Healthy Chocolate Cake

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. I love how each slice has just 100 calories.

Love healthy dessert recipes? Try my healthy chocolate chip cookies, healthy brownies, healthy cookie dough, and healthy lemon bars.

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!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make a healthy chocolate cake
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. Storage instructions
6. More simple cake recipes to try
7. Healthy Chocolate Cake (Fat Free AND Sugar free!) (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• 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. 
• It’s completely vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.
• If calories are something you focus on, each slice has just 100 calories.
• No fancy mixers or kitchen equipment needed- Just one bowl and a mixing spoon.

Ingredients needed

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.

• 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 allulose.
• 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– Reacts with 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 goods.
• Unsweetened applesauce– Applesauce replaces the need for any fat without affecting the flavor or texture.
• Water– Instead of using milk or non-dairy milk, we use water. Use room temperature water, not warm or hot. 

How to make a healthy chocolate cake

Step 1- Whisk the dry. Start by mixing together your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2- Add the wet. 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.

Step 3- Bake. Transfer the cake batter into a cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out ‘just’ clean.

Step 4- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost the cake. 

Recipe tips and variations

• 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. 

Storage instructions

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. 

More simple cake recipes to try

• Vegan chocolate Cake
• Easiest vanilla Cake
• Vegan strawberry Cake
• Vegan lemon Cake
• Blueberry breakfast cake

Originally published August 2020, updated March 2024