Hello, my name is Angela and I hoard black bananas.
(Eric made me tell you this today.)
Every time I go to the grocery store, I head straight for the ‘Reduced’ produce section just so I can see if there are any bananas that I can save. I see people passing by perfectly good bananas and I want to leave a sticky note on the bananas saying ‘I’m great for BANANA BREAD!’ or ‘try me in a GREEN MONSTER!’ and then hide behind the bins to see their reactions. I’m afraid they would ban me from my beloved grocery store and that would never be a good thing for a food blogger.
When I finally admitted to Eric that I had a problem, I agreed that the bananas were beginning to pose a health risk to all parties involved. I had several spotted bananas on the counter and a stash of black bananas in a paper bag in the fridge.
Over 10 of them…solid black and starting to leak juices.
When Eric exposed my stash of bananas in the paper bag I knew it would all be over soon if I didn’t take action.
But health risk or not, these babies are at the PEAK of their lives! Yesterday morning, I celebrated by making a chocolate chip banana cake. It would taste so delicious our heads would spin.
Because you really can’t screw up a banana cake when using bananas that look like this…
It’s just not possible.
Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake with Peanut Butter Banana Glaze
This rustic looking banana cake blew our socks off with an intense banana flavour and sweet bites of chocolate. It has a wonderful chewy texture from the oats and a little bit of crunch from the nuts. You’d never guess it has just two tablespoons of oil and it can easily be made gluten-free by using GF oats!
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups regular oats, processed into a flour
- 1/2 cup regular oats (not processed)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/16th tsp ground cloves (optional)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar (or regular white)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or other light tasting oil)
- 2 medium very ripe bananas, peeled
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Fold in: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips; 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped; 1 ripe banana, cut into chunks
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 8 inch (4 cup) casserole dish or 8” cake pan. Take 2 cups of regular oats and process them in a food processor until flour like in consistency.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (processed oats, regular oats, sugars, spices, baking powder, and salt).
3. In another bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Add in the two peeled bananas and smash into the wet ingredients until smooth.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined. Now fold in the chips, optional walnuts, and the chopped banana.
5. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 36 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake must be cooled for at least 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove.
6. Once fully cooled, slice and top with PB Banana Glaze (see below). Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Makes 8-10 servings.
The great thing about this recipe is that I used regular oats and processed them into a flour, so this recipe can be easily made gluten-free if you use GF oats.
It also contains just 2 tbsp of oil, but it is a very moist and flavourful cake. The unsweetened applesauce and ripe bananas replace most of the oil in this recipe. This is not your average banana cake by any means.
it takes just 10-15 minutes to throw it together and pop it in the oven.
Add wet to dry:
Fold in chopped banana, chocolate chips, and nuts:
Scoop into baking dish or cake pan.
My sister Kerrie gave me this baking dish on the weekend! Does she know me or what? I’m in love. :)
Bake for 36 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes so it can firm up and set otherwise it will fall apart when you try to get it out.
While you are waiting you can make the delicious glaze.
[print_this]
Easy Peanut Butter Banana Glaze
Yield: 2/3-3/4 cup
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana (but not too ripe, you still want it solid!)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful flavour)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
- Pinch of kosher salt, to taste
Directions: Mash banana in a bowl until smooth. Add in peanut butter and mash until combined. Sift in the salt and icing sugar and stir until fully combined. Makes about 2/3 cup glaze. Store in fridge in a sealed contained for 1-2 days.
[/print_this]
After cooling, slice and serve!
This rustic cake turned out so much better than I thought it would, especially because I just winged the recipe by the seat of my pants. The result is a dense, moist, and extremely flavourful cake with a lovely chewiness from the oats and nuts.
Oh, and the bites of banana are out of this world!
If you want to make this into a dessert, serve it with the PB Banana Glaze.
If you want to make it into a breakfast cake, you can leave out the chocolate and use more nuts. Or just leave in all the chocolate! ;)
Eric said this one is ‘in the vault’…
Oh and I still have about 7 black bananas to use up….what to make….
Are you a banana fan? What are your favourite meals or recipes that include bananas?
PS- You can now check out my Food Gawker Gallery on the right sidebar of the blog (Tastespotting widget coming soon, but you can view my Tastespotting gallery here).
Let's get social! Follow Angela on Instagram @ohsheglows, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Google+
{ 285 comments… read them below or add one }
Delicious! I’ve had a couple of black bananas go completely liquid on me because I waited too long before, so now I know what to do with them before that happens.
Oh my….I must say that those black bananas look pretty gross! But you’ve absolutely redeemed them with your amazing recipe.
You never cease to amaze me! This looks unbeleivable! I want this NOW!
Oh my goodness, I want this NOW! I’m a banana fan, but don’t normally eat them on their own. Like you, I usually let them get far too ripe, then freeze them and use them in Green Monsters, banana bread, or banana pancakes. This sounds divine! :)
That looks amazing! I am hosting a brunch next Sunday and might just have to whip this up! PS – I also check for the bags of bananas set out for a quick sale. I buy whatever is in the cart and freeze them for oatmeal, GMs, etc.
I love bananas! I could eat multiple ones every day.
Woow that looks amazing! I have a stash of frozen smoothie bananas!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting the recipe!
I have a constant battle with my beloved over this – he’s American and paranoid and refuses to eat fruit that doesn’t basically look like plastic. Not even a few brown spots will be allowed on his banana! I on the other hand am British, grew up in the country (there is still no cell phone reception where I grew up, it’s that remote) and share your love and appreciation for the blackened ones – they’re so ripe, so much flavour! Sadly I have yet to convince the other half, though I do sneak them into his smoothies and banana bread…
Hahaha Anna, love the sneaking in of the bananas…you could also peel them and freeze them in chunks and eh wouldn’t know :)
This looks amazing! Chocolate and bananas can do no wrong. I always buy extra bananas to freeze and make banana soft serve or smoothies.
Um, delicious!? I’m starving right now– and this looks amazing. My favorite banana recipe has to be banana walnut bread!
Ange, this looks delicious. I have starred it in my Google Reader and will be making it in the VERY near future. Thanks!
Question, though: How long can you keep bananas? I really should know this. You mentioned keeping them in a paper bag in the fridge. How long? Also, are those bananas OK to freeze for green monsters or OK to mash up for oatmeal, etc.? Advice is greatly appreciated, dear!
I always stash a few bananas in the deep freezer as soon as I buy them, because I can’t stand running out of them. I have frozen them for up to a month or two and used them. Sounds gross, but peak flavour!
So I realize that you always use frozen bananas in your green monsters… so the other day we had black’ish bananas on our counter and my husband was about to throw them out when I yelled WAIT, save them, lets put them in the freezer to use later. He thought I was crazy. So, take comfort in: 1. you are passing along your crazy which is a good thing :) and 2. Your husband is not the only one who looks at his wife in that way… Happy Monday!
I don’t think I have ever seen bananas that black! LOL But if it makes banana bread like you described….I have seriously been missing out.
I am SUCH a banana hoarder! I love waiting until they are perfectly ripe and black, then I make TONS of banana bread and soft serve:) This recipe looks divine!
