This healthy chocolate banana cake is insanely decadent, moist and fluffy. You won’t even notice it’s made with whole wheat flour! Eat it plain for a healthy snack or with reduced sugar frosting for a healthier dessert, either way it’s a crowd pleaser.
This recipe is adapted from our chocolate banana muffins, they turned out so incredibly fluffy, and delicious we decided they would make a great cake and they sure did. This has got to be my all time favorite cake.
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If you’re craving chocolate cake but also want to keep your healthy eating on track then you came to the right place. This healthy banana chocolate cake will satisfy your sweet tooth, just try not to eat the whole thing by yourself, or just do it haha.
This moist chocolate banana cake is made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut sugar and greek yogurt making it much more healthy than a typical cake.
If you have spotty brown bananas laying around this is the perfect recipe to use them up. You could also make our plain banana cake, banana bars, or 3 ingredient banana pancakes.
What's Cool About This Recipe
- Made with whole grains: This healthy chocolate banana cake is made with whole wheat flour, it is still so fluffy that you’ll never even know. The rich chocolate flavor pairs perfectly with the whole wheat flour.
- Moist and Fluffy: The yogurt in this cake keeps it really moist (as long as you don’t over bake it) and it is super fluffy especially for a whole wheat cake.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- White white wheat flour: We usually use fresh milled flour from hard white wheat. You can also use high quality store bought white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: We don’t use anything special here, just usually whatever we can pick up at costco.
- Baking soda: This is the only leavening agent in this cake, do not substitute for baking powder.
- Salt: We use sea salt but any fine textured salt will work.
- Overripe bananas: You need bananas with lots of brown spots.
- Plain greek yogurt: Unflavored and unsweetened greek yogurt.
- Coconut sugar: We use coconut sugar to make this cake healthier. You can also use organic cane sugar, organic brown sugar, sucanat, or panela.
- Eggs: Just large chicken eggs.
- Oil: We usually use avocado or olive oil.
- Vanilla extract: For best flavor use high quality vanilla extract.
- Semi sweet or Dark chocolate chips: These are optional, we use them as a frosting. You can use regular size or mini chocolate chips.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Make into chocolate muffins
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl stir together the mashed bananas, greek yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract.
In another mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
Grease a 9x9” cake pan with butter or line with parchment paper. Preparing the pan after the batter is mixed gives it a chance to sit which is great for whole wheat flour baked goods.
Pour the cake batter in and bake (be careful not to overbake) you want moist crumbs on the toothpick.
Immediately after you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for a few minutes and spread them over the cake, or leave them as they are. Eat warm or cool.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to eat this fabulous cake
- Frost with healthier cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate frosting, or cream cheese ganache
- Eat with whipped cream and extra bananas
- Serve it with ice cream and a drizzle or caramel sauce and fudge sauce for a decadent treat (be sure to read the ingredient labels if you’re buying the sauces).
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. If it has frosting such as cream cheese than it will need to be refrigerated.
How to Freeze
Wrap the cake whole or in individual pieces tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap. Place into a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, with the wrapping still on.
Tips From Our Kitchen
Don't over bake: Our biggest tip is to not overbake the cake. Pull it out of the oven before a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You want the toothpick to have a few crumbs on it.
FAQ
Yes, you absolutely can use whole wheat flour in cakes. Just keep in mind that the texture will be a little different than a cake made with all purpose flour. Opt for white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour for best results.
That will depend on personal opinion, what some people consider healthy the next person might not. We make our cakes healthier by using whole grain flours and less processed sugars.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Banana Cake (whole wheat)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (256 g) Whole white wheat flour hard white wheat
- ½ cup (48 g) Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
- 2 medium Overripe bananas 1 cup mashed
- ½ cup (128 g) Plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup (90 g) Coconut sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) Avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Vanilla extract
- about ½ cup Chocolate chips enough to sprinkle over the top of the cake.
Instructions
- Stir the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.2 cups (256 g) Whole white wheat flour, ½ cup (48 g) Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
- Mash the bananas very well then add to a large mixing bowl along with the yogurt, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined.2 medium Overripe bananas, ½ cup (128 g) Plain greek yogurt, ½ cup (90 g) Coconut sugar, ¼ cup (60 g) Avocado oil or olive oil, 2 large Eggs, 1 teaspoon (5 g) Vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Grease a 9x9" baking dish with butter, pour the batter into the dish and bake at 350° F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (be careful not to over bake or the cake will dry out).
- Immediately after you remove it from the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let rest a few minutes then spread the chocolate chips around like a frosting. Eat warm or cool.about ½ cup Chocolate chips
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you!