Meet the Healthier Banana-Crumble Layered Flapjack Cake. Bit of a long name I know, but I couldn’t come up with anything better to describe it.
It was born out of a need to use up some bananas which, with the excess of Christmas food, had been left ignored in the fruit bowl and were on the way to binsville. Mr GF (who hates waste even more than I do) was not happy, so it was time to get inventive.
Being a bit overdosed on decadence after the seasonal binge, this is a healthier treat. Full of good stuff, it passes for a sustaining breakfast as much as it does a sweet snack. Doused in custard and served warm or cold, it also makes an incredible dessert.
What’s in it?
Choc-full of cholesterol-busting, slow energy-release oats, which are complimented by wholegrain sorghum and buckwheat flours, this treat is also loaded with the goodness of the coconut, in no less than four forms….. coconut palm sugar, syrup, oil and (of course) straight desiccated. Layered with mashed banana and a sprinkling of nuts and cherries, this all adds up to a plateful of goodness and a happy tummy.
The next question has to be flapjack, crumble or cake?
To be fair, it is closer to a flapjack, being distinctly oaty and slightly chewy when you eat it, although definitely not so sugary sweet. However it also has huge overtones of crumble, being crunchy and slightly crumbly on a top which overlies the sweet fruitiness of the banana hidden within. The cake element comes from the addition of the flours which slightly temper the density of the oats and the decision to make it round rather than as a traybake.
Whatever you call it, this bananary bake is delicious and very very moreish.
It is pretty allergy and intolerance friendly too! If you scan the list of ingredients, you will see that it is not only gluten free, but also free of dairy, soy, rice, egg and is also vegan.
So if you are looking for a little treat which is nutritionally naughty and uses up those rank bananas, look no further. This is the layered flapjack-crumble cake for you!
I am sharing with the following linkies to share the brown spotty banana love far and wide!
Love Cake with Jibber Jabber – this month’s theme is Nuts About Cake
No Waste Food Challenge with Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Gluten Free Fridays with Vegetarian Mamma
Sunday Fitness & Food with Marathons & Motivation
Other recipes for using up bananas on Gluten Free Alchemist :
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Chocolate-Banana Coconut Brownies
Banana Buttermilk Pancakes
Coco-Banana Freeze Bites
Best Banana Bread
Banoffee Cake
Raw Chocolate-Raspberry ‘Fudge’
Healthier Banana Layered Flapjack-Crumble Cake
Ingredients
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
3 medium to large over-ripe bananas
20g chopped walnuts
15g chopped roasted hazelnuts
30g rough-chopped glace cherries
15g dried desiccated coconut
extra brown sugar to sprinkle
Method
- Base-line a deep 8 inch/20 cm round loose-bottomed non-stick tin with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- In a large bowl, beat together the melted coconut oil with the sugars and coconut syrup until very well-blended.
- In a separate bowl, weigh together and mix thoroughly the oats, flours, salt and xanthan gum.
- Add the dry oat-flour mix to the beaten sugars and oil and stir until completely blended and ‘wet’ looking. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl (you can use the one that you weighed the dry ingredients into), mash the bananas and mix thoroughly with the nuts, cherries and coconut. Set aside.
- Spoon half of the oat-based mix into the baking tin, spread to cover the surface and press down gently with the base of a glass or the back of a spoon to condense.
- Next spoon all of the banana-nut mixture onto the base layer and spread evenly with a spoon.
- Finally, spoon the rest of the oat-based mixture on top of the banana layer and again spread to cover evenly, gently pressing the mixture with the back of the spoon to bring together.
- Sprinkle over a little brown sugar and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and crisp on top. (Before you place in the oven, ensure you have put the baking tin on top of a baking tray as there is likely to be a little leakage of oil as the ‘cake’ cooks.)
- When done, remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes in the tin.
- Loosen the sides and carefully remove the ‘cake’ from the tin. Set aside to cool completely (or serve warm with custard as dessert).
I am so 100% behind the idea of a breakfast flapjack crumble cake! Oh my goodness this looks fantastic, and what a great way to use up those neglected bananas! Thanks for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge! 🙂
Thank you Elizabeth. It is definitely better than toast! x
I love the idea of having a moist filling in the middle of a flapjack bar as they can be dry sometimes so this certainly ups the ante!
The banana layer added another dimension for sure and I think intensified the bananaryness. I loved it! x
This looks amazing! I love the idea of a crumble with this, Pinned. Thanks for sharing at Sunday Fitness & Food 🙂
Thanks Angela. You're welcome x
Wow, your flapjack sounds soooo healthy and looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome Margot xx
I love the sound of this. It looks awesome too!
Thanks Vicki x
I'm always after new recipes to use up bananas. This would be great before (and after!) our Saturday morning runs.
Absolutely Ness. Perfect for an energy boost! x
This sounds totally delicious! We always seem to have brown bananas in the fruit bowl so will have to make this next time. Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare X
Thanks Mandy. I thoroughly recommend it! x
I was just eying off some bananas that are not getting used today – I like the sound of a flapjack crumble cake if only because it does sound like eating your cake and everything else too all at once!!!
For some reason, bananas always make me creative. I think they are so versatile when they are going 'off'. But this has to be one of the best things that I have made with them!
Hope you got to use yours up with something fun! x