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This Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake is made with just 6 ingredients and is naturally sweetened with honey. I love its rich and fudgy texture, and how it’s made lighter by swapping out some of the oil for nutrient-rich pumpkin puree. (Trust me, you can’t even tell!)
Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Since this cake doesn’t require flour, it’s naturally gluten-free. Instead, it uses a simple combination of unsweetened baking chocolate, honey, eggs, coconut oil, and cocoa powder.
I originally made this cake using only coconut oil, but I’ve found that you can lower the calories and overall fat content by swapping half of the oil for pumpkin puree. You can’t even taste it, thanks to the rich chocolate flavor.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Coconut Oil
Using coconut oil keeps this recipe dairy-free, but you can use real butter, if you prefer. It’s just important that you use a fat that is solid at room temperature, so that the cake will firm up when chilled. Don’t use olive oil, or any other oil that is liquid at room temperature.
Flourless Chocolate Cake without Eggs
This particular recipe calls for eggs, and I don’t think flax eggs will work in this cake. Flourless recipes are tricky! However, I’ve developed a Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake that doesn’t use eggs, so be sure to check out that option if you need something egg-free.
This cake is the most firm when you serve it chilled from the fridge, but it can sit out at a party for serving. I like serving it with fresh berries and a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Keep in mind that it’s very rich, so a skinny slice goes a long way.
Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (or use more coconut oil)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3 whole eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and grease an 8" spring-form pan generously with oil.
- Melt the baking chocolate and coconut oil together, stirring until completely smooth. (You can use a double-boiler for this, or the microwave in 30-second intervals.)
- In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate mixture with the pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, and honey to help it cool down slightly. Then add the eggs and use a whisk to mix until completely smooth.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 375ºF until the center looks firm, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the sides (this is why I like using the spring-form pan!) and allow to cool completely before serving. I put the cake in the freezer if I want it to serve it in less than an hour, otherwise place it in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. I recommend covering it tightly and storing it for up to a week in the fridge, if you don't eat it all before then!
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 129, Fat: 8g, Carbohydrates: 16g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g
Recipe Notes:
- If you only have a 9-inch springform pan, that works, too. It simply makes a thinner cake, but that’s what I ended up using in these photos because I couldn’t find my 8-inch pan that I originally used. Either way works!
- If you want to use a granulated sugar in this recipe, I’d recommend trying 1 cup of coconut sugar instead of the honey. Or, for a sweeter cake, try using a 70% dark chocolate instead of the unsweetened baking chocolate.
- For an egg-free cake, try my Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe instead.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried this cake? Let me know what you think in the comments below! If you made any modifications, please share how they worked for you so we can all benefit from your experience.
Sarah
Oh WOW. This is incredible.
Kerry
I made it in ramekin cups, which I sprayed with canola oil, for individual servings and made a mixed berry sauce from frozen berries with a bit of Truvia in for sweetness. You just let sit a bit to cool and you can turn them out on a plate to serve with the sauce poured over. Yummy.
I also substituted all the honey for 3/4 cup of Truvia in the recipe. It came out awesome.
20 min baking. Made 5 short little cakes. One was just perfect to satisfy. I will double the recipe for guests when I make it again!
Thanks so much.
Marlena
I’m going to try it with the berries. Sounds yummy.
Sarah
Just made this and it was a hit! Will definitely be making it again in the future!
Monsterscircus
That looks like a winner, do you really think this cake will last a week? 🙂 have a lovely day!
Megan
It sure didn’t last that long in my house!
Julie (A Case of the Runs)
How many servings is this? Would it freeze well?
Julie (A Case of the Runs)
Okay, so I made this last night, and the leftovers are in the freezer right now. I think I like it a bit more firm, so this is working for me. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan
Glad to hear it stores well in the freezer! We prefer most of our desserts frozen over here, too. 😉
Sara Maples
That cake looks AMAZING! I’ll have to try that for my next dessert craving!
Megan
Yay! Hope you like it! 🙂
Kilee
Yum! I want to lick my screen right now. I’m always craving chocolate, but don’t like eating the refined sugar that’s in more chocolate bars. Thanks for posting this. Have a great day!
Lauren
Made these tonight, substituted organic applesauce for the butter, and upped the cocoa powder a tiny bit. Came out delicious! Thanks for the recipe–definite keeper!
