We love baking with bananas and The Best Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate Chips is the perfect example of this love!
Why I made this cake? I wanted a) another banana recipe (we can never have too many). But I also wanted something that was a little more elevated than banana bread. Something I could serve after dinner with friends or take to a casual gathering.
I also love bananas and I love skillet cake recipes.
Hi Rebecca, what a winning recipe! My husband really enjoyed it. I love that it’s in parchment and in the cast iron.
—SHIRLEY
This super moist banana skillet cake gets tons of flavor from brown butter, vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar and ripe bananas. Yum. It’s also beautifully finished with a sprinkle of Demerara sugar and chocolate chips.
This would be delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Think about it.
I made sure this banana skillet cake was super easy, super fuss free and super delicious. And you are most welcome. I hope you’ll consider it the next time you have a bunch of bananas lying around!
If you’re looking for more easy peasy cakes, check out my favorite Lemon Olive Oil Cake (One Bowl!) and my Chocolate Brownie Meringue Cake. You can also find all of my Cake Recipes here, and take a peek at The Cake Book!
Some of my other favorite banana recipes include these Banana Oat Snacking Cake, Double Chocolate Banana Bread, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (with streusel, yum), this Banana Espresso Cake that is a reader favorite or my Easy Everyday Banana Bread that will knock your socks off. Really.
Both The Cake Book and The Cookie Book have banana-based recipes such as my Overnight Banana Bread Cookies. Resting the cookie dough overnight really brings out the rich banana flavor.
And I have the yummiest Banana Bread and Banana Rum Bundt Cake in The Cake Book. I hope you’ll check them out!
Why You Should Make This Banana Skillet Cake Stat!
- It’s a moist, delicious cake recipe
- Loaded with a ton of flavor the brown sugar, nutmeg, brown butter and yep, bananas!
- The sprinkling of chocolate chips over the top gives just a touch of chocolate, so it doesn’t overpower the cake (but feel free to go crazy and add more chocolate!)
- It’s, you guessed it, a one-bowl cake (I’m on a one-bowl baking kick)
- It’s an elevated version of banana bread...a wee fancier but equally delicious
- A great recipe for entertaining (make it early in the day and forget about it)
- The crunch from the Demerara sugar over the top, coupled with the chocolate chips, is HEAVEN
The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour
One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!
Browning Butter for Your Banana Cake
My number one (only?) reason for browning butter is that the flavor it imparts on baked goods is next level. Think of flavors like toffee and caramel being added to your cookie without actually adding toffee and caramel.
Browning butter only takes about 5 minutes, with an additional 5-ish minutes more for it to cool before using. It’s literally the only element keeping this from being a true, one-bowl recipe (because we need the saucepan for browning).
When browning butter, moisture in the butter evaporates. This is why I like to get in and brown my butter quick as the longer your saucepan is on the hot burner the more moisture will evaporate.
In this recipe, we start with 9 tablespoons (126 g) of butter. You’ll end up with around 95 g of butter once browned.
If you start with 9 tablespoons (126 g) of butter and follow my browning butter instructions below, you don’t need to then, again, weigh your brown butter (unless out of curiosity). But this is a good baking fact to stash away for all of your brown butter baking.
I have a full brown butter tutorial here!
How to Pick Bananas For Baking
I recommend using bananas that are sugar spotted. Those brown spots on your bananas are called ‘sugar spots.’ As your bananas ripen and get more of those spots, your bananas get sweeter (love).
Thus making them perfect for banana bread, muffins and other baked goods.
When your bananas are speckled with sugar spots and yield to the touch (and are no longer firm), that’s when they are perfect for baking.
If they are completely dark (the spots have blended together) and your bananas are mushy, then they are no longer ideal to bake with (and are overripe bananas), in my humble opinion.
My Favorite Tips for this Banana Skillet Cake
Below are step-by-step photos (with captions) to make The Best Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate Chips perfect every single time! My biggest tips are:
- Choose the right bananas. You want bananas that have brown spots (sugar spots) all over for the best flavor.
- Add Ingredients in the Order Listed. Since the brown butter will be warm (and we don’t want to sit around and wait for it to cool), I have you adding in water, oil, vanilla and *COLD* eggs. These things will quickly bring your butter to room temperature. Don’t change up this order.
- Whisk Ingredients Well. If you’re not using an electric mixer, you’ll want to really make sure you mix the addition of eggs and then the addition of sugar really well. When we whisk together ingredients we’re not only combining them, we’re also adding air and lightness into the batter (which will result in a lighter banana cake). Use the time cues in the recipe if you’re unsure as to how long to whisk.
Let’s make a delicious banana chocolate chip skillet cake!
My Favorite Tools for Making Fabulous Skillet Cakes
The best pan to use is a heavy-bottomed, light-colored pan such as this one and I also like to use this smaller, stainless-steel pan.
My favorite whisk and heat-safe nesting glass bowls that I really need everyone to own.
My trusty scale for precision.
