I feel like banana bread and coffee cake were always meant to end up together honestly. This Banana Coffee Cake has the soft banana flavor everyone loves, but with that buttery crumb topping that makes coffee cake so good in the first place. Then the little chocolate chips on top that make the whole thing feel even better without turning it into a full dessert.

I actually made this the first time because I had bananas sitting on my counter looking way too far gone to eat normally, and I didn’t feel like making Banana Cake again. This ended up tasting like the upgraded version of banana bread that you accidentally keep cutting “one more little slice” from all day.

Why You Will Love This Banana Coffee Cake Recipe

This banana coffee cake has a really good balance of banana flavor without becoming too dense or wet, which can happen pretty easily with banana recipes.

The streusel topping adds texture and sweetness without overpowering the cake itself. The pecans bring a slight crunch, while the mini chocolate chips melt just enough to make every bite better.

Another reason I love this recipe is because it works for breakfast, snack time, or dessert without feeling overly rich. It’s one of those cakes that disappears very quickly once people notice it sitting on the counter.

And if you already love recipes like Zucchini Coffee Cake, Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake, or Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, this one fits right into that same soft homemade coffee cake category.

What You Will Need for this Banana Coffee Cake

A 9×9 baking pan works best for this recipe because it gives the cake enough height while still baking evenly.

Mixing bowls are important here since the streusel and cake batter are made separately.

A spatula helps gently fold the batter together without overmixing it, which keeps the cake soft.

You can use either a hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter and sugar together.

Ingredients

For the Streusel

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips

For the Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup buttermilk

How to Make Banana Coffee Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease or line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.

Start by making the streusel topping.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and chopped pecans.

Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Set aside along with the chocolate chips.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix until fully combined.

Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Add half the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and gently stir.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix until mostly combined.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until no dry streaks remain.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly across the top, then scatter the mini chocolate chips over everything.

Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

Let the cake cool slightly before slicing.

Tips

Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor. The darker and spottier they are, the better this cake tastes.

Try not to overmix the batter once the flour goes in because that can make the cake dense instead of soft.

Mini chocolate chips work better than regular ones because they spread more evenly across the top.

If your streusel feels too wet, add a tiny spoonful of flour until it becomes crumbly again.

You can read more about baking with ripe bananas and why they work so well in cakes here: King Arthur Baking banana baking tips

Storage

Store the banana coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

You can refrigerate it for about 5 days if you want it to last longer.

This cake also freezes really well once fully cooled.