Megan
Thanks for sharing your results! Glad it turned out so well. 🙂
Ivana
So, you took all the oil out and use apple instead? How much?
Lauren @ Fun, Fit and Fabulous!
This looks delicious! I will have to make this for the baby shower I am hosting in July!
jeanne
This looks amazing, I can’t wait to eat it! I can’t believe it’s detox!!!!
maryrose
looks delicious
Lora
This looks sooo yummy! Can anything be subbed for part of the honey (or can it be reduced)?
Megan
For my first attempt, I used only 1/2 cup of honey and it was too bitter to serve! If you don’t mind adding some stevia to the batter, you could experiment with that, but if you do, make sure you add more than you think you need– stevia loses some of the sweetness with baking.
I’d also like to experiment with subbing some applesauce for the butter, which may reduce the need for some of that honey, too.
If you have any luck, please come back and let us all know! 🙂
Karla
Equal amount of raw agave worked perfect in replace of the honey
LizAshlee
Wow, this look amazing! It’s definitely my kinda recipe too!! Thanks much for sharing! I just might have to try it this weekend-if I can wait that long! 🙂
Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
This cake looks incredible. I think I’ll whip this dessert up this weekend to my family’s delight!
Lisa
Let me just wipe that drool off my keyboard now. This looks insane. In a good way! I think this is a must make for a future dinner party!
Sherry
Megan,
Is there any other way to print out these recipes without all the pictures included? It uses up so much of the ink in my printer when the pictures of the prep are included.
Lynette
Sherry, I copy/paste the recipe into a Word document, then delete the pictures before I print. Hope that helps.
Megan
I’ve just started updating my recipes with an improved print function– including this one! Hope it helps! 🙂
Debbie
I also copy and paste into Word. I delete the photos I don’t want and shrink the ones I do want. I also move the photos next to one another so they take up less space. On Word, I try to fit all on one page, so sometimes I change the layout to narrow margins. I also change the font sizes. The recipe title I make 14, the recipe 12 (I am older!), any explanation I want 10. I also keep any comments I like in size 10 as well. You can really tailor the recipe to how you want it to look.
This cake is a version of what my mom always made for us, though her recipe has no eggs as my brother was and is highly allergic to eggs. He recipe is yummy and always a hit when I make it.
Ilse
What is the version without eggs? I’m allergic to eggs and would love to attempt this with an egg substitute!
Gabriella
My brother is allergic to eggs too! What did you use as an egg substitute for this recipe? And if you didn’t use any egg substitute how did it turn out? Was it dryer/gooier/flatter? I’ve read you can use condensed milk as an egg substitute but unsure of how much to use and if I would then need less of another ingredient since condensed milk is so sweet. What do you think?
Pure2raw twins
looks great!!! we made a chocolate flourless cake a few years and we remember it being a huge hit 🙂
kinda love rich chocolate desserts!
Amrita
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I can’t say that enough!
Flourless chocolate cakes are such favourites in my family and amongst friends, but we can hardly make them on a regular basis [cake that uses 1/2-pound of chocolate, on a regular basis…if only!] because of the whopping amount of butter. And to be honest, waiting around for a special occasion just to have some flourless chocolate cake is a hint that we need to prioritize our lives!
But honey instead of sugar and coconut oil instead of butter? This is totally do-able!
Niki
I love the look of this! Rich and sounds super simple to make. I’m usually lazy and will resort to just eating my dark chocolate after dinner but this looks worth the effort :D.
Ana @ BraveLilJuicer.tumblr.com
Wow Megan, this looks dangerously, sinfully delicious!! 🙂 I will have to try it soon!
Evelyn
This looks delicious! Has anyone tried making this with either just egg whites or flax eggs? Bf and I don’t keep “real” eggs in the house.
Megan
I would think egg whites should work as a substitute, using 2 eggwhites for each egg. Flax eggs are trickier, so that would take some experimenting!
Please come back and let us know if you have any success! 🙂
jen
That looks freakin’ out of this world.
Caroline
I made this last night and it was great! My dad was in town and he has high cholesterol, so I used 4 egg whites. It turned out really well!
Callie
I actually just had flourless chocolate cake for the first time last night and fortunately came across your recipe on tastespotting. So excited to try it!
Linda
Could I replace the honey with palm sugar?
Megan
Yes, I think that would work just fine! I’m not sure how the sweetness compares to honey, so you may want to adjust the amount to your tastes.
