This Chocolate Chip Banana Cake is the perfect way to use up overripe bananas. Made with almond flour, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and extra ripe bananas, and chocolate chips of course! Grain free and paleo friendly.
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Why You’ll Love This
If you love banana bread and chocolate chips, you will love this skillet cake! It’s basically like a dense, soft and moist banana bread recipe, studded with plenty of chocolate chips. It also happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free friendly.
And if you’ve made this paleo recipe for my reader favorite Almond Flour Banana Bread, this recipe is very similar. It’s also great for serving a crowd.
Oh, and if you’ve tried made my Deep Dish Pumpkin Cookie Skillet, this recipe was adapted from that so you know it’s good!
Whether you follow a paleo diet or not, this amazing dessert is for everyone.
Recipe Ingredients
- overripe bananas – make sure they’re super spotty! Using just ripe bananas won’t give you the best flavor or sweetness.
- coconut sugar (or brown) – you can use whatever granulated sugar you’d like here.
- cashew butter – cashew butter provides a more neutral flavor, but you could also use almond butter.
- oil – use a neutral flavor oil like avocado or light olive oil. If using coconut oil, make sure it’s melted and cooled, and the rest of your ingredients are room temperature.
- eggs – I did not test this recipe with a vegan sub but it may work.
- vanilla extract – always a good addition to banana bread
- almond flour – almond flour works best here but if you can’t do almonds, cashew meal would likely work as well.
- cinnamon – just a hint for the classic banana bread flavor
- baking soda & salt
- chocolate chips & chunks – I like a mix for lots of chocolate in every bite!
Recommended Tools
- glass mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- cast iron skillet
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
An Easy Paleo Dessert
This banana chocolate chip cake is one of my favorite paleo dessert recipes to make. It’s easy, healthier, and you can use your favorite dietary friendly chocolate chips. I like to use a mix of chocolate chips and chunks for the perfect bite each time.
This recipe comes together in one bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer and standard baking tools.
First start by mixing all of the wet ingredients together – the nut butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Then add in the mashed bananas.
Then add in the dry ingredients – almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Finally fold in the chocolate chips and bake for about 25 minutes or so, until the top is nicely golden.
BAKING TIP: to prevent the top from getting too dark, you can cover with foil at the 20 minute mark, then check again at 25-30 minutes.
Spotty Bananas = More Flavor
You’ll want to make sure you use extra-ripe bananas here, even spottier than the ones in the photo above, if you really want a sweet banana flavor.
The best thing is to let the bananas go almost black and store them in the fridge (use within one week) or freezer for later. You can also speed up the process by roasting them in the oven at 350ºF for 25 minutes.
Using extra spotty bananas will be perfectly rich and sweet for this skillet cake. And if you don’t have too much of a sweet tooth, you could probably even omit half of the coconut sugar.
To be honest, I typically buy a bunch of bananas, forget about them and then throw them in the freezer before I *completely* forget about them.
Storing
This banana chocolate chip cake stores well at room temperature, just be sure to use within 3-4 days.
You can also freeze the banana cake. Allow the cake to cool completely and store in an airtight container, label it and enjoy within three months.
More Paleo Desserts
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy nut or seed butter, I used cashew
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar, or brown
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed banana, about 3 small overripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
- 3 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate bar, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 10" cast iron skillet with butter or oil; set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In large bowl using electric mixer, beat together nut/seed butter with sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add oil and eggs mixing on low speed then add vanilla and mashed banana mixing on low-medium speed until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Add in almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix on low speed. Batter will be somewhat thick. Gently stir in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Pour batter into greased skillet using spatula to spread evenly across top.
- Bake cake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden – cover top with foil at halfway mark to prevent too much browning. My cake was nice and golden on top but fully cooked throughout the middle.
- Cool & serve: Allow cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with ice cream for a delicious treat or on it's own as a healthy snacking cake. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information
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