This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.

Rich, moist and fluffy Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake made with all wholesome ingredients. You’d never guess this divine treat is made with better-for-you ingredients!

Square shaped chocolate cake cut into individual portions with ripe bananas next to the cake.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I find myself craving something sweet for breakfast fairly regularly. While I typically start the day with high-protein bowls of boredom, I fantasize about the sultrier things and save them as a special indulgence.

That’s where this Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake comes in handy. It quenches the lustful need for something sweet while doing so in nutritious style. Almond flour, ripe bananas, eggs, pure maple syrup, and cocoa powder are our star players here, and to me, these ingredients are plenty healthful.

In this sense, I’m meeting my chocolate cake need and nailing down some protein, healthy fats, and fiber too! Chocolate lovers, I just know you’re going to get a kick out of this moist chocolate cake!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

  • Wholesome Ingredients: All of the ingredients here are unprocessed or minimally processed and contain added health benefits. While the macros might be similar to regular cake, I think the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference in how the body receives it.
  • Easy to Prepare: You don’t need fancy equipment like a stand mixer or any baking experience to have great success! The recipe is really that simple.
  • Allergy-Friendly: This healthy chocolate cake is naturally gluten-free, refined sugar-free and suitable for those who have a gluten allergy or follow a grain-free diet. Just steer clear of it if you have a nut allergy.
  • Rich and Decadent: The cake turns out so rich and flavorful that your sweet tooth will be instantly satisfied, and you’d never guess it is made with healthy ingredients!

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this amazing chocolate breakfast cake. You can find the full list of ingredients at any grocery store.

Stainless steel bowl full of two eggs, pure maple syrup and oil, a large measuring cup with almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, a measuring cup full of ripe bananas and a measuring cup of chocolate chips. These are the ingredients for our cake.

Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake:

Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, almond flour adds protein, healthy fats, and fiber to our breakfast cake. Plus, it generates a light and airy texture.

Ripe Bananas: The star of the show here, ripe bananas bring moisture, volume, and natural sweetness to the breakfast cake. Be sure to choose bananas that have plenty of brown spots, which signifies they are very sweet and moist.

Cocoa Powder: The majority of the chocolate flavor comes from unsweetened cocoa powder. I like using raw cacao powder because it has a creamy, less bitter flavor, but any kind of cocoa powder will do.

Pure Maple Syrup: While the bananas provide a great deal of sweetness, we bump it up a notch since I’m using an unsweetened bitter chocolate. I prefer using pure maple syrup over cane sugar because it is less refined.

Eggs: A couple of eggs help the batter rise into a lovely texture.

I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg replacer, although in my experience with almond flour recipes, going egg-free results in a dense, raw-like consistency. Nevertheless, drop a comment and let me know if you successfully use an egg replacer.

Avocado Oil: A touch of oil brings richness to the cake and generates moist crumbs.

Baking Powder: The leavening agent, here to help the batter rise.

Sea Salt: Salt enhances flavors and makes baked goods taste sweeter without the need for excess sugar. Don’t skip it!

Chocolate Chips: Creating pockets of molten goo, chocolate chips enhance the chocolate experience. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate chips and sugar-free chocolate chips work too.

Recipe Customizations:

  • Add ⅔ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch.
  • Eliminate the chocolate chips for lower sugar and calories.
  • Swap out the pure maple syrup for ⅓ cup of sugar-free sweetener or coconut sugar + ⅓ cup of any kind of milk.
  • For sweeter cake, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar.
  • ​Add 2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules for deeper flavor.

How to Make Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9 x 9 inch square cake pan with parchment paper (note: you can also use a 9-inch round pan). 

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they are creamy and most of the chunks are out. Tip: Measure out the mashed bananas to make sure you have a little over 1 cup (I aim for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups).

Add in the eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, and pure vanilla extract and mix well until all of the wet ingredients are combined.

Bowl of wet ingredients mixed together and bowl of dry ingredients mixed together to make chocolate breakfast cake.

In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, and chocolate chips until the dry ingredients are combined.

Large mixing bowl full of cocoa powder and almond flour mixed together.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until a thick batter forms.

Mixing bowl with wet ingredients on the bottom and dry ingredients on top.
Mixing bowl full of chocolate cake batter mixed up with a fork.

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. If you’d like, sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.

Chocolate banana cake in a baking pan sprinkled with chocolate chips, fresh out of the oven.

Insert a digital thermometer into the middle of the cake to check for doneness. It is ready when the internal temperature is 190 degrees or higher. For the best results, bake to the 190-205 range (no higher or lower).

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Chocolate cake cut into squares on a sheet of paper with ripe bananas and a bowl of chocolate chips to the side.

Enjoy a thick slice with your morning cup of coffee or tea, alongside another protein source like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. You can also serve it for dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a decadent treat.

Storage Options:

  1. Room Temperature: Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
  2. Refrigerator: Transfer cake to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. 
  3. Freezer: Cut any remaining cake into individual slices and store in a large zip lock bag or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Wooden plate with a slice of chocolate cake and a gold fork to the side for eating. Ripe bananas to the side and stray chocolate chips.

If you’re like me, and you’ll take any excuse to enjoy a sultry lump of chocolate cake, particularly if it is guilt-free, this easy recipe is for you!

Enjoy baking healthier cake recipes? I’ve got you! Check out some of my other favorite cake recipes.

More Healthy Cake Recipes:

Cake for breakfast, let’s GO!

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake

5 from 2 votes
By Julia Mueller
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 16 Servings
This sultry, moist and rich chocolate banana cake is made with healthy ingredients for a tasty treat for breakfast! Enjoy it with a protein source for a complete meal!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9 x 9 inch square cake pan with parchment paper (note: you can also use a 9-inch round pan).
  • Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until they are creamy and most of the chunks are out. Add in the eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, and pure vanilla extract and mix well until all of the wet ingredients are combined.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, and chocolate chips until the dry ingredients are combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until a thick batter forms.
  • Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. If you’d like, sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips.
  • Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.
  • Insert a digital thermometer into the middle of the cake to check for doneness. It is ready when the internal temperature is 190 degrees or higher. For the best results, bake to the 190-205 range (no higher or lower).
  • Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
  • Enjoy a thick slice with your morning cup of coffee or tea, alongside another protein source like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. You can also serve it for dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a decadent treat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice (of 16), Calories: 211kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 119mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Never Miss a Post! Sign Up For My Daily Newsletter!

Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a cookbook author, recipe developer and owner of TheRoastedRoot.net. She shares quick and easy recipes for all occasions, from nutritious weeknight meals to holiday recipes. Dinner recipes, side dishes, desserts, appetizers, and more, can all be found on her website. Go to Julia's about page to learn more about her.

You may also like:

5 from 2 votes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    Please give metric measurements.
    Many thanks!

    1. Julia Mueller says:

      Hi Christine! I just added the metric measurements to the recipe card 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions, and Happy Baking!

      1. Christine says:

        Thank you!That will make it a lot easier for people to bake the lovely looking cake!