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    Home » Keto Cakes » Best Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    Published: Sep 16, 2013 · Modified: Apr 14, 2021 by Carolyn

    Best Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    24.0K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This low carb chocolate zucchini cake recipe is the best way to use up all that summer zucchini. Rich and moist, with a gorgeous chocolate glaze, it just may be the best keto chocolate cake recipe ever! Updated recipe with a how-to video. Dairy-free options too.

    Hands down the best low carb chocolate cake recipe around! Don't be fooled by paltry imitations.

    This low carb chocolate zucchini cake is so rich and moist, it makes me do the happy dance. I don’t get out much! My town just north of Boston isn’t the most exciting place to live. It’s what you might call a little sleepy.

    There isn’t much happening here and for a city kid who grew up around the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto, it’s often too quiet. It’s a good location with a good school system for my kids, but I find it a bit too suburban for my tastes.

    There is one thing, however, that I absolutely adore about it, and that’s our really great farmer’s market. It’s a surprisingly good one, with a wide variety of vendors. It was brand new the first year we lived in the area, and it’s grown to be one of the more popular markets in all the surrounding towns. And now it extends well beyond the summer and into October.

    How To Make Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    Because it’s New England, our growing season is short and our produce selection is more limited than other regions.  We simply don’t have the climate for some of the more exotic fruits and vegetables.

    But it’s always so fun to see what the vendors have on offer and what changes through the season. Zucchini seems to grow really well in this climate.  It’s been available since mid-July and it’s still going strong, so I pick up a few every time I go.  I’ve had zero luck growing it myself, and it’s such an inexpensive, versatile ingredient.

    We eat a lot of it every summer, but my kids generally don’t like it unless it’s baked into something.  There is just something about baked goods with zucchini that appeal to everyone.

    Sugar-free chocolate glaze on a grain-free low carb chocolate bundt cake

    Updated Recipe!

    My kids hovered over me as I made this cake. They have a funny habit of doing that when I make any sort of low carb chocolate cake. We’ve now made this quite a few times and on this last go round, I decided to make it dairy-free so that I could share it with my neighbours.

    I used coconut oil for the batter and coconut milk for the chocolate ganache, and it tasted just as good as the original. I also modified it to make it easier and to use less bowls. Because this is such a delectably moist cake, I’ve found it doesn’t matter if you beat in the butter or oil or melt it and stir it in. Melting and stirring is easiest so I went with that. Life’s complicated enough, why make it even more so?

    Low Carb Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake Recipe

    I highly recommend getting a good non-stick bundt pan, because they make any cake look more elegant. But you can always make it in a 9×13 pan too, or even 2 or 3 round layers. It would even make great low carb cupcakes (baking times will vary depending on what pan you use). It’s an incredibly versatile keto cake recipe, so sock this one away in your arsenal for when all that zucchini comes in!

    Hands down the best low carb chocolate cake recipe around! Don't be fooled by paltry imitations.

    Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

    What better way to use up all of that zucchini than in a delicious low carb, gluten-free chocolate bundt cake? Topped with sugar-free chocolate ganache for an extra special treat.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Dessert
    Keyword: low carb chocolate cake
    Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 228kcal

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 2 cups finely grated zucchini 8 ounces
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups almond flour
    • ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
    • ½ cup cocoa powder
    • ⅓ cup coconut flour
    • ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 4 large eggs
    • ½ cup butter or coconut oil melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ½ to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

    Glaze

    • ½ cup whipping cream or coconut milk
    • ¼ cup confectioner’s Swerve Sweetener
    • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    Cake:

    • For the cake, place zucchini in a sieve and sprinkle liberally with salt. Mix to combine and let drain 1 hour. Press and squeeze to release the excess liquid and set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 325F and grease a large bundt pan well.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener cocoa powder, coconut flour, whey protein, and baking powder.
    • Add the eggs, melted butter or coconut oil, vanilla extract and ½ cup almond milk. Add the drained zucchini and mix until well combined. If your batter is very thick add a few tablespoons additional almond milk at a time until it thins out. It should be spreadable but not pourable.
    • Spread batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 45 minutes or until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Let cool in pan 15 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    Glaze:

    • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or coconut milk and the sweetener. Bring to just a simmer, then remove from heat and add chopped chocolate and vanilla. Let sit 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
    • Pour over the top of the cake and let set.

    Notes

    If you do not own a bundt pan, bake the cake in a 9x13 pan. The baking time will change. Start with 30 minutes and check every 5 minutes after that.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
    Amount Per Serving (1 slice (serves 16))
    Calories 228 Calories from Fat 168
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18.72g29%
    Carbohydrates 8.14g3%
    Fiber 4.11g16%
    Protein 7.79g16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    24.0K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rebecca says

      September 29, 2022 at 10:52 am

      What do you think about adding one of your cream cheese filling from your zucchini bread to the middle of this cake?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 30, 2022 at 1:24 pm

        Sure! I can’t see why not! It will take longer to bake through.

