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!
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.
We’re meeting our chocolate cake needs 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.
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 we’re adding 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. 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.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer cake to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- 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.
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:
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
- Applesauce Cake
- Black Bean Chocolate Cake
- Almond Flour Vanilla Cake
- Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Cake for breakfast, let’s GO!
Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas 1 ¼ to 1.5 cups mashed
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup raw cacao powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
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.
