This deliciously rich, fudgy, and secretly healthy chocolate cake recipe includes one ingredient you will absolutely never guess!
The best healthy chocolate cake
Multiple friends and family members have proclaimed this to be the best chocolate cake recipe they’ve ever tasted.
And that is saying something, because none of them are on a vegan, gluten free, weight loss, or low calorie diet. They simply appreciate good food.
It’s so much fun to test the cake out on people who do not know the secret beforehand. Look for their shocked reactions when you reveal the hidden ingredient.
Serve the moist healthy cake at your next party or event, and guests of all ages will be begging you for the recipe!
Also make this Vegan Carrot Cake
Chocolate cake health benefits
While no cake will ever be the healthiest food you can choose, this one does have a surprising amount of nutrition.
Each fudgy slice packs in over five grams of protein and more than 15% of the RDA for fiber. and it can be both cholesterol free and oil free.
The cake is low fat, low in saturated fat, and just 100 calories a slice!
It is high in iron thanks to the cocoa powder and can be sugar free, egg free, dairy free, gluten free, vegan, cholesterol free, and oil free.
Superfood cauliflower is a good source of heart healthy vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. The low sodium and low carb cruciferous vegetable contains vitamin C, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, manganese, fiber, and folate.
Try topping the cake with Homemade Nutella
Ingredients for the healthy dessert
The easy chocolate cake calls for just ten ingredients. You may already own most of them in your kitchen pantry.
These ingredients include flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, pure vanilla extract, salt, sugar, optional stevia and eggs or flax seeds, mini chocolate chips, optional oil or milk of choice, and frozen cauliflower.
My favorite flour choice is whole grain spelt flour, because it adds fiber and gives the cake a light, fluffy texture. All purpose white flour and some brands of gluten free flour blends work as well.
While you can technically use oat flour, pastry flour, or whole wheat flour, these options yield a denser result. We recommend against coconut flour and almond flour.
For a keto and flourless version, try this Chocolate Almond Flour Cake.
Go with a high quality cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor. You may also substitute raw cacao powder. If you try Dutch cocoa, let us know how it goes.
The chocolate chips are not optional, because they impart a deep chocolatey taste into each bite of cake. Use dairy free chocolate chips for a vegan cake.
Feel free to choose regular sugar or a granulated unrefined sugar like coconut sugar. In our opinion, uncut stevia powder is the healthiest alternative sweetener because its only ingredient is stevia leaf, with no erythritol or other sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners added. If you wish to omit the stevia, simply replace it with additional sugar or no sugar xylitol.
Raw or fresh steamed cauliflower have a strong taste and should therefore be avoided in this recipe. We have not yet tried cauliflower rice.
For the best results, use frozen cauliflower and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter instead of in the microwave. Or try one of the substitutions for cauliflower listed in the next paragraph.
Leftover cauliflower? Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Healthy chocolate cake recipe video
Above – watch the step by step recipe video
Substitutions and flavors
If cauliflower is too unusual for you, substitute three fourths cup of canned pumpkin puree, roasted sweet potato, mashed banana, or Greek yogurt.
Turn it into a mocha cake by using brewed coffee instead of the milk or stirring a teaspoon of instant coffee granules in with the dry ingredients.
Add the zest of two oranges to the food processor for a chocolate orange cake.
Create a fancy chocolate peanut butter cake by swapping the three tablespoons of oil for a fourth cup of softened peanut butter or almond butter.
For black forest cake, top the recipe with Coconut Whipped Cream and fresh cherries or cherry jam. Garnish the sides with shaved dark chocolate.
Add half a teaspoon of pure peppermint extract for a mint chocolate chip cake.
Or top the finished dessert with date caramel frosting, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans to get a German chocolate cake.
For a healthy ice cream cake, top with Avocado Ice Cream or Banana Ice Cream.
Finally, you can make a yummy healthy birthday cake by decorating with a variety of fresh sliced fruit or natural rainbow sprinkles. Remember the birthday candles!
How to make a healthy chocolate cake
Thaw the cauliflower in the refrigerator or in a bowl on the counter.
When ready to bake the cake, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and gathering all of your ingredients.
Grease a round or square eight inch baking pan, or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set this pan aside.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and sweetener in a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly incorporated.
