Here is a delicious, one-bowl healthy chocolate banana cake recipe you can whip up any time you’re craving rich and decadent chocolate cake!
Healthy chocolate banana cake
This lightened up chocolate cake is made with just 8 ingredients.
And it’s the perfect healthy snack or dessert, with a full third cup less sugar than traditional chocolate cake recipes of the same size.
The chocolate banana cake is packed with whole grains and nutrition and can be oil free, dairy free, gluten free, egg free, and vegan.
Just one decadent taste, and you’d absolutely never guess the secret!
You may also like this Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients for chocolate banana cake
To make the vegan chocolate banana cake, you will need flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, water, sugar, optional nut butter or oil, pure vanilla extract, and banana.
Flour – Spelt flour, white flour, oat flour, and many brands of all purpose gluten free flour will work. If you prefer a cake with almond flour, try this Keto Cake.
I have not tried whole wheat flour here and recommend against coconut flour because it can not be substituted equally without making other adjustments to the recipe.
Cocoa powder – The recipe calls for one fourth cup of regular unsweetened cocoa powder plus an additional two tablespoons of Dutch cocoa powder or additional unsweetened cocoa.
Look for Dutch cocoa in the baking aisle of traditional grocery stores or specialty cake supply stores. It will give the cake a deep chocolate brownie flavor.
Sweetener – This can be classic white sugar, or xylitol for an added sugar free chocolate banana cake. You may also use an equal amount of coconut sugar, date sugar, or unrefined cane sugar.
I cannot vouch for substituting pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, as I have not tried liquid sweeteners in the recipe.
Oil – I love the texture of this dessert with coconut oil or softened almond butter.
Vegetable oil is a good choice as well, or you can create a healthy fat free chocolate cake by substituting additional mashed banana for the oil.
Full recipe video
How to make a banana chocolate cake recipe
The best part about this cake is how easy it is to throw together.
You simply mix the ingredients in a bowl, pour the batter into a pan, and sit back while it magically turns into a sweet and deliciously rich chocolate cake.
- To make the recipe, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an eight inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease the bottom of the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Stir very well, then evenly mix in the remaining ingredients to form a chocolate cake batter.
- Pour the thick chocolate batter into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle mini chocolate chips or finely chopped walnuts or pecans on top.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
- Use potholders to remove the pan, and let it cool on the counter.
- Cover the homemade chocolate banana cake with a towel and let it sit overnight, either on the countertop or in the refrigerator.
It’s important to only cover the with a towel instead of in an airtight container for the first night, because this allows excess moisture to escape and prevent the chocolate banana dessert from becoming dense and soggy.
If you can wait, both the texture and the rich chocolate flavor are even better a day after you make the cake.
The recipe was adapted from my Vegan Banana Cake and Vegan Chocolate Cake.
Ideas for serving the banana dessert
After school snacks will never be the same again.
This healthy snack cake is good plain or topped with Coconut Whipped Cream.
Or top it with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced bananas. Add a quick drizzle of chocolate syrup or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
It’s also wonderful frosted with Coconut Butter or Homemade Nutella.
If you somehow find yourself with leftovers (and this is a big if!), slice and freeze leftover cake for a rainy day. Or a snowy day, a sunny day, or any day.
After all, do you really need an excuse to eat more chocolate cake in your life?
Use up leftover bananas in these healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies.
Chocolate Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (or try this low carb Keto Cake Recipe)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder or additional unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup sugar (refined sugar free: Chocolate Banana Bread)
- 1/3 cup mashed banana
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or almond butter (or additional banana for low fat)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- To make the chocolate banana cake, grease an 8 inch square pan or line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and stir very well. Stir in remaining ingredients just until evenly mixed. Spread into the pan. Sprinkle chips on top if desired. (See video earlier in this post.) Bake on the center rack 25 minutes, then let cool. Cover loosely with a towel overnight, either on the counter or refrigerated. The taste and texture are even better the next day, if you can wait!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Banana Ideas
what a fun snack, love banana chocolate but most of those recipes are loaded with sugar, so thank you for this version!
OH MY GOODNESS! Tested and SO approved! I did “double up” on the banana vs. using the oil and it was SO yummy. It tasted like a chocolate banana bread. No…mine didn’t make it overnight. Next time I will definitely try the oil or for even more fun…the nut butter. This is becoming a regular in my house it was so simple. It just melts in your mouth.
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Jason (and Katie)
What is the difference between the two kinds of unsweetened cocoa powder? Thanks.
Costco might want to switch over their current chocolate chip muffin recipe to this one! <3
Love these flavors together! 🙂 and great tip; helpful this can be made ahead of time!
This cake looks so amazing, Katie! Chocolate banana is seriously the best combo! 🙂
Lots of love, Ela 🙂
Hi katie! 2 technical questions: Can either whole wheat flour OR whole wheat pastry flour (or some combo of the 2) be used here? Also, I try never to use sugar (prefer maple syrup or honey) but i want the texture seeen here over the Refined-Sugar-Free recipe you linked. I want it denser (like cake) rather than crumbier (like bread). Isn’t here any way to swap the liquid sweetener here & get that denser texture?
Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
I used whole wheat flour, and it was delicious! My 12-year-old daughter loved this recipe, too. Highly recommended!
Katie is not personally a fan of whole wheat flour so you’d have to make any substitutions we haven’t tried at your own risk, BUT another commenter below you said she used ww flour and loved the results 🙂
I like Banana a lot and I made this recipe yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂
DELICIOUS!
I made this recipe yesterday, tried it yesterday and it was yummy! Luckily I did manage to save some for today and you were so right: it tastes even better today! Definitely worth the wait 🙂
Thanks for your great recipes, Katie!
Hi,
Just made the Chocolate Banana Snack Cake. Only thing I changed was using regular size chocolate chips, since that’s what we had. I didn’t read the recipe closely, so I missed the part about letting it sit overnight until I was about to put it in the oven–but I knew that wasn’t going to happen! Lol I did let it cool. It’s great the same day, believe me! Definitely will go into permanent file. Thanks so much for sharing this!