This banana cake recipe will help you make the best banana cake ever. It’s soft, moist, rich, and fluffy, perfectly infused with banana flavor and studded with chocolate chips, making it a delicious treat for any occasion!
This is the best banana cake recipe that uses no eggs or dairy, making it versatile. You can even add in oats, flax seeds, or chopped toasted pecans for an extra kick. Plus, the combination of bananas and chocolate is simply delicious.
If you’re a fan of unique and flavorful cakes, then you’ll love this banana cake recipe. If you enjoy this, you might also want to try my applesauce cake, moist lemon cake, carrot cake, or orange delight cake for a change of pace.
I’ve adapted this recipe over the years from the original chocolate chip banana cake over at Chef Chloe’s.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Classic Flavors: The combination of ripe bananas, coconut oil, and pure vanilla extract gives this cake a timeless, classic flavor that you just can’t beat.
- Comfort Food: There’s something incredibly comforting about a warm slice of banana cake, especially when it’s topped with cream cheese and served with a cup of coffee.
- Perfectly Sweet: This cake is just the right amount of sweet. The addition of mini chocolate chips adds a touch of sweetness without being overpowering.
- Easy and Quick: This recipe is super easy to make and takes just 30 minutes to bake. It’s the perfect dessert for those days when you want something sweet but don’t have a lot of time to spare.
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Key Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: This is the base of our cake, providing structure and stability.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the cake and also helps in browning.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are our leavening agents, responsible for making the cake rise and become fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Spices (Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Ground Nutmeg, Ground Cloves): These add a warm, aromatic flavor to the cake, complementing the sweetness of the bananas and chocolate.
- Ripe Bananas: These will add a natural sweetness and moisture to the cake. The riper the banana, the sweeter the cake.
- Coconut Oil: This is our fat source, making the cake moist and tender.
- Milk: Adds moisture to the cake and helps all the ingredients come together.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the bananas and chocolate, making them more pronounced.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: These will add a burst of chocolate in every bite, complementing the banana flavor.
Equipment
- Large Bowl – You’ll need this to mix together the dry ingredients, including your preferred flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg with a dash of ground cloves.
- 13×9 Pan – This is where you’ll pour the batter and bake the cake. Make sure to grease it before pouring the batter in.
- Mixer or Whisk – This is essential for mashing the ripe bananas and stirring in the melted coconut oil, milk, and pure vanilla extract. It also helps to combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
How to Make Banana Cake
Preparation
Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚ F. This ensures that your oven is at the right temperature when you’re ready to bake your cake.
Step 1 – Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine your preferred flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg with a dash of ground cloves. This will be the base of your banana cake.
Step 2 – Prepare the Wet Ingredients
Mash two peeled and ripe bananas with a fork. Stir in melted coconut oil, milk, and pure vanilla extract. These ingredients will add moisture and flavor to your cake.
Step 3 – Combine the Ingredients
Pour the wet mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until they are well combined. This will form the batter for your banana cake.
Next, mash your two peeled bananas with a fork and stir in 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, 1 1/4 cup milk and 1 1/2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract. Pour this wet mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients.
Step 4 – Add the Chocolate Chips
Fold in mini chocolate chips to the batter. This will add a delicious chocolatey twist to your banana cake.
Step 5 – Bake the Cake
Pour the batter into a greased 13×9 pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. This ensures that your cake is fully baked.
Step 6 – Serve the Cake
Once baked, you can either sprinkle the warm cake with powdered sugar, or serve it with whipped cream for a delicious dessert. If you want to try something different, top it with cream cheese or add nuts for extra flavor.
Expert Tip
To make your banana cake extra moist and flavorful, be sure to use ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and softer they are, which will enhance the flavor and texture of your cake.
Recipe Variations
- Banana Nut Cake: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
- Spiced Banana Cake: Increase the amount of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for a spicier version of this cake.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: Instead of baking in a 13×9 pan, spoon the batter into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes for a delicious breakfast treat.
- Gluten-Free Banana Cake: Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version of this cake.
What to Serve With
- For a cozy and comforting dessert, serve this banana cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold, creamy ice cream complements the moist and flavorful cake, creating a perfect balance of textures and temperatures.
- If you’re hosting a brunch, pair this it with a cup of hot coffee or tea. The subtle sweetness of the cake and the hint of cinnamon and nutmeg will make for a delightful morning treat.
- For a fun twist, cut the banana cake into small squares and serve as a finger food dessert at your next party or gathering.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, you’ll want to use ripe bananas. These are the ones that are yellow with brown spots. They are sweeter and mash more easily, which will give your cake a delicious banana flavor.
Yes, you can use a different type of oil if you prefer. Melted butter or vegetable oil would work well as a substitute for coconut oil in this recipe.
Absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans would be a great addition to this recipe. Just fold them into the batter along with the mini chocolate chips.
If you don’t have a 13×9 pan, you can use two 9-inch round cake pans. Just be sure to adjust the baking time as the cakes will be thinner and may bake faster.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator. Simply place the cake in an airtight container and it will keep well for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: This cake can also be frozen. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheat Instructions: To reheat, let the cake come to room temperature. You can also warm individual slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
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Serving Size
- What to Expect: This banana cake recipe yields a deliciously moist and flavorful cake that’s enough for 16 servings.
- How to Scale: If you want more than 16 servings, you can easily double the recipe. Just make sure to use a larger bowl for mixing and a larger pan for baking. Follow the rest of the instructions as directed, but keep an eye on the baking time, as it may be slightly longer for a larger cake.
Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- Mash two peeled and ripe bananas with a fork and stir in melted coconut oil, milk, and pure vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients; stir until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into a greased 13×9 pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean.
- Sprinkle the warm cake with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with pictures and more detailed instructions. The recipe remains the same.
Comments & Reviews
Vicky says
Would an egg or two hurt to add to this recipe? Just wondering.
Meredith says
Vicky,
Sorry just now getting back to you! Sure, I don’t see why not! It would probably be a little fluffier, but that can be a good thing 🙂