Name: Vegan Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Snacking Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ground flax + 2.5 tablespoons water (1 flax “egg”); 1 cup mashed banana (from 2 medium very ripe bananas); 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar; 1/4 cup sunflower oil or melted coconut oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup almond milk; 3/4 cup spelt flour; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 cup cocoa; 1/3 cup chocolate chips; 2/3 cup rolled oats (optional); 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural, unsweetened peanut butter; Pinch of sea salt (omit if the peanut butter you are using is salted)

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This vegan chocolate banana snacking cake with peanut butter maple icing is a wholesome option for a mid-day treat or after dinner dessert. Beloved by kids and adults alike, it is a great anytime cake that is particularly nice with an iced latte.

Note: This post was originally published on July 9th, 2020, and was updated with an improved recipe and updated photos on April 8th, 2021.

Are you on team cake, or team cookie? I’m a bonafide cake connoisseur, though I can’t say no to a good cookie, either! I know, given the summer heat, baking might not be at the top of mind right now. (I’m definitely not as keen to bake at the moment, but curiously, that hasn’t stopped me from making two batches of these vegan oat fudge bars in the past five days.) But a cake such as this one is really wonderful to have on hand for when those snack cravings strike, and you really only need to have the oven on for 35 minutes.

So, let’s discuss this vegan chocolate banana oatmeal cake in detail. Its title is admittedly wordy, but this cake is easy to make. Because it’s made with wholesome ingredients, it definitely suits as a snack. However, it’s just as delicious for dessert, especially when served with a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice cream!

It is inspired by a similar version that my mom used to bake quite often when I was growing up. The original version had an oat, sugar, and cinnamon topping, but given how well peanut butter pairs with chocolate and bananas, I opted to make a maple peanut butter icing instead. The icing is delicious in its own right: It is equally divine on ice cream or as a dip for fresh fruit!

vegan chocolate banana cake ingredients

To make this cake, you’ll need the following ingredients: Ground flax seed, ripe bananas, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla, coconut or sunflower oil, almond milk, spelt flour, all purpose flour, baking soda and powder, sea salt, cocoa, chocolate chips, and apple cider vinegar. (Rolled oats are optional; my earlier iteration of this recipe included them, but I usually leave them out now.) For the peanut butter maple icing, you’ll need coconut oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, and sea salt.

how to make this cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 8×8-inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flax and water. Wait a couple of minutes for it to thicken before adding the mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla, oil, and almond milk. Whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk/stir just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and rolled oats, if using. Then quickly stir in the apple cider vinegar.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

To make the peanut butter maple icing, melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, peanut butter, and a pinch of salt. Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the icing over it and transfer into the fridge. Refrigerate until the icing is firm, at least 90 minutes. Slice and serve!

substitutions for allergies

To make this cake gluten-free, use your favourite gluten-free all purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill. You can likely get away with oat flour in place of the spelt flour, too, though the cake will be more dense and chewy if you take this route. (But then again, all the more reason to eat it for breakfast, right?)
To make it nut-free, replace the peanut butter in the icing with sunflower seed butter.

how to store this cake

It is important to store this cake in the fridge, since the icing becomes too runny at room temperature.

more healthy sweet vegan snack recipes

If you’re looking for more healthy vegan snack ideas, check out these recipes:

I hope that you love this vegan chocolate banana oatmeal snacking cake! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below. And share a photo to Instagram: Tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen to be featured in my stories.

And that’s about all I have to say for tonight! I’ll be back soon. 🙂