Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Help Me Celebrate with Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake!
This recipe is extra special to me because it’s part of my ongoing celebration of something I am honestly still pinching myself over — my collaboration with the incredible Michelle Pusateri of Nana Joes Granola on the one and only Waffle Cone Granola! It has been enjoyed out in the wild by so many of you for almost one full year now and I truly cannot describe what a thrill it is to create recipes using a product that has my name associated with it. Truly so amazing. What started as a simple conversation a few years ago turned into something I get to share with all of you every single day — and that means everything.
This Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake with Granola Crumble was a huge hit with my “tiny taste testers” aka my grandkids! All five of them enjoyed it so much! It is tender, deeply banana-flavored, loaded with chocolate chips, and finished with a crunchy waffle cone granola crumble that bakes up with such a great golden brown color. Oh, and that chocolate n’ granola butter drizzle on top? Truly the chef’s kiss. I can’t wait for you to try it.
You can grab a bag of the Nana Joes Waffle Cone Granola from the FoodSocial Market — use code WAFFLELOVE for a discount! Once you have it in your pantry, I promise you’ll find yourself reaching for it in the most unexpected and delicious ways. Like, say, on top of a banana coffee cake. Just saying.
What Makes This Banana Coffee Cake So Special
There are a lot of banana bread recipes out there in the world, but this one? This one is different. Here’s why I am completely obsessed with it and why I think you will be too:
- Very ripe bananas do double duty here — they add incredible natural sweetness AND moisture, which means you don’t need a ton of added sugar to make this taste absolutely amazing.
- Waffle cone granola butter is folded right into the batter alongside the banana, weaving that signature buttery toasty waffle cone flavor through every single bite from the inside out.
- Rolled oats in the batter give it a wonderful hearty texture — a little something extra that sets this apart from your average coffee cake.
- Chocolate chips (dark or milk, your choice) are stirred right into the batter AND scattered on top, so you get melty chocolate in every single layer.
- The waffle cone granola crumbles on top toasts beautifully in the oven into the most incredible golden, crunchy crown that shatters just slightly when you cut into it.
- And then that DRIZZLE! — waffle cone granola butter melted together with chocolate chips — drizzled over the top in the most beautiful way. It sets up perfectly for slicing and makes every single bar look like it came from a very fancy bakery.
The Better-For-You Angle
One of the things I love about this recipe is how naturally better-for-you it is without having to try very hard. The very ripe bananas provide so much sweetness that the added sugar is kept to a minimum — just ⅓ cup for the entire recipe. The granola butter adds healthy fats and that gorgeous flavor without relying on butter or oil. And the rolled oats bring a little extra fiber and substance to every bite. It’s a coffee cake you can feel genuinely good about enjoying for breakfast, a snack, or an afternoon treat — and it tastes completely indulgent while doing it. That’s my kind of recipe.
Of course, if you need it to be gluten free that swap is incredibly easy here — see the Tips section below for all the details!
Tips, Tricks & Swaps
- Use the ripest bananas you can find. The spottier and blacker the better — overripe bananas are sweeter and more moist, which is exactly what you want here.
- Room temperature ingredients matter. Both the granola butter and the eggs should be at room temperature before you start so everything incorporates smoothly and evenly.
- Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients meet the wet, switch to a rubber spatula and fold gently until just combined. Over-mixing develops the gluten and can make the cake dense and tough, not great for coffee cake.
- Press the granola topping in slightly. When you scatter the crumbled granola on top, give it a gentle press into the batter so it adheres during baking and you get that perfectly crunchy crown rather than a topping that slides right off when you slice.
- Low and slow is the move. Baking at 325°F ensures the center cooks through evenly without the edges over-setting. It’s worth the extra few minutes!
- The drizzle is optional but highly encouraged. Granola butter melted with chocolate chips is a combination that should honestly be illegal. Give it a try — you won’t regret it.
- Cool completely before slicing. I know this is the hardest part but it is so important — these bars firm up significantly as they cool and will fall apart if cut too early. Trust the process!
- Gluten free swap. Replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1:1 GF flour blend. I’ve found that the Primal Palate g/f flour is a great option here, use discount code: backporchpaleo over on the FoodSocial Market! Swap the rolled oats for certified gluten free oats. Everything else stays exactly the same!
Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups banana very ripe & mashed
- ½ cup waffle cone granola butter room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla baking salt can sub sea salt of choice
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
-topping
- ½ cup waffle cone granola crumbled
- 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips
- 1-2 tbsp sugar optional
-optional drizzle
- 1-2 tbsp waffle cone granola butter
- 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the mashed banana, waffle cone granola butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix well with the same fork you mashed the banana with and get those eggs fully incorporated into the banana and granola butter. Set aside.
- In another medium mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk together to fully incorporate. Toss in the chocolate chips and stir to fully mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, using a rubber spatula gently mix together making sure to scoop from the bottom to the top to incorporate evenly.
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Scatter the granola on top, along with extra chocolate chips–pressing slightly into the batter. Sprinkle additional sugar on top if desired.
- Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are set, the top is golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
- If you want to add the optional drizzle, once the bars are completely cooled, use the parchment paper to lift out of the pan. Add the waffle cone granola butter and chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 20-30 second intervals until everything is melted, stirring as you go, to fully combine. Drizzle evenly over the top of the breakfast bars, allow to set up then slice into 12 bars.
Make It Ahead & Storage Tips
Here’s a little secret about this coffee cake — it is actually better the next day. Once the flavors have had time to meld overnight the banana and waffle cone granola butter notes really deepen and the whole thing becomes even more irresistible. This makes it absolutely perfect for making the night before so you have a gorgeous grab-and-go breakfast or snack ready and waiting.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Pull out a slice about 10–15 minutes before eating so it comes to room temperature — it’s so much better, slightly warm or at room temp than straight from the fridge.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 2 months. These thaw beautifully and make the best quick breakfast on a busy morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is waffle cone granola butter and where do I find it? Waffle cone granola butter is something I created in the wake of my waffle cone granola collab with Nana Joes Granola. It’s a luscious, spreadable butter made from the granola. It is absolutely magical in baked goods.
- Can I make this banana coffee cake gluten free? Absolutely! Simply swap the all-purpose flour 1:1 for your favorite gluten free flour blend and use certified gluten free rolled oats. Everything else in the recipe stays exactly the same — easy peasy!
- Can I skip the granola crumble on top? You can, but I really wouldn’t. The crunchy waffle cone granola crumble on top is what takes this a coffee cake to the next level . It’s worth it!
- How do I know when the coffee cake is done? The edges should be set and pulled slightly from the pan. The top should be golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If it comes out wet, give it another 3–5 minutes and check again.
- Can I use a different pan size? An 8×8 pan is ideal for this recipe. If you use a 9×13 pan the bars will be thinner and will bake faster. Start checking for doneness around the 20–25 minute mark.
Made this banana coffee cake? I want to see it!! Tag me on social — nothing makes my day quite like seeing how these recipes turn out for you. 🍌🍫
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You’ll also love these WAFFLE CONE GRANOLA recipes:
- Bakery-Style Granola Muffins with Granola Butter Drizzle
- Granola Butter Stuffed Dates, coming soon!
- Key Lime Pie Mocktail with Waffle Cone Granola Crust Rim
- Discover the First Waffle Cone Granola Blend →
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