This healthy chocolate cake is moist and fudgy. It is just 4 ingredients and doesn’t contain any flour, refined sugar, butter or oil. The cake is easy to make and the cake batter takes less than five minutes to prepare. The cake is an easy dessert.
This chocolate cake is so rich, fudgy and chocolatey that you won’t even believe it’s made with healthier ingredients. I love making this when I’m craving some comforting chocolate.
Ingredients
- Apples
- Eggs
- Cocoa powder
- Maple syrup
Apples: The key to this cake having a very moist and fudgy texture are apples. For this recipe I am actually leaving the skin on the apples. A lot of the nutrients are contained in the apple skin. The skin also has more fiber and pectin which will help the cake set up without any flour. Make sure to choose a sweet apple variety like Fuji or Honeycrisp because a lot of the cake sweetness comes from the apples.
Eggs: Eggs are used to create a structure for the cake and help it rise. It also helps contribute to the richness of the cake. If you are looking for an egg-free cake, I do have a different healthy chocolate cake made without eggs.
Cocoa powder: I recommend using Dutch process cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder has a richer chocolate flavor and is less bitter. Because this cake is only lightly sweetened, it’s better to use a cocoa powder that doesn’t taste as bitter or acidic.
Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is added to sweeten the cake because I don’t feel like the cake is sweet enough with just apples. You can reduce the amount of maple syrup if you would like to make the cake even healthier and lower in sugar. You can also increase the maple syrup if you desire a sweeter cake.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Apple Cake
- The apples, eggs, cocoa powder and maple syrup are all blended together in a blender until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared cake pan.
- Place into the oven to bake.
Cake Texture
This cake is very moist and very fudgy. It does have some cake-like crumbs to it but they are very fudgy crumbs, similar to gooey fudgy brownies. The cake is only lightly sweetened and does have a very rich cocoa flavor. The cake has a dark bittersweet chocolate level of sweetness. If you prefer a cake with a more classic cake crumb, I recommend trying this healthy cake that has a more traditional cake crumb texture.
Expert Tips
- This recipe works best with a high powered blender, like a Vitamix, that can fully blend the apple peels.
- I recommend leaving the apple skin on because the fiber and pectin help the cake set up better. However, if you don’t have a high powered blender and are worried about tasting the skin, you peel your apples, but your cake will be more moist.
- While this cake can be eaten soon after it has cooled, I recommend refrigerating it for several hours or overnight. This will help make the cake easier to handle and cut and also will make the cake sweeter.
More Healthy Chocolate Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cake (No Eggs)
- 4 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Date Cake (No Added Sugar)
- 4 Ingredient Healthy Brownies
4 Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 11 oz (312 g) chopped apples (core and seeds removed, apple skin stays on) approximately 3 cups of 1-inch apple pieces, see note before starting
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (54 g) unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp (3 fl oz/90 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Grease a 6-inch round springform cake pan with cooking oil spray. Line the bottom with a parchment round and cut a long parchment paper strip to line the inner sides of the pan.
- Add the chopped apples, cocoa powder, eggs, egg yolks, and maple syrup to a high powered blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. Because this recipe incorporates the apple skin, you do want to make sure the mixture is well blended so you won’t taste any apple peels.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until completely set. The surface should no longer look wet and the cake should be slightly risen with some small cracks on the surface.
- Let the cake cool completely. While the cake can be enjoyed once cooled, I recommend placing it into the fridge for several hours, uncovered. This cake is extremely moist and fudgy. Putting it in the fridge will help it firm up and make it easier to cut. It will also allow the flavors to develop better and make the cake sweeter. If desired, frost cake before serving. Store uneaten leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
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 peel on for the apples will help the cake set up better because apple peels contain fiber and pectin. If you use a high powered blender like a Vitamix, you should be able to fully blend the peels and not taste them in the cake. If you don't have a high powered blender and are worried about tasting the peels, you can leave the peels off but your cake will be more moist.
- Please note that this cake has a strong cocoa flavor and has a bittersweet chocolate level of sweetness. If you generally prefer sweeter desserts, this cake may not be for you.
- 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 healthier. You can also increase the syrup if you prefer sweeter cakes (add about 2 or 3 tbsp more), but your baking time will also need to be increase and your cake may be more moist.
- I recommend using Dutch process cocoa powderin the cake because it will taste less bitter than natural cocoa powder.
- I used Rodelle Dutch process cocoa powder (Amazon | Walmart)*
- You can use a solid one piece 6 inch pan but the cake will be harder to remove. It is easier to remove with a springform pan. I used this 6-inch pan.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Optional chocolate frosting: If you want to use the frosting I made in the photos, you will need 4 tbsp melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder or natural cocoa powder (Dutch process does not work), and 4 tbsp maple syrup. First mix the coconut oil and cocoa powder until smooth. Then stir in the syrup until incorporated and the frosting thickens.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
THIS IS EXCELLENT. LEAVE IT OVERNITE TO FIRM AND THE FLAVOR IS A RICH CHOCOLATE, NO APPLE. FABULOUS DIET FRIENDLY WITH A SPRITZ OF WHIP CREAM.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
All your recipes are wonderful plus easy
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoy them!
Can honey be substituted for maple syrup? I don’t like maple syrup.
We haven’t tried that with this recipe so we aren’t sure what the result would be
This looks great! What if I add a bit of organic flour and leave the apple peel off? How much flour should I add so it would still be moist but not dense?
We have not tested that with this recipe so we are unsure how that would work out!
Apples? How many?
Hi Pamela! This recipe calls for 11 oz (312 g) chopped apples, approximately 3 cups of 1-inch apple pieces.