When life gives you ripe bananas, it’s time to bake something delicious! This banana snack cake combines the flavors of classic banana bread with the convenience of a snackable cake. Soft, moist, and topped with a sweet, sugary crust, this easy recipe is perfect for afternoon treats, lunchboxes, or even a casual dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I have tried so many recipes for using up over-ripe bananas, and this Banana Bread Snack Cake is hands-down one of my absolute favorites!
Whenever I have ripe bananas, I look for a new banana bread recipe to try. I finally found my favorite! This is, without a doubt, the BEST banana bread/cake recipe I have ever baked! The sugar topping is an unbelievable surprise! This is now my go to banana recipe!
Barb
The secret to this “banana bread” is that it’s baked in a 9-inch square pan, and sprinkled with sugar before baking, which gives it that amazing, crunchy topping you see.
Which, if you ask me, kind of transforms it from bread to cake. But the kind of cake that it’s okay to eat for breakfast, or a late-night snack, if you know what I mean.
Seriously though, that sugar topping! I don’t know where that’s been all my life. I’ll be sprinkling sugar on every banana flavored bread or cake I make from here on out.
To say my family loved this would be a huge understatement. If I would have had enough bananas, I would have gladly doubled the recipe. This stuff disappeared within in a day.
And as soon as it was gone, I wanted to make it again. Alas, it really does need to be made with very ripe bananas, so I had to wait several days for my newly purchased bananas to ripen.
No matter what kind of pan you bake this banana bread in, the sugar topping is an absolute must!
I hope you love this simple (yet utterly amazing) banana treat as much as we did. Really, just make this Banana Bread Snack Cake. You won’t be sorry, and you can thank me later.
Love this recipe – and so does my husband. I’m on my 3rd cake in 2 weeks! It’s a keeper for sure!!
Dar
Ingredients
- Butter – I use unsalted
- Brown sugar -packed
- Eggs
- Vanilla – I recommend real vanilla extract
- Bananas -you’ll need at least four ripe bananas
- Flour – all-purpose
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Pecans – substitute walnuts, or omit the nuts if you prefer
- Sugar
Recipe Tips
- The key to intense banana flavor is super ripe bananas! Look for bananas that are heavily speckled or nearly black—they’re the sweetest and mash up beautifully. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have ripe bananas, pop them in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes until the skins turn dark. Let them cool before mashing.
- Feel free to stir in chopped pecans, walnuts, or even chocolate chips. It’s also great with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce on top.
- I know it’s hard to wait, but allowing the cake to cool slightly helps it set and makes cutting into neat squares a breeze. Use a serrated knife for the cleanest cuts.
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
FAQs
How many cups of mashed banana are in this recipe?You’ll need roughly 1 1/2 – 2 cups of mashed banana for this recipe. More banana will make a more moist cake.
Can I double this recipe?Yes, if you have enough ripe bananas! In fact, I highly recommend doubling this recipe and baking it in a 9×13 pan.
What if I don’t have a 9-inch square pan?A 9-inch round cake pan will work too. Just cut the cake into wedges. If you use an 8-inch pan, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Can I use frozen bananas?Frozen bananas work wonderfully in this recipe. Let them thaw completely, then drain any excess liquid before mashing. They’re often even sweeter after freezing, so it’s a great way to use up bananas you’ve saved for baking.
More Banana Bread Recipes to Try
- Butterscotch Pecan Banana Bread
- Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread
- Grandma’s Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Banana Bread
Banana Bread Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4-5 very ripe bananas mashed
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray or line with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer, beat together the 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted and cooled, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until well blended. Mix in the 4-5 very ripe bananas (mashed) until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup granulated sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Cut into squares to serve.
Video
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Nutrition
Be sure to check out my tips for choosing and storing bananas.
66 comments
Amy
First off I love that your recipe doesn’t call for vegetable oil or canola oil! So bad for the gut! Second, it’s such an easy recipe to make. I can’t add nuts because my dad has no teeth so I added dark chocolate chips. Smells & looks AMAZING!!!
