Healthier 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake
This cake is so easy to make with three ingredients. It’s a yogurt chocolate cake so it’s lighter than a regular one but just as rich and chocolatey. The best part is that it’s made with cake mix so it takes just a few minutes to mix up the batter.
I made a chocolate cake this weekend that is easier and healthier than the original recipe and the best part is, it tastes better too.
You know I’m obsessed with easy recipes with only a handful of ingredients. I’ve been particularly obsessed with the different things you can make with cake mix. I used to make cake mix recipes to get rid of cake mix. But lately, I’ve found myself buying more cake mix just so I can try out various recipes.
I found this chocolate yogurt cake recipe on Hungry Girl. I’ve already made some of the other chocolate cake mix variations: pumpkin puree and chocolate cake mix, coke and chocolate cake mix, but this is definitely my favorite variation yet.
Ingredients
Cake mix + Nonfat Greek Yogurt + water. Three ingredients and you get a fudgy, chocolate cake. And it’s delicious. So delicious that I actually prefer it over the original cake that comes from baking up the cake mix with eggs and oil. It’s that good.
How to Make It
You can bake the cake in a 9×13” pan if you want thinner pieces or a 9×9” pan if you want thick pieces of cake.
Grease the pan and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 30 minutes. If you use a smaller baking pan, the cake will need more baking time.
Cool the cake completely before cutting and serving.
Cake Texture
The cake sinks down when it cools down so it almost looks like a brownie. The texture is similar to a cross between cake and brownie too. If you want it to be taller, you could use a smaller baking pan. I used a 9 x 13, but I think next time I might use a 9 x 9 for a thicker cake.
The yogurt chocolate cake is really rich and you don’t taste the Greek yogurt, nor does it really taste like cake mix. It’s great on its own and I think it would also be a great base for making homemade ice cream sandwiches.
More Easy Recipes
If you enjoy recipes with very few ingredients, check out the other ones I’ve made, all with four ingredients or less or give these recipes a try:
- Healthy Chocolate Cookies
- No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Cake Mix Mug Cake
- Easy Flourless Peanut Butter Cake
Healthier Three Ingredient Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, (see note)
- 1 cup of nonfat plain Greek strained yogurt, (see note)
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9 x 13 baking pan (or a 9 x 9 if you want something thicker).
- Add all ingredient into a mixing bowl of stand mixer and mix on medium to high speed until batter is smooth. Pour into prepared baking. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you are using a smaller pan you may need to increase the bake time.
- Let cake cool completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
- For my cake mix, I used Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge.
- For the yogurt, I like Fage or Chobani.
- Recipe adapted from Hungry Girl
Made it with Devils food cake mix, one cup plain Greek yogurt and about 3/4 c water. Baked in 9×9 for 30 minutes. PERFECT! Not too sweet but great texture and gets chocolate cravings with minimal ingredients!! Definitely make again
We’re so glad you loved this cake!
I have made this using several different cake mix flavors with 0% Fage and have enjoyed them all. The chocolate was wonderfully fudgy. You don’t miss or need a topping – but would probably pair nicely with fresh berries. The banana was banana-bread like. I should have toasted some pecans to add a little crunch. The white cake mix was reminiscent of a dense angel food cake and is lovely with fresh berries.
Thank you for sharing your experience with this recipe! We’re so glad you enjoyed this cake!
This is really very good
Thank you! We’re so glad you loved this cake!
Wonderfully fudgy. I found it very difficult to practice portion control with this cake. I used Devils Food cake (it’s what I had) and enjoyed every bite, as did my mom. (We split a 9×13 cake.) It’s not a sweet cake. It was very moist, flavorful, and rich. You don’t miss the frosting at all. If you need to add some additional sweetness try a very light dusting of powdered monkfruit sweetener or something similar. My mom and I agree this cake will be made frequently.
We’re so glad you loved this recipe!
What a great cake recipe! This is the first time I have substituted healthier items and had the cake come out with a light cake lIke texture, they are usually too gooey or firm. Definitely try this! Love!
We’re so glad you liked it!
I used Duncan Hines Brownie Mix. CAME OUT GREAT. My son is allergic to eggs. Really big thanks. I also put Pecans on the bottom of the mixture of a bit of a crunch crust. GREAT.
