Vegan chocolate banana cake — an easy, triple-chocolate, eggless and dairy-free cake that’s moist, deeply chocolatey and hard to resist. Enjoy it plain as a snack cake, or make it extra indulgent by topping it with a creamy peanut butter chocolate ganache. No unusual egg replacers required.
This vegan chocolate banana cake is a richer, more chocolate-forward way to use up overripe bananas than plain banana bread. The crumb is moist from mashed banana and oil, cocoa adds depth, and chocolate chips give pockets of melting chocolate. Finish with a peanut butter chocolate ganache for a seriously indulgent dessert.
What Do I Need To Make Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake?
Bananas – Very ripe, spotted or brown bananas give the best flavour and moisture.
Light brown soft sugar – Adds caramel notes and extra moisture. White sugar also works if that’s all you have.
Neutral oil – Sunflower, vegetable or canola oil work well. You can also use melted coconut oil or vegan block butter; oil gives a slightly moister texture.
Plain (all-purpose) flour – I use regular white flour. You can replace up to a third with wholemeal or use white spelt if preferred.
Cocoa powder – Dutch-processed or natural cacao powder both work; Dutch-processed gives a smoother chocolate flavour.
Non-dairy milk – Soy milk is best for structure thanks to higher protein, but oat, almond or other unsweetened milks are fine (avoid tinned coconut milk in the batter).
Cider or white wine vinegar – Reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to help the cake rise. Lemon juice can be substituted.
Baking powder & bicarbonate of soda – The raising agents that make the cake light.
Vanilla extract – Optional but adds sweetness and depth.
Salt – Enhances the chocolate and banana flavours.
Chocolate chips – Optional but recommended for melty pockets of chocolate throughout the cake.
For the Ganache
Dark chocolate – A mix of plain dark chocolate and a 70% bar works well; the higher the cocoa percentage the less sweet the ganache.
Full-fat coconut milk – Adds creaminess without dairy and pairs well with peanut butter.
Creamy peanut butter – Use smooth, not crunchy, and choose a stable creamy peanut butter rather than natural oil-separated jars.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake
Recipe at a glance: Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan (350°F). Grease and line a 23 cm / 9 in square tin. Prep time about 15 minutes, bake 25–30 minutes. Makes about 9 servings.
1. In a bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork. Add the light brown sugar, oil, non-dairy milk, vinegar and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a balloon whisk just until no dry lumps remain. Fold in the chocolate chips gently — avoid over-mixing to keep the cake tender.
4. Transfer the batter into the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 25–30 minutes. The cake is done when it feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
5. Cool the cake in the tin for about 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before adding ganache.
How To Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache
1. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the full-fat coconut milk, creamy peanut butter and a pinch of salt. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until just melted and starting to steam — do not allow it to boil.
3. Pour the hot mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it sit untouched for five minutes. After five minutes, stir gently until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth and glossy.
4. Leave the ganache to cool and firm up. This can take several hours; chilling will speed it up but check and stir occasionally. If the ganache becomes too firm, warm it gently using a bowl over simmering water and stir until it softens to spreadable consistency.
What To Do If Your Ganache Splits
If the ganache breaks and looks greasy, it can usually be fixed by whisking in a small amount of recently boiled water or hot milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it comes back together and becomes smooth again.
Top Tips
- Weigh ingredients where possible. Gram measurements are far more reliable for baking than cups.
- Weigh your bananas for consistency — banana sizes vary and too much or too little can affect texture.
- Mix the batter until just combined. Over-mixing can make the cake tough.
- Store the cooled cake in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to five days; refrigerate if your kitchen is warm.
Can I Freeze This Cake?
Yes. Wrapped well in an airtight container or freezer bag, the cake keeps in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Ingredients (summary)
- 200g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 330g very ripe banana (about 3 medium)
- 175g light brown soft sugar
- 125ml neutral oil (sunflower is used here)
- 60ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy recommended)
- ½ tsp cider or white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g chocolate chips (optional)
- For ganache: 125g dark chocolate, 120ml full-fat coconut milk, 50g creamy peanut butter, pinch of salt
Instructions (summary)
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan (350°F). Line and grease a 23 cm / 9 in square tin.
- Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl. Mash bananas and mix with sugar, oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla in another.
- Combine wet and dry until smooth, fold in chocolate chips and bake 25–30 minutes.
- Cool completely, then spread cooled peanut butter ganache over the cake.
More Vegan Banana Recipes
- Fluffy vegan banana pancakes
- Banana bread cinnamon rolls
- Easy vegan banana bread
- Vegan chunky monkey ice cream
- Banana porridge with blueberry compote
- Vegan chocolate chip banana bread
- Vegan Biscoff banana bread
- Vegan banana crumb cake
- Vegan banana scones
- Vegan banana blondies
If you try this vegan chocolate banana cake, let me know how it went — rate it, leave a comment or tag domestic_gothess on Instagram and use the hashtag #domesticgothess.
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