Courtney
My family loved this!
Timeflies54
I have this baking in the oven right now. Husband LOVES banana bread, with walnuts! It was so easy to mix up. I had a 6th banana. The first 5 were frozen, and the last one was hanging on the banana tree. I reasoned they were all small bananas, so the last one got thrown in too. I sprinkled some sugar cinnamon that I always have on hand, over the top of batter.
There is only 2 of us here, but I know 1/4 of this will be gone by tonight…
Lauren
So so good!!! I just made this an hour ago – here were my tweaks, some taken by liberty, others because I didn’t have certain things:
I only had a large circular glass pie dish (too lazy to measure dimensions but looks like a 10”w x 4”deep) so I greased that with butter and baked in that. I used 5 overripe bananas that I had frozen, mashed them up for the batter. I browned the (unsalted for me) butter on the stovetop and allowed to cool to add an extra dimension of richness, and also added about a tsp of light miso paste for nutty salty yumminess into the wet batter. For the brown sugar I was low on all sugars but I did half and half light brown and dark brown sugar. Into the dry I added a little nutmeg and cinnamon to my preference. I also only had bread flour so I used that. I didn’t have any nuts so didn’t add. And for the sugar topping I ran out of white sugar so I only had enough for about half white and the remaining was light brown sugar, mixed those together with a pinch of salt and sprinkled over top. Finished baking in my oven a little longer at 55 mins. If I were to serve this as a dessert to guests or family it’d be so good with a caramel of some kind
Lauren
So so so good!!! I just made this an hour ago – here were my tweaks, some taken by liberty, others because I didn’t have certain things:
I only had a large circular glass pie dish (too lazy to measure dimensions but looks like a 10”w x 4”deep) so I greased that with butter and baked in that. I used 5 overripe bananas that I had frozen, mashed them up for the batter. I browned the (unsalted for me) butter on the stovetop and allowed to cool to add an extra dimension of richness, and also added about a tsp of light miso paste for nutty salty yumminess into the wet batter. For the brown sugar I was low on all sugars but I did half and half light brown and dark brown sugar. Into the dry I added a little nutmeg and cinnamon to my preference. I also only had bread flour so I used that. I didn’t have any nuts so didn’t add. And for the sugar topping I ran out of white sugar so I only had enough for about half white and the remaining was light brown sugar, mixed those together with a pinch of salt and sprinkled over top. Finished baking in my oven a little longer at 55 mins. If I were to serve this as a dessert to guests or family it’d be so good with a caramel of some kind
Teresa S
Flavor was very and topping was crunchy but the cake turned out very dense like bread pudding not like a cake . But I would make it again
Melissa
I have tried so many different banana bread type recipes, and while most of them have been decent, NONE of them have been even close to as amazing as this one. I followed it to a tee, without adding pecans. It is scrumptious!! Even my extremely picky boyfriend loves it. 🙂 Thank you so very much for this recipe!
Diane
Made this today as I couldn’t find my bread pan so decided on a cake pan. I only had 3 bananas but it turned out fabulously! This is my new go to solution for ripe bananas!! I used walnuts instead of pecans and added in some shredded coconut- so incredibly delicious-the entire family loves it!
Chrissy
This is my new favorite recipe for ripe bananas! I added a brow sugar frosting to this and it was a hit with all my co-workers!
Connie
I made this cake/bread and it is absolutely delicious. Very easy recipe to follow. Will give it five stars in my recipe book
Anne
I double the recipe & cooked it in a 9×13 pan. I also use self rising flour instead of ap for a little lift. Once the cake cooled, I used a skewer to make holes & poured the glaze for this cake over the top https://cookiesandcups.com/moist-banana-pound-cake/
Needless to say, I made this cake for dessert after dinner last night and there’s only a 1/4 left!
Debra
Look for new banana recipes all the time and this one is one of my favorites. Like it better than banana bread%
Jackie
I made this and loved it!! I was wondering if I used canned pumpkin in place of the bananas do you think that could work??