Oh wow. Oats, bananas, pb and chocolate chips are four of my favorite things! This cake is right up my alley : )
Yum!! I love black bananas too. And it’s funny because I used to only like them GREEN!!
Oh my God, the name of this cake already send me straight into heaven! must. make. this. blgh I only have yellow bananas, worthless :p
I think it is so fun that we all are hoarders of bananas- but alas, since I have kids, I must peel and freeze them as they think black bananas are…… gross. what ever have I done wrong as a mom?? BUt that being said- they do love them in the smoothies and banana baking!!
HOLY. YUM. I am now in desperate need of black bananas!! I so admire your creativity. This recipe takes banana recipes to a whole new level! :)
Oh, I can’t wait to try this recipe but I have to wait til the bananas are ripe (the ones I have at home are not ripe enough yet).
Thank God for ripe bananas!!! I love them in Overnight Oats, cakes, muffins, cookies – I just don’t like eating them on their own ;-)
Angela,
Lol at the thought of you lurking in the banana section trying to get people to buy black bananas. I can just see the look on your face. Great post!
yes I’m a creeper. ;)
Oh wow, Angela, this cake looks amazing! I am making this as soon as I have bananas that are ripe enough.
While visiting friends one weekend, I brought a banana for breakfast and set it on their counter. I was excited for my morning oatmeal because the banana was at the perfect level of ripeness, in my opinion. I came down for breakfast in the morning, and the banana was gone! My friend said he threw it away because it was “rotten.” (What?!??! No such thing! ha.) It was still sitting on the very top of their trash, so I retrieved it and ate it anyway. Bananas must not be wasted. :)
LOL!!!!!
This sounds so good! And that first photo of the dish with a piece missing is gorgeous. It looks like it’s straight out of a magazine.
I love bananas! In breads, cookies, banana cream pie (!!! I would love to see you make a healthy version of Banana cream pie. It is my favorite!), oatmeal, sandwiches, in smoothies, etc.
This looks so fabulous and perfect for Valentines Day :)
This looks so far beyond YUM that I have no words – lol. This bad boy is getting added to my stash of recipes – pronto!
All our favorite things combined together! Chocolate, banana, PB.
Nicely done.
(Also, really like that last picture. Your photography is great.)
thanks :)
Please send ASAP!!!! :)
I have to confess that from ages 3 until 21 I did not like bananas as a fruit – at all. I did enjoy my mum’s homemade banana bread, but that was about it. Then at university there were only 3 fruit options at the dining room – bananas, oranges, or apples. Apples – nice but only so many you can eat per week, and oranges I love but not really a grab and go fruit when you’re heading to class. So bananas were back – and now they’re a daily thing. Love them! I am definitely putting this on my to do list this week! Just need to get the ones in my fruit bowl to be more yellow than green :)
My sister and I are both guilting of the “bananas leaking juices” addiction. I can’t believe some people toss their bananas when they turn black. They must not know the banana goodness they’re missing out on!
I love this. My bananas go bad quickly – so I pretty much bake anything with bananas everyday. I baked a Banana Bread last night with choco-chips…I really didn’t need to eat half of that on SuperBowl Sunday…ergh. So good though!
I also love that your ingredients are all healthy and wholesome – but your not afraid to use sugar where needed! I tire of “substitutions” and reading that certain things should be avoided entirely. It gets obsessive.
My bananas always had the same fate, but I bought them greenish in the store!! In the end, there was very often a need for emergency banana bread —- UNTIL I found out the neat trick to just peel the bananas, cut them into pieces, and then freeze them in a ziplock bag! Works like a charm, and I can clunk the frozen banana pieces right into my blender for a green monster.
Just imagine, now you can rescue EVERY banana ;-) (you might just need a bigger freezer..)
Yes I freeze bananas all the time to GM and banana soft serve..it works awesome! I dont like how the really black and soggy ones freeze though (they seem to turn icy), so I try to bake with them instead. :)
I made a chocolate chip banana loaf last night for my future hubby and used up my stash of black bananas too! :)
I’m a health nut myself. I’ve been called a tree hugger too behind my back. What they don’t realize is that I consider that a compliment. I would definitely agree that this is a healthy banana bread, especially if one used all or mostly organic ingredients. I’m going to try it sans the peanut butter glaze. I use peanuts very sparingly in my baking, because I find their flavor overpowering. Don’t get me wrong, I like peanuts as much as the next gal and eat them by the handful.
Almonds or other nuts besides peanuts are much healthier for you anyway so you could perhaps try another nut you love?
Yowsa! I’ve never seen bananas that black! Oozing juices? Oh boy ;)
This recipe looks amazing – beyond amazing, actually! I’m a sucker for the old standby, banana bread. I make it without any sugar though, and since I’ve had to completely cut it out of my diet, it is the perfect “dessert!”
Ha! I just started following your blog a couple weeks ago and love it! I too live in Ontario, I’m hoping not in the same town cause we could cause quite a scene in the produce section fighting over ripe bananas! My husband and family make fun of my banana farm/store in my kitchen. I have bananas of varying ripeness cause I am obsessed with the fruit! I like to eat them on their own when they are a little green, but for smoothies they need to be in the brown spotted stage and finally, I am the queen of banana bread and require black bananas for that 5 loaf a week project! You are not alone–but it’s funny that the same people that complain about our obsession are more than happy to sample the baked goodies that result! Too funny! BTW, I just got that same bakeware this weekend–I love it! Now I have the perfect project to try it out with–thanks for your great ideas!
hi angela,
thanx for this great recipe :-) your blog is so much fun & inspiring and I really enjoy all your recipes. maybe it’s possible that you could mention the size of your baking dishes/cake pans you use – would be soooo nice :-)
haha i love your hoarding techniques!
YUM. I am totally trying this recipe when I get home tonight. Honestly, I could probably live on strictly bananas for the rest of my life. I adore them. I get anxiety when we don’t have them in the house…luckily my husband knows my level of craziness and so he will often come home with a bunch of them, and then everything is right with the world again ;)
alright…no doubt about it that I am making this. I luv bananas and with Peanut butter especially so this is perfect for me. It looks so good and I like how you served it. I also have been known for black bananas. :)
ooh I’m soo trying this, I agree with you on the bananas they are best when black, my boyfriend always peels and freezes them when they just start to spot and I get so mad!
This looks amazingly delicious, Angela! I’m a huge banana fan, and my morning is just not right with one cooked into stovetop oatmeal, sliced in top of granola, or stirred into yogurt. I will absolutely be making this oat cake :).
I too have a problem. I used my black bananas Saturday. I made oatmeal almond butter and banana cookies with a almond butter & agave glaze. Yummy breakfast!
What is oatmeal almond butter? :)
LOL! Oatmeal cookies with banana and with almond butter. Not oatmeal almond butter. But you got me thinking, can I throw some oats into my processor with my almonds?!? Might have to try that one.
I was hoping you had a recipe I could make haha ;)
Kindred spirits! I totally stalk the gross old reduced bananas at the store. I once got 30 for $1.09 at NoFrills and it made my month – do the unit cost there – amazing! Green smoothie ammunition for weeks! My housemate thinks I’m a freak when I make a big deal of these things.
omg 30 banana for a buck ten? That is truly a gift. lol.
