This Banana Cake with chocolate chips is one of the most unique and best cakes ever. And it's THE best gluten-free banana cake, for sure. Delicious for any occasion, it's rich, unbelievably moist, and subtly spiced.
What can you make with overripe bananas besides banana bread? Cake, of course. 😉
A lot of people who try this gluten-free banana cake put it right up there with their favorite cakes. Not necessarily in the gluten-free category either. In other words, it's right up there with all cakes.
This is a moist, somewhat dense cake with banana and chocolate chunks in every bite!
The Key Ingredients
Don't be deterred by the lengthy ingredient list -- this cake is very easy to make, and it's this combination of ingredients that makes it so good.
- brown sugar and granulated sugar - The combination of both sugars adds moisture, structure and flavor to the banana cake. I don't recommend using just one of them.
- avocado oil - Oil typically will give you the best results for a moist cake. You can use any neutral oil, though I prefer avocado oil because it's healthier than others.
- unsalted butter - I use butter in addition to the oil to add its delicious flavor.
- banana - Bananas are used two ways in this recipe. We use mashed overripe bananas and ripe diced bananas. The banana pieces, along with the chocolate pieces are dreamy!
- eggs - Eggs help the cake rise and add more moisture and structure. I always try to buy pasture raised eggs. You can learn about pasture-raised eggs in this article.
- sour cream - Sour cream contributes to the moist texture in the cake and it also adds a very subtle tangy flavor.
- vanilla extract - Use your favorite. I use this pure vanilla extract.
- cinnamon and allspice - This spice blend is lovely with the banana flavor. If you want to use one or the other that's okay. If you do this, do not double the amounts: for the cinnamon, use 2 teaspoons, and for the allspice, use 1 ½ teaspoons.
- Kosher salt - I bake (and cook) with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. Use half the amount if you use table salt.
- Cup4Cup Gluten-Free flour - This is my favorite gluten-free flour as it behaves very much like a non gluten-free all purpose flour. Do not try to substitute this with other gluten-free flours like almond or coconut. They absorb liquid differently and the cake won't rise properly.
- baking soda - This helps the cake rise.
- chocolate chips - I use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe. You can substitute with a darker chocolate if your prefer. It's a pretty sweet cake, so milk chocolate might be too sweet a choice.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Cake
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
- Mash the banana in a large bowl. Then add both sugars, the oil, softened butter, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs and continue to mix until they're fully incorporated.
Recipe tip: I find a hand mixer is ideal for mixing this batter up to this step.
- In another bowl, toss diced banana and chocolate chips with ¼ cup of the gluten-free flour. Then fold it into the batter with the remaining 1 ½ cups of flour and baking soda.
Recipe Tip: Don't skip mixing some of the flour with the chocolate chips and banana pieces. This will help them from falling to the bottom of the cake while it's baking.
- Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans, and bake in a 350°F preheated oven until the cakes are golden brown along the edges, and are beginning to crack on top.
- Let the cakes cool for at least 1 hour in the pans before removing and slicing them.
This may look more like banana bread than banana cake, but that's simply because of its loaf shape. One bite in, and you'll know there's a whole lot more going on here.
Variations
- Change the shape. I like the way this gluten-free banana cake bakes in the loaf pans, but you can also use a round cake pan or a bundt pan. (All of the batter should fit into a standard-sized bundt pan, and two 9-inch cake pans.)
- Add nuts. Feel free to add nuts -- walnuts or pecans would be great. You can substitute them for the chocolate chips, or use a combination of both to equal 1 ¾ cups.
- To frost or not to frost? I don't think this cake needs any frosting. It's so decadent as it is that frosting might even take away from it.
- Non gluten-free version. Use regular all-purpose flour.
Why This Gluten-Free Banana Cake Stands Out
- There are bananas two ways: mashed and chopped. There are overripe bananas in the batter, and there are also small bites of ripe banana throughout the cake. The mashed bananas add sweetness, flavor and moisture, and the bites add another dimension to the texture.
- Both oil and butter are used in this recipe. Cakes are typically more moist when oil is used, but by using both, we also get the delicious butter flavor.
- The final texture is absolutely dreamy! I think it's what makes this cake stand out from all others.
- You would never know this cake is gluten-free.
More Gluten-Free Treats with Banana
Making it Ahead and Storing it
You can make gluten-free banana cake ahead of time.
- Freezer. Wrapped tightly, you can store it for about a month in the freezer. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator the day before you want to serve it.
- Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, the bread can be kept at room temperature for about two days.
- Refrigerator. In a tightly sealed container, the cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. (Note that it will not be as moist when stored in the fridge.)
I'm telling you, if you ever need to make a gluten-free dessert for someone, they'll love you forever if it's this gluten-free banana cake!
Gluten-Free Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup golden brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil, like vegetable)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups banana, mashed (from about 3 to 4 bananas)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (if you're using table salt, use half the amount)
- 4 large eggs
- 1¾ cups Cup4Cup gluten-free all-purpose flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ cup banana, diced (from about 2 bananas)
- 1¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Set oven and prepare pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 2 approximately 8½-inch loaf pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars with the oil and butter. Then mix in the mashed banana, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Use an electric mixer to blend until it's as smooth as possible. Add the eggs, and continue to mix until they're fully incorporated.Now mix in 1½ cups of the gluten-free flour with the baking soda, just until you no longer see dry spots.In another bowl, gently toss the diced banana and chocolate chips with the remaining ¼ cup gluten-free flour. Then fold this into the batter. (This can help prevent them from falling to the bottom.)
- Bake. Evenly divide the batter between the two parchment-lined pans, and place them both on a baking sheet. Bake in the 350°F preheated oven until the cakes are golden brown along the edges, and are beginning to crack -- about 50 minutes.