Blend all liquid ingredients with the cauliflower in a high quality food processor until the mixture is completely smooth.
Pour the liquid mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, which could result in a tough or gummy cake.
Spread the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking pan, then place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven.
Bake for thirty minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out mostly clean.
Let the pan cool completely before frosting. If you can wait, I recommend very loosely covering the cooled cake with a towel and refrigerating overnight. The taste and texture are ten times better the next day.
After a day, store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for freshness. Or slice and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
Readers also like Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate frosting ideas and tips
For the healthiest option, top your cake with fresh strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or sliced bananas.
Or frost it with a thick layer of decadent Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, or add chocolate sprinkles, diced walnuts, or chocolate ganache and fresh or frozen fruits of choice.
We spread on a four ingredient Healthy Chocolate Frosting and plant based mini chocolate chips for the chocolate cake in the photos.
To ensure whatever toppings you add do not melt upon touching a hot cake, make sure to let the recipe cool fully before decorating.
Healthy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (or try this Keto Cake)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp ground flax or 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar or xylitol for a sugar free cake
- 1/4 cup additional sugar OR 1/8 tsp uncut stevia
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or more as desired (do not omit)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups frozen cauliflower (or 3/4 cup yogurt, mashed banana, or pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (omit if using eggs)
- 3 tbsp oil or additional milk of choice
Instructions
- *Flour options that work well include spelt flour, white flour, or some brands of all purpose gluten free flour. For the best results, be sure to use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh, and do not omit the chocolate chips.To make the healthy chocolate cake recipe, start by thawing the cauliflower in the refrigerator or in a bowl on the counter. Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix very well. Combine all liquid ingredients and the cauliflower in a food processor and blend until smooth, so there are no lumps. (If going with the cauliflower free option, you do not need to use a food processor.) Pour wet into dry, and mix until just combined, then pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes. Let cool completely. If you can wait, I recommend very loosely covering with a towel and refrigerating overnight because the taste and texture are better the next day. Frosting options are included above.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Or these Vegan Brownies
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Made it the “fudgy” way and it is AWESOME. I was a little worried because the batter looked thicker than the average cake batter, but I just spread it out in the pan and crossed my fingers. Thanks for the delicious recipe!!
Hi Katie, I made this cake today and it is amazing. Incredibly soft and moist and the kids and husband loved it. I used fresh cauliflower and used honey in place of the sugar. I also blended the chocolate in with the cauliflower and other wet ingredients. Delicious!
Also wanted to add that I used I egg in place of the flax and it worked perfectly. 🙂
BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever tried!
It was soft and moist, just like you said, and I ate three slices without even bothering to put any frosting on (not all in one sitting, but trust me I thought about it!) Then when I finally did get around to making frosting (your vanilla one), it was somehow even better. I didn’t think that was possible! How can something so weird actually taste so great?
Just got done making this! Posting this comment so that others don’t make my mistake. I used an entire head of fresh cauliflower, boiled it and threw it in the food processor with the other ingredients without bothering to measure (I assumed that in the past I’d googled and figured out that a head of cauliflower was about 2 cups, but now I’m pretty sure I made that up). The cake is cooling now but I sampled a tiny bit of the corner and I’m pretty sure it’s destined for the trash can. Super, super gooey (I love gooey but this is too much) and cauliflower-tasting. 🙁 I will try it again and will check a grocery store for the frozen cauliflower or try steaming it instead of boiling (I may have over-boiled it too). It looks super delicious!
Forgot to add that I did make the frosting that you linked to and it was DELICIOUS! I may or may not have used my finger to get the maximum amount out of the container before I rinsed it out…
So, I used frozen cauliflower, let it thaw in the fridge over night, and measured out two cups before putting in food-pro. Ours turned out smelling and tasting like cauliflower. Wish I knew what I have done differently than everyone else. Would try it again if I could figure it out. Put the whole thing minus three bites in the trash.
Can you tell me more about the other specific ingredients you used?
What flour?
What sweetener and how much?
Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I used: 1/4c soy+1/2c white flour, chia egg, xylitol+stevia sweetener option, plain soy milk, coconut oil, and dark choc chips-chopped
Hi Sarah,
Unfortunately the recipe doesn’t call for soy flour and I really can’t vouch for the results if you make that change… I’ve never used soy flour before 😕
Just ate a piece of this cake, and Im pretty satisfied. I think I used a tad bit too much cauliflower (when measuring, I packed in the cauliflower), but it still tastes good. It has a cauliflower smell to it, but you can barely taste it. Next time I will use slightly less cauliflower and maybe add some almond extract or cinnamon to mask the cauliflower smell and flavor. The frosting really did make this cake – don’t leave it out!
I did a slightly adapted version for the bachelorette party of my friend and it was so great, everyone raved about it!!! I filled the cake with a vanilla cream (everything healthy!!) and used a special pan, so that the filling had a heart shape!! Thanks so much for the idea!!
This was amazingly soft and fudgy. I used an actual egg, self raising white flour and 85% chocolate for the chips. I made it in two circular sandwich tins and then frosted and sandwiched it with the Reeses Pieces Fudge Frosting (which i could have just ate on it’s own – so good) and then sprinkled it with shards of sugar glass for some cruch. It does see to have a bit of an aftertaste though. Not particularly strong and not cauliflower tasting but something a bit different from the normal end note of an amazingly fudgy chocolate cake. I’m just about to give some to some friends and we’ll see if they notice it though!
Oooo did they notice?
I’m curious! My brother didn’t notice, and he hates vegetables. All vegetables! It was really funny to see him eating the cake!
No they didn’t. They absolutely loved it and one of them even asked for the recipe. I told one of them and she said that once I told her she could notice it had a slight aftertaste but she still loved it and wanted more. Considering I made this this afternoon and there is about a quarter of the cake left I think is a huge success!
Holy buttons, this cake is GOOD!
Like, scary good. :O
You can’t taste the cauliflower at all, and I caught my brother sneaking seconds even after I told him what was in it. See? Scary good. So scary you got my bro eating vegetables!
Anyone on the fence about making this recipe, don’t think twice. Make it today!
So I’m watching Masterchef Australia and Heston Blumenthal brought pairs of ingredients (that he said all go together perfectly) for an invention test. And guess what one of the pairs was?! Cauliflower and chocolate. Actually all of the pairs included chocolate, so here’s some inspiration for you: Beetroot and choc, caviar and choc, vegemite and choc, bacon and choc. I think that was it.
Wow, that’s so funny! Maybe I should try out for that show… I like doing things with strange ingredients.
Caviar and chocolate… now there’s something I’m pretty sure I’ll never try ;).
The vegemite thing might actually be good. I hate vegemite on its own, so maybe I should try it partially masked with the chocolate flavor. Thanks for the fun idea!
Hi Katie, I absolutely love your site and recipes as I’m always looking for healthy recipes for myself and my 3yr old son. I must admit though, I made this cake yesterday and it looked great but tasted like ….well….cauliflower! I was so disappointed, I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong as I see so many others have said it tasted good. I used fresh cauliflower (uncooked) – that’s they only difference I can pin-point.
I made this for my family-so glad I doubled both the cake and the reeces frosting and made a 9×13 pan because it was delicious. I did use the pumpkin since I had a can in the cupboard and if you double-one can of pumpkin is perfect. My husband couldn’t believe how rich it was. Everyone had clean plates! Delicious!
I made this for a party yesterday, and I waited until everyone had eaten some to tell them what was in it. No one had any idea! I also made your snickerdoodle blondies, but due to my broken food processor, the wrong size pan, and a mix up between baking SODA and baking POWDER amounts, they didn’t turn out quite right. Note to self: buy a second 8×8 pan! I made the chocolate cake with an egg and white flour, turned out amazing! I’m making it again for Fourth of July. Thanks CCK!
I`m ok with chia egg, but how do I make it? Just add a little water like a flax egg?
Yep, it’s the same. I did it with chia instead of ground flax, except I forgot to grind the chia, so my cake had chia seeds scattered throughout….Ooops 🙂 Still delicious though!
this cake really was amazing! better than most UNhealthy cakes… incredible:) i will DEFIANTLY be making this again!
I’m excited to try this! I LOVE chocolate cake, and I do like cauliflower (although never thought if it for cake : )…have you ever tried cauliflower crust pizza? SO good.
The pumpkin idea sounds really good too – I love chocolate with cinnamon, so I’m thinking “Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cake” ?? : )