This banana chocolate chip crumb cake is super moist, loaded with mini chocolate chips & topped off with a sweet brown sugar cinnamon streusel.
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banana chocolate chip crumb cake
Hello hello! ☺︎ This here is my banana chocolate chip crumb cake aka banana chocolate chip coffee cake (which doesn’t have coffee in it, but it’s called that because it’s meant to be enjoyed with coffee.) It’s made with brown butter for a little toasty flavor in each bite, is loaded with mini chocolate chips, is of course super banana-y, and is topped with a sweet brown sugar cinnamon streusel. If you’re looking to use up those ripe bananas on your counter, this is a super delicious solution.
So let’s get into it!
why you’ll love this banana coffee cake:
- It’s super moist: a ton of bananas & some greek yogurt make this banana cake *extra* moist.
- Mini chocolate chips: so you get a little bit of chocolate in every bite.
- Streusel: the icing on the cake if you’re like me and enjoy a soft & crunchy texture.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Be careful when mixing the cake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cake go from light and moist to dense and chewy. Only mix in the dry ingredients until that last bit of flour dissapears.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for banana chocolate chip crumb cake –
banana cake:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cake.
- Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness.
- Banana: you’ll need ~3 small or 2 large very ripe bananas for this recipe. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter & more moist your cake will be.
- Unsalted butter: tenderizes the cake. You could use salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the batter.
- Light brown sugar: sweetens the cake and adds moisture & flavor. You could also use dark brown sugar here for a more molasses-y flavor.
- Egg: contributes moisture to the cake and helps bind the batter together.
- Greek yogurt: makes the cake more moist – plain or vanilla will work here, or you could also use sour cream.
- Vanilla: extract or vanilla bean paste, for flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips: for flavor.
Streusel:
- Unsalted butter: to bind the ingredients together and give it a nice buttery taste. Salted butter would also work here.
- Light brown sugar: for sweetness, dark brown sugar would also be good here.
- All purpose flour: for structure.
- Ground cinnamon: for flavor. You could omit this if you’re not a fan of cinnamon and sub in 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract.
Espresso whipped cream (optional):
- Heavy whipping cream: the base of the whipped cream.
- Light brown sugar: for a touch of sweetness.
- Espresso powder: or instant espresso or instant coffee, for the coffee flavor.
- Vanilla: extract or vanilla bean paste, for flavor.
how to make banana chocolate chip crumb cake
Below are some images of what the cake looks like at various points of the process. You can find the full recipe at the end of the blog post!
- Mix together the streusel ingredients, then set the mixture in the fridge while you make the cake batter.
- Mash the bananas until no clumps of banana remain.
- Mix in all of the wet ingredients.
- Then fold in the dry ingredients and mini chocolate chips. Pour the cake batter into your cake pan, top it with the streusel, then bake, serve, and enjoy!
banana chocolate chip crumb cake
recipe q&a
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
You’ll need a 7” springform pan for this cake. Most of my cakes on here are 7” because they’re small(er) batch, so I definitely recommend having a 7” cake or springform pan if you can! You could bake this in an 8” cake pan, just note that the cake will be thinner and will require a bit less baking time.
how to store banana coffee cake
This cake will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Store extra espresso whipped cream in a separate container in the fridge.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 113 g unsalted butter (10 tbsp.)
- 230 g very ripe bananas mashed (~2 large bananas)
- 125 g light brown sugar (½ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 60 g greek yogurt (¼ c.) room temperature
- 150 g all purpose flour (1 ¼ c.)
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 130 g mini chocolate chips (¾ c.)
Streusel
- 56 g unsalted butter (¼ c.)
- 100 g light brown sugar (½ c.)
- 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Espresso Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 120 g heavy whipping cream (4 oz.)
- 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
- ½ tsp. espresso powder
- ½ tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter a 7" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, brown the butter. Stir the butter occasionally until it turns amber in color and develops little brown specks.
- Transfer the butter to a small bowl and set it in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill.
- In the meantime, make the streusel.
- Melt the butter in a small microwave safe mixing bowl. Add in the sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. Set the mixture in the fridge while you finish making the cake batter.
- Add the banana to a medium sized mixing bowl and mash it until no large clumps of banana remain.
- Add in the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and greek yogurt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until only a few flour streaks remain. Add in the mini chocolate chips, then mix just until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Remove the streusel from the fridge and use your fingers to crumble it over the cake. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Espresso Whipped Cream (Optional)
- Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla to a medium sized mixing bowl. Beat (with a whisk by hand, or with a hand mixer) until soft peaks form.
- Once the cake has fully cooled to room temperature, slice it, top with espresso whipped cream, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made. The above nutrition facts include the optional espresso whipped cream.
Such a delicious cake, it’s moist, flavorful and not overly sweet. I used bitter chocolate chunks instead of chips and it was amazing, loved the recipe, definitely one of my personal favorites 💗💗 Txs for sharing it 💗