4 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cake
This healthy chocolate cake is moist and has a rich chocolate flavor. It is made with just 4 ingredients and doesn’t contain any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The cake can also be made ahead of time and stores well.
This chocolate cake is so rich and fudgy. I like that is eggless and made with healthier ingredients.
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- Apples
- Maple Syrup
- Peanut Butter
Cocoa powder: I recommend using a good quality brand of Dutch process cocoa powder. The cake does use a large amount of cocoa powder so you will taste the cocoa powder. You also want to avoid natural cocoa powder which is more acidic and bitter.
Apples: Chopped apples are used in this cake to help sweeten the cake and make it extra moist. The apple skins are also left on because the fiber and pectin contained in the apple peel will help the cake set up. I recommend that you use a sweet variety of apples like Fuji, Honeycrisp or Envy, so that your cake is sweet enough.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is added to help sweeten the cake as I found that the cake is not sweet enough with just apples. You can reduce the syrup amount or skip it entirely if you want a very low sugar cake.
Peanut butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter with no added oils. Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter or natural sunflower seed butter. I prefer using peanut butter because it adds more flavor and sweetness to the cake. Peanut butter also helps make the cake fudgy and helps to act as a binding agent in place of eggs.
How to Make Healthier Chocolate Cake
- The cocoa powder, chopped apples, maple syrup and peanut butter are all added to a high powered blender and blended until you have a smooth batter.
- The batter is then transferred to your prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for about one hour or until done. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Then place in the fridge for several hours to help it set.
- If desired, you can decorate the cake with chocolate ganache or other toppings before serving.
Texture
- This cake does not have the same texture as a classic chocolate cake. The outer layer has a crumb-like texture but the inner part of the cake is very fudgy and moist, similar to super fudgy brownies.
- The cake has a very rich cocoa flavor and is only lightly sweetened. If you prefer a sweeter cake, you can add a little more maple syrup or you can add a sweet frosting on top.
Expert Tips
- You can eat the cake after is cooled but placing it in the fridge for several hours or overnight will help the cake set up better and the flavors also become more developed. This results in a sweeter cake that is easier to cut and serve.
- I recommend choosing a sweet apple variety for this cake because the cake does rely on the apples for its sweetness. I used Fuji apples.
More Healthier Chocolate Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cake
- 2 Ingredient Healthier Chocolate Fudge
- 2 Ingredient Healthier No Bake Chocolate Cake
4 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 355 grams chopped apples (core and seeds removed, apple skin stays on), see note before starting
- 1/2 cup (48 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (160 g) natural peanut butter, no added oils
- 3 tbsp (1.5 fl oz/44 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-inch round springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with a parchment round and line the sides with strips of parchment paper.
- Add the chopped apples, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and maple syrup to a high powered blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Because this recipe incorporates the apple skin, you do want to make sure the mixture is well blended and you want to use a high powered blender that will completely blend the apple skin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the surface of the cake is completely set. The surface of the cake should be dark in color and have some small cracks.
- Let the cake cool completely at room temperature and then put it into the fridge for several hours. While the cake can be enjoyed right away after it is cooled, I do recommend the extra step of refrigeration. This helps the flavors develop better. The cake is also very moist and fudgy, so putting it in the fridge will help it firm up and make it easier to cut. If desired, you can frost the cake before serving. Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Apple note: Make sure to use a sweet apple variety because a lot of the sweetness of the cake comes from the apples. I used Fuji. Leaving the skin on for the apples will help the cake set up better because apple peels contain fiber and pectin.
- Sweetness note: This cake has a very low level of sweetness and is more of a bittersweet chocolate cake. It is meant to be a healthier chocolate cake. You can make it a little sweeter by adding a sweeter frosting.