Laura
I think I’ll have to try this one again. I put the timer for 45 minutes but noticed it smelled done after 30. Checked and it was already over cooked and dry by that point. The sugar also just stayed like plain sugar on top, so instead of what looks like a satisfying crunch on top it just was grainy. Not sure if you have recs on the sugar, but next time I’ll take it out after 20-25 minutes.
Janet
Excellent recipe! I doubled the ingredients, except for the bananas, and made in a 13×9 pan.
Cynthia
How much butter?
Melissa
Made them into muffins today! They were delicious, followed the recipe exactly. Baked at 350 for 20 mins. Made 15 cupcakes.
Kim
On days two my topping was moist, is there a way to reheat to crisp it up again?
Sunshine baker
I used 4 large very ripe bananas and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. I find it not sweet enough so next time I will up it a bit. I used oil instead of butter. I added 1/4 cup milk protein powder and 1 Tbs of ground chia seed. I added some chocolate chips along with the pecans. It’s an incredibly moist cake. It also has a nice texture.
geekgal
Really good! Tastes like banana bread. I have a banana cake recipe which is more cake-like but I like this and it’s easy to make! I put cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix for a little added flavor and also sprinkled some cinnamon on top with the sugar. I used about half of the 1/4 cup of sugar on top as it just seemed like unneeded sugar. I used a 9×9 pan and baked it for 40 minutes and perfect! Will definitely make it again!
Carol
This is my new favorite recipe! It’s better than the traditional banana bread I make. Love how the sugar topping gets crunchy. It smells extra good when baking. Thanks for sharing this one!
Diane Lazos
What is the measurement of the bananas? 2 cups? Bananas really very in size.
Thanks for the help. This looks great!
Dana
Have you ever added oatmeal to this? Would I just substitute it for some of the flour?
melissa
For those wondering about the 9×13, I just baked the regular recipe (not doubled) for 20 minutes and it was perfect!
Jazz
Hi can i sub the pecans for pralines and add some raisins?
Danelle
I don’t see why not!
Maya
Forgot to eat all my bananas and now they’re all mushy! Don’t have a bread tin in but luckily I found this and it turned out great! I didn’t use a 9×9 but a long rectangular flat tin and it was fine. Thank you so much!
Deann
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Kelly
I made this today and it is very delicious!! I also threw in a handful of chocolate chips!! Thank you very much for sharing!!
Danelle
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. But I’d love to hear how it goes.
Becky Dowell
My grandson and I just pulled this out of the oven! It’s a very easy recipe, we cooked as printed and it came out perfectly he can’t wait to take some home to his parents and little sister!
Peggy Rouleau
I really wish banana recipes would specify the actual volume of mashed bananas required, either peeled weight of mashed volume. Otherwise, a fine recipe and using it for muffins as they’re easiest for 2 people and I freeze extras for later.
Sarah Lullo
I loved this recipe!!! I let it sit covered in tin foil and man, is it moist and delicious. I only needed to bake mine for about 34 min on 350, but it could just be that my oven gets pretty hot.
Katarina McGuire
I’m glad it’s not just me. I came back after about 30 min and was thankful I did as it was clearly done. The edges a little too done tbh. Letting it cool, but it does smell delicious and I think it will taste great.
Lauren
Hi! I don’t have a 9×9 pan. Do you have a recipe adjustment for 9 x 13?
Danelle
The easiest would be to just double the recipe. It may need to cook a bit longer.
Lynn S.
The BEST banana bread/cake I’ve ever made or tasted and I have lots of banana bread type recipes. This is so moist and full of flavor. I think using brown sugar instead of cane sugar along with five bananas is what gives this snack cake its added flavor. Two thumbs up!
Joy
This turned out amazing and so easy. I cut out the while sugar and added a quarter cup of shredded apples to give it a little sweetness and added moisture. Came out so delicious, hot out of the oven my son started eating it right away! Yum!
jenT
This looks like Joanna Gaines’ recipe…not saying she originated it, but it was the first I’d seen it baked in a square cake pan. It’s delicious!
