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    Home » Breads & Baked Goods » Muffins and Quick Breads

    Banana Pecan Coffeecake (25 cents/serving)

    Published: Feb 27, 2021 · Modified: Sep 10, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Dark brown sugar and pecans add flavor, sweetness, and crunch to this Banana Pecan Coffeecake. It’s like all that’s delicious about banana and toffee rolled into one.

    We’ve got several amazing coffee cake recipes. Be sure to try Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. Love cinnamon? Check out our Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe.

    closeup of coffeecake on plate this …

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    Jump to:
    • Serving suggestions
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Freezing instructions
    • Recipe Costs
    • Banana Pecan Coffeecake Recipe

    Do you go through a lot of bananas at house? It seems like you can never keep them on hand long enough. Between Monkey Salad and Magic Monkey Bananas, who could ever let bananas go to waste?!

    That said, inevitably one can overbuy. Or just forget that there was a beautiful bunch of bananas on the counter just a few days ago.

    When I’ve got a couple brown bananas, this coffeecake is one of my favorite things to bake up. This amazing, Banana Pecan Coffeecake that tastes like banana and toffee all rolled into one is sure to be a hit at your table. Freezer-friendly and highly packable, it makes for a great meal prep recipe.

    coffeecake packed with yogurt and egg

    Serving suggestions

    Coffeecake is one of those misnomers. There’s no coffee in most coffeecake recipes. Rather, it’s often served with coffee as a breakfast, snack, or dessert.

    Similar to Spiced Blueberry Coffeecake or Pumpkin Coffeecake with Pepitas, this version features whole grains and a toffee-nutty toppings, making it perfect for quick breakfasts. It’s easily packable alongside yogurt and a hard cooked egg.

    This Banana Pecan Coffeecake recipe is also great for slipping into lunchboxes or serving as a casual dessert.

    ingredients for recipe

    Ingredients

    This is a typical coffeecake recipe calling for standard quick bread ingredients:

    • flour – I like to use both all-purpose and white whole wheat—the latter to add a bit of hearty whole grains to the mix. You can use 2 cups of either if you prefer.
    • sugar – While I’ve made this with granulated sugar, it tastes better with brown sugar which adds the toffee-like quality to it. Remember you can make your own brown sugar if you run out.
    • butter – This is the fat in the cake as well as what helps the streusel topping get its crunch. You can also use margarine, oil, or coconut oil if that’s what you have on hand.
    • baking powder – You can’t omit this. If you do, you will end up with a flatbread/cookie-like concoction. Not unpleasant, but decidedly not coffeecake. You can make your own baking powder if you run out.
    • salt – Again, not something you can omit as salt adds texture and flavor to baked goods. Fortunately it’s pretty cheap.
    • milk – I use regular milk, but you can use coconut, almond, oat, or soy milk as well as buttermilk.
    • egg – You only need one, but if you run out, you can use flaxseed as an egg substitute.
    • vanilla extract – This adds great flavor, but can be expensive. You can leave it out or use maple or rum extract instead. You can also use a teaspoon of straight rum as well. I promise it works.
    • pecans – I love the combo of pecans and bananas, but you can use any nut you have on hand.

    The distinctive of this recipe is, of course, bananas!

    Bananas are also the perfect baking ingredient, making a lovely appearance in Chocolate Banana Marble Cake,  Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting or Coconut Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips. This coffeecake is a great way to showcase them.

    That said, if you don’t have bananas, you can substitute banana baby food. Yes, really! It’s typically just bananas and lemon juice. So, if your baby has grown or won’t eat jarred banana, bake it into a cake! Patty cake, patty cake!

    butter flour and sugar in food processor
    crumbs in processor
    crumb mixture in bowl
    bananas in processor
    wet ingredients in processor
    adding wet to dry in bowl
    batter in bowl
    batter in pan
    crumbs and nuts atop batter

    Instructions

    I use a food processor to mix up this Banana Pecan Coffeecake, but you don’t have to. You can use a pastry blender if you prefer.

    • In the processor bowl fitted with a metal blade, place the flours, sugar, and butter. Pulse several times until coarse crumbs are formed.
    • Remove 1 cup of the crumbs and set this aside. Transfer the rest of the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.
    • Back in the processor bowl, add the bananas. Blend until smooth.
    • Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract to the processor. Blend until smooth.
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and fold to combine.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
    • Sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the batter.
    • Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the crumbs.
    • Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wired rack before serving.

    Storage

    Store the coffeecake in a covered container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

    wrapped squares
    bag of wrapped squares

    Freezing instructions

    I love having grab-and-go snacks on hand in the freezer. Squares of banana coffeecake are prime candidates!

    • Cut the cooled coffeecake into squares.
    • Wrap each square in plastic wrap.
    • Place the wrapped squares in a ziptop bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
    • To serve: pull out as many as you’d like to serve and thaw at room temperature.