My favorite spatula meets spoonula for mixing (I love this soft blue).
This is my favorite 10-inch cast-iron skillet from Staub. It comes perfectly seasoned and I honestly couldn’t love it more (I have two!).
For more fun shopping, check out my Shop (aka my favorite things!).
More Banana Desserts
I love love love baking with bananas! Some of my favorite recipes include: Banana Oat Snacking Cake, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, this Easy Everyday Banana Bread (that you’ll love!) and this heavenly Banana Espresso Cake (with espresso buttercream!).
More Demerara recipes (if you’re using it here!): these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins and this Pumpkin Bread with spiced sugar exterior (so good).
Since you have your 10-inch cast-iron skillet out, also consider these Ultimate Skillet Brookies, this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie or this Chocolate Peppermint Skillet Cookie.
Want more cake tips, ideas & recipes?! Check out my 10 Favorite Easy Tips for Perfect Cakes!
Enjoy The Best Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate Chips!!
The Best Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake
- 95 grams unsalted brown butter (about 9 tablespoons (126 g) unsalted butter before browning)
- 3/4 cup (168 g) water (cold)
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) any cooking oil (I've used olive oil, sunflower and grapeseed; all work)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (19 g) vanilla paste or real vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 large eggs (cold)
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar (packed; light or dark)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (277 g) medium ripe banana (about 2 to 3 bananas, peeled and mashed)
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) sea salt
- 2 1/4 cups (304 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
To Garnish
- 3 tablespoons (33 g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons (26 g) Demerara sugar (see Notes below recipe)
Instructions
For the Brown Butter
- Place 9 tablespoons (126 g) butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a large bowl (that is heat-safe). Gather your ingredients while you let it cool a bit (you can set in the fridge to expedite).(For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)
For the Cake
- To the butter, add the water, oil, vanilla and nutmeg whisking to combine. Add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is well blended before adding the second. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, whisking for about 2 minutes until a bit frothy and well combined. Whisk in the mashed bananas, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Gently whisk in the flour until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is fully blended. Set aside.
To Garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C); grease the sides and bottom of a 10–inch (25–cm) cast iron skillet and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the sides of the pan. Make sure to press the parchment into the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar and chocolate chips evenly over the top of the cake. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the top is puffed, golden brown and may have some cracks.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to pull the warm cake out of the pan to finish cooling. Serve at room temperature.
Awesome new favorite!
YASSS!! I love a new banana skillet cake convert! xo
Does the pan have to be cast iron? I have an ovenproof skillet but not a cast iron one.
Hi Cheri!
If the skillet is oven-proof/safe and has the same capacity, then it should work perfect. Make sure to not fill it more than 3/4s full. Let us know how it goes! xo
Hi Rebecca, what a winning recipe! My husband really enjoyed it. I love that it’s in parchment and in the cast iron. Question – what other cake/bread/loaf recipes can be cooked this way? And what should I think about when adjusting?
Amazing blog. Thanks again!
Shirley
Hi Shirley!
I have several other skillet cakes (I love them!). On my website, check out these:
Ultimate Skillet Brookies (brownies meet chocolate chip cookies)
https://www.displacedhousewife.com/ultimate-skillet-brookies/
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
https://www.displacedhousewife.com/chocolate-caramel-skillet-cookie/
Chocolate Peppermint Skillet Cookie
https://www.displacedhousewife.com/giveaway-chocolate-peppermint-olive-oil-skillet-cookie/
I also have a Blueberry Muffin Skillet Cake in The Cake Book.
Some Tips for Adapting Recipes:
1. If you’re looking to adapt a recipe to a skillet, I would look to bar cookies and loaf cakes to bake in a skillet.
2. Never fill your skillet more than 3/4s full (so you don’t have spillage in your oven).
3. Use the bake times for my skillet cookies and cakes as guidelines.
Have fun and let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Thank you Rebecca! That is so helpful.
1/2 tablespoons (19 g) vanilla paste or real vanilla extract.
What is vanilla extract and where can I buy it?
Hi! You can find vanilla extract at the grocery store, near the spices!
I have a whole tutorial on vanilla extract (and how to make your own) here:
https://www.displacedhousewife.com/how-to-make-vanilla-bean-extract/
Enjoy and let me know if you have any other questions!
xx
Can you please clarify the sugar measurement? Isn’t 1/2 cup of sugar approximately 55 grams?
Hi Laurie,
1 cup of granulated sugar = 200 grams. 1/2 cup = 100 grams. Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I don’t have a heavy skillet. Will it turn out ok in a glass pie dish?
Hi! I haven’t tested in that, I would make sure that you don’t fill it more than 3/4s full and the bake time will/may vary, so keep an eye on it. Let us know what you use and how it goes! xo
PS If you have extra batter, make muffins :)
Omg!!!! I’m making this TODAY!!!! It looks amazing and delicious per usual
This has ALL THE GOOD FLAVORS!!! Enjoy, it’s a fun one! xo