Bake

Fudgy Vegan Banana-Brownie Cake You Can Eat for Breakfast

by:
June 18, 2021
3.7
21 Ratings
Fudgy Vegan Banana-Brownie Cake You Can Eat for Breakfast
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Makes 1 9-inch cake
Author Notes

This chocolatey banana confection sits firmly between cake and brownie. It's delightfully tender, fudgy and dense, and chock-full of banana. The best part? It's made from ingredients I typically eat for breakfast—almonds, bananas, coconut oil—plus a few innocuous ones, like unsweetened cocoa and baking powder. This recipe was featured in, The Fudgy Banana-Brownie Cake You Can Eat for Breakfast. —Ella Quittner

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup almond butter, unsweetened (if oil is separated, stir to combine before using)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 3/4 cups roughly mashed bananas (about 4 bananas), divided, plus one whole banana
  • 1 pinch flaky salt
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the bottom and sides thoroughly with melted coconut oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and cocoa powder.
  3. In a stand mixer or by hand with a whisk, thoroughly combine almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and half the mashed bananas. Add about a quarter of the dry ingredients, and mix to integrate. Add the remaining dry ingredients about half at a time, mixing and then scraping down the sides with a spatula after each addition. Add the other half of the mashed bananas, and mix to combine.
  4. Scrape the batter into the greased pan. Slice the remaining banana into three strips lengthwise, and make a pattern on top of the batter. Gently drizzle the banana slices on top with maple syrup, and sprinkle them with a pinch of flaky salt each. Place into oven and bake until the cake is puffed up and the center looks set. Start checking around 50 minutes, but depending on the ripeness of the bananas and consistency of almond butter you use, it could take up to 80 minutes. Let rest for 45 minutes before serving.
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31 Reviews

Mae
Mae December 8, 2021
After years of oatmeal and smoothies for breakfast, I've been enjoying trying different breakfast recipes lately. This was definitely a fun one! I would call it more of a brownie than a cake. The instructions say it's done when it's puffed up, but mine never really puffed up. I used a 9" springform, no parchment paper. Started checking it at 30 mins, and took it out around 50 or 55. Didn't cut into until the next morning. I didn't cut back on salt as others did. I used peanut butter. This is really yummy, fudgy, and decadent, and yet I don't feel gross if I eat it for breakfast 😁 Thanks for the recipe!
 
Justine L.
Justine L. June 20, 2021
swapped in tahini bc my almond butter was low and worked just as well! fudgy AF and the best form of breakfast if you ask me
 
Lauren
Lauren May 8, 2021
this is one of the best things i've ever made - i am so happy i tried it! i needed a gluten free and dairy free recipe but i will keep making this all the time. i also used an 8x8 pan and baked for probably 50 min - could have used longer but i'm also at 8,000 ft altitude.
 
Jana E.
Jana E. January 16, 2020
I made this last weekend and didn't have the burning issues everyone else describes. I did 60 minutes. I will say that I had my first slice the day after I baked it and thought, "meh" but the slices I've had since then have been MIND BLOWING. I think it's better once it sits, and it's just so delicious and fudgey and tempting! If you're comparing this to a chocolate cake with refined sugar, etc. etc. you probably will be somewhat disappointed. But, as someone who tries not to consume refined sugar, I was blown away by the flavor!
 
Alex
Alex February 18, 2019
I've just baked this and it started to burn on top before 50 mins so I covered it with foil and baked for a few more minutes then took it out. It's now cooling so I await the results anxiously. It does smell really fantastic though so as long as it's properly cooked through I think it'll be a winner. LATER - OK it's been half an hour and I couldn't wait any longer. It's delicious! Perhaps slightly underdone in the centre but I kind of like it like that. Recommend, just keep an eye on it after 40 mins or so.
 
Yasmin Z.
Yasmin Z. February 13, 2019
This kind of just cooked into absolute mush, really disappointed by the recipe
 
Reina
Reina February 14, 2019
It could be too many bananas, or the type of almond flour you have.
@ellaq, do you have a weights version of the recipe?
I would go by measurements of banana, and also, if the almond butter is very funny, that will make a difference.
When you mix it very well it will turn into a nice batter in your mixer.
 
Reina
Reina September 28, 2019
Not FUNNY - RUNNY! HeeHee
 
Yesenia G.
Yesenia G. January 16, 2019
Hi Ella,
Can all-purpose flour be used instead of the almond flour?

