Looking for a yummy make-ahead sweet treat? Banana Crumb Coffee Cake is perfect for brunches, afternoon tea, or even as an indulgent breakfast!
Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday! How are you celebrating the moms in your life (or yourself!)?
I’m back home after spending an AMAZING 11 days in Ireland (follow my Instagram feed and stories for pics and watch for travel tips here soon!). I love traveling but it’s so nice to be home with my family again. We’re planning a low-key Mother’s Day brunch here at our house with my parents, and my brother and his family.
Recently, I shared 35 Make-Ahead Brunch Recipes that are perfect for Mother’s Day. And I am excited to share one more: my make-ahead Banana Crumb Coffee Cake!
In the words of my husband, “This is the best banana cake I’ve ever had.” It’s light, fluffy, and moist- literally so perfect!
-MELISSA
Got ripe bananas to use up?
If you buy a lot of bananas like we do, you inevitably also end up with some ripe ones near the end of their prime that you want to use up. There’s only so much chocolate chip banana bread one can make.
So I also like to make this Banana Crumb Coffee Cake to mix things up.
So good!! Definitely a new favorite.
-Katie
Bananas + Coffee Cake + Crumb Topping = Food Bliss
I used to think that coffee cake had actual coffee in it. Nope. Coffee cake is named as such because it is usually enjoyed with a cup of coffee. That said, I think it would be amazing to make an espresso coffee cake! But, that’s for another time.
Right now, let’s talk bananas. If you have a couple of ripe bananas that you need to use up, this banana coffee cake with streusel topping recipe is a delicious way to do so!
It was delicious! Lovely recipe! Perfect with coffee!
-Kara-lynne
Dairy-Free Banana Crumb Coffee Cake
This Banana Crumb Coffee Cake recipe is:
- more moist and tender than plain ol’ coffee cake, thanks to the addition of ripe bananas,
- dairy-free, although you can use regular dairy if you don’t have a dairy allergy or sensitivity,
- topped with crunchy sweet crumb topping
- perfect with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast, brunch, afternoon snack, or after dinner dessert!
How far in advance can I make this recipe?
You can make this yummy recipe a day in advance and either store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze this cake inside an airtight freezer-safe container for up to one month. Simply thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
“Amazing! Took it to work for my staff and I have to make another one as it was gone too fast and everyone loved it! So freaking good!”
– Reader Christine
These are my tried and true kitchen essentials. These are the best kitchen tools and appliances I personally cook and bake with in my own home! From my favorite cooking tools to baking tools, the best small appliances for home cooks, and more, this kitchen essentials checklist will help you master most recipes in your home kitchen!
Best Multi-Cooker Appliance
I love my Ninja Foodi! I have the Foodi 8-Quart 9-in-1 Deluxe XL Pressure Cooker (model FD401). In addition to pressure cooking, it can air fry, broil, dehydrate, slow cook, sear/saute, and more. And I can often cook two items - a side and a main dish - at the SAME time in the Foodi!
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Best Instant Pot
I have and use this 8-quart Instant Pot Duo a few times a week. Be sure to check out my Instant Pot Recipes!
Best Blender
This Vitamix is one of the more affordable Vitamix blenders, and it gets the job done! I use this blender almost every day, for smoothies, soups, sauces, and so much more!
Best Stand Mixer
This 5-quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer is a workhorse in my kitchen! I use it almost every day for everything from cookies to pizza dough to icing. I use mine so much, I have two: one in a limited edition Ocean Drive color, and one in white.
Daterra Cucina Cookware
Daterra Cucina is a Portland, Oregon-based family business that makes my favorite everyday cooking pans! They are professional grade, ceramic, non-stick, non-toxic pans that cook food BEAUTIFULLY and are super easy to clean. I love them and know you will, too!
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This is my newest air fryer, purchased in 2019. I love my basket style air fryer, but also needed to do recipe testing with a rack/tray style air fryer since so many of you now use this style. The InstantPot Vortex Plus is a 7-in-1 workhorse that serves as an Air Fryer, Toaster Oven, and Rotisserie Oven, which allows it to Air Fry, Rotisserie, Roast, Broil, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate. The 10-quart capacity means you can air fry A LOT OF FOOD in one batch! Versus making several batches in the 5-6 Quart basket style air fryers.
Best Air Fryer: Basket Style
During our kitchen remodel, I learned how to create delicious dishes using our GoWise Air Fryer, and I love it! This 5.8 Quart, 8-in-1, XL Air Fryer is perfect size for families with 3+ people.
Best Large Capacity Air Fryer Basket
This Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer is a 6 Quart, basket air fryer with 4 One-Touch Programs, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat. The basket can accommodate a 2-pound bag of fries and a 4-pound chicken.
Best Crockpot
This is my newest slow cooker - the CrockPot MyTime Slow Cooker. I LOVE it!! It's a 6-quart programmable slow cooker with an easy-to-clean ceramic pot.
