Dairy Free Banana Cake

This dairy free banana cake light, fluffy, and delicious. You can make the recipe plain and enjoy as is, but I love adding chocolate chips and walnuts for an even better flavor.

My mom made this cake all the time when I was growing up. It was my family's delicious way of putting old, soft, spotted, and even blackened bananas to good use.

I have to admit, while this cake is good plain, I rarely eat it that way.  Instead, we always add dark chocolate chips, making every bite so incredibly good. 

A number of years ago we started also adding walnuts to the mix, which has made this banana cake practically addictive! 

In fact, one of my brothers liked it so much, that he even asks for it as his birthday cake.

Jump to:

• why use overripe bananas?
• Can I use frozen bananas?
• Variations
• How to Measure Flour and Other Dry Ingredients
• Why Does This Recipe Use Oil?
• Do Eggs Need to Be at Room Temperature?
• Can I Make This Without Using Eggs?
• What kind of sugar should I use?
• Can I use honey instead of sugar?
• What Kind of Vanilla Should I Use?
• Can I use baking soda and baking powder interchangeably?
• how do you halve this recipe?
• Pan Size Conversions
• How to store
• How to freeze
• Other cake Recipes You May Like
• Other dairy free Banana Recipes you may like
• Dairy Free Banana Cake

why use overripe bananas?

This recipe is great for overly ripe bananas that are spotted but not mushy, but I find this cake comes out best when using half ripe or spotted and half mushy bananas. 

There are a few benefits to using overripe bananas in baking. 

First and foremost, older bananas give a stronger flavor than fresh bananas - the darker the better.

Secondly, they are easier to mash than fresh bananas. 

Lastly, it allows you to repurpose them instead of having food wasted. 

How to Measure Flour and Other Dry Ingredients

The best way to measure dry ingredients is with a scale, but in the United States, dry measuring cups are usually used instead.

Weighing ingredients is useful for home bakers, but it's especially important for professional bakers because they work with huge batches. 

I usually use dry measuring cups when baking too, because I didn't grow up in a country that generally weighs ingredients, so please don't feel like you can't use them.

To measure most dry ingredients, first spoon them into a dry measuring cup and then level off the measuring cup with an upside-down butter knife.

Make sure not to pack it down because this will cause you to use more of the ingredient than the recipe calls for.

Brown sugar is the exception to the rule, though. To measure brown sugar, pack it into the measuring cup and then level off any excess.

To measure chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, just pour them into the dry measuring cup and then level them off.

What are dry measuring cups?

Dry measuring cups are the set of cups that usually come with measuring spoons. Each cup is a different measurement, just like each spoon is a different measurement.

Liquid measuring cups, on the other hand, are the cups that usually hold more than one cup and have lines on the side that mark the measurements.

The problem with using liquid measuring cups to measure powdery dry ingredients, like flour and cocoa, is that you shake the cup to level them off. This causes the powder to settle, and you end up with more than you need.

I tested this with a friend who didn't believe me, and we ended up with a quarter cup more flour than the recipe called for.

Should I sift the flour and other dry ingredients?

It's usually recommended to sift your powdery ingredients, like flour and cocoa, before using them.

Sifting aerates the flour and removes any lumps, which helps make baked goods fluffier.

It also helps you get a more accurate measurement than when you use flour that's been packed tightly in a bag.

And sifting dry ingredients together, like flour, cocoa, and baking powder, helps make sure they're evenly distributed in the batter. Which honestly, I think is probably overrated, so I personally never bother with it.

Why Does This Recipe Use Oil?

Cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and quick breads made with oil usually bake up taller, have a better crumb, and a lighter texture than ones made with butter.

They also tend to stay moist and tender longer.

In fact, some recipes call for both oil and butter, instead of only butter, if they want a lighter and airier texture while still keeping the butter flavor.

I created a baking with oil - butter to oil conversion chart for you in case you want to convert some of your butter recipes to oil recipes.

Which Type Of Oil to Use

I don't specify in the recipe which type of oil to use because it's mostly personal preference and I don't want anyone to feel they have to use specifically that type of oil. For the most part, you can use whatever oil you feel most comfortable using.