Please let us know if you have any success! 🙂
Linda
The sweetness is a lot milder than honey. That’s why I like it. But would I have to substitute for the liquid? Palm sugar is kind of moist anyway, just not as liquid-y as honey.
Megan
I don’t think you’ll need to add any additional liquid– I was actually surprised the honey worked! Most recipes call for traditional sugar, and the result might be a slightly firmer cake.
Linda
Great! I’ll give it a try! Thanks!
Alison
Hi Megan!
I have just baked this delish treat!…I am currently 4 days into a detox and am crrrrrraving chocolate and each ingredient in here is allowed for my detox. I substituted apple sauce for the butter. Its so tasty!!! Its rich and moist, I cant believe how “healthy” it is. Thank You!
Marsha
Alison did you sub applesauce 1/2 cup for 1/2 a cup or is it different?
Lori Evert
how much applesauce did you use? Thank you!
HCT
I made this last night. It was easy and delicious! Thanks!
Melly
This was the best chocolate cake I have ever had! I felt well satiated with a tiny piece. Fantastic! 1/2 a cup of orange rind is a nice addition too.
Ellen Lowrey
GREAT recipe! I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! Thanks 🙂
Jules
I’m always a bit hesitant to use honey when cooking for others…want to make sure it turns out tasting as close to ‘normal’ cake as possible. Any recommendations on the amount of sugar if I go that way instead of honey?
Also, am making this for a birthday cake, and want to get it looking extra special. Recommendations for toppings that would go well?
Thanks! Always love your recipes.
Megan
Traditional flourless chocolate cakes call for granulated sugar, so I’d do a search on Google to find a more traditional recipe to follow. I think some shaved chocolate would make a beautiful topping!
Jesse
Do you have the nutrition facts? I really would like to make this recipe, but I need to know if it’s healthy enough. Thanks! 🙂
Megan
You can calculate the nutrition information for any recipe using a free website like Fitday.com or MyFitnessPal.com. Simply add in all of the ingredients into the nutrition calculator, and divide by the number of servings!
Jesse
Okay, thank you!
Anna
Oh my gosh! This cake is delicious! I made it last night and I’m eating one of the last few slices now. My husband and I really enjoyed it. So rich!
Claudia
I am looking forward to trying this recipe but I need to substitute the honey for xylitol. Do you know the ratio?
Megan
I haven’t worked with xylitol, because it’s so poisonous for dogs, but I think I’ve heard the ratio is similar to sugar? If that’s the case, I’d try a similar ratio to the honey– maybe start with a little less, and adjust it to your taste. Please let us know if you have any success!
Rei
Does the cake taste like honey? What is the honey there for?
Megan
No, the cake is too rich and dark in chocolate to taste the honey much. The honey acts as the sweetener, and I use honey in my recipes because it’s one of the only natural sweeteners that is a monosaccharide– a single sugar that is easy on the digestive system, and safe for people on special diets.
Laura
I wonder, do you think this would work as cupcakes? I want to bring them to the office with me!
Megan
This cake isn’t the type that rises, so your cupcakes would probably look like hockey pucks! Perhaps they’d work as brownies?
Lindsey
I have never used coconut oil, but am interested in trying it. Can you add it in its’ solid form and melt it with the chocolate or should it be in its liquid form? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it.
Megan
If you’re adding it directly to the melted chocolate, then the solid form of coconut oil should work, since it would melt immediately in the warm chocolate. Just make sure to mix very well, so you don’t wind up with chunks of un-melted coconut oil!
karen
glad it contains butter– don’t be afraid to use it and forget the applesauce- get your healthy fats in!! Unless you are subbing with coconut oil– that’s good too. Or, at least that’s my opinion…
sometimes we think we are doing a better thing by making something “healthier”, but in fact, we’re not.
Thanks for sharing– I’ll make this weekend with pastured butter and raw honey!
Debbie
Karen – I can have nothing that comes from cow milk, so butter is out of the question! It is not a matter of fat for me and for many others. My son gets seriously ill (as in call the ambulance) from cow milk products. Interestingly, we can both have goat milk and goat milk products. I also can’t have honey, it gives me migraines and I feel awful. “Healthier” is a very individual concept.
