This recipe made its first appearance in our Healthy Eats with Six Sisters’ Stuff Cookbook (p. 189) and we’re finally adding it here! Bake it in one pan, cut it into squares, and you have the perfect snack, lunchbox addition, or lighter potluck dessert.
What is Banana Sheet Cake?
Banana sheet cake is a soft, single-layer banana cake baked in a half sheet pan and cut into squares. Because the batter spreads thin, it bakes faster than a banana bread loaf or traditional cake, while easily serving a crowd. Our health(ier) version is sweetened with honey and ripe bananas. The added applesauce keeps it nice and soft, instead of using butter or oil.
Compared with banana bread, banana cake is usually lighter and has a softer crumb. It’s cut up into squares instead of loaf slices, which makes it easier to serve at potlucks or parties. If you’re craving a classic version (that is a little sweeter), try our Frosted Banana Cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made without butter, oil, or white or brown sugars. Honey and ripe bananas sweeten the cake, while the applesauce keeps it nice and soft.
- Uses overripe bananas. Don’t throw out those browned bananas! The spottier the bananas, the sweeter the cake.
- Feeds a crowd. One pan makes 15 squares – so it’s perfect for potlucks, picnics or big family gatherings.
- Kid-friendly. Our kiddos love this one, and the mini chocolate chips spread evenly so you get a tiny bit of chocolate in each bite.
- Simple ingredients. You probably have most of these ingredients already! Plus, you can make it in one bowl, with no mixer needed.
Banana Sheet Cake Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Bananas: you’ll need about 5 medium ripe bananas (the more brown spots, the sweeter they are!). You can also ripen bananas in about 20 minutes using this method if you need to.
- Honey: This is the main ingredient to help sweeten the cake. Use a pure, raw honey for the best results (it’s a little thicker and will give the cake the best texture).
- Applesauce: This adds moisture to the cake because there is no butter or oil. We like to use unsweetened – the ripe bananas, honey and sprinkle of chocolate chips add enough sweetness.
- Eggs: These help the cake set up and give it a tender texture.
- Vanilla extract: We like to use pure vanilla extract for the flavor, but imitation vanilla will work in a pinch.
- Baking soda: this is the cake’s only leavening agent, so make sure your baking soda is fresh.
- Seasoning: you’ll need a dash of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg to add a little bit of flavor (and they taste great paired with the banana!).
- Flour: a simple, all-purpose flour is all you need with this one.
- Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips: We like to use mini chocolate chips because they spread more easily throughout the batter. They are also completely optional, so if you want a completely refined-sugar-free cake, leave these out or swap them for cacao nibs.
How to make Banana Sheet Cake
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a half sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mash your bananas.
- Mix. In a large bowl, stir together mashed bananas, honey, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour and stir. Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips.
- Bake. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan, then sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool, then slice into squares (about 15) and serve.
Tips for the best Banana Sheet Cake
- Use the ripest bananas you have! The riper the banana (aka more brown spots), the easier it is to mash and the sweetener it will be.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir until the flour just disappears and there are no longer streaks of it in your batter.
- Check for doneness a few minutes early. Ovens and pan thickness can vary and affect the time needed to cook the batter.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cut squares.
Reader Favorite Variations and Substitutions
- Add nuts: Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips (or in place of them!).
- Dairy-free option: skip the chocolate chips (or use dairy-free ones) for a sweet, dairy-free treat.
- Make them into muffins: want to make muffins instead? You’ll want this recipe (you’ll need to add another leavening agent to make sure they turn out okay).
- Frosted version: Looking for a classic frosted banana cake instead? Try this recipe or use the frosting from it to spread on top of this one.
Storage
Cover and store for up to 4 days at room temperature. To freeze, let it cool completely, then wrap squares tightly in plastic wrap and add them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Banana Sheet Cake Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This banana sheet cake recipe uses applesauce instead of butter and oil, and honey instead of white or brown sugar.
As ripe as you can – you’ll want mostly spotted bananas. They’re sweeter and have a stronger flavor (plus they mash more easily!). Bananas that are still mostly yellow or even green will give you a milder cake that’s much less sweet.
This recipe uses a half sheet pan (which is 18”x13”). This helps it to bake quicker, like in 20-25 minutes. Using a smaller pan will make a thicker cake that will need more time.
Absolutely! Let the cake cool completely, cut it and wrap the squares tightly, place them in a freezer safe bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
You can, although the texture and flavor will change slightly. It’s a one for one substitution, so use ¼ cup maple syrup in place of honey.
The most common reason for a dense or gummy cake is over mixing the batter. Make sure you only stir the batter until the streaks of flour have just disappeared. Be careful not to underbake the cake either, or it can be too dense. Bake until the middle of the cake bounces back when touched lightly, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love
- Cream Cheese Banana Bread
- Banana Crumb Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
- Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Brown Butter Banana Bread
Healthier Banana Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a half sheet pan (13×18”) with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together mashed bananas, honey, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
- Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour and stir until well combined.
- Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly in the prepared half sheet pan.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ cup chocolate chips on top of cake and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the middle of the cake bounces back when touched lightly.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