Another Great Slow Cooker
I've had this Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System for 10 years, and it's amazing! I love using it mainly as a slow cooker. I also love to use it to keep food warm for parties. Cleans up easily too!
Best Ice Cream Maker
I have the older version of this 2-quart Cuisinart ice cream maker and it is still going strong after 10+ years! It's so easy to use and comes with a great little instruction booklet that's easy to follow.
More Recipes You Might Like:
- Classic Chocolate Chip Bars
- Gingerbread Loaf with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Mini Citrus Bundt Cakes
And check out my latest cookbook, The Super Easy Teen Baking Cookbook. It has 60 beginner-friendly, step-by-step baking recipes.
Banana Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe
Banana Crumb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Layers
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), cut into small cubes, I use vegan butter to keep this dairy-free
- 1 cup all purpose flour (gradually add more by the tablespoon if needed)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, again, use vegan butter for dairy-free option
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup almond milk (you can also use 1%, 2%, whole milk, or even buttermilk)
Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with butter or cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, use your hands or two forks to crumble together the cold butter cubes, flour, sugars, and cinnamon until the mixture resembles a crumbly topping. Set aside the crumb mixture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, mix softened butter on medium until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix for another minute, until well incorporated. Then add the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and mix just until ingredients are incorporated (do not overmix!)
- Turn the mixer down to low, and alternate mixing in milk and flour until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1/3 – 1/4 of the crumb mixture. Then pour the remaining cake mixture on top of that layer and finally, top evenly with the remaining crumb topping.
- Bake at 350º for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the optional glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add more milk as needed until you get the glaze consistency you prefer. Set aside.
- Cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before drizzling the glaze over the top, slicing, and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe was excellent. Everyone loved it!!
-April
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Can this recipe be made in a bundt pan?
Hi, Kerry! We have not made this particular recipe in a bundt cake pan before so I cannot say with certainty whether it would work or not. If you do try it, please comment again and let us know how it turned out for you. I’m sure others may be curious too! 🙂
I love this recipe. It has become one of my “go-to”s for parties. I was wondering if you ever tried it with other fruit. I was thinking of making it with strawberries or peaches. What do you think?
Do you have a cup or oz measurement for the bananas in this recipe? I’d love to scale up to feed a crowd but am unsure of the volume of how many bananas I have (more than 10). Thanks!
Hi Janessa! One mashed banana is approximately 1/2 cup, so this recipe as is works great with approximately 2 or 3 bananas, or 1 to 1-1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
It turned out soggy on the bottom under the crumb in the middle. It tastes great though.
Sorry to hear yours turned out that way, but happy to hear it still tasted great!
Can I use recipe in muffin pan
I made this cake a few times and it turns out great however, recently the cake turns out denser. Do you have any tips?
Hi Amira! First, so glad to hear you have made this a few times and loved it! There are several reasons why a coffee cake might turn out dense. One of the more common reasons is over-mixing. Another is over-baking, even 1 minute or 30 seconds can make a difference in final texture. And sometimes even the slightest change in ratio of ingredients – such as a slightly overfilled teaspoon of baking powder – can make a difference. Hope it turns out more the way you like it again the next time you make it! Thanks again for making this recipe often! ❤️
Delicious!!! The only issue I had was I needed to bake much longer to cook through. It took 1 hr 15 min at 350F to fully cook. I added some oats to the crumble for extra crunch. I couldve eaten the whole thing!! will make again for sure.
So glad you loved this recipe, Lisa! Thank you for sharing!
Oh my goodness!! REALLY good! Just my husband and I here so I cut the recipe in half and added 1/4 cup chopped pecans to crumb topping. Baked in 8×8 glass pan for 35 minutes. Left the icing off & it was just perfect like that.
Yay! Thanks for sharing how you adapted the recipe for two people. So glad you loved it! ❤️
I am excited when I see the bananas going black because I know I will be making this recipe! I make it exactly as written and the family always loves it – thank you!
I’m thinking about making this recipe using gluten free flour. If that’s a terrible idea, let me know before I get started! Haha I’ll follow back with how it goes…
Hi, Anna! I have not tried using gluten free flour, so I cannot say for sure how it will turn out. However, I do see a comment from Tracy here, where she did use gluten free flour. She rated it 5 stars and her comment (if you can’t find it – it’s down a ways) was “Delicious! Very moist compared to many other coffee cake recipes. I substituted gluten free flour blend.” Hope that helps. Let us know how it goes!
I was trying to find the perfect cake/sweet loaf to give to friends and family for Christmas and this was it. I did my test batch to see if it was gift worthy and the cake I made is fantastic. I used 1% milk instead of almond, and salted butter and only 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. i didn’t make the glaze either, just ate it as is
Great recipe. I used four medium bananas. Fabulously moist and delicious.
I won’t use my aging bananas for any other recipe! This was delicious and easy.
Wondering if this could be made using jumbo muffin pans for individual “cakes”. Has anyone attempted this?