Super-moist banana crumb cake layered with cinnamon, brown sugar, and chocolate chip streusel.
After the crumb cake received rave reviews from our family, I knew I had to share the recipe with you.
This coffee cake/crumb cake recipe actually comes from my Amy. Amy and her family enjoy this banana chocolate chip crumb cake every year on Christmas. The crumb cake is left fabulously moist from these 3 ingredients: mashed ripe bananas, yogurt, and creamed butter. I actually took out some of the butter from the original recipe and subbed in more yogurt. With so much flavor and so much streusel, you won’t even miss the butter. Promise.
The streusel is made from cinnamon, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and pecans. You can leave out the nuts if desired or swap the pecans for walnuts. Not only is the streusel sprinkled on top of the crumb cake, it’s also layered inside prior to baking. Once your batter is mixed together, you’ll layer half of the batter, then half of the streusel on top. Same layering method we use for coffee cake! And repeat:
So many melty chocolate chips in every bite. But not too much chocolate to overpower the banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon flavors. You’ll taste it all, you’ll love it all.
This cake is exactly why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It’s perfectly acceptable to have dessert and call it a meal.
Interested in making muffins instead? These banana chocolate chip streusel muffins have the same amazing flavors and texture.
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Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super-moist banana crumb cake layered with cinnamon, brown sugar, and chocolate chip streusel. Not one piece of this lip-smacking cake will be leftover!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt*
Streusel
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: 1/2 cup (70g) chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the mashed banana and yogurt and turn the mixer on high and beat until creamy, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until combined. Do not overmix.
- Make the streusel by combining all of the streusel ingredients into a small bowl. Layer half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with half of the streusel. Repeat with the rest of the batter and streusel. Bake for 40–50 minutes, covering the cake with aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. Bake until the center is baked through; mine took 45 minutes exactly. Test doneness with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Cake stays fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Cake can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | 9-Inch Square Baking Pan or 8-Inch Square Baking Pan
- Yogurt: Recipe tested with plain 0% Greek yogurt. Use any yogurt, Greek or regular, that you prefer.
Keywords: banana chocolate chip crumb cake, banana crumb cake
Sally’s is my source of truth for almost all recipes. While I do alter some or combine with others, my husband said this was by far the best one I have ever made! I threw this together so fast because I had some bananas I had to use up and I was sick of bread. The ONLY thing I substituted was I used cake flour bc I wanted it to be really fluffy and light. It came out amazing. What a great recipe.
★★★★★
Could I substitute gluten-free flour?
Hi Cathy, we haven’t tested these with gluten free flour but let us know if you try it!
LOVE this recipe! This has become my go to Banana cake recipe. Delicious and easy to make!
★★★★★
I made this yesterday and it was very disappointing. I followed the recipe exactly. The texture of the cake was gummy,and the crumb topping just sank into the cake and was not a distinct crumb topping
★
Is it possible to substitute the 1/4 cup of yogurt for buttermilk instead?
Thank you:)
Hi Alkie, sour cream would be a better substitute here for the yogurt.
While my daughter was in the hospital
Giving birth to my grandson I made this recipe for the family and visitors!
Everyone agreed- this is now the favorite go to cake- It was an enormous hit!
★★★★★
What a wonderful recipe. I adjusted some things based on my taste but my oh my. What a wonderful idea.
★★★★★
This delight just came out of the oven and it’s already nearly gone. I squeezed lemon over 2 mashed bananas to help “ripen” them as I did the other steps, subbed 1/2 cup sunflower oil for the butter, dumped in a whole 150g bag of chocolate chips and accidentally poured all the streusel in the middle—oops! Made our kitchen smell amazing and tasted even better. I’m an American in Istanbul and managed without measuring cups. For those doing the same: 1 su bardağı flour; 1/2 su bardağı sugar, oil; 1 çay spoon = 1/2 tsp; ~1 kahve fincan yogurt, brown sugar, chopped walnuts. Thanks again for sharing this recipe and including gram amounts. Maybe next time I’ll remember to save some streusel for the top 😉
Made this today and it was amazing! The only problem i had was that the batter at the end was too thick and i could barely cover the 9×9 pan in 2 layers. Followed recipe exactly at mentioned. Can I change something for next time?
It was cooked in 30 mins…
Excellent recipe! Everyone loved it.
★★★★★
Hi, Sally! I baked this today and it tastes so good. It’s also so moist, loved it. However, my streusel didn’t turn out crunchy at all. Could it be because I don’t have the right kind of brown sugar?
★★★★★
Made this banana crumb cake yesterday night. It tastes so much better the next day when all the flavors set and have time to meld together. The brown sugar cinnamon chocolate chip pecan layers are to die for. Yum!
★★★★★