Good God! Be still my little heart. I CAN NOT wait to try this recipe. I’m already in love and I haven’t even tasted it!
haha I love your enthusiasm!
So yummy! I actually am the opposite tho, I only like bananas when they are almost ripe. As soon as they are ripe I can’t eat them by themselves. I don’t have to worry about wasting them because my 4 kids go through a big bunch of bananas in 3 days flat. I have to hide a couple if I want to use them in baking.
I love baking them into healthy granola type bars for hiking and school snacks.
You so beyond funny! I am also a horder of black banana’s. Just yesterday I made your bananna cranberry oat bars. But since my husband loves chocolate and its that time of the month I subed the cranberry for chocolate. Needless to say it was amazing. Also if I were you I would use some of the left over bananas to make a chocolate bananna cupcake with a PB “butter” cream. But that could be my period typing. lol. Hope you have a great day!
ohh thanks for reminding me about those bars! Perfect way to use them up :)
I’m a big fan of bananas! I’ve been eating a lot of them plain, in banana-nut-butter sandwiches, in Green Monsters (I got over my aversion to drinking them in cold weather) and with Evan’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus.
I feel so much better about having 10 barely spotted bananas on my counter. Ryan says they are going bad, I say they are just about to get good.
I’ve never had bananas that go black like that, because they never last long enough! I know that sounds like we love bananas a lot, but it’s actually just because we can never look at it in the fruit bowl and feel like it’s going bad before our very eyes… plus we buy bananas very very rarely.
Oh deliciousness. I have two old bananas in my fridge. hmmm. hmmm.
Oh my gosh, epically delicious!
This looks like it would make a great “dessert” breakfast!
My dad, the notorious chocolate lover, can’t get enough of my banana bread! I’ve been making it since I was about 8 years old. It does use eggs and butter, so I’m unable to eat it, but he asks me every week to make him some. As a diabetic, I know this is much better for him than chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles (his other favorites), so I’m happy to make it every once in a while. Now, to perfect my vegan version so I can partake! (I might have to borrow this recipe…)
My usual grocery store always has a section of discounted bananas with red tape on them to show they’re “past their prime”–best thing ever! I always keep a bag of overripe bananas in the freezer for baking and smoothie purposes. I have a recipe from my grandma for “St. John’s Banana Bread” that I’ve made tons of times. It’s delish, but probably due for a healthy update :)
Love this recipe! I made something similar a while back, but it was more of a banana bread (non-vegan) type thing. Gotta love a good peanut butter glaze.
wow. that looks soo good. i hoard black bananas too :) by the way i made your spinach artichoke dip and it was SO good! everyone loved it and I’m definitely making it again
This looks absolutely amazing! What a perfect breakfast/snack/dinner… I’d take it anytime. I’m allergic to peanuts so I’d probably try making a chocolate sauce with coconut milk. Do you think that would be good with it?
Haha, I’m ALWAYS the one to eat the blackened bananas at my house,…I just can’t let bananas go to waste! :) This recipe looks amazing! I’ll have to make it for breakfast someday soon!
I’m a banana hoarder too! I also head straight for the 1/2 price bananas in my organic market, but I must have competition because lately I’ve been missing out on them. My kids would love this cake, and I’m always looking for great skiing snacks. This would be perfect – thanks!
oh.em.gee. I am way to hungry to be looking at food blogs this morning, as I’m pretty sure I might be slightly drooling at my desk. Awesome.
Clearly, this looks amazing!
omg, that looks amazing!!!
LOVE that baking dish your sister gave you! Where did she find it ??
I was reading on Jessica’s blog about how her pyrex pan shattered in the oven !? Had no idea that could happen, but its making me want to replace all of those baking dishes.
MMMM, those look fantastic! I am not a big peanut butter fan, though, but think I could still eat without the glaze! I <3 Bananas so much, and love that you can cook with overripe ones!
I am so tempted to run to the store for bananas (of course it’s the only ingredient I don’t have on hand right now!) but I’m sick in bed so I probably shouldn’t. But I seriously cannot wait to make this, it looks amazing!
Black bananas are the best!! You are not alone in your reduced produce-seeking ways… And I highly doubt green-tinged bananas could have produced something quite so decadent and delicious ;)
I absolutely love bananas! In fact, I was going to make banana muffins today specifically because I have black bananas. But now…. Oh decisions, decisions.
What a beautiful concoction out of those nasty looking bananas! My secret is, I love eating brown speckled bananas….just out of the peel ;) But I love, love baking with them too! I have a whack in my fridge that need to be used. I sniff something good coming out of this!
xxoo
I’m a huge banana fan! I love making banana cake with peanut butter frosting, so you can bet that I’ll definitely be making this recipe :)
I love that it can be gluten-free too!
I love super spotty bananas! I refuse to eat a banana with any green or even if it’s yellow but has now brown. They get so sweet if you just let them get spotty, and the browner they are the better for baking or oatmeal (my favorite use for them).
That’s what those bananas were made and oh-so-perfectly ripened for! I’m now dreaming of banana cake :)
mmm banana!
I like eating them frozen, black, from the freezer. Or in smoothies/green monsters :)
I was planning on making banana bread with my blackened bananas but now I might have to make this cake!
LOVE bananas!! I think we go through almost 2 dozen a week! And that’s just 3 people! They never make it to the black stage in our house.
That looks fantastic! I am definitely a banana fan. My favorite way to eat them is in oatmeal and cereal, but I also love them in my smoothies and banana bread is a weakness of mine. :)
I have 42 bananas in my freezer. They were black once. I peeled them and put them in ziploc bags for smoothies. I no longer want smoothies…I just want this cake. OMG!
I don’t like bananas but I really love banana bread and banana cake….weird I know!
That is HILARIOUS about Eric making you come clean about your black banana hoarding “problem”! I wonder if the blogging community should start a support group, because you are NOT alone!!!
I ALWAYS peel and freeze my bananas, do I seriously not need to!? I use them mostly for Green Monsters, but sometimes just to eat with peanut butter. I could be freezing them whole?!
This may be the best looking thing on the planet. I also have all the necessary ingrediants including some elderly bananas…Perfection.
Love this! My favorite banana recipe is my whole wheat banana bread! :)
Oh. My. Goodness. I looove pb and bananas together… and add chocolate? oh yes.
I am laughing tooooooo hard . . . Brad always threatens to start his own blog to “out” all of the things I do like the above mentioned black banana stash . . . How’s this for his blog name “LIVING With Life After Bagels”
Ummm, that looks RIDICULOUS. You. Are a genius.
I just made a fiber one, tofu/yogurt/creamcheese cheesecake last night and had…you know…maybe 2/3 of it for brunch? ;) Bahaha.
(Don’t worry, I made a “real” cheesecake too for people who might be unaccustomed to the thought of tofu in their desserts).
Also FYI due to your influence, the last time I went grocery shopping I bought 11 pounds of bananas.
ELEVEN.
That looks amazing – I love bananas. I stasrt my day off with one in my oats every morning! Yum!
*DRRRROOOOOLLL…..* This looks amazing! Gotta make it soon after I get bananas today! I couldn’t believe I had forgotten that I ran out of bananas this morning. Thanks once again Angela!
Why do none the of stores around me have a discounted produce selection?! Bananas in my house never make it to optimum ripeness for banana baking goodness. Must. buy. more.
