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My keto flourless chocolate cake recipe yields the most fudgy, moist, addictive cake! Made in one bowl, I love how simple the ingredient list is! 4 grams of net carbs.
Love keto dessert recipes? Make my keto cheesecake, keto cupcakes, and keto chocolate pudding next.
Although I have a few keto cake recipes on the blog (hello, keto carrot cake, keto coffee cake, and keto pound cake), I have yet to create a keto cake recipe that uses NO flour of any kind–not even almond flour–until now.
It seems like a no-brainer, and honestly, this is my best flourless dessert yet.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Incredible texture. Flourless chocolate cakes are notorious for being fudgy, rich, and incredibly decadent. This keto cake ticks all those boxes.
- Made with one bowl. No multiple bowls, no blender, nada. Just one bowl (or pot) and a cake pan are all you need.
- Perfect for chocolate lovers. Like my classic flourless chocolate cake, I’ve never met a chocolate lover who didn’t fall in LOVE with this cake.
- So simple. Melt the chocolate, then fold in the rest of the ingredients and bake it in the oven. It’s really that simple.
Ingredients needed
- Keto chocolate. I don’t recommend using sugar-free chocolate chips, as they don’t have the best texture once melted. For this recipe, use a chopped-up unsweetened dark chocolate bar.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter since we’re adding salt to this recipe. If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Granulated sweetener. I love allulose or monk fruit sweetener, but other types of sweeteners will work, too.
- Salt. To amplify the other ingredients.
- Espresso powder. Optional, but it’ll intensify the chocolate flavor, and you won’t be able to taste the espresso.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any cake recipe.
- Eggs. Room temperature, preferably.
- Cocoa powder. I’ve tested so many different kinds of cocoa powder over the years, and I always prefer unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder for its richer, smoother flavor.
- Frosting. Make a chocolate ganache with melted sugar-free chocolate chips and coconut milk, or buy keto frosting at the store.
How to make keto flourless chocolate cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake tin and cover it with parchment paper.
Step 2- Melt the chocolate. Using a microwave or saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter until combined.
Step 3- Make the cake batter. To the chocolate mixture, stir in the sweetener, vanilla, and espresso powder. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking as you go. Add the cocoa powder and stir until just combined.
Step 4- Bake. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a crust forms on top.
Step 5- Cool, frost, and serve. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely in the tin. Remove from the tin, frost, and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Leave 2 inches of parchment paper sticking out. So it’s easier to remove the cake from the pan. Alternatively, you can use a springform pan.
- Avoid overbaking. The texture of this cake means it’s easy to overbake. Since it’ll continue to cook as it cools, remove it from the oven as soon as the edges begin to dark and it reaches an internal temperature of 200F.
- Swap the frosting. Use any of my keto frostings, or better yet, enjoy it unfrosted!
- Decorate the cake with berries, mint leaves, a drizzle of almond butter, or keto whipped cream.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Wrap leftover cake slices in parchment paper, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 6 months.
More low carb cakes to try
Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened chocolate chopped finely * See notes
- 1/2 cup butter dairy free, if needed
- 3/4 cup allulose
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
Frosting
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake tin and cover with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches overhanging for easy removal.
- Using a microwave or small saucepan, heat up the chocolate and butter, and whisk until combined.
- Stir through the allulose, along with the vanilla and espresso, if using it. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating into the batter gently, until smooth. Add the cocoa powder until just combined- do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter into the cake tin. Bake the flourless keto chocolate cake for 25 minutes, until a gentle crust has formed on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin. Remove from the tin either using the parchment paper overhang or flipping it gently onto a plate. Frost it and enjoy.
I know you included a vegan recipe, but can I use the egg substitute in this recipe, or will the structure be different
Not sure! I didn’t have a good result with it.
Hey Arman,
I’d like to make a layer cake like in the picture. I count according to the metric system and it comes out that including chocolate bars and chocolate chips in this dough (including the frosting) there will be almost a kilo of chocolate in it 🙂 2 x 170 g + 2 x 290 g = 920 g…and I want to make sure I am not mistaken?
This was fantastic. I can’t have eggs, but am also keto, so couldn’t follow either recipe option… so I used the force and amended it a little bit. I used the keto version, but instead of eggs, I used flax eggs with a little bit less water than I normally would. (I used 3 T flax meal to 7 T hot water.) (I usually use 2.5 T hot water to each T flax meal.) I don’t typically want things as sweet as recipes call for, so I used less sweetener (I used approximately 1/2-ish cup xylitol) and compensated by adding a little extra cocoa (I used cacao) powder (for a total of approximately a heaping 1/2 cup of cacao powder). I may have baked it a little bit too long, because it was a bit crumbly on top when we ate it the evening of the bake, BUT refrigerated overnight… SO GOOD. Tastes like dense, fudgy brownies. This egg free keto girl will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
😀 Thanks, Emily!
Thank you!
Hey Arman, what’s between the two layers? looks like a layer of salted caramel 🙂
Chocolate frosting! : )
This looks amazing and I really want to make it for my fiance’s birthday! Do you think you could use liquid monkfruit in place of liquid stevia?
What can I use for the frosting please if I dont have coconut milk ? Would regular full fat milk work?
