This easy recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake is gluten free and has a dairy free option. Made in an 8x8 pan, this tender, moist cake, full of banana flavor and dotted with sweet chocolate chips, is great as a snack, dessert, and even for breakfast.
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There are always over ripe bananas sitting on my counter waiting to be used. And even when I put them to good use in this banana bread or these chocolate chip banana muffins, I usually have a bit of mashed banana leftover.
Now I could add the extra mashed bananas to a smoothie, or I could use them in this banana snack cake. Hmmm, what should I do? The smoothie is probably the healthier choice, but I’m going to choose cake almost every time.
You only need ⅓ cup of mashed bananas in this chocolate chip banana cake, so even if you only have 1 overripe banana you can make this recipe.
This cake is sweet enough on its own, so you don’t need any frosting. However, you can always serve it with ice cream or chocolate sauce to make it truly indulgent.
If you’re craving cake, but don’t need to serve a crowd, this chocolate chip banana snack cake is the perfect size. Or simply freeze the extra slices and keep them for yourself to enjoy any time.
Why this Recipe Works
- Using butter instead of oil adds a deep rich flavor.
- The mashed banana and chocolate chips add moisture and sweetness to the cake.
- Vanilla extract brings out the banana flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour to make this banana snack cake gluten free. If you don’t have a problem with gluten, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Butter - Unsalted butter, which allows me to control the amount of salt in the recipe, is what I normally use. If I want to make the recipe dairy free, I use Earth Balance buttery sticks.
- Milk - I use almond milk or cashew milk, depending on what I have on hand, to make this snack cake dairy free. If you can tolerate dairy, feel free to substitute 2%, or whole milk.
- Chocolate chips - Using mini chocolate chips means every bite of snack cake is filled with chocolate. I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips to keep the recipe gluten and dairy free.
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg.
- Add the mashed banana and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Beat in the dry ingredients and milk until combined.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips and spread in a greased 8x8 pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Step By Step Instructions
(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined.
Add the egg and beat until well combined.
Beat in the mashed banana and vanilla until combined.
Add ½ the flour mixture and beat until combined, then add ½ the milk and beat until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk beating until just combined.
Reserve 2 teaspoons of the mini chocolate chips, then use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining chips.
Spread the batter in a greased 8x8-inch pan.
Sprinkle the reserved mini chips over the top of the batter.
Bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Gluten Free Flour
Make sure to use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour blend when making this banana cake with chocolate chips. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 which contains xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum helps to hold the cake together. In traditional baking, gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent for the baked good. Gluten free baking requires a replacement for the binding agent and that’s where xanthan gum comes in.
Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use. I haven’t tried using almond flour or coconut flour with this recipe.
Dairy Free Option
- For the butter, you can use dairy-free or vegan butter. I use Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks.
- For the milk, use unsweetened nut milk like almond milk or cashew milk.
- For the mini chocolate chips, use dairy-free chocolate chips. I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips.
Love Cake?
Try one of these other great recipes.
- Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
- Easy Gluten Free Apple Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon Cake
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Use over ripe bananas for this recipe. Under ripe bananas won’t add enough sweetness to the cake.
- Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour blend. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the canister or bag can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.
- Don’t over mix the batter. It’s normal to see a few lumps in the batter, but just mix until the ingredients are combined.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan before cutting into squares. It’s difficult to wait, but the cake will cut more cleanly when cooled.
Use an 8x8-inch baking pan, with straight sides, instead of rounded sides, to give the snack cake clean, crisp edges. I use this pan you can find on Amazon.
If the cake is dry, it’s usually due to over mixing the batter or baking the cake too long.
The cake will last for 2 to 3 days, at room temperature, if stored in an airtight container. I don’t recommend storing the leftover cake in the refrigerator because baked goods tend to dry out in the fridge.
Yes. Allow the cake to cool completely and cut into squares. Wrap each square in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container before freezing.
The cake can be stored for up to 1 month in the freezer.
If you're looking for a quick gluten free cake recipe and enjoy the flavor of bananas and chocolate, give this banana snack cake a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does! Happy Baking!
You Might Also Like
- Gluten Free Banana Muffins
- Easy Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownies
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Find more tasty recipes in the Recipe Index.
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Recipe
Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake (gluten free, dairy free option)
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (For dairy free use Earth Balance buttery sticks)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup ripe bananas (mashed)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (For dairy free use Enjoy Life mini semi-sweet chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined.
- Add egg and beat until well combined.
- Beat in the mashed banana and vanilla until combined.
- Add ½ the flour mixture and beat until combined, then add ½ the milk and beat until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk beating until just combined.
- Reserve 2 teaspoons of the mini chips, then fold in the remaining chips.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the reserved chips over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use over ripe bananas for this recipe. Under ripe bananas won’t add enough sweetness to the cake.
- Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour blend. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the canister or bag can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.
- Don’t over mix the batter. It’s normal to see a few lumps in the batter, but just mix until the ingredients are combined.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan before cutting into squares. It’s difficult to wait, but the cake will cut more cleanly when cooled.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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