Nance Sparks
Hi – my cake is in the oven now! fingers crossed – Im not much of a baker but hoping for the best 🙂 1 question – how “ripe” is too ripe for bananas?
Barb
There’s no “too ripe” for bananas in this recipe. I have the issue of not having 5 ripe enough bananas so I use the oven method to ripen them quickly.
Helen
AMAZING! This is the only banana bread recipe I will ever need! Thank you!
Julie
As bananas can vary quite a bit in size, what would be the volume of mashed bananas needed?
Barb
I found the recipe in Joanna Gaines cookbook a few months ago and have made it a dozen times as it’s my husband’s absolute favorite! I’ve used 5 bananas of varying sizes each time and it comes out perfectly each time.
Queene Greene
Just goes to show Joanna Gaines PLAGIARIZED….not rich enough I guess……
Andrea
This is my favorite corona-baking recipe so far! LOVE it and will make it again and again. I used walnuts as that’s what I had on hand and also put a tiny bit of cinnamon with the sugar on top. So Yummy, thank you!
Elizabeth Shampine
Tried it for the first time last month-my three teenage girls loved it-it’s our Sunday morning go-to treat now! LOVE it! Make sure you use really ripe (starting to turn brown) bananas for the best flavor!
Amy C
Hello from NC!
I just found this recipe this morning on Pinterest. My husband and I enjoyed a warm piece for dessert after our lunch! We loved it!
I had an abundance of walnuts so I used them in place of the pecans. And, I just used a whisk to mix the wet ingredients. Will definitely make again! Thanks!
Erica
My family loves this Banana Bread snack cake! I love sharing in when ever I make it and it’s always a hit! I like that the recipe calls for 4 to 5 bananas so I can use of a bunch of bananas. Bananas always get brown before we can use them up. Love love love this recipe!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Betsy
What I love about this recipe is how y’all the cake rises. The pieces are huge. I Have made this about 4 or 5 times and I always double it (but keep the banana amount the same) and put it in a 9×13.
Jess M
Absolutely love this recipe! Second time making it today – snow day and overripe bananas for the win!
I was curious how long you think is safe to keep the cake once made?
I’m sure we will eat it up pretty quickly but just in case. Also, do you recommend storing it in the container it’s made in or storing the squares in a container? Thanks in advance!
Danelle
I just store it in on the counter in the container I made it in. The fridge would work too though.
Peg
Love this recipe! Has anyone tried it in muffin form?
Paula
This came out wonderful! I used 1-1/2 cups gluten free flour (King Arthur brand), and only 1/2 cup brown sugar. I baked it in a 7×9 pan for 50 minutes. SO GOOD! (I also mixed it all by hand because I didn’t want to wake people by using the mixer.) I am going to use this from now on when I have too many over ripe bananas. Mmm!
Peg
Well, I tried it! 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Perfect! I just sprinkled sugar on each one before baking. Turned out great!
Tricia
Peg how many muffins did you get from this recipe?
Rosemary
It’s tasty, but a little too sweet. Your recipe didn’t specify whether to use light or dark brown sugar. I’m only had dark. I also only used 1/2 of the sugar called for on the top. I would make this again using light brown sugar and less than one cup.
Dar S
Luv this recipe – &’so does my husband. I’m on my 3rd cake in 2 weeks! It’s a keeper for sure!!
Nancy Modderman
So far, making this is a breeze. We’ll see how the taste is!
Beth Vantsone
I want to thank you for this recipe and the inspiration it has given me. I will be changing a few of the ingredients like applesauce for butter and flax for eggs. I feel good it will turn out with your directions. It looks amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Joan
I made this wonderful snack cake this morning to have with my coffee! How nice. I did not use a full 1/4 cup of sugar on the top, however, I still got the wonderful crunch! I also added cinnamon and cardamon (family love). This is my go to snack cake!