    Recipe Costs

    Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

    • all-purpose flour – $0.15
    • white whole wheat flour – $0.22
    • brown sugar – $0.72
    • butter – $0.92
    • bananas – basically made with bananas that are too ripe to eat fresh, so let’s count this as free!
    • milk – $0.05
    • egg – $0.25
    • vanilla extract – $0.25
    • baking powder – $0.02
    • salt – $0.01
    • nuts – $1.33

    A large banana nut coffeecake costs $3.92 or 25 cents/serving. Commercial coffeecake ranges from 37 cents to 70 cents per serving. Bakery cakes will cost even more, making homemade a much more affordable option.

    banana coffeecake on table with coffee

    How you can save even more:

    You can save even more with the Good Cheap Eats System! Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

    • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down.
    • Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy just one bag of flour. Instead I stock up when I see a sale. I also have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill or buying them in bulk from VitaCost. I practice the same bulk buying for spices and other baking ingredients.
    • Check the produce clearance. Often times the grocery store finds itself with a surplus of overripe bananas. They are happy to unload them for cheap. Be sure that you snatch them up for a good price. (In my neck of the woods this would be about 50 cents a pound or less. Preferably less.)
    • Omit the nuts. The pecans are the priciest ingredient in this recipe. You can omit them, buy them at a better price, or use a different nut. If you decide to purchase pecans, plan on using the rest of them in another recipe like Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Pecans.

    Kitchen Equipment

    This Banana Pecan Coffeecake recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

    Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

    • Silicone spatula/spoon – I have two or three of these – so convenient!
    • 9×13-inch pan – I love the ones that come with plastic lids for easy storage and stacking in the freezer.
    • food processor – I have had a food processor for 23 years and use it several times a week. It’s fantastic for making quick work of this recipe.
    mugs of coffee with plate of cake
    If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
    banana coffeecake on plate

    Banana Pecan Coffeecake Recipe

    Dark brown sugar and pecans add flavor, sweetness, and crunch to this Banana Pecan Coffeecake. It’s like all that’s delicious about banana and toffee rolled into one.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 253kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
    • 2 cup dark brown sugar can also use granulated sugar
    • ½ cup butter
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 ripe bananas mashed
    • ⅓ cup milk
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup pecans (chopped)
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, brown sugar, and butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
    • Remove 1 cup mixture and set it aside. Transfer the rest of the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.
    • Back in the processor bowl, add the bananas. Blend until smooth.
    • Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract to the processor. Blend until smooth.
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and fold to combine.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
    • Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the nuts. Sprinkle the pecans over the batter.
    • Bake the coffeecake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
    • Store the coffeecake, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    Notes

    Note: The dark brown sugar lends a toffee flavor to this recipe. You can use other sweeteners, but the flavor nuances will change.
    Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 
    Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1/16 the recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on August 7, 2018. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Molly

      October 07, 2021 at 8:07 am

      I saw the instant pot banana bread with chocolate chips this morning, and this recipe was recommended on that post, and this sounds just perfect for today. Yum!

      Reply
      • Molly

        October 07, 2021 at 2:31 pm

        5 stars
        Oh heck yeah, this is delicious and is totally going in the rotation. That slight taste of banana (not as much as banana bread) and the caramel-y deliciousness of the dark brown sugar go really well with the pecans. YUM!

        Reply
        • Molly

          November 26, 2021 at 6:18 am

          5 stars
          I try to follow up on recipes when I can. I made this and shared it with my husband’s coworkers in early October. Yesterday I saw several of them: THIS is the baked good they requested again – and I have made a bunch of other options since they had this.

        • Jessica Fisher

          November 29, 2021 at 7:31 am

          Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Molly. I love your feedback.

    2. Lizzy

      August 24, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was easy to follow and delicious to eat. I tend to be a little European in my taste for sweets, meaning that I prefer less-sweet desserts and treats. Consequently, the only thing I didn’t love was that this cake was actually too sweet for me. As this is not a problem with the recipe, I am giving five stars. I enjoyed the cake, but I will try reducing the sugar using the method explained here:
      https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2017/04/26/reduce-sugar-in-cake/
      Will this result in more banana flavor and less toffee flavor? I don’t know. But it’s worth a try.

      If you’re not sure whether to make this recipe, I can say that everyone in my family, ages 4-38, loved this cake (my wonky sweet tooth aside). I bet your family will love it, too.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        October 07, 2018 at 8:30 am

        Thanks for your feedback, Lizzy! I like to reduce the sugar as well, just not here. 😉

        Reply
    3. Rebecca

      August 18, 2018 at 8:26 am

      5 stars
      My family tolerates banana bread, and they devoured this in a day!
      Thank you for a new way to use bananas.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        August 18, 2018 at 9:08 am

        Woohoo! Success!

        Reply
    4. teresa

      April 24, 2013 at 9:31 pm

      sounds delicious. i think i’ll make it for a family reunion/breakfast we have coming up soon. thank you!

      Reply
    5. Kelly

      April 24, 2013 at 9:16 pm

      Yum!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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