I use neutral oils like canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil.

You can also use stronger oils like olive oil and coconut oil, but keep in mind that they may change the taste somewhat.

If you're going to use olive oil, use the one labeled pure olive oil because it has the mildest flavor. This should make the flavor a lot less noticeable.

Is It Better to Use Canola Oil or Olive Oil?

Canola oil is relatively cheap and, due to its lack of flavor and high smoke point, is very versatile.

Olive oil, on the other hand, is generally considered a healthier choice.

So, really, it's whatever you prefer.

How to Store Oil

Store oils in a cool, dark place to prevent them from becoming rancid.

If you store them in the fridge, some oils, like olive oil, may solidify and look strange, but don't worry, they'll return to normal at room temperature.

Coconut oil begins to solidify in temperatures under 76°F or 25°C.

Are Eggs Dairy?

No, eggs are not dairy.

Dairy is milk and any food products made from milk, including cheese, cream, butter, and yogurt.

So, while eggs are an animal product, they are not dairy.

Recipes like scrambled eggs made without milk are dairy free even though they contain eggs, since they do not use milk or butter.

If this sounds like a silly question to you, you'd be surprised how many people think eggs are dairy because they're in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

How Can I Tell if My Eggs Are Still Good?

Fill a glass with cool water and submerge the eggs.

If the eggs sink to the bottom and lay flat on their side, they're still fresh.

If they sink but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass, the eggs are older but still good to use.

If an egg floats to the top, it's very old and should be checked carefully for signs of spoilage before using.

How Do I Replace Eggs in Recipes?

After being asked by a mother how she could make one of my dairy free recipes for her child who is allergic to eggs, I did a lot of research into it and started making egg free recipes too. I'm here to help you know 🙂

So, if you want to make pretty much any recipe eggless, here's how you do it:

Eggs do three things in most recipes: they help bind the ingredients together, help them rise, and add moisture.

For example, eggs are the primary binder in a pumpkin pie, creating a sliceable custard, but in my chewy brownies they mostly just help them rise.

So, to replace eggs in fluffy things like eggless chocolate cakes and eggless cornbread, use ¼ cup of water per egg called for.

For cookies like my eggless chocolate chip cookies, use 2 tablespoons of water in place of each egg.

In pies like eggless pumpkin pie or in recipes like eggless meatloaf, and really anything that uses eggs as a binder, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ⅓ cup of water per egg. Though don't try this with matzo balls, because it doesn't work-believe me, I've tested it and ended up with a big mess.

What kind of sugar should I use?

You should use white granulated sugar, which is also called white sugar, granulated sugar, and table sugar.

If you live in the United Kingdom, you can use caster sugar instead.

You should not use powdered sugar, which is mostly used for dusting desserts and making frosting, icing, and glazes. But it is sometimes used to make fudge.

Can I use honey instead of sugar?

If you'd prefer to use honey instead of sugar, like I do in my honey challah recipe, you can. However, it may somewhat change the taste and the texture.

Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you don't need as much of it. As a general rule, use ¾ cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar.

• 1 cup sugar → ¾ cup honey
• ¾ cup sugar → ⅔ cup honey
• ½ cup sugar → 6 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup sugar → 3 tablespoons honey

Honey also adds liquid to the recipe, so you'll need to reduce the other liquid. For every cup of sugar you replace with honey, reduce the other liquid by about 3 to 4 tablespoons.

• 1 cup honey → remove 3 to 4 tablespoons liquid
• ¾ cup honey → remove about 2¼ to 3 tablespoons liquid
• ½ cup honey → remove about 1½ to 2 tablespoons liquid
• ¼ cup honey → remove about 1 tablespoon liquid

If there isn't enough liquid in the recipe to remove, you can remove it from the egg whites instead, but NEVER remove it from the oil.

Honey also causes baked goods to brown more quickly. For this reason, avoid using honey in recipes that need to be baked at temperatures above 350°F or 175°C.

What Kind of Vanilla Should I Use?

There are several types of vanilla you can use in baking, including vanilla extract, imitation vanilla, vanilla paste, and vanilla beans.