Thank you,

Yesenia
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. January 16, 2019
Hi Yesenia,

I haven't tried it like that—curious to know how it turns out. You might need to add additional liquid if the batter looks too dry. Please let me know if you experiment with this!

Ella
 
Leah B.
Leah B. December 23, 2018
boy do I wish I had read the comments. all that effort to see it completely dried out after an hour.
 
Reina
Reina October 24, 2018
This is so good. Easy, yummy, and I always have the ingredients! I did use an 8X8 pan, as I was too lazy for the springform that evening.
The baking time was about 40 -42 min. At 350 F.
I would suggest that no matter which pan you use, check after 30 min, maybe switch racks if baking too fast. I used middle.
Take the cake out when the edges are pulling away from the sides and are dry. A pick or knife won't come out clean even when done in an almond meal-based cake (correct me if I'm wrong) but I bake with it a lot, and it is so moist, you will need to wait those 45 min. after you pull it out of the oven for the final product. Worth it!
 
Emily
Emily October 11, 2018
I used an 8 inch square ceramic baking dish and found it to be perfectly cooked after 1 hour at 350. I also only used 1 teaspoon of salt inside and both almond and peanut butter (I ran out of almond butter). Overall super delicious and I would definitely make it again when I need a sweet treat and have lots of over ripe bananas that need to be used up. My husband loved it too and kept going back for more....
 
Rach
Rach October 3, 2018
Made this in a 9 inch springform at 350 and it was a bit dried out and starting to burn at 1 hour (oven thermometer confirmed the 350).
Still tasted excellent and made an outstanding breakfast with some Greek yogurt.
 
C
C September 22, 2018
hello! do you think that swapping peanut butter for the almond butter would introduce too strong a flavor?
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 23, 2018
Hi,

I think that would be delicious! I love peanut butter and banana together. Let me know how it goes.

Ella
 
Abigail T.
Abigail T. September 16, 2018
90 minutes is definitely too long. 45 minutes was perfect.
Salt is also a lot. I’d recommend adding about half.
 
Kim
Kim September 16, 2018
I agree with Greg. I am using a 9” round pan and just saved it at 50 minutes. An hour and a half is an incredibly long bake time..
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 16, 2018
Hi Kim,

Thanks for your note—I'm glad you were able to salvage it! It's always taken me about 90 minutes at 350° F for the middle to cook through, so I'm not sure what the difference is, but I'm glad you flagged it!

Ella
 
annarose
annarose September 16, 2018
I don't have a sping form pan. Could this be made inan 8" square or 9" round cake pan and turned out?
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 16, 2018
Hi,

I haven't tested it in a non-springform, but I think it should be fine as long as the sides are at least 2-inches tall and you grease or line it well!

Let me know how it goes.
Ella
 
annarose
annarose September 16, 2018
I ended up baking in a 8" square for 40 minutes and it was great! Thank you!
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 17, 2018
Good to know, thank you! Were you baking at 350° F?
 
Greg
Greg September 12, 2018
I made this and took it out at 1 hour and 5 minutes but it was too late, the cake was hard and burnt. I think the cake could be good with correct cooking time but my advise would be to keep a very close eye on it.
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 12, 2018
Hi Greg,

I'm sorry to hear that! What size cake pan were you using? It's always taken me an hour and a half to get the center fully set.

Ella
 
Greg
Greg September 16, 2018
I used a 9inch Springform pan. It seems like 45 to 50 minutes would have been perfect.
 
Vida
Vida September 11, 2018
Hi Ella, I haven't baked with coconut oil before. Do you recommend using refined or unrefined coconut oil? Any one brand better than another -- Fresh Direct has Spectrum and Nutiva. Thanks!
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 11, 2018
Hi Vida,

I typically use unrefined coconut oil. As for brand, I've made this with several types, and all have worked equally well. Let me know how it goes for you!

Ella
 
Alexis
Alexis September 8, 2018
Can I substitute brown sugar for the maple syrup or will that ruin the texture?
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. September 9, 2018
Hi Alexis,

I haven’t tested it with brown sugar, but I imagine it would have an effect on the batter consistency. Let me know if you try it, I’m curious!

Ella
 
Lois A.
Lois A. September 8, 2018
What is nutritional value? Especially the carbs?