Moist, fragrant and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, this easy Low Sugar Banana Cake uses only 60g of added sugar for an entire 8 inch cake!

Banana cake is one of those familiar, comforting bakes that can easily contain more sugar than necessary. Because very ripe bananas already provide plenty of natural sweetness and flavour, I wanted to see how much added sugar I could reasonably remove while sitll producing a cake that is fluffy and satisfying.

After testing, I settled on just 60g of white sugar for the whole cake. If you divide it into 12 pieces, that works out to only 5g of added sugar per serving. The cake is gently sweet rather than completely sugar-free, allowing the banana and buttery fragrance to take centre stage.

This recipe also uses both melted butter and vegetable oil. The butter provides a richer aroma, while the oil helps the cake remain soft and moist even after it has cooled. Best of all, everything can be mixed together easily without a mixer or complicated techniques.

Why You’ll Love This Low Sugar Banana Cake

  • Uses only 60g of added sugar for an entire 8 inch cake
  • Moist, naturally sweet from the very ripe bananas with a nice height
  • No yoghurt, sour cream or special ingredients needed
  • Easy to prepare by hand, difficult to go wrong!

Optional Variations

There are many flavour variations you can explore for this low sugar banana cake, and you can easily switch things up!

  • Banana Walnut Cake: Add 60g – 80g of chopped walnuts into the batter and you can also scatter a little more over the surface before baking. You can consider toasting the walnuts for a nuttier finish.
  • Banana Chocolate Chip Cake: Add 60g – 80g dark chocolate chips. Dark or semisweet works particularly well because the cake itself is not overly sweet.
  • Brown Butter Banana Cake: Brown the butter until fragrant and golden, allow it to cool slightly before adding it into the batter.

Final Notes

This Low Sugar Banana Cake shows that reducing sugar does not have to mean giving up flavour, height, or moisture. The key is using sufficiently ripe bananas and retaining enough fat and liquid to keep the crumb soft.

Wth only 60g of added sugar, a simple mixing method and ingredients commonly found at home, this is an approachable everyday cake that works for breakfast, tea or sharing with family and friends. It is especially useful whenever you have a few very ripe bananas waiting to be used!

Without further ado, the recipe.

Low Sugar Banana Cake Recipe
by Javier Tan August-24-2026

Moist, fluffy and naturally sweet, this easy low-sugar banana cake uses only 60g added sugar for an entire 8-inch cake. No mixer needed!

Ingredients 

  • 300g Bananas (weighed without peel), approx 3 – 4 large bananas, mashed + additional as topping (optional)
  • 3 Large Eggs, approx 55g, weighed inclusive of shell
  • 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp or 60g of Granulated White Sugar
  • 3 Tbsps + 1 Tsp or 50g Milk, room temp
  • 1/4 Cup or 60g Butter, melted and cooled to room temp
  • 3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp or 40g Oil
  • 1 Tsp or 5ml Vanilla
  • 2 Cups or 240g of Plain Flour, sifted
  • 1 and 1/2 Tsps or 6g of Baking Powder, sifted
  • 1/2 Tsp or 3g Baking Soda, sifted
  • Cinnamon, optional, to taste
  • Approx 1/2 Cup or 80g Chopped Walnuts, optional

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until pureed (you can leave a few chunks if you prefer).
  2. Next, whisk in the eggs and sugar until combined.
  3. Then, whisk in the milk, melted butter, vegetable oil and vanilla.
  4. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and walnuts / chocolate if using any.
  5. Transfer the batter to an 8 inch round tray, top with more bananas, and bake 160C in a pre-heated oven for 48 – 55 minutes until nicely golden brown.
  6. Slice when cooled.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 30 mins
  • Cook time: 45 mins
  • Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Yield: Makes 1 Low Sugar Banana Cake

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Store well at room temp in an airtight, covered container for up to 2 days. If you plan to store longer, refrigerate it for up to 5 – 7 days.
  3. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan