice of this gluten-free banana cake cake would go down well right about now?

❤️ Why this recipe works

• This is an easy coffee crumb cake recipe, sweetened with ripe bananas and your choice of granulated sweetener. It makes a good coffee-time snack or a quick gluten-free dessert cake.
• As you know, I sometimes use monkfruit sweetener in my recipes, but this recipe works well with any granulated sugar. I like using coconut sugar in this snack cake.
• Made with almond flour and tapioca flour, this streusel coffee cake is light and has a texture similar to one made with wheat flour!
• This combination of almond flour and tapioca flour works beautifully when making gluten-free coffee cakes and muffins.
• It's a great way to use overripe bananas!

You might also like these Almond Flour Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting,

this oh-so-good Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce

or this Gluten-free Gingerbread Cake with Vanilla Orange Frosting.

🛒 Ingredients

Ready to make a quick banana cake with a yummy maple walnut cinnamon streusel topping? Let's get started!

for the Coffee Cake Cinnamon Streusel Topping

• almond flour, cinnamon, walnuts, sea salt, granulated sweetener, maple syrup

for the Almond Flour Banana Coffee Cake

• bananas: you'll need 3 very ripe or overripe bananas
• melted butter or coconut oil
• granulated sweetener: granulated monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar: your choice!
• eggs: at room temperature
• vanilla extract
• almond flour: finely ground
• tapioca starch: also called tapioca flour
• baking powder
• sea salt

Wait! Where's the coffee?

There's no coffee in a 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 banana coffee cake recipe that doesn't need an electric mixer.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Make the streusel topping first. Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until no lumps remain, then whisk in the sweetener, melted butter or oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
   
   
4. In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt.
   
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, using a spatula to combine until no traces of flour remain.
   
6. 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.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or almost clean.
8. 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 to Make the Best Banana Cake

Take your eggs out of the fridge before you start so they'll have time to come to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs will blend most easily with the oil and other ingredients.

I use a glass baking pan to make this cake. If you're using a metal pan, baking time may be a little longer. While a metal pan heats up quickly, it takes longer to bake. 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, blueberries or blackberries, if you'd like, but it's delicious on its own.