Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake

Banana bread and coffee cake combined into one amazing loaf—what could be better? Adding chocolate! Serve Jesse Szewczyk’s chocolate chip banana bread coffee cake recipe for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

By
Jesse Szewczyk
Jesse Szewczyk
Jesse Szewczyk
Jesse Szewczyk is a food stylist based in New York available for commercial and editorial projects. He is the author of Tasty Pride, a collection of 75 recipes and stories from the queer food community, as well as Cookies: The New Classics, which was named one of the best cookbooks of 2021 by The New York Times. 
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 19, 2023
Jesse Szewczyk
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake on a Platter Showcasing a Cross Section

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

My mother would bake banana bread quite often growing up. She had a clay, tubular pan that she would bake in, producing a tall, round loaf of banana bread. I would slice rounds off of the loaf and slather them with butter for an after-school snack. 

I love that you can transform old, mushy bananas into something that breathes new life into them. Anytime I have bananas that are a bit too ripe, I pop them into the freezer and pull them out when I'm in the mood to bake up some banana bread. 

One of my boyfriends' favorite foods is coffee cake, so I will always have a special place for it in my heart. Combining bananas, chocolate, and cinnamon into one recipe might seem like a lot, but the flavors go perfectly together.

On a Platter, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake Showcasing a Cross Section Cut, a Knife, and a Tea Cup

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Coffee Cake + Banana Bread

This bread uses Simply Recipes’ original banana bread recipe and adds a cinnamon-cocoa ripple, crunchy streusel topping, and chocolate chips. This turns the banana bread into a coffee cake-banana bread hybrid that's fit for breakfast or dessert. The subtle chocolate flavor from both the cocoa and chocolate chips pairs perfectly with the banana flavor and adds a decadent touch.

The best part is that the chocolate ripple bakes up pleasantly gooey and adds a fudgy, somewhat chewy texture to the bread. It also helps keep the bread moist, allowing you to bake it on Sunday and slice it all throughout the week for breakfast. Just think of it as a treat to your future self.

Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake

  • When checking for doneness, don't be alarmed if your toothpick or cake tester comes out with some streaks on it. These streaks are from the chocolate chips, not undercooked batter, so there's no need to fret. 
  • When assembling the loaf cake, feel free to spray a spoon or offset spatula with nonstick spray to help spread the batter into the pan. The batter is very thick, so it's not the easiest to work with.
Slices of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

How to Store and Freeze This Banana Bread

Store the cooled chocolate chip banana bread coffee cake in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. It will keep well for 4 to 5 days. You can also tightly wrap the bread and freeze it for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying.

More Fun With Banana Bread

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 80 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Yield 1 loaf

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon natural cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the chocolate streusel

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (92g) granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (77g) all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons natural cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted or salted butter, melted

For the banana bread cake

  • Cooking spray

  • 2 to 3 medium very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)

  • 1/3 cup (76g) unsalted or salted butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pan:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and two sides with a piece of parchment.

    Parchment Lined Bread Loaf for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  2. Make the filling: 

    In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.

    Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Filling Whisked Together in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  3. Make the chocolate streusel: 

    In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and mix using clean hands until small, irregular clumps the size of marbles form. Set aside.

    Chocolate Streusel Dry Ingredients Whisked Together for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Hands Breaking Chocolate Streusel Into Small Marble Sized Pieces for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  4. Mash the bananas and add the butter: 

    To make the banana bread cake, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth in a large mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

    Fork Used to Mash Bananas in a Bowl for Banana Bread Coffee Cake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Melted Butter Mixed Into Bowl of Mashed Bananas Using a Spatula for Chocolate Chip Banana Coffee Cake

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  5. Mix in the remaining ingredients: 

    Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. 

    Mix in the flour and cinnamon until a smooth batter forms. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

    Wet Ingredients Mixed Into Bowl of Mashed Bananas Using a Spatula for Chocolate Banana Bread Coffee Cake

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Dry Ingredients Mixed Into Mashed Bananas Mixture Using a Spatula for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Chocolate Chips Folded Into Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Batter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  6. Add everything to the loaf pan:

    Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the filling mixture on top of the batter in an even layer and top with the remaining cake batter. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the chocolate streusel, pressing it in slightly so it sticks.

    Half of the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Batter Added to Parchment Paper Lined Loaf Pan

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Filling Added Above Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Layer in Loaf Pan

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Chocolate Streusel Layer Added to Loaf Pan After Last Layer Of Batter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  7. Bake:

    Bake until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. A few dry crumbs are okay but wet batter is not. If you hit a melted chocolate chip, test in a different spot.

    Tip

    If the streusel topping starts to brown too quickly before the center is cooked, loosely tent the loaf with foil and continue baking until the loaf is fully baked.

  8. Cool and serve:

    Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. 

    Wrapped tightly, the banana bread cake will keep at room temperature for 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf up to 5 days or freeze it.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Baked Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake in Loaf Pan on a Cooling Rack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Coffee Cake Loaf on the Cooling Rack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Loaf of Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cake on a Platte, and in the Surroundings, a Knife and a Cup of Coffee

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
460 Calories
22g Fat
61g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 460
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 207mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 39mg 3%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 346mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.