It needs to be coconut milk 🙂 or you could make one of my keto frostings instead
Hello!
It seems delicious!
I would like to try it without using butter but not necessarily vegan as my only issue is dairy.
Could I substitute the butter for coconut oil?
Many thanks 🙂
Hi! I haven’t tried, you’ll need to experiment and see 🙂
Hello arman,
I wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe!
Ive been wanting to bake for a while, but after I decided to stop eating dairy and eggs, it was very difficult to find any recipes I could eat.
Then i came across your recipe and when i tried it out, it turned out really tasty. The cake was rich and sweet and friends loved it as well!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Koyo
You are so welcome, Koyo!
Thank you so much for posting this! Is there any way I could substitute the oats for coconut flour for the vegan version?
That won’t work at all, it will crumble 🙂
Dear Arman,
I am SO happy I found your page. Your recipes are fantastic and they always work. THANK YOU
You are so welcome 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I was looking for something to make for Easter that didn’t use almond flour since my brother-in-law is a allergic to nuts and I found your recipe thank you so much for sharing having a hard time finding recipes with out almond flour. I made it for Easter and it was a big hit I am made it for my mom for mother’s day thanks. Hope you have a blessed day.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Priscilla- Hope you had a fantastic Easter!
I’m making the Paleo version, but with only 2T of cocoa, it is not very brown (chocolate). Is there something missing in the recipe?
Nope, I used dark cocoa powder, which is a darker consistency.
how is this vegan? it contains eggs
Did you check out the vegan option? There is no eggs in it at all.
Hello. I just made this cake. It tastes good but it is very thin. Any way how to get it to rise?
I just made this keto version. Takes really good but it very thin. How do I make this rise?
Hi Becky! I sometimes use a smaller pan for thickness 🙂
Can you use almond flour and almond milk instead of coconut milk and coconut flour?
That won’t work or come out correctly!
Hi there. Which version does the nutritional info relate too ?
The keto version 🙂
Looks delicious! Can I substitute almond milk for the coconut milk in both the cake and frosting?
Hi there! sure, that should be fine 🙂
How is this vegan if it requires eggs?
Did you see the clearly stated vegan option?
Hi,
Does the nutrition facts include the frosting?
Thanks.
Hi it doesn’t 🙂
So… What’s the nutrition I go for the frosting?
It depends which one you use, so best to calculate it based on your ingredients.
Hi,
Any substitute to eggs in the veto version? and is the cocoa powder unsweetened ?
Nope, not that I have tried! Yes, unsweetened cocoa powder!
Have you ever tried scaling down this recipe for a personal sized cake? Or tried baking in smaller pans for multiple individual cakes? I would like to bake the keto version but I can’t finish a whole 8×8 pan by myself.
Just bake it up and freeze leftovers- They freeze beautifully 🙂
Is there a sub for chocolate chips?
Not that I have tried!
Hi, I would love to try the keto recipe. is it correct 1/4 only for coco flour? I assume then is quite small? if I want it bigger what is the coco flour egg ratio 1/4 – 3 eggs always? thank you
Sure is, coconut flour is like a sponge. Double or triple the recipe if you want more.
I’m wanting to make this for a birthday party- how could I make this for 2 round pans to make a round cake?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried, but please let me know if you do try it out!
The vegan chocolate cake looks magnificent! Heck, both look magnificent! I definitely have to try this out ASAP!
You have the macros listed per slice but I dont see where it says how many slices come from the cake? I want to check so I don’t cut thet too big.
Hi it is included in the recipe card 🙂
The nutrition info is for both recipes? Not possible so I’m confused.
No it is for the keto option.
Is the the Nutrition facts for the flourless/vegan…or the keto/low carb?
I’ve not made ‘desserts’ yet on my keto way of eating, and just want to have my macros correct for keeping my daily log on my Carb Manager app.
THANKS!
Hi it is for keto!
any ideas what to sub the sweetener with, would a half banana work?
I haven’t tried, only what is recommended 🙂
So do you not use sweet potato in the keto version? Making for a friend with diabetes trying to make best option. Thanks
You’d use pumpkin.
Does whipping the icing ingredients make it fluffier?
I didn’t whip it, but I avoid doing it, as it tends to spill over.
Which recipe did you use for the picture? It looks perfect!
Hi there! The keto paleo version! 🙂
Will the Keto version work if you use flax eggs? I’m allergic to eggs
It won’t unfortunately 🙁
Which option do you like better?
LOVE the paleo option!
While this recipe could possibly fall into a low carb catagory (higher carb count) it is absolutely not keto friendly.
Oats and sweet potatoes are not allowed on a keto WOE.
Clearly didn’t read the recipe at all- Two stated options included, with a KETO option. enjoy
Debra D, you should read the entire recipe before posting negativity. It shows options for different diets.
How about a thank you for sharing this & Looks delicious!
Keto does not mean zero carb, most people can do 20-30 grams of carbs a day.
1 slice is a serving but how many servings in the whole cake? Looks so good!!!
Hi there! It’s in the recipe card and can also be amended!
Goodness I don’t know which version of the cake to make first! Chocolate will always be my favorite cake 🙂