Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
This sweet and moist gluten free banana chocolate chip cake is packed with whole grain oat flour and just enough mini chocolate chips to balance the fruit! It comes together in a snap, with just one gluten free flour needed. Save those ripe bananas for banana and chocolate chip cake!
Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
Banana cake is one of my favorites, and I love that it can be made fancy or rustic depending on what you’re in the mood for. This delicious gluten free banana chocolate chip cake definitely falls into the more “rustic snack cake” category, making it a fantastic choice for a quick weekday bake. But, it’s not plain – just look at that gorgeous crumb! There’s just enough chocolate to make it feel like a treat, with sweet banana flavor infused throughout. I love adding slices of this cake to my girls’ lunchboxes for a sweet bite and it’s sturdy enough to hold up to backpack jostling.
Lots to Love
This banana and chocolate chip cake stars, of course, bananas, but it has more of a light banana flavor rather than a bold one (this is more to my taste, and perhaps yours too?). It’s composed of simple ingredients and takes just minutes to make. I know you will love it!
- Simple and gluten free. Oat flour is the only flour needed to make this cake, making it on the simpler side in terms of gluten free baking projects. All of the rest of the ingredients are gluten free as well.
- So flavorful. There’s just enough banana for a hint of sweet fruit flavor and it’s balanced nicely by a handful of semisweet chocolate chips, making for loads of flavor packed into every bite.
- Unfussy. This is a beautifully straightforward recipe, meaning you can put it together without too much effort. I love easy cakes!
What’s in This Cake
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this cake – and the full ingredient amounts are available in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oat flour – Naturally gluten oat flour is a great choice for the single gluten free flour in this cake. Its hint of natural sweetness pairs beautifully with the banana.
- Salt – I always use fine sea salt in my baking recipes!
- Baking soda – A little bit of baking soda is all you need to help the cake rise.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is my choice for baking because it doesn’t compete with the sweetness of the bake.
- Granulated sugar – You can sub light brown sugar for a deeper flavor note if you wish.
- Eggs – Most recipes are written using large eggs unless otherwise specified, and you’ll need large eggs in this recipe, too.
- Mashed bananas – You’ll need about 2 ripe bananas.
- Milk – I love whole milk for added richness. You can also use 2% milk or non-dairy milk.
- Mini chocolate chips – Mini chocolate chips are my preferred chip to use in this recipe, so if you can get them, use them! They add just enough chocolate without overwhelming the cake.
How to Make Banana and Chocolate Chip Cake
This lovely and simple cake relies on the basics of baking to achieve its irresistible texture. Here’s how to put it together. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card lower down!
- Prep: Grease a 9-inch square cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk dry: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Cream butter and sugar: Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Add banana: Beat in the mashed bananas.
- Blend: Beat until the batter is smooth.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture in 3 additions.
- Add milk: Alternate with the milk in 2 additions.
- Add chocolate: Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Gently mix: Reserve about ¼ cup to scatter on top while you gently fold the batter together.
- Assemble: Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle it with chocolate chips.
- Bake: Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake for at least 15 minutes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
If you need to make some substitutions, see below! I’ve included a few other best practices and ideas, too.
- Rest the batter: Let the batter rest for a bit before baking. Oat flour, like all gluten free flours, benefits from a rest to let it absorb liquids. Try to leave 10 minutes for the cake to rest in the pan – about the time it takes to preheat the oven.
- Use regular chocolate chips. I love using mini chocolate chips because they don’t overwhelm the cake with chocolate! However, you can use regular chocolate chips if needed.
- Other chocolate: Substitute milk or white chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate.
- Oat flour substitute: Swap your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour by weight for the oat flour, or try a homemade blend like my homemade gluten free flour blend! Use 2 ¼ cups of DIY blend for the oat flour.
- Make it dairy-free: Use your favorite non-dairy milk and non-dairy butter in place of the milk and butter.
- Make it refined sugar-free: Substitute coconut sugar for the granulated sugar.
Storage Options
You can store this cake on the counter, in the fridge, or save it in the freezer for another time! Here’s how to do it:
- Counter – Cover the cake with foil and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge – To store, cover the cake tightly with foil, or place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Freeze the whole cake or slices of cake by wrapping them in a layer of plastic wrap then foil, and storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Delicious Gluten Free Snack Cake Recipes
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups oat flour, (280 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 bananas
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch square cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Beat in the mashed bananas. Mix until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the milk in 2 additions. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a about ¼ cup to scatter on top.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350°F and rest the batter while the oven heats.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the cake for at least 15 minutes before serving.