Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake

There are lots of occasions in day-to-day life that call for cake. 

It might be a birthday, or you could decide to bake a cake for a friend or family member, or you might find baking is something you do to relax on your rest days. 

No matter why you want to bake, you can enjoy this flourless chocolate cake as part of a healthy, balanced diet. 

It’s made with wholesome ingredients, and it’s gluten-free and dairy-free, so it is suitable for a range of dietary preferences. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes soaking time

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes + 30 minutes soaking time

Serves: 1 cake or 10-12 slices

Dietary Preferences: Gluten-free, Dairy-free 

Ingredients

• 10 Medjool dates, pitted

• 125g dark unsweetened chocolate pieces (70% cocoa is good), melted

• 40g coconut oil

• 3 large eggs, separated

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 60g (½ cup) almond flour

• 25g cacao powder

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• pinch of salt

Topping ideas (optional)

• Fresh strawberries

• Mixed berries.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a 20cm round springform pan with baking paper.

2. Place the dates in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes to soften. Drain well.

3. Place the dates, egg yolks and vanilla in a food processor and process until well combined and smooth. 

4. Break the chocolate into pieces. Place the chocolate pieces and coconut oil in a medium saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly.

5. Place the dates, egg yolks and vanilla in a food processor and process until well combined and smooth.

6. Place the almond flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the date mixture and melted chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

7. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. 

8. Add ¼ of the beaten egg white to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to over mix. 

9. Carefully pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

10. To serve, slice the flourless chocolate cake and serve with fresh strawberries or mixed berries, if desired. Enjoy!

Sweet treats can still be healthy

The sweetness of this flourless chocolate cake comes from the dates and chocolate, which means you can alter the recipe slightly to suit your own dietary preferences. Simply choose a type of chocolate that suits your taste and your own health goals. 

If you or your loved ones are trying to cut back on refined sugar, try to use chocolate that has a high percentage of cocoa in it. Generally, the higher the percentage of cocoa, or the more cocoa-dense the chocolate is, the less likely it is that the chocolate will contain a lot of refined sugar.

This cake can be cut into 10-12 slices, so it’s perfect to share with a large group. You could also bake it to keep on hand as a healthy dessert for yourself. After making it and dividing it up into slices, put some into airtight containers and freeze for a future sweet treat!

If you love chocolate recipes like this flourless chocolate cake, we’d love to hear what other healthy chocolate dessert recipes you would like us to share with you. Let us know in the comments below.