Whenever a craving for a quick yet delicious any-day kind of dessert kicks in, this Carob Chip and Walnut Banana Cake proposes to hit all notes and more. It combines the fruity element of banana with the tasty appeal of homemade carob chips. To take things further, there is no dairy in this recipe and it is gluten-free. Walnut pieces lend a nutty aspect to this vegan banana cake’s flavor profile. The best part? It is definitely a one-bowl recipe. It is that simple to prepare!
Our favorite experience with this would be the “crunch” that is quite uncommon with most banana recipes. With a crisp exterior and moist interior, each bite features just the right amount of sweetness. If more carob flavor is desired, a generous dusting of raw carob powder or roasted carob powder is recommended.
Carob Chip and Walnut Banana Cake Details
It is worth mentioning that there is no egg in this recipe. For non-vegan options, we’ve listed some recommendations below.
- Ripe Bananas. We recommend choosing bananas that are just ripe, not overripe, to ensure the perfect level of sweetness.
- Gluten-free Flour. If this is not available, brown rice flour or almond flour could be used as alternative.
- Homemade Carob Chips. Please make your carob chips ahead of time, at least 24 hours before baking.
- Walnut Pieces. Other nuts can be used as replacement.
- Avocado Oil. For those who enjoy butter, that as a direction one could take too.
- Coconut Sugar. Brown sugar, organic maple sugar or any desired sweetener will do if coconut sugar is unavailable.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk. We designed this recipe to cater to a broader set of audience. Please feel free to use any milk of choice, plant-based or not.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. We suggest using the real kind.
- Pinch of Salt. Potassium salt works as an option as well.
- Baking Powder. Make it gluten-free baking powder, if needed.
This recipe fits in a round cake pan or any loaf pan. For photography purposes, we used three 4-inch round mini-cake pans.
Enjoy this carob dessert with any beverage of choice. We recommend our hot carob milk for a full Australian Carob experience. Cheers!
Carob Chip and Walnut Banana Cake
Equipment
- 1 Baking Oven
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cups mashed banana*
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 3 tbsps unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup homemade carob chips (Use this carob chip recipe)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, whole or pieces
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line your preferred cake with parchment paper or coat it with avocado oil. For this recipe, we used a mini-cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
- Add mashed bananas, avocado oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract into the dry mixture. Stir until well-combined.
- Fold in carob chips and walnuts.
- Transfer batter to the lined cake pan (or mini-cake pan). Add extra carob chips on top if desired.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- If coconut sugar is unavailable, please feel free to substitute organic maple sugar or any sugar of preference.
- We used three (3) mini-cake pans here for photography purposes. However, loaf pans or regular cake pans can be used as well.
For more homemade gourmet carob recipes using Australian Carobs, please visit CarobRecipes.com.
