Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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.
This keto flourless chocolate cake is a showstopper
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. After plenty of chocolate-filled afternoons in the kitchen, I landed on a keto version that’s every bit as rich, fudgy, and decadent as my original flourless cake. This is why I make it on repeat:
- Truly rich and fudgy. If you love dark chocolate, this cake is for you.
- Made in one bowl. Less cleanup is always a win in my book.
- Deceptively simple. Melt, mix, bake, and let the oven do the hard work.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into keto flourless cake, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- 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. I love the Baker’s unsweetened chocolate or Ghirardelli.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter since I’m already adding salt to this recipe. If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Granulated sweetener. I love allulose, as it dissolves like white sugar and doesn’t leave the cake batter gritty or wet. I did test this with monk fruit, and it worked out well.
- 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. I love the subtle vanilla flavor over the richness of the chocolate.
- Eggs. Room-temperature eggs are best, as they don’t firm up the butter when added to the batter.
- 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
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
- Avoid overbaking. This is my most important tip. Flourless cakes should be fudgy and slightly soft in the center. Since it continues to cook as it cools, remove it from the oven as soon as the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle. If you’re using a thermometer, aim for an internal temperature of around 200°F.
- Let it cool completely. The cake will seem delicate when it first comes out of the oven, but it firms up considerably as it cools. I’ve found the texture is even better after a few hours at room temperature.
- Leave 2 inches of parchment paper sticking out. I like to leave about 2 inches hanging over the sides so I can easily lift the cake out once it’s cooled. A springform pan works well too.
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. Thaw it overnight before serving.
To enjoy: If refrigerated, let the cake sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. The texture becomes even fudgier as it warms slightly.
More low carb cakes to try
Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened chocolate chopped finely
- 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 and the center still has a slight jiggle.
- 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 just love your recipes. They’re the best!
Aw, Karen- that means so much. I’m glad you enjoy the recipes and I appreciate your loyalty and readership.
Can I use Stevia instead of Allulose?
Hi Sue, I wouldn’t recommend it for a recipe like this. You need the bulk, moisture and texture that allulose (or a similar granulated sweetener) provides, unfortunately.
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!