- Cool. Let the cakes cool for at least 1 hour in the pans before removing and slicing.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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angiesrecipes
The cake looks phenomenal!
valentina
Thank you, Angie. 🙂
David
Valentina - another of my blog friends just posted a chocolate-banana bread, and I had to admit to her that I really dislike banana bread, especially banana-not bread. However, as odd as it may seem, I absolutely love chocolate-banana bread! Thanks for this recipe – it looks scrumptious! I have saved to my gluten-free recipe file, which is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to you! Happy weekend…
valentina
My gluten-free baking is all thanks to my son with Celiac. If not for him, I don't think I would have come so far with it. It makes me so happy when the GF baked good just taste like "regular" baked goods. 🙂 Enjoy and thank you!
Diana
That looks incredibly moist and dense, which I like in a banana bread/cake. I like the idea to experiment with a bundt pan!
valentina
Me too. Hope you give it a try. Enjoy!
Monica
This cake has the absolute most perfect texture - so moist and dense, just what you want in a banana bread! And of course the chocolate chips are always the answer. Perfection!
valentina
Thanks, Monica. I'm with you on the chocolate chips.
Natalie
Looks so delicious and perfect for the weekend!
valentina
Yes! Thank you.
Jere Cassidy
I love seeing the banana pieces in this and it looks so moist.
valentina
Thanks so much. 🙂
Jeff the Chef
This definitely lookslike one of those I-don't-care-if-it's-gluten-free recipes. It just plain looks delicious!
valentina
It is!!! Thank you. 🙂
Kelly
Valentina, this cake was perfect to fuel my chocolate and banana obsession! I can love getting a bite with a little chocolate and a little chunk of banana - heavenly flavor explosion!
valentina
Thanks so much, Kelly! Yes, the banana chunks are key. 🙂
Bintu
We love using up our bananas in banana bread and this banana chocolate chip loaf cake looks so moist and delicious. Even better, my husband can enjoy it too because it is gluten free!
valentina
Yay!Thank you. I think he will love it!
James
Just a perfect looking moist cake. Overripe bananas are perfect in these types of cakes!
valentina
Thanks, James. Good thing there's a home from overripe bananas -- we always have too many of them. 🙂
Nancy
I honestly wanted to reach through the screen and snatch a piece of this cake! Growing up, we always had a "bread" around - banana bread, zucchini bread, apricot bread, you name it! But we DID NOT have this one.... and I'm still not sure if that was a good or bad thing since I know I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off it!!!!
valentina
Thanks so much, Nancy! It's my favorite! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Oh so good, Valentina! Super rich, banana-ey and chocolate-ey.....just what I want! I can imagine how good this is with a big ol' cuppa coffee. Happy Monday to ya 🙂
valentina
Yes! Love my coffee! Hope you try it. Enjoy and hope you're having a great week. 🙂
David
I absolutely love banana bread! It's one of my favorite childhood memories as I feel like the kitchen always smelled like fresh banana bread. I can't wait to give your gluten-free version a try, Valentina.
valentina
Thanks so much, David. I love childhood food memories (when they're delicious). 😉
Ron
Your timing is impeccable Valentina as we're having a birthday gathering next weekend and we have one that can't do gluten and one that can't eat nuts. So your yummy looking chocolate chip banana cake will be made. Of course, we'll have the tradition Prinsesstarta (Princess Cake) for those who don't have gluten and nut issues. Question please; we don't get chocolate chips here, can I sub with a good 70% Swedish chocolate that's chopped up?
valentina
Of course! Who doesn't love Swedish chocolate!? Right? I know I do.:-) Sounds perfect. The smaller the chunks, the less likely they'll fall to the bottom. I hope you love it -- and that your GF and nut free friends do too! Thanks for visiting, as always, and enjoy!
Balvinder
This is calling out to me, but how do i get to it? It looks so delicious and moist. I can almost feel it in my mouth.
valentina
Ha! I guess you'll have to bake it. 🙂 Thanks!
Kathryn
Lovely...thanks Valentina, my celiac friend loves it....😊
Dimana
Hi,
I'm going to make the recipe, but I'm not using US measurements, so i find it veery hard to convert to Metric units.
Can you tell me the 1 3/4 cups of choc chips how much is it in grams if you know?
Thank you for the recipe, it really looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it 😉
x
valentina
Hi Dimana, Thanks for writing in. I believe 1 3/4 cup of chocolate would be about 308 grams. I hope you love this cake! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dimana
I not only loved it, but I am absolutely obsessed with it! My husband even loved it and he's not the type that eats cakes :)) Thank you! x
valentina
Hi Dimana, You've made my day! I'm so happy you loved this cake. And it's always the best compliment when someone likes something they typically wouldn't, so I'm thrilled your husband loved it, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sharon
This cake does not taste like it is gluten free. It’s delicious! I have gone through my fair share of unsuccessful gluten free baking, so I am so happy I have stumbled upon this recipe. My son said the banana chunks taste fudgy, definite stamp of approval.
valentina
Hi Sharon. Thanks so much for writing in. I'm so happy you and your son loved this cake. I make it practically every time I have a lot of bananas. It's funny, my older son can't eat gluten (Celiac), so it's one of the recipes I initially created for him -- he likes it a lot, but my younger son, who can eat gluten, says it's his favorite cake ever. Thank you again, and I hope you have a great week. 🙂 ~Valentina
Joanne
What happened to the recipe for Olive Oil chocolate chip banana bread?
Valentina
Hi Joanne, I just sent you the Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to your email address (with an explanation). Enjoy! ~Valentina