Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is rich and chocolatey with notes of coffee, lots of chocolate chips and a luscious chocolate yoghurt protein mousse frosting. It’s naturally egg-free, vegan and easily gluten-free.
Chocolate and coffee go hand in hand, so for February’s banana bread, I wanted to celebrate the epic combination that is the mocha. It’s chocolatey with notes of coffee and lots of chocolate chips inside. I love adding a simple protein yoghurt chocolate mousse frosting which is rich and delicious but so easy and naturally lighter as it doesn’t have any added sugars and isn’t made with butter. It’s ready to bake in one bowl and is so moist and tender, it’s the perfect chocolatey bake to share.
Why will I love this?
This banana bread is amazing:
- Rich moist and chocolatey
- With notes of coffee
- Loaded with chocolate chips
- Topped with a lighter yoghurt-based frosting
- The frosting is also gut-friendly and high in protein
- Tastes like your favourite mocha in cake form
- Ideal for using up ripe bananas
- Made without eggs or dairy
- Naturally vegan and easily gluten-free
- Nut-free and soya-free
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Bakes in 45 minutes
- Delicious with or without the frosting
- The whole family will love it
- Great for sharing
- Made with healthier ingredients
- Mainly sweetened with banana
If you already love the sound of this cake, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card and see the “shop the recipe” section for my favourite and recommended products.
For the banana bread:
- Ground flaxseed and water: mix these together to form fax eggs which bind this egg-free batter. You can also use the same amount of chia seeds.
- Ripe bananas: the riper the better as they are softer and sweeter.
- Maple syrup: for added sweetness and you can use agave syrup, too.
- Coffee: this adds the mocha flavour. make up your favourite coffee here, as strong as you like.
- Coconut oil: or use olive oil for the moisture.
- Plain or GF plain flour: to keep the loaf moist. If making this gluten-free, use a GF blend of flour and add ½ tsp xanthan gum if our blend does not already contain it (this will avoid dry crumbly cakes).
- Cocoa powder: this is the rich chocolatey flavour. Make sure it’s 100% unsweetened cocoa powder (and I choose cocoa over cacao for baking as it’s less acidic and creates a better rise).
- Raising agents: for the rise.
- Cinnamon and salt: for flavour.
- Dark chocolate: use your favourite bar chopped up or chips/buttons for inside the loaf and then more for decorating on top.
And to make the frosting:
- Thick dairy-free yoghurt: I love NUSH protein plain yoghurt here or Cocos Organic coconut yoghurt which are both great for the gut and really creamy.
- Cacao powder: I use raw cacao powder here as it’s a better flavour but you can use the same cocoa powder as above.
- Vegan vanilla or chocolate protein powder: either will work and note that the chocolate one will make the frosting even richer. I like the Form protein powders as the ingredients are amazing.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
To make this gluten-free, use a GF flour blend and add ½ tsp xanthan gum if your blend does not contain it already. To keep this nut-free, make sure that your chocolate, yoghurt and protein do not contain nuts.
How do I make this?
This banana bread is ready to enjoy in a few steps:
- Make the flax egg: by combining the flaxseed and water.
- Mash the banana: until smooth.
- Combine the wet ingredients: and whisk until smooth.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: and whisk again.
- Fold in the chocolate: and pour into the loaf tin.
- Bake for 45 minutes: or until well-risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the frosting: until luscious.
- Spread the frosting over the cake: and top with chopped chocolate.
How long will it last?
Once made, keep this banana bread in a sealed continuer for 3-5 days, in the fridge overnight but best enjoyed at room temperature. You can freeze the unfrosted loaf for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before decorating.
What other recipes can I make?
For more banana bread ideas, try:
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes
- Baklava-Style Banana Bread
- Apple Crumble Banana Bread
- Caramel Latte Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Banana Bread Bars
Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is rich and chocolatey with notes of coffee, lots of chocolate chips and a luscious chocolate yoghurt protein mousse frosting. It’s naturally egg-free, vegan and easily gluten-free.
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread:
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 5 tbsp water
- 3 large ripe bananas (300-350g, once mashed)
- 60ml maple syrup
- 60ml coffee (espresso)
- 60g coconut oil, melted
- 210g plain or GF plain flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- 60g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
For the Frosting:
- 180g thick dairy-free yoghurt
- 1 tbsp cacao powder, sifted
- 30g vegan vanilla or chocolate protein powder
- Dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a 9x5-inch loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Combine the flaxseed and water and whisk well. Allow to thicken for 5 minutes to a gel. Also mash the banana.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the mashed banana, flaxseed gel, maple syrup, coffee and melted coconut oil and whisk to combine.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon and add a pinch of salt. Whisk or stir to a thick, smooth batter.
- Fold in most of the dark chocolate and pour into the loaf tin. Smooth over the top and press on a few extra chocolate pieces.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until well-risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully lift out to cool fully on a wire rack. You can eat it warm from the oven, although it won’t slice as neatly.
- For the frosting, add the yoghurt, cacao powder and protein powder to a mixing bowl and whisk until thick and smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled banana bread and decorate with chopped chocolate. Slice to serve.
- Keep leftovers in a sealed container for 3-5 days, in the fridge overnight. You can freeze the unfrosted cake for 1 month, wrapped well. Allow it to defrost before decorating.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Bread so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this cake, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With mocha love x
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