Yummy! Thank you for saving perfectly happy and delicious bananas and for sharing this amazing recipe. You rock.
I have to put my hands up and admit that I am guilty of throwing away bananas that have gone black because I don’t like eating them like that BUT I prmise that from now on, I will salvage them and make this instead :-D
HOLY YUM!!!! you have outdone yourself yet again! another one added to my “must-bake” list!!! ;)
p.s. do you know where your sister got that casserole??? I NEED it for my kitchen!! it’s the same colour as my wall~
yup its from http://www.epicureselections.com/en/ “)
Pefect – thanks! :)
Ohh my that cake looks divine! And that glaze just puts this cake over the top! I can’t wait for my bananas to turn black now!
Love bananas and that cake looks fantastic! Favourite recipe to use bananas in = porridge and pancakes! :)
I’m totally with you about the Reduced Produce section. I’ve found many a lovely packaged banana, greens, cilantro, carrots, berries, and more. And on sale! :)
That is one yummy looking cake. I’ll have to keep the recipe handy for my next over-ripe banana score.
Wow, I would have probably tossed those bananas if they were leaking, but that’s just me who likes firm bananas. I do try to bake with them or make smoothies out of bananas that are past (my preferable) peak, though!
Is the “tablecloth” in that last picture a shower curtain? We used to have a shower curtain that looked EXACTLY like that. :-) Oh and the cake looks yummy, too!
BUSTED!!!!!!!!!! hahaha
peanut butter, bananas and chocolate? come on, it’s like you’re reading my food fantasy journal:D
I’m droolingggggg
That last photo is super, super gorgeous!
the best recipes ARE the ones that you just wing it and fly by the seat of your pants! thanks for remembering what you put in it (when i do that, all my measurements on my blog are….”approximate”…haha)
The oats, bananas, all in one bowl, just mashed up..PERFECT! That’s how I make most of my muffins and cakes…just throw in my ripe nanas and dry ingredients and sugar til I get a good batter and bake. And hope for the best :)
Love the frosting!!! PB + Choco = Winner!
:)
I love bananas! I use them in everything! My problem is I never leave them around long enough to get black! I am going to try your trick with the brown paper bag in the fridge, I just can’t forget about them! Love the recipe! Can’t wait to get some black bananas and try it!!
Ooh I love that last picture. It looks so cozy!
Wow, those bananas are hardcore. I had no idea they were still even remotely edible at this stage – good to know. And the cake looks delicious!
I just discovered your site a month ago right when I started the Alejandro Junger CLEAN program and you’ve been so helpful with great clean recipes!
This looks delicious! Question: Is that white chocolate peanut butter vegan?
yes it is…it just contains peanuts, and a bit of sugar and salt
oh this looks undeniably delicious!
Oh. My. Gosh. There are not words. You have managed to combine my four absolute FAVORITE foods into one fabulous recipe! I am trying not to lick my screen, would probably be frowned upon at work…
I am SO making this as soon as I find me some blackened bananas!!
Yum! One time, I asked one of the dining halls on-campus if they had any bad bananas, and they gave me a few for free! They were awesome in green monsters that week.
my favorite ‘special’ thing to do with banana’s are to make PB and banana “sushi” rolls.
soooo good and really fun to eat – just roll up banana and PB in brown rice (like you would sushi) and the “soy” dipping sauce is actually chocolate!!!
so cute and this could be fun for valentine’s day too!
that sounds fun!
… it is! also forgot to mention the rice is best made in coconut milk – im sure you could get creative with crunchy coconut flakes too!! oh man, it has been sooooo long since i made these, i think i just convinced myself to roll up a few :)
Everyone in the blogging world seems to be on a banana kick, which makes me sad because I’m allergic. I do like the taste of them when I DO try them (and then realize again why I shouldn’t eat them).
Ohhh my gosh this looks amazing, I am making it asap! I just made your peanut butter banana bomb muffins the other day and they were to die for…I substituted coconut butter for the yogurt in the filling, OMG. I love bananas oh so very much so keep these recipes coming : )
I just made this, and it came out amazing!! I didnt have any chocolate chips or nuts on hand (clearly i need to go grocery shopping!) but the bananas + brown sugar ended up caramelizing, and theres a subtle coconut taste, and its just perfect!!
thank you!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)
This looks incredible! I want a piece right now! And the ingredient list is so clean. Love that.
I’m a college student and I live in a suite with six other girls. Every morning, I wake up an hour earlier than them to sneak out and use the microwave in the quad kitchen to make oatmeal. I love making oatmeal with cinnamon, oats, Almond breeze, and to sweeten it, a black banana. Only, most people are very grossed out by black bananas. However, every time I come in with my completed meal and sit down to eat it, people comment on how good it smells (like a cinnamon roll! And it tastes like one too ;) ) One day, maybe I’ll offer to make breakfast for them all and after they’ve eaten I’ll whip out a black banana and be like, “You just ate THIS! Wasn’t it GOOD?” Until then, I’ll keep my black banana hoarding a secret.
ahah i to hoard black bannanas and am always looking for new recipes because the fiance gets pretty fed up with the freezer is full of them. thanks!
ahah i to hoard black bananas and am always looking for new recipes because the fiance gets pretty fed up with the freezer is full of them. thanks!
I love ripe bananas too. This weekend at the grocery store I made a comment to my husband tht you can never have too many bananas because if they get really ripe you can freeze them. A lady overheard me and asked if she heard me right about freezing bananas, and I told her that chopped and frozen they make a great smoothie, or whole and frozen you can just thaw a little and then squeeze out the end for easy baking. I may have created a new ripe banana lover (but hopefully not so much that she starts buying out the reduced price ones that I also love!).
This looks delish and I too am a`black banana hoarder only I hide them and forget about them……Just the other day I was cleaning out my purse and came across one that was way past walking death row :) I’m just lucky it did not explode on the inside of my purse…Whew!
Angela – this seriously looks absolutely amaaazing.
Sometimes I ask people for their black bananas! Is this socially acceptable?! :-) Most people throw them out because they look gross but little do they know the amazingness they can create.
I am currently baking these as muffins in the oven right now, so excited! :)
Bananas and chocolate? What’s not to love about this?!!
Oh, goodness. From the pictures, it looks almost like a cookie-cake. Must make this tomorrow. Can’t wait!!!!
I “save” the bananas at work that are about to get tossed. Thanks for another idea of what to do with them!
great idea :)
This recipe looks fantastic!!! I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, so I am anxiously waiting for the oven timer to go off!! If it’s as good as the batter was (hehe–it’s safe b/c there’s no eggs so what’s the harm in doing a little pre-tasting) then it’s going to be great!!
My in-laws love banana cream pie….I often make a really easy recipe that is on kraftfoods.com, but it certainly isn’t vegan. I also love the banana soft serve!!
mmmmm….update on the banana cake…the banana chunks mixed with the oaty cake and dark chocolate….there are no words! Banana soft serve would be an awesome compliment to this banana cake!
I admit I am one of those people who turned my nose up at the black bananas, but I may just need to change my ways!
