Hands down, this is the healthiest chocolate cake recipe on this planet! Moist and with a tender crumb, this healthy cake is sugar free, fat free, and low calorie- but you’d never tell- Less than 100 calories a slice.
Healthy Chocolate Cake
You can never have too many chocolate cake recipes. When I’m not enjoying some flourless chocolate cake or zucchini chocolate cake, I’m enjoying a slice or two of this healthy chocolate cake.
I’ve had my fair share of ‘healthy’ cakes and not going to lie, I was VERY disappointed. Many fat-free desserts or baked goods are prone to being gummy and not overly enjoyable to eat, but NOT this cake!
This healthy cake isn’t like other “healthy” cakes out there. See, it’s made with no sugar, no oil, no butter, and no milk…but you’d never tell!
The texture is EXACTLY what you want in any good chocolate cake- Moist, fluffy, and with a tender crumb. The taste ticks all the boxes too- Sweet and loaded with chocolate flavor.
This may be the healthiest chocolate cake ever, but your taste buds will have you fooled!
Bonus? It’s completely vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. Oh, and it clocks in at under 100 calories per slice!
How to make a healthy chocolate cake
No fancy mixers or kitchen equipment needed- Just one bowl and a mixing spoon. You’ll notice that this recipe is a triple layer cake. Ingredients listed are for one single cake, so double or triple it as needed.
The Ingredients
- All purpose flour– An affordable and simple flour. If you’d like to boost the healthiness of it, you can use white wholewheat all purpose flour. To keep this healthy cake gluten free, use gluten free flour.
- Granulated sweetener– Any sugar free and calorie free granulated sweetener will work. I prefer using monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.
- Cocoa Powder– Use a good quality cocoa powder, and sift it first to ensure there are no clumps. For a richer chocolate cake, use dark cocoa powder.
- Baking soda– Gives the cake some rise and leavening.
- Salt– Enhances the sweetness of the cake.
- Apple Cider Vinegar– Works with the baking soda so that you don’t need to use eggs. You can also use white vinegar or even lemon juice.
- Vanilla Extract– A must for any cake or baked good.
- Unsweetened applesauce– Applesauce replaces the need for any fat
- Water– Instead of using milk or non dairy milk, we use water. Use room temperature water, not warm or hot.
The Instructions
Start by mixing together your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, add your apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and unsweetened applesauce and mix until just combined. Then, add your water and mix very well, until fully incorporated. Transfer the cake batter into a cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out ‘just’ clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost the cake.
Healthy Chocolate Frosting
You can use any chocolate frosting of choice. While I often use a healthy frosting made with applesauce, to keep the sugar and calories down, I also use this sugar free and fat free chocolate frosting-
To make: 1 cup sugar free powdered sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sweetener (monk fruit or erythritol), cocoa powder, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk.
Combine your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the vanilla extract and milk and whisk together, until smooth and glossy. For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. For a thinner one, add more milk.
Tips for the perfect healthy cake
- Do not overbake the cake! I cannot stress this enough. You want to remove the cake from the oven when a skewer comes out ‘just’ clean, as the cake continues to cook as it is cooling down.
- I prefer to make a triple layer cake, as I find it gives it a more decadent look and flavor. If you’d also like a triple layer cake, simply triple the cake ingredients, and double the frosting ingredients!
- The frosting is completely optional. Omit it if you prefer a cake without frosting.
- Use this recipe as part of a healthy breakfast, by serving it with some Greek yogurt or eggs (for added protein).
- If you’d prefer a snack chocolate cake or chocolate sheet cake, you can bake it in a square pan.
Storing and Freezing Tips
- To store: Leftover cake can be stored in a sealable container, at room temperature. It will keep well for up to 7 days. To ensure it remains moist, place paper towel over the tops of it, before sealing. Refrigerate the cake if you’d like it to keep longer than 7 days.
- To freeze: Place pieces of cake in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in the refrigerator overnight.
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Healthy Chocolate Cake (Fat Free AND Sugar free!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten free, if necessary
- 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice * See notes
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, granulated sweetener,cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.
- Add your vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and unsweetened applesauce and mix well. Pour the water over the top and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the cake batter into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the cake pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This sounds so yummy like all your recipes. Any suggestions how I can make this a vanilla cake. I am thinking of just omitting cocoa and may adding in a bit of protein powder instead or just leave out all together??
Thanks so much for all your easy to make and creative ideas.
I haven’t tried- You could make my vanilla cake instead- https://thebigmansworld.com/easy-vanilla-cake/
Thank you so much, I saw that one but it had oil that I didn’t want.
Can you please give the recipe in grams?
We haven’t calculated it in grams, but you can google a conversion tool.
That’d be nice to add the tool in you recipe though, many bloggers do that and I think it’d be a great addition. Thanks
We do for most recipes, but don’t use the automatic one as it is not accurate.
I love chocolate cakes they are my favorite and this one has only 98 calories. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe it will keep me fit as well as fulfil my craving
You are so welcome!
Hi, tried your recipe with wheatflour tastewise it’s good but while eating we felt little sticky in mouth,I fallow everything🙂
It was so moist and yummy. I didn’t expect it from such a healthy recipe. Thank you!!!
So welcome! 🙂
This was the best low cal chocolate cake with frosting recipe I have ever had! It’s a bit higher in carbs than I would like, though, given the amount of flour. Any thoughts on substituting oat fiber for part of the regular flour and if so, how much do you think I could substitute and still keep the great taste/texture?
I haven’t tried so you’d need to experiment and see
Hiya do you think almond or chia flour would work ok?
Haven’t tried, I doubt chia would, almond could work – you are welcome to experiment and see!
Hi can iuse honey or maple syrup instead of other sweetners?
I haven’t tried- Granulated is all I’ve tried 🙂
This was amazing, thank you! I’ve read that oat fiber can replace up to 1/4 of the flour in a recipe so I used 1/3 cup of oat fiber and filled my measuring cup the rest of the way with all purpose flour. I sampled the batter before popping it in the oven and determined that I needed a bit more sweetener for my tastes so I adjusted accordingly. It was the best chocolate cake. So rich and fudgy! I used the sugar free frosting included in this recipe, but substituted peanut flour for cocoa flour for a super delicious peanut butter frosting. Will definitely be making this again!
I tried this recipe for my husband for his birthday and everyone loved it!!
Thanks for the feedback, Kristy!
Will stevia packets work in this? It’s not the granules
I haven’t tried that, I don’t see why not.
Thank you for this recipe! Baked it around Christmas time and I loved it. I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose in the same ratio and substituted one cup of granulated sweetener for one half cup of white monkfruit sugar. Baked for 25 minutes and turned out so moist and fresh! (It wasn’t overly sweet, but if you like sweetness then I’d recommend sticking to the full one cup of sugar!) I’ll definitely try more of your recipes as soon as I can. Thanks again!
Thank you, Sophie!
Can i just eliminate the sweetener altogether?
I haven’t tried!