For everyday baked goods like muffins, cakes, cookies, and quick breads, some options are more practical than others.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, which extracts the compounds responsible for their flavor. It is the most common type of vanilla used in baking.

When a recipe-including mine-calls for vanilla extract or simply says "vanilla," this is the type of vanilla that is generally being referred to.

Can I use imitation vanilla?

Imitation vanilla, also called artificial vanilla or vanilla essence, is considerably less expensive than pure vanilla extract and works well in everyday baked goods.

Since vanilla extract can be expensive, you can use imitation vanilla in my recipes without a problem.

Imitation vanilla can be used spoon for spoon in place of pure vanilla extract.

Though, keep in mind that some imitation vanillas are better than others, so if you can, try to use a good one.

Can I use vanilla paste?

Vanilla paste is a thick mixture containing vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract. Commercial vanilla pastes may also contain sweeteners, thickeners, or other ingredients. It can generally be used in place of vanilla extract and leaves visible flecks of vanilla bean in your baked goods.

Vanilla paste can generally be substituted for vanilla extract spoon for spoon.

Can I use vanilla beans?

Vanilla beans are the pods of vanilla orchids. The seeds inside the pod can be scraped out and added directly to a recipe.

Vanilla beans are more expensive and less convenient than extract, so I wouldn't recommend them for everyday baking.

But if you want to, you can use about 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for each inch of vanilla bean called for in a recipe.

This is only an approximation, since vanilla beans vary in size and strength.

Can I use vanilla sugar?

Vanilla sugar is sugar that has been flavored with vanilla. It is particularly common in Europe and parts of the Middle East, including Israel.

It can be made by storing vanilla beans in sugar, mixing vanilla bean powder with sugar, or combining sugar with vanilla extract. Some countries also sell vanilla powdered sugar for use in confections.

You can substitute vanilla extract with vanilla sugar spoon for spoon.

How Should I Store Vanilla?

Keep vanilla extract and other vanilla products away from heat and direct light. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Can I use baking soda and baking powder interchangeably?

No. Even though baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents that make things rise, they work differently and aren't generally interchangeable.

When baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate) is combined with acidic ingredients, it makes carbon dioxide. This helps batter or dough rise and gives baked goods a light, fluffy texture.

That's why baking soda is commonly used in recipes have acidic ingredients, like buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, or natural cocoa powder.

Baking soda is also roughly four times as powerful as baking powder, so you don't need a lot of it. Using too much can actually give your baked goods a bitter or metallic taste.

Baking soda needs enough acid to react with it, so substituting it for baking powder can leave things flat and tasting off.

Baking powder, on the other hand, is a combination of both baking soda and an acid, so it doesn't need an acidic ingredient in the recipe to create carbon dioxide.

This makes baking powder useful in recipes that don't have enough acidic ingredients to activate baking soda. For example, it's commonly used in recipes like matzo balls and biscuits.

Because baking powder is less powerful than baking soda, recipes generally call for more of it. So, if you try to use baking soda instead of baking powder, the texture won't come out right and the flavor will probably taste disgusting.

Why do some recipes call for both?

Some recipes use both baking soda and baking powder because they do slightly different things.

For example, my chocolate cake has enough acid for baking soda to react with it, but if you'd use enough baking soda to give the cake the lift it need, it would ruin the flavor and you'd have to throw the cake out.

So, instead of adding more baking soda, the recipe uses baking powder to give additional rise.

How can I tell if my baking soda and baking powder are still good?

Both baking powder and baking soda can continue to be used well past their best by dates, but they become less potent over time and can eventually stop working altogether.

To test baking soda, pour 3 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar into a small bowl, add ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and stir. The mixture should rapidly bubble if the baking soda is still active.

To test baking powder, pour 3 tablespoons of warm water into a small bowl, add ½ teaspoon of baking powder, and stir. If the baking powder is still active, it should fizz.

how do you halve this recipe?

If you halve the recipe, you will need an 8-inch square baking pan. 

Start testing for doneness about 5 minutes early.

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