I don’t comment often, if ever, BUT this one totally hit home. many times reading your posts i wonder if you were in my head while writing. i’m glad to know that i’m not the only one who hoards black bananas! when i first started eating green monsters i figured out the darker the better, my friends and family thought i lost it. the cake looks delicious! ill never feel ashamed of my bananas again.
hehe glad im not alone!! Im telling Eric!
My favorite ingredients: oats, peanut butter, banana, chocolate. I also happen to always have these ingredients on hand, so I can tell that I am going be making this cake this often. Starting this weekend! Thank you for inspiring my baking and cooking.
Wow! You always come up with the most amazing looking recipes. I’m drooling.
This looks phenomenal, like totally mouth-watering!! I’ve never seen a banana get THAT black before haha!
This looks amazing and I want to use that glaze on everything!
I am definitely a banana fan, and I love them turned into soft serve and layered with VOO :-) Your specialty!!
I love “rustic” recipes like that. Can’t go wrong with banana’s, chocolate, and oats.
Oh wow! I thought I was bad this morning, when the peels of the ripe bananas I was unpeeling practically fell off in my hands. But my bananas were still mostly yellow! I bow down to your hoarding techniques, and shall now have to get my bananas out of the freezer to make this. Sounds so so good!
OMG this is the combination of the best flavors in the world!!!
Now I know black bananas are gods gift to the earth if it ends up like that!
Haha oh my gosh, I’ve never seen such black bananas! I can never keep mine around long enough to get to that stage. :P
Do you think I could fit this cake in a 9×4 inch pan? I want to make it tomorrow!
Hehe. I love your story. Too funny; you are such a great writer. Oh, and the cake sounds deeeelicious!!!
HOLY WOW!!! I read your blog every day and don’t comment very often, but I had to give kudos where kudos are due! You go girl ;-)
I love banana and peanut butter ! It looks so delicious ! What camera are you using that your pictures come out so clear ?
My camera info is on my newly updated FAQ page at the top :)
I love bananas and also hoard them. I may have to use up some of my hoarded bananas with this recipe
Wow! These look so good! I just stumbled upon your website last week and I must say I have been so addicted! I was just talking to a friend last week (who only eat Raw food) and after talking to her I know that I have been needing to make some healthier changes in my families diet. One of the things that I was so dreading was giving up baking healthy until I came across your website. I have also been experimenting with the Green Monster (my kiddos love it and the name;) but I have had allergies to spinach for a while now and tried it today, no go! I was sick all morning. Do you have any suggestions with the kale so that I don’t feel like I have to chew my smoothie? Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
Alyssa,
For kale you want to tear it off of its stem then blend just the kale and 1 cup of liquid until you have a green juice. Turn blender off, build the rest of your smoothie and finally blend again until desired texture ;)
Hehe, I always procrastinate on eating my bananas and before I know it they’ve got the black plague…this looks unbelievable, though! I like banana walnut muffins – simple but tasty!
Cool! I just posted something similar ( but wayyyyy less healthy! hahaha ) Always a ton of ripe bananas around here! Aloha from Hawaii :)
Oh drool..how I love anything bananas but my allergy forces me to walk right by them.. I hate that so much.
I also horde bananas until they are past brown. I actually hide bananas from my hubby so that they’ll turn. He hates it and tells me it stinks up the whole place. I say, it’s my apartment too and I can stink it up if I want. I can’t wait to make this recipe. It looks out of this world delicious.
I just made this for dessert tonight, it was fantastic. I didn’t have any almond milk, so just used skim. It came out just fine. Thanks for sharing!
:D I just made your cake!!!! Can’t wait to try it….just a tiiiny bite for tonight, and a hunka slice tomorrow :P *droool*
that looks so good! it’s my bday next week and i wanted to make my own cake and this one sounds like a great idea since i love banana cakes =D
could i use plain flour for the oat processed flour? because i don’t own a processor..
Just made this, waiting on it to finish baking. The next 17 minutes are going to be the longest of my life!! Then I still have to wait while it cools!!
Hi Angela!
Did you read this interesting article about vegans and concern with heart health in yesterday’s
Globe and Mail?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/being-vegan-could-put-heart-health-at-risk-study/article1895285/?cmpid=rss1
Would love it if you would do a post about supplements you take if any and how you feel about them?
Thanks!
My fiance complains when bananas have ANY brown on them. I just don’t understand!
Little does he know, though, that I use those bananas in the breads and cakes he loves! Muw-ah-haha!
Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate? Best combo EVER.
That looks awesome! I love the reduced produce bin at my store too. I often score organic banana for .19/lb!
ahhahah rustic is right!! look at those mean bananas- that must have incredible flavor!
My favourite way to use up bananas is a modified version of this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins-101020
I use white whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour, sucanat in place of sugar, almond milk, and organic chocolate chips. They are SOOOOO yummy!
Oh My Word! I must try this! I have some banana’s at home and as soon as they are VERY RIPE I will be making this! I will let you know how it comes out! Can’t wait!
angela- two questions.
#1- i already have oat flour. would i used two cups of oat flour to replace the oats GROUND into flour, or would it be less..like 1 1/2 cups?
#2- do you think this cake would freeze well?
Yes, it freezes well- I reheated mine in the microwave with a bit of milk.
O. M. G. This is probably the best darn thing I have ever tasted! The smell in the kitchen, tasting it when it is warm fresh from the oven, drizzling the sauce over…I bet if I made this for any guy i’d get a marriage proposal the next day! Now to eliminate that stash of black bananas in my freezer, and make lots and lots of this cake!
This is amazing! Looks so delicious too. I totally hoard black bananas as well. There are anywhere between 5-10 in my freezer right now. They’re also great as a snack or as banana “soft serve” or baking, like you said…now I really wish I could make this instead of working! :)
Just made this and omg so simple and addictly tasty, 2 of us ate it all in one day. I should be ashamed but actually Im proud! ^_^
That is too funny your husband made you say that. I am a black banana hoarder, too! Love everything with banana in it!
I have four ready right now. I will make this cake!
*Drool* I just made this…..BEST BANANNA CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE I HAVE EVER HAD!!! YUMM-O! (I used flour instead of ground oats due to the fact it was late at night while making this and didn’t want to wake anyone up witht he food processor-worked wonderfully)
Did you use 2 cups of flour, or did you reduce it slightly? I’m making this for a friend coming in town this weekend and can’t take my eyes off my bananas, willing them to ripen even more quickly :)
I used about 1 and 7/8ths of a cup…only slightly less.
Love your style of writing, too funny! The cake looks heavenly.
Just put the cake in the oven. As I didn’t have any apple sauce, I used 1/3 c extra milk and 2 Tbsp ground flax and goji mix. Also, my bananas were just half black, couldn’t wait longer! The batter tasted wonderful though, so I think it’s okay. Some of it _may_ have vanished into my mouth. ;)
I made thsi yesterday and it is to die for!!!! OMG! I didnt do the glaze but i ate mine as a snack in between meals. I ate two pieces during the day. Its almost all gone and im planning to make another one in a few minutes!! It keeps me full while at work!!!! I also used regular 2% milk. For those who are looking at suggestions…..MAKE IT NOW!!! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!
haha u are so cute! Thanks for the feedback :)
Sweet!!!! We have a potluck this weekend and I was asked to bring a dessert! Guess what i’m making…. :p
I’m putting it in the oven right now… The PB glaze sold me on it pretty much right away! :) Emily
I have been reading your blog for a while but have never actually made any of your recipes until this one. It is amazing! I also used skim milk instead of almond milk. I didn’t have the ingredients for the glaze, but it still tastes great without it. I will be trying many more recipes after this one!