We’re glad it was a hit!
I just baked the lemon cake mix and added the zest of one lemon to kick up the flavor. Quite good.
yum!
Great post lovely pic ! This is what I sometimes use except I use homeade cake mix ! One can also subsitute greek yogurt using pumpkin puree and if making vanilla cake use applesauce and / or milk.
Wow, homemade cake mix. Sounds good. I’ve tried with pumpkin puree and applesauce before, but I find the fruit taste comes out very strong, whereas with the greek yogurt you can’t really taste it.
Hi
Id like to know what weight cake mix you use. Also volume of yogurt etc
Many of these vary depending on make.
Also brands differ country to country.
Eg..a cup is an american measurement..but in Ireland we use traditional weight measurements..grams/ozs.
Would you include the weights & liquid volumes please?
Many thanks
Rachel
Ireland ??
Most cake mixes in the US are around 15 ounces. We used Duncan Hines (noted in the recipe card) which is a 15.25-oz. Sorry that we don’t have the other ingredients in weight measurements. We try to offer subs as much as we can, but it would be impossible to take into account the differences in products, measurements, etc for every country.
Do you use a cup as in 8 oz or in the container it comes in? most of those are 5-6 oz…
I didn’t use it in the container it comes in (I always buy the larger tubs). I scooped it into a liquid measuring cup until it reaches the 1 cup line (8 oz)
Look fantastic,i will try this. I wonder if i can use premix ingredients that made of wheat to be more healthy.
I’m not sure how that will turn out
Just tried this with Balkan style yogurt which I think is the same or similar to greek yogurt. I only had a white cake mix so I tried that and it was really good and moist! Didn’t fall as recipe said into brownie style. Stayed puffy and good. Kids loved it. So easy!
Glad your kids loved it! I think maybe the diff yogurts accounts for the different texture.
It was awesome and so easy! I simply used a whisk and used Fat Free Greek Cherry Yogurt and Greek Vanilla Yogurt. Oh my….moist and dense. A fusion between a brownie and a cake like texture as stated it would. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it. I agree! I think it’s even better than having the oil and eggs recipe.
Hi wondering if it would work with plain yogurt??
It’s my understanding that plain yogurt won’t work the same way based on some other recipes where I’ve tried to substitute one for the other.
This was delicious and definitely a healthier alternative…I don’t get how other people were so easily confused by your interpretation. Thanks for the recipe…it’s a keeper!
I don’t either, but so glad you like it!
Then it was a misunderstanding and I apologize!
How is that: Sugar, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Propylene Glycol Mono- and Diesters Of Fats, Mono- and Diglycerides), Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali, Dextrose, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate). Contains 2% Or Less Of: Wheat Starch, Salt, Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum.
healthier than eggs and oil?!
I don’t think you understood my post. I said I made the recipe healthier. I took out the eggs and oil and replaced it with nonfat greek yogurt and water, which is healthier than using eggs and oil. I don’t understand why you are reciting all the ingredients in cake mix. I didn’t replace cake mix for eggs and oil.
What flavor yogurt did you use? Plain or vanilla?
plain! Sorry about that. I should have specified in the recipe. Adjusting it now.
Thank you for the recipe. I’m trying it tonight. Do you know if it will work with a yellow cake mix too?
I’m not sure how it will turn out. I’ve found that with these kind of recipes using cake mix in other ways, the best result is with chocolate.
Actually the cake mix has hydrogenated fat:
https://www.foodfacts.com/NutritionFacts/Cake-Mixes/Duncan-Hines-Moist-Deluxe-Dark-Chocolate-Fudge-Cake-Mix-1825-oz/67437
Well I didn’t say the recipe is fat free. I just think it’s a much healthier alternative than the regular recipe using eggs and oil. Also you can use other cake mixes too.
What a great idea to use Greek yogurt- I always have some in my fridge, so I’ll definitely try this!
Same here! I always have Greek yogurt so I was really excited to try this out. Actually after this one, I started experimenting with quite a few other dessert items using greek yogurt replacement, some worked, some didn’t. Haha. I will share the ones that worked!
This looks fantastic. >:D Great for this upcoming school year when I want to entice my residents to come to my open door hours hahaha.
It’s really good. Definitely try it out!