        Reply
    2. Cindy says

      July 10, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      2 cps zucchini = 8oz???

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        July 14, 2022 at 12:57 pm

        Lightly packed, shredded zucchini? Yep. But you can use more.

        Reply
    3. Linda says

      November 27, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Made this for non keto Thanksgiving meal party on Sunday. Sliced and applied ganache and stored in fridge. It was perfectly moist 4 days later and good with a little shipped cream.
      Last night had s piece with chunky peanut butter and it was Reeses cake taste. Very good and would make again. I used egg white power and that worked well. Next time I may add some shredded unsweetened coconut to the zucchini and not worry about draining it so much.
      Thanks for all your tasty creations!!!

      Reply
    4. Lauri Cunningham says

      August 28, 2021 at 10:00 am

      What is the purpose for using whey protein powder in this recipe ? I’ve never used it and would love to know. Is it generally used in most baked goods ?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 28, 2021 at 7:06 pm

        Gluten is a protein. In its absence another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.

        Reply
    5. kim mix says

      August 16, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      Hi Carolyn, can I use egg white protein powder instead of the whey? Love your recipes!! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 16, 2021 at 4:45 pm

        Yes, should be fine!

        Reply
    6. Melody says

      July 18, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      I’m allergic to whey protein, what would you suggest as a substitute?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        July 18, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        The recipe states your best option.

        Reply
        • witchhazel3 says

          August 28, 2021 at 9:45 am

          I also cannot due whey protein and I do not see any recipe comment stating what can be substituted for it. What is the purpose using it?

          Reply
          • Carolyn says

            August 28, 2021 at 7:06 pm

            Egg white protein.

            Reply
    7. Cara says

      July 05, 2021 at 3:28 pm

      Hi there!
      I read through most of the comments (there are a lot of them!) but didn’t see this one. Could I substitute the whey protein powder with collagen peptide powder? I see in one comment you said a dry protein so I’m guessing this would work?

      Thanks so much! I’ll report back once I’ve made it!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        July 05, 2021 at 3:31 pm

        No, it will make it very gummy and hard to cook through.

        Reply
    8. Beth G says

      June 13, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      Can I use HWC instead of Almond Milk. That is an ingredient that I just never use except the occasional recipe.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 13, 2021 at 5:05 pm

        Just use water.

        Reply
    9. Courtney says

      March 21, 2021 at 11:45 pm

      5 stars
      This cake was absolutely incredible! It wasn’t dry in the slightest and even got two thumbs way up from my sweets-loving 7 year old (who could NOT believe there was zucchini in it). You truly are the queen of keto baking!

      Reply
    10. Debby Carlson says

      March 05, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      Really dumb question I guess. I don’t have whey protein powder can I use pb fit powder?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 06, 2021 at 5:01 pm

        That is not a good sub. You can skip it but your muffins may not rise as well.

        Reply
    11. Nicole says

      July 05, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      I added some extra zuch just because; it turned out so good! Thanks for the creative way to use all that summer squash!

      Reply
    12. Donna says

      September 10, 2019 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe two days ago and it is the bomb. Family loved it. I did bake it in my convection oven and reduced the cooking time by 10 mins. Came out perfect. I’m assuming this needs to be refrigerated for storing?? Thanks for sharing all your hard work with us. Love following you.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 10, 2019 at 6:44 pm

        It should be okay on the counter for 2 days, if you don’t live in a super humid area. After that, refrigerate. Or if you think it will be around for a bit, refrigerate from the get-go.

        Reply
    13. Joanne says

      September 04, 2019 at 9:27 am

      Can you use canned pumpkin instead of the zucchini?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 04, 2019 at 1:32 pm

        It’s going to be a lot more moist so I don’t think it’s a great substitution.

        Reply
    14. Esther says

      August 06, 2019 at 1:01 am

      Thanks for sharing. Is temperature for baking for a fan forced oven?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 06, 2019 at 5:29 am

        A regular oven.

        Reply
    15. Angela says

      February 05, 2019 at 7:32 pm

      Can I use 90% whey protein isolate instead?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        February 06, 2019 at 8:45 am

        Sure that should be fine.

        Reply
    16. Angela P. says

      January 31, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Carolyn,

      I want to make this today but I only have vanilla protein powder, would that be okay or would it change the flavour too much??

      Reply
    17. Jennifer Blake says

      May 16, 2018 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      So delish!

      Reply
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