I am a newer reader to your blog. I stumbled across it in my search for some vegan dessert recipes. I recently had to go milk-free because my baby has a dairy allergy (I’m breastfeeding so he gets what I eat!) and this was what I thought going to be a huge adjustment. It’s been 11 days and I’m feeling so good! I am finding some true love of the vegan recipes. In addition, my 4 year old loves what I’m making and she has no idea how good it is for her. We’re big oat and banana fans so I made this tonight. I actually used pumpkin puree instead of the applesauce with great results. This is incredibly sweet! I didn’t even use the chocolate since I don’t have any that I can have on hand and it’s perfectly delicious as is. Love the texture! Thank you so much!
I saw this recipe yesterday when you posted it and decided immediately that I had to try it! I made it in the afternoon and my husband and I have been munching on it ever since! DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for this yummy creation! I made it this evening…I didn’t have time to make applesauce but I did find that I had a can of Organic Sweet Potato Puree so I used 1/3 cup of that in place — turned out amazing!
I’m making this this weekend for a friend coming to town and have been thinking about it all week. I bought bananas on Monday and keep staring them down, hoping they’ll blacken quickly- they’re getting there. I’m also making your double chocolate torte, so I just stuck the avocados in a paper bag with the bananas. Multi-tasking dessert-ingredient-ripening at its finest :)
Does the 2 cups of oats process into 2 cups of flour, or would you use a little less flour?
katie- i had trouble with this, too. i looked it up-
2 cups of rolled oats, after being processed, equals 1 3/5ths cups..or approximately 1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon!
have fun making the cake!
Great, thank you so much, Caitlin!
I’m not sure as I didnt measure it after processing. I see someone answered your question though! Thanks :)
You sure know how to whip up a recipe by the seat of your pants, Angela! :) I just made this recipe this morning (minus the PB glaze because I only had enough bananas for the cake) and my son and I are enjoying it warm right now. It’s fantastic! I cut the cake into 12ths and even a small slice is satisfying and dense. I think I’m going to have to try a strawberry-banana version of this once strawberries are in season this May. Yum!
DUH I’m a banana fan! I love em straight out of the peel or in muffins, cakes, breads, stirred into oats, smothered in pb, sliced up over ice cream w/ caramel sauce. oh my i don’t understand how my roommate doesnt like bananas… I guess she’s bananas! (ok i know that was a cheesy joke lol)
Do you ever freeze your black bananas? I also have a black banana hoarding problem and when I cant get to them quick enough I freeze them so I always have a stash. Thanks so much for your blog, I am new to it but I have enjoyed reading your posts!
I dont freeze them when they are black because I find that they crystalize pretty quick. I do freeze spotted bananas though and use them for smoothies. :)
I LOVE this cake! Made it without nuts, glaze or chocolate (because I wanted this NOW, it’s raining, I had a bad day…you understand) and it’s delicious. De-li-cious. I feel better already!
(Love the idea of buying black bananas. They are reduced in price? We don’t have this concept here in The Netherlands, but I think it’s a great one!)
This recipe was bookmarked even before I read it!
I hoard black bananas like they’re going out of fashion too – I even took two of my mum’s the other day because they were so black she was going to throw them away… I love making banana bread with them but I just freeze them if they’re going over and they’re just as good to cook with :-)
My Mom is a black-banana hoarder too, so I took advantage while visiting today and made this cake for an afternoon snack. I really appreciated the ground oat idea because my Mom doesn’t fair well with gluten. Everyone really liked it, but as a huge banana-chocolate fan, I LOVED it.
I love bananas! I use them in my overnight oats and love to add dried banana chips to my nut mixes. Overripe bananas are the best for smoothies and baking. I nice way to save the bananas from becoming completely liquid is to slice them up and put them in individual baggies in the freezer. Perfect for smoothies or baking at a latter date :)
angela.. i just made this. i left out the chocolate to yield a more “breakfast” type bake, but i’m regretting that i did now. i couldn’t resist waiting any longer, i had a warm piece and it was beyonddd delicious. so moist!! this is definitely my newest go-to recipe for overripe bananas. LOVE it! thank you girly!
glad you like it…the chocolate is really good in it, but I can imagine it would be good as a breakfast cake too!
Hi Angela :) Love your blog and your recipes! You and I have so much in common! I too have dealt with weight/food/body image issues my whole life! I could go on and on about it! It is so nice to see a blog by someone who loves food and fitness and finding the perfect balance between the two. I am going to make this cake, like probably tomorrow! Question about the icing sugar? Is that similar to powdered sugar and would that work? Thanks!
Hi Angela, silly me, dumb question about the icing sugar – DUH! Haha I figured it out on my own, kinda had a brain freeze moment I guess. But I did also want to ask you about chia eggs. I am not vegan but do make many vegan desserts/recipes. Could I replace the chia egg with the flax/water combo or just a regular egg? Thanks!
Hi Lori, it really depends on the recipe whether you can replace a flax egg or not, so I wouldn’t be able to say with any confidence. (Unless of course I am ‘veganizing’ a recipe that previously used eggs, but I usually say so in the post if I do. Goodluck!
Thanks so much Angela, We’ll be making this today!!! I am so delighted and grateful to have found you, honestly, I’ve come to your website daily now for the last 3 months (at least)… I almost feel like I couldn’t function any more in the kitchen without you, and for most of my adult life, I was doing okay, even had a reputation of being a ‘good’ cook! You are a BIG blessing! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Overnight Oat Parfait recipes…. seriously, I’m addicted…
Penny, thank you for your comment….that is so sweet! :)
Hi Angela!!!! OMG you are amazing!!! I made this today and we had it tonight for dessert and it is HEAVENLY!!! LOVED IT!!! I look forward to making many more of your recipes, you have so many great ones!! Love your blog and I enjoy seeing whats new from you daily :) Keep up the great work!
Thanks Lori!
Hi! I don’t think I have ever commented before, but I just wanted to let you know that I just made this cake with the ingredients I have, and it was AMAZING! I left out all the brown and white sugar (simply because I didn’t have any) and I also left out the coconut oil because I can’t find that here in Western Australia (I used a bit more applesauce). The bananas kept it sweet enough and the oil wasn’t missed. For the “frosting”, I only used peanut flour and a defrosted frozen banana because I don’t have icing sugar. Your version looks a lot gooey-er, (which I would have preferred and would have followed to the letter if I had had the correct ingredients), but working with what I had on hand, it was still moist, delicious and I honestly can’t stop eating it!! Thank you :)
Great modifications! I am happy to hear how adaptable it is :)
I made these into cupcakes! They make over 20 and only cook for 25-30 minutes. I wouldn’t fold in the banana next time for cupcakes and I’d definitely add more chocolate chips only because I’m a chocoholic! They’re perfect for sharing and my non-vegan roomies loved them!!
I LOVE THIS BLOG!
thanks Dori! Love your take on them too :)
I made this the other night when I had some friends over. And because I love peanut butter so much, I added some into the cake mix before baking it. It was soooo delicious! Everyone raved about it. We even ate the leftovers the next morning with our coffee and it tasted even better. Yum, I wish I had a piece now…
I just made this cake…it is cooling right now, with the glaze ready to go. I have yet to take a bite, but I can tell it is going to taste good! It smells better than almost anything I’ve baked before. I just love how it looks with all the oat and serious texture going on in there.
OMG, it looks SOOOO DIVINE :)
I can’t wait for my just-bought ‘nanners to become overripe, ha ha.
I just made this with craisins, raisins and walnuts.It’s so moist!!! And that glaze?!
Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Hi Angela! I’m a banana hoarder too….it has been 1 week since my last banana hoarding episode. Not really, but I do believe these little gold bundles should be treasured and not thrown. Last year when cyclone Yazi hit the Queensland (Australia) North coast and wiped out most of our banana growing region bananas sky rocketed from anout AU$2.50 per kilo to nearly AU$12.00 per kilo overnight. I siezed my window of opportunity and bought a whole box on special for AU$1.99/kilo and after the children had had their fill popped them straight into the freezer (in their skins). We had wonderful baked banana goodies all winter (everyone thought we must have been extremely wealthy to use for bananas for cooking at that price…ha ha). Anytime my bananas go black I just pop them straight in the freezer and I always have lovely supply for baking (obviously you don’t do this to eat them uncooked/baked). Cheers!
Great recipe! As my husband is diabetic I used Splenda with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and I used olive oil as I never eat solid fats but it was still wonderful, even without the topping which again had too much sugar for us. Thanks!
Glad to hear that!
I have oat flour already — is the 2 cups oats measurement of oat flour or the oats before they are processed into a flour? If it’s the latter, how much does that come out to be? I’m guessing less than 2 cups right?
Sorry for the late reply! Did you make it yet? I used two cups of rolled oats (before grinding) which should make about 2 & 1/8 or 1/4 cups oat flour or a bit less I think.
Sorry, did you mean 1 and 1/4?
if i wanted to make this recipe with regular flour would it be 1 and 1/4 cups of flour?
The oats make just over 2 cups of flour, so I would guess that you’d need between 1.75-2 cups of regular flour, although I’m really not sure how the texture will be impacted. Maybe read through some of the comments to see if others have tried it out? Good luck!
So Amazing!! I wanted it for breakfast, so I halved the brown sugar (1/4 cup), halved the choc chips and doubled the walnuts. I also made the glaze without any powdered sugar but added about a tablespoon of maple syrup instead–it was so perfectly moist, decadent & delicious!! No guilt included! I used some of those tiny bananas- ya know the ones about the size of your middle finger that come in a bunch of like 20!? Well they were as black as they could be and I think they made the cake!! Thanks! And this is most definitely going in my “vault”!! (BTW, found your blog courtesy of Laurn @ healthyfoodforliving.com :)
I made this cake today for my friend’s baby who just turned two. He is allergic to milk and eggs and his mom doesn’t like him to have too much sugar. I wanted to bake him a cake and I knew this would be the perfect recipe. I’ve had it bookmarked for many months but I’d never gotten around to making it! It was incredibly delicious! The baby is also allergic to peanuts (poor thing!) so I made the glaze with tahini–it was great! Thanks for a fabulous recipe!
Can i use old fashioned oats for this? :) Thanks!
yes for sure!
Thanks!
Just had this as my 20th birthday cake and it was out of this world, my family and I ate 2 cakes in one sitting, no one would ever guess it was healthy, let alone vegan. Will be keeping this one in regular rotation because it is absolutely perfect for any meal. Thanks! :)
Aw that makes me so happy! Happy Birthday Ashley!
Oh, hallelujah! A gluten-free recipe that doesn’t call for this and that white gluten-free flour mix. Thank you. I am going to print this off and go make it right now. In the oven is a spelt banana-chocolate-chip cake for my daughter’s birthday – and I knew I wouldn’t be able to have any of it. This is going to be MINE! :D (Well, I suppose I COULD share it with hubby who is also wheat intolerant.)
Amazing!!! New staple for me :D
You can always hurry the ripening process along by puttting your bananas in a brown paper bag with some apples for 24 hours, or so.
This is in the oven right now and ooooooh I’m so excited to try it! :D I was telling my mom all about your blog today I literally could not stop talking about it!
Just made this for a friend’s birthday yesterday and it truly was AMAZING (and easy)! All who ate it were shocked that it was vegan and GF, which is always a fun reaction for me to witness with “non-veggies” :-). Thanks so much for this recipe…it gets an A+!
Just letting you know this was the most AWESOME breakfast cake I have ever made! I left it in the fridge so it stays nice and cold!!! I also used white chocolate instead of dark so maybe it’s not as healthy…..but loved it! Recommend any other toppings beside the PB glaze?
I just made this, but I don’t love banana flavor, so I used ripe but not overly ripe bananas and omitted the sliced bananas. I also didn’t have applesauce so subbed some Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter that was waiting in the fridge. Delicious! I got my six-year-old to try a bite, but he turns his nose up at food that looks too “healthy.” ;-)
I have a problem with hoarding black bananas too!! Glad I am not the only one :)
Dear heavens. I made this tonight after a day of moving furniture, but having bananas that needed to be baked in something. It’s amazing. It’ll definitely become one of my standard baked goods.
I just wanted to let you know that this cake is by far one of my FAVORITE dessert recipes, and breakfast recipes (without the glaze and with peanut butter smeared on top) :):) I’ve made it for many of my friends who tend to be a little bit afraid of my overly healthy recipes-and they all love it too. Thanks!!
Could you substitute coconut sugar for cane or regular white? Would I use less, more?
Delicious!!! A quick question though: Are grapeseed oil/ sunflower oil alright as alternatives to coconut oil? You often use maple syrup as a sweetner so I was wondering whether agave syrup would be alright, too?
Yes I do think all of those would be fine substitutes. Goodluck!
Wow. What a huge success this was – received with raves at a work lunch, and thoroughly enjoyed personally as well.
Easy to make, not overly sweet. Wonderful flavour blend.
Made with what was on hand…substituted grapeseed oil for coconut oil; pureed an apple in place of applesauce; switched white sugar for maple syrup+baking soda; used gluten-free flour instead of ground oats; removed chocolate chips, added coconut.
Already have two requests to make more. Next time will increase the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves for a little more punch to the bread. May try a thin layer of apples through the middle for fun.
TY for another amazing recipe!
I made this and brought it to a kid’s birthday brunch. The kids LOVED it and the adults could not believe that it was vegan and healthy :) … Finally my friends are starting to believe me when I say that a vegan diet does not mean eating the same boring, tasteless food everyday, thank you for this recipe :)
Thats so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know. :)
My fiance got two cakes for his birthday – he requested Tres Leches (very not-vegan) and I decided to make him this one for breakfast. It was pretty awesome – with the glaze and all – but the next day (sitting on the countertop) it was even better! Moist and rich (without being high in fat).
I will definitely make it again and highly recommend to anyone looking for an easy, make-ahead dish to bring to brunch.
I made this one, delicious! Incredibly sweet though, which distracted me from the flavour a bit. The glaze was a great touch.