- Maple syrup note: Maple syrup is used to add sweetness to the cake. You can reduce the syrup if you want to make the cake even healthier. You can also increase the syrup slightly if you prefer sweeter cakes (add 1 tbsp more), but your baking time will also need to be increased and your cake will be more moist
- I used Rodelle Dutch process cocoa powder*
- I used this 6-inch pan.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Optional chocolate frosting:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) canned coconut milk (can substitute with heavy cream)
- Add chocolate chips to a medium bowl and set aside. Heat coconut milk in a small pot or pan over medium low heat. Heat until simmering. Pour hot coconut milk over chocolate chips. Let sit for 60 seconds then gently mix until chocolate is completely melted.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
these cakes sound so good but, where are the measurements?
All of the ingredients and amounts will be listed at the bottom in the recipe card. You can also click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top and it will take you right there.
No idea who many cups constitute 388 grams or whatever. All the other ingredients had both metric and BAKING CUP MEASUREMENTS.
During midterms wanted a treat. Wasted two hours on this
If we were sisters, you’d get your bangs trimmed in your sleep
The apples is only given in grams instead of cups because it is very difficult to get an accurate cup measurement for apples. How many apples fit in a cup is going to vary a lot depending on the design of your measuring cup, how big you cut your apples, etc. We tested this recipe many times and adding too much apple or too little apple will greatly affect the outcome of the recipe and we didn’t want people to end up with a failed recipe. I’m not sure why you wasted two hours on this. You could buy a scale which costs less than $10 or just skip making the recipe and make a different one.
I made this except subbed PB for tahini and almond butter, and used 1 whole granny smith apple, but used unsweetened (gala) applesauce for the rest, and used 2 tbsp. Maple syrup instead of 3, and instead of baking it, I just put it in the fridge until the next day. It was perfectly dark chocolate, had plenty of sweetness, and was a wonderful consistency (like pudding). (It thickens after a few hours in the fridge.)
Yum! We’re glad those adjustments worked well for you!
Maybe I didn’t bake this long enough? 60 minutes and it looked set. It was more like pudding and my family did not enjoy it at all, although the ganache was good.
Hi, it sounds like you might not have baked it long enough. Another thing, make sure you add the full amount of peanut butter. In one version where I reduced the peanut butter by just a few tablespoons and the cake fell apart. Also make sure you let the cake set in the fridge.
I can never imagine that a cake could be made with these ingredients. You are a genius. I am highly grateful to you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you! We’re so glad you loved this cake!
Could this recipe be doubled and put in an 8″ or 9″ pan?
Yes you can double the recipe. A 9 inch pan would likely be too big.
So wonderful to see all this healthy chocolate cake
Thank you!
Can you substitute almond butter for the peanut butter?
Yes! Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter or natural sunflower seed butter!
Tastes not bad but the mixture was so thick it was hard to mix in my Vitamix. Then it didn’t just ” pour” into the pan. Not sure if I will make again.
The batter shouldn’t be so thick to the point it is hard to mix. I wonder if your peanut butter may have been the problem. Natural peanut butter usually has a runny consistency and the ones we use always do. But there may be brands out there that are very thick and that could be the issue. Also, sometimes if the peanut butter is a little old it can be more thick and dry. In addition, some people like to pour off the oil on top of the peanut butter jar instead of mixing it in, and that would also cause the peanut butter to be too dry for this recipe.
Hi Kirbie,
Iwould like to know why are all your recipes come in very small cake forms? Here in Israel we even don’t have such small forms!
Hello! You could always try to double a recipe if you have bigger pans although we haven’t tried that with this recipe! Most of our readers are looking for smaller portions to feed a small family. 6 and 7 inch cake pans are a common size here in the US
I have a friend who just LOVES chocolate cake…I want to make her another cake before I move back to Missouri, but I don’t know if I will be able to…Please help me to get the recipe so I can make it for her…
Hello! The recipe is listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card! You can also click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top and it should take you right there.
I love sweets & I love “healthy” sweets!!!
Us too! We’re glad you enjoy this recipe!
I want to make this cake but there is no baking powder or baking soda in the recipe.
This cake does not need baking powder or baking soda!
YUM
THANK YOU
Can’t Wait to make this
Let us know how you like it!