This Banana Chocolate Chip Cake or Chocolate Banana Bread is everything you dream about. Imagine a rich, moist, chocolate cake with a hint of banana flavor and lots of chocolatey bursts from the chocolate chips.
I have baked many chocolate cakes over the years, and I came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t and couldn’t pick a favorite. That’s because each of these chocolate cakes has a little secret, something inside that makes it special and perfect for different occasions.
Why Banana Chocolate Chip
This Banana Chocolate Chip Bread has an incredible chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips with a very moist crumb from the bananas. I added hazelnuts for an extra delicate crunch. This Chocolate Banana Cake is the perfect coffee or tea time companion!
I use quite a lot of cocoa powder and little flour. This gives this easy sheet cake a very deep rich dark chocolate flavor which is complemented perfectly with tiny bits of milk chocolate pieces to fulfill any chocoholic’s dream!
This simple, humble Chocolate Banana bread is special because it has mashed bananas in it! It doesn’t necessarily add much banana flavor, rather just a tiny hint. But the bananas add a lot of moisture to the cake and make it stay fresh for 4 days.
The bananas also give this chocolate cake a slightly denser and chewier texture, so it isn’t exactly a fluffy cake, nor is it a brownie with a dense texture. It is exactly in-between!
I love making this recipe into a sheet cake, a loaf bread or muffins. Here’s a detailed recipe video:
H0w to make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins or Cake
In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, oil, buttermilk and cocoa powder. Whisk this mixture well until it’s all very smooth.
In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.
Gently fold the dry mixture into the banana cocoa mixture until just combined into a thick pudding-like batter.
Add the chocolate pieces and hazelnuts and fold them into the batter, then pour it into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean (melted chocolate is ok, but not batter!).
Cool the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake in the pan, then cut it into squares and serve!
Make this cake today or on a lazy weekend morning and enjoy it with your cup of coffee, or use it as an excuse to get rid of some really ripe bananas laying on your counter! Enjoy:)
Tips for Chocolate Banana Bread
- Feel free to substitute the milk chocolate with dark or semisweet chocolate for a darker richer chocolate taste! I love using hazelnuts here because it’s really my favorite combo with chocolate, but any other nuts would work just as fine!
- I love to make this Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip cake in an 8-inch square pan and cut it further into squares like brownies, so they feel like a fluffier version of brownies.
- I’ve also made this chocolate chip cake in a loaf pan or a muffin tin, even in a springform pan. All the same perfect texture, just different baking times.
- Read and Check out this Whole Wheat Banana Bread recipe and post for more tips.
- Don’t miss this incredible Banana Swirl Cinnamon Roll Pancakes – banana lovers dream!!
- And this Cream Cheese Banana Bread Muffins – a classic banana muffin made luscious with a layer of cream cheese! YUM!
More Cake Recipes
- Easy Blood Orange Cakes And Glaze
- Best Orange Carrot Cakes
- Mini Brooklyn Blackout Cakes
- Mini Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
This Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cake recipe is everything you dream about. Imagine a rich, moist, chocolate cake with a hint of banana flavor and lots of chocolatey bursts from the chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup light brown sugar (1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ( 1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup milk chocolate pieces (from a good chocolate bar!)
- 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and take an 8-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, oil, buttermilk and cocoa powder. Whisk this mixture well until it’s all very smooth.
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In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt.
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Gently whisk in the flour mixture into the banana cocoa mixture until just combined into a thick pudding like texture batter.
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Add the chocolate pieces and hazelnuts and fold them into the batter, then pour it into the prepared pan.
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Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean (melted chocolate is ok, but not batter!).
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Cool the cake in the pan and then cut it and serve!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to substitute the milk chocolate with dark or semisweet chocolate for a darker richer chocolate taste! I love using hazelnuts here because it’s really my favorite combo with chocolate, but any other nuts would work just as fine!
- I love to make this Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip cake in an 8-inch square pan and cut it further into squares like brownies, so they feel like a fluffier version of brownies.
- I’ve also made this chocolate chip cake in a loaf pan or a muffin tin, even in a springform pan. All the same perfect texture, just different baking times.
This looks like an amazing recipe. I would like to ask can i use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder instead of dutch process? Because where i stay the Dutch process is not easily available. Could u please let me know how can i replace the dutch process?
Hi Taniya, yes absolutely! Use the type of cocoa powder that you enjoy the taste of.
Wow, this was really yummy. I did 1.5x the recipe and did a 3 layer round cake. It was done at 30 mins. Everyone really enjoyed. Definitely needed a glass of milk with it though since I topped with chocolate frosting!
So happy you enjoyed this!! I’ve never did 1.5 the recipe, so glad it worked for you!!
Easy and delicious
Thanls Gracie!
I would love to make this in a 9×5″ loaf pan, but what would be the baking time and temperature?
The baking time would be between 50-70 mins, just keep an eye on it!
If I make this in a 9×5″ loaf pan, what would be the baking time and temperature?
Same baking temperature but adjust timing to around 50-70 mins.
I love that you’ve added buttermilk to this recipe – I bet that it makes it so moist! The Hazelnuts are also a brilliant addition for some texture. This recipe looks absolutely delicious!
It really is so moist!!
I love how delish this looks. The color is so glorious and so simple and easy to make. Banana and chocolate is always a great combination for me and then you topped it with hazelnuts. Feels like you made these for me. Yum!
hahaha thanks Veena!!
WOW!! I’m totally in awe with all the flavors going on. The cake looks so rich and dense. And talk about chocolate!! You not only have it in the chips but throughout the entire cake. And then you upped it some more with the hazelnuts. Whew!! My mouth is watering. The recipe is a keeper.
hahaha Thanks so much Marisa!!
that batter looks so good and chocolaty I think I would be eating this before it got baked! WOW!
oh Claudia I hear you!!
Mmmm….this chocolate banana cake looks so tender and moist! What a wonderful recipe for the fall baking season.
Thanks Denay!!
Although I don’t like banana but I love the moisture it gives to this chocolate cake .It makes it special
yes Mona it really does a lot of moisture!!
Really nice recipe and the chocolate did mask the banana flavour but yet it was so chewy and delicious! Thanks for sharing????
Thanks!! So glad you enjoyed:)
Thanks David, I bet you’ll love this one! 🙂
I must admit that I was pretty hesitant to try this one out since I’m not a super huge fan of banana bread but seeing all the photos kinda made me really crave for a chocolate cake and didnt wanna bake a brownie and eat tons of butter
This is the perfect in between you’re looking for Shahi! Hope you like it:)
Thanks Thalia–I’m flattered you like the photos! I hope you try it out soon!:)
They are Laura! And the banana lends so much moisture to the cake. Hope you try it soon!
Even though I dont like bananas but I ll try it since I love brownies
You will enjoy this very much!:)
Dear Mahi,
The recipe is amazing. I love sweets. The texture , taste and presentation of this cake is just perfect.
Thank you!:) Hope you try it soon and enjoy it 🙂
Dear Mahy
I really like the recipe above , thou wanted clearfication of the amount of flour used in the cake, is it one cup or one table spoon?
Thanks
Thank you Nawal! 🙂
For the flour- measure 1 cup of flour and then remove 1 tablespoon of flour from that amount. So you should have a little less than 1 cup of flour in total.
Hope you try it soon and enjoy 🙂