VERY *yummy*. Love it. I used more nuts (cashew and hazelnuts) and dried apricots instead of chocolate (I have an cocoa intolerance). It is soooooooo good :o). THANKS :o).
Oh wow! I used this as the basis for my banoffee birthday cake today, and it went down really well! I could big-up the vegan and lead by example :-) :biggrin:
This recipe sounds delicious but I question the amount of sugar in it. I doubt it is necessary as the bananas have a lot of natural sugars in them and so would the applesauce and of course the choc chips! I would omit the cane sugar and maybe even halve the brown sugar. This can then be a super healthy treat that we can eat with minimal guilt and still enjoy. Our palates get used to the reduced amount of sugar. Sugar is THE biggest cause of obesity and its associated health risks, but if we can retrain out palates we can still enjoy our sweet treats while running a lot smaller risk to our health.
I made this for my dad’s birthday and it turned out divine! Thank you so much for the recipe! Will be making this again.
This is fool-proof! I only had two ripe bananas so I used one for mashing and the other one chopped, added two tablespoons of coconut oil and 1/3 cup of almond milk, and processed six dates along with the oats. I also halved the amount of brown sugar as my chocolate chips were very sweet. My favourite part is how crispy it gets around the sides while still being chewy and moist in the middle. Yum.
Angela!
This recipe is great, and leaves space to experiment… first time I made it according to your recipe, next time I changed four things: I replaced 1/2 cup of the oatmeal with the almond pulp of making the almond milk, made it more breakfast-approved by switching the amounts of chocolate chips and nuts (mix of walnuts and hazelnuts), cut the amount of salt in half (I used Himalayan salt, I think that it has a stronger taste than other salts but I’m afraid to experiment haha), and used a 1/3 cup palm sugar instead of the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tbsp cane sugar and made up for the rest of the amount of sugar with grated coconut. It came out a little less dense than the original recipe (just a little less) but nevertheless, an 8th part still made a filling breakfast.
Question: considering the amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg and optional cloves, I’m wondering, are you replacing allspice?
xoxo!
Oh, I forgot! The second time I changed one more thing: I used two small bananas and one flax egg instead of two medium sized bananas – I think that made it a little less dense…
I have probably made this recipe 20 times since you posted it!! JUST LOVEEEE it!!! I hadn’t made it in a while, and recently found out I was allergic to dairy and gluten, was craving a treat and then I remebered this! Made it into muffins today, Thanks Angela for what has become a family favorite!!!
This is hilarious because my mom hoards black banana in the freezer ”
for smoothies”. But not a single one has made it into the blender. I tried using one one time for a smoothie and it did not feel safe. The worst part is how long they just sit in there.
I have all the ingredients to make this except for apple sauce. Is there a substitute you can suggest? Can I just add in apples?
Hi Jordanna, I would suggest subbing the applesauce with another 1/3 cup mashed banana. Enjoy!
Awesome cake! Super moist and great flavor… I didn’t add the PB glaze but it’s delicious without! I did add walnuts, and I love that there’s no guilt eating it for breakfast;)
Mmmm I just made this tonight and am trying to not go for seconds right now (as is my boyfriend). I used ⅛ cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup in place of the sugars. Unfortunately applesauce is not a staple of mine, so I added additional (unsweetened vanilla) almond milk to make up for this. I halved the glaze but it is so delicious I’m glad I didn’t skip it altogether as I originally planned. Well!….enough chatting I’d better treat myself to another piece!
Oh my gosh. This is my new favorite recipe. I made this last night because in had a bunch of bananas that were turning brown and didn’t want to make basic banana bread. 1. This was gone within 24 hours and 2. I’m making another one right now by request from my family who couldn’t get enough (and aren’t particularly healthy eaters either!). With the second one I’m using 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup walnuts. I bet its going to be kust as amazing as the other!!!! :-D:-D
I made this today! I didn’t have any black bananas, but I roasted two bananas at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and the cake turned out wonderfully.
I made this recipe this morning, and it’s delicious! Thanks!
I did this this morning and it was DELICIOUS!!! My bananas were cream-textured and blackened from the inside but they turned out fine. I omitted the glaze completely, subbed olive for coconut oil, lemon zest for vanilla and also added some more nuts and spices as you suggested, because well, i’m greek! Next time i will sub chopped pear for chocolate chips like we do in fanouropita :) Thanks for a great recipe!
I have been making this recipe for years (since you originally posted it!) and love it love it love it!!! Its the recipe I use when trying to convince my friends vegan food can be delicious too! Today I was out apple sauce- I subbed in 1/4cup hot water+1/3 cup medjool dates and upped the coconut milk(instead of almond) to 1/3 cup. I just put all the wet ingredients in the food processor to pulverize before adding to the dry. I also used 3/4 a chopped up 70% dark lindt chocolate bar (dairy free) instead of chocolate chips as I was out of those as well! Worked wonderfully!:)
I LOVE everything banana and I make banana bread all the time. This is by far the best banana cake recipe I’ve ever made! I made it last night and couldn’t resist having a piece before bed! WOW!!! It’s so moist it’s like a banana brownie! Haven’t made the icing yet…saving that for a more special occasion. I’ve been experimenting with vegan cuisine at home for about a month now and everything I’ve made from your page has been amazing! I’m trying to get my husband to fall in love with meatless meals and he’s given his stamp of approval each and every time! Thank you so much for your amazing page! Just bought your book…looking forward to it :)
I just made this cake tonight and it was awesome. I am not a huge cake eater, but this recipe is a keeper. I ran out of bananas and did not have any for the glaze no I made it with a chocolate peanut butter frosting. Thank you so much for your website!
My husband says he would be happy to eat this cake for the rest of his life, he loved it! So much so he took another piece while I was on the phone, glaze and all!! If he wasn’t already married, he said he would seek out the woman who made it, not sure how I feel about that?!! Thanks for a wonderful recipe, glad it made him happy, and was very easy to make. I enjoyed it too, and was amazed how lovely the glaze was, even with a defrosted frozen banana, which was is all I had left to use for the glaze part. The glaze was quite thick, but I added a little maple syrup which helped to thin it a bit, and enhanced already the delicious flavour overall. Well done and thank you!!
I made this just now for my husbands birthday which lands on Thanksgiving this year. No pumpkin pie for him! I did sub in fresh pumpkin purée for the apple sauce, the batter tasted great, we will have to see how it is. Still cooling, looks and smells amazing!! Can’t wait to dig in!
I made this for thanksgiving and froze some slices that we’ve been reheating all week! I want to make again with less sugar so it’s more breakfast-y but my bananas aren’t ripening fast enough! I’m wondering if you think canned pumpkin (or roasted, mashed butternut squash?) or a different substitute could stand in for the mashed banana?
Update to my last comment: using mashed winter squash in place of the banana worked! If you can’t wait for bananas to ripen you can bake a squash! I used 2/3 cup of acorn squash for the banana and used raisins in place of the chocolate chips. I also folded in a ripe chopped banana and toasted sliced almonds with the raisins. Used a little under the full cup of brown sugar. Delish!
Those bananas are not “very ripe” they have turned into alcohol. Ripe bananas are spotty, but yours are completely black.
This is fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.