Layla
Karen, did you use 1/2 cup butter instead of the coconut oil and pumpkin? That was my plan but wondered what amount you used if yours turned out well
Miranda
I just discovered your site the other day and have been checking out your recipes. I have a serious sweet tooth and I don’t mess around when it comes to dessert. I have to admit, I made this expecting it to taste “pretty good for being healthier” and was completely surprised, bordering on blown away by how amazing it tastes. It was unbelievably easy to make and tastes as good as the flourless chocolate cake I order at my favorite restaurant. Thanks a million – I look forward to cooking and baking my way through the rest of your site.
Angel
This is delicious! I cut the honey down to a 1/3 of a cup and added a few drops of vanilla stevia. I had to force myself to stop eating it.
Vanessa
Do you know how many carbs this cake has ? I am on the Atkins diet
Wonder if I could have a smll piece everyday !
Megan
Please see my FAQ regarding nutrition info: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Christie
For the 1/4 cocoa powder, I know the link is for raw cacoa. But would Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder work the same? Thanks!
Maggie
So so delicious
cred
Yum! I had pinned this recipe a couple of months ago and had yet to try it. I considering it as a healthy dessert recipe for hosting my sister & brother-in-law on Sat. Then my sister mentioned that she’s been avoiding gluten for the last 6 wks- so it was settled.
If was delicious- even the men, who aren’t really looking for healthy when they’re scarfing down dessert, loved it.
I successfully made mine into individual serving sizes by using a silicone muffin pan. I had recently donated my seldom-used spring form pan in a purging spree. The mini cakes worked beautifully.
thanks for the delicious dessert.
Debbie
How long did you bake the mini cakes in the silicon muffin pan?? Thanks
Robbi
This cake is just what I’ve been looking for! Easy, flourless, rich, elegant, and good healthy ingredients. I used coconut oil instead of butter and dark chocolate chips in lieu of unsweetened baking chocolate. Came out beautifully now chilling in fridge until I serve it tomorrow night. I’ll probobaly dust with some,powder sugar and raspberries. Thanks!! I’ll be back to this site!
Debbie
Hi, This cake looks great! I want to try it but cannot tolerate honey and was thinking about trying to sub pure maple syrup. Do you think that would work? How many servings dose the recipe make. Thank you
Cameron
Do you know the nutrition info for one serving?
thanks!
Megan
Please see my FAQ regarding nutrition info: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
MICHELE
I made this today for my boss’ birthday, she doesn’t eat grains or sugar…she LOVED it and sooo did I. So easy to make…I added fresh raspberries on and around the cake for decoration. I was worried at first because I only have a 9′ spring-form pan and I thought it would be too flat but it came out great…Thanks for the wonderful recipe 🙂
Lucia
Hi Michele- I am glad to here that a 9′ springform pan worked out. That is all I could get and I was worried it may come out flat. I will be baking tonight! Thanks!
Kareena
Wow! This cake was rich and yum! My daughter and I loved making it as much as we loved eating it.
Angela
I tried this for a birthday brunch and surrounded it with fresh fruit. It was fabulous. I looked like a domestic rockstar!
lynnmarie0123
JUST MADE THIS AND LOVED IT!!!
I prepared this recipe to the T- as written. The only thing I added was chocolate chips to the top. YUMMO. ok heres my experience: Cooked at 375, it took mine 30 mins and it still wasn’t all the way firm in the center, I used a springform pan, but the edges started to burn, so I removed it from oven after 30 mins. Next time, i will cook at 400. it was a little bitter but still very good, next time I will add some vanilla or peppermint extract. (i love choc mint stuff:) I used a little bit of unsweetened applesauce in place of the coconut oil, but very little maybe 1/8 cup. I think next time I will try all applesauce in lieu of butter or coco oil. To see if the end texture is different. I allowed this cake to cool completely before serving because it was still not firm in the middle, i actually put in fridge for an hour. After an hour it was firm enough to slice and held its shape. I would have called these “brownies” rather than cake, as it didnt rise. it had more of a brownie texture to me but still HEAVENLY!! Will make this one over and over. THANK YOU!!!
Taylor
The purpose of the butter/oil is to keep it more solid and stable. Not only that but butter and coconut oil is HIGHLY nutritious. Won’t contribute to your waistline, rather it will take away from it. 🙂
Lorna
I have been reading about substituting avocado for butter in some recipes. Do you think it might work here? The applesauce is a fine option, but avocados are so creamy. Just not sure about how they do in the baking.