Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Coffee Cake
Moist banana cake with browned butter richness, dark chocolate chips, and a crunchy cinnamon crumble topping. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
- Ripe mashed bananas: 400 g (about 3 large)
- Unsalted butter (to brown): 170 g (3/4 cup)
- Brown sugar: 200 g (1 cup)
- Granulated sugar: 100 g (1/2 cup)
- Eggs: 2 large
- Vanilla: 10 g (2 tsp)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt: 120 g (1/2 cup)
- All-purpose flour: 300 g (2 1/3 cups)
- Baking powder: 8 g (2 tsp)
- Baking soda: 5 g (1 tsp)
- Salt: 6 g (1 tsp)
- Dark chocolate chips: 200 g (1 1/4 cups)
- Crumble - Flour: 120 g (1 cup)
- Crumble - Brown sugar: 100 g (1/2 cup)
- Crumble - Cold butter: 85 g (6 tbsp)
- Crumble - Cinnamon: 1 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until deep golden and nutty (6–10 minutes). Cool slightly.
- 2
Whisk browned butter, sugars, and mashed bananas.
- 3
Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream; mix until smooth.
- 4
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt separately.
- 5
Fold dry ingredients into batter gently.
- 6
Fold in chocolate chips.
- 7
Mix crumble topping by rubbing butter into flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
- 8
Pour batter into lined 9x9 pan.
- 9
Generously top with crumble.
- 10
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40–50 minutes until centre set.
- 11
Rest 20 minutes before slicing for best texture.
Notes
Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor. The browned butter adds incredible depth. This cake is even better the next day after the flavors have melded.
What This Is
Banana bread but better. Browned butter for depth, sour cream for moisture, chocolate chips because why not. The crumble topping is what makes it a coffee cake instead of just banana bread.
Use the blackest bananas you have. The ones you think are too far gone. Those are perfect. The darker they are, the sweeter and more banana-forward the cake.
The Method
Brown the butter first. Same deal as the cookies - watch it, pull it when it smells nutty.
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Fold it gently. Overmixing develops gluten and makes it tough. You want tender, not chewy.
The crumble topping should be generous. This is what separates coffee cake from regular cake. Don’t be shy.
Let it rest 20 minutes before cutting. It’ll hold together better and the flavors settle.
When to Make It
Breakfast, afternoon snack, whenever. Serve it warm with butter or cold from the fridge. Keeps 3-4 days at room temperature, covered.