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.
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.
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?
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!
Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
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.
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
This recipe is making me look forward to that stretch of summer when I am swimming in zucchini from the garden! I can’t wait to try it!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Put me down for a few slices of this!
Jennifer Farley says
Amazing! I love the healthy ingredients!
Lidia says
Carolyn, I just did this recipe yesterday, it got stuck a little in pan, also I would like to know how is the best way to store it, thanks
marguerite lindemann says
I just made this cake. and it turned out great. I did use more sweetener as I like it sweet. I tasted the cake batter before cooking it .I also used more zucchini, almost 3 cups and it was super moist. The glaze was a little loose and I did it in the microwave instead of the stove top. no problems with it. My husband loved it and this will now be my go to cake. thank you for the recipe.
gerry speirs says
Killer cake!!
Cookin Canuck says
This cake looks positively additive! I’m thinking it would be perfect with an afternoon coffee on the side.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
Baking with zucchini is the best, this cake is perfectly chocolate-y and moist!
Jennifer Farley says
What a lovely cake! That ingredient list is amazing too! Must try!
Jennifer Blake says
I love a good chocolate zucchini bread, but a whole bundt cake? Yes please!
Robin says
Hi Carolyn,
I made this cake for the first time 2 days ago. So nice, great texture and very moist. I can’t get Swerve, so I used erythritol and added a bit of liquid stevia, both in the cake and in the glaze. We really love this cake! Thanks again for all your recipes. I did get you cookbook for Christmas, and I love it too.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Robin.
Rhea says
Hi,
Almost your recipes call for Whey Protein Powder and since I am totally against adding extra protein to my diet can it be substituted by anything else such as flax seed meal or extra egg whites. If possible something easy to find.
Carolyn says
In the absence of gluten, which is a protein itself, substituting another dry protein powder like whey or egg white protein helps the baked goods rise and hold their shape. I add no more than what is a single serving (scoop) of protein powder, which has about 18 to 20g of protein per scoop. This means that over a whole cake which serves 12 to 16, you are adding no more than one or two grams of protein to your daily diet.
However, if you choose to leave it out, I do not guarantee your results. Flax seed meal ALSO has protein and you’d be adding about 8g of protein with a similar amount of flax seed and it won’t have the proper consistency. And of course, adding egg whites also again adds protein and you’d throw off the liquid content of the batter and it would be a disaster.
Jackie Mack says
This cake is the most amazing cake ever! Made it three times! Perfect every time! I don’t use any salt and I don’t squeeze out moisture. I just put a paper towel in the bottom of the container I use to store the grated zucchini in overnight in the frig and that’s it. This cake makes me not miss the one from the local bakery anymore! Thank you Carolyn!!! You Rock!
Laura Pierson says
I followed the recipe to the letter and I have to say that this cake is so moist and it has an absolutely lovely texture! The ganache is heavenly. Thank you Carolyn for making it so much easier and more satisfying to live a Keto lifestyle. How can you say that you’re missing out on anything when you provide us with recipes like this! ??
Cheryl says
I’ve been making a flour chocolate zucchini cake for 20+ years. I actually don’t grate the zucchini fine, just shred in the processor and put in strainer. I squeeze it by hand just before stirring in batter. It’s made like a snack cake in a 9×13 pan with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and walnuts on top (no icing). Also 3 eggs, buttermilk, cinnamon and cloves. I am looking forward to trying your recipe just didn’t have enough swerve left. I want to try to do similar to my old recipe, thinking about adding vinegar to my cream? Had great success with your brownie cheesecake!
Carolyn says
I think you could take this recipe and bake it in the same pan with similar results. And I can’t see why souring your cream a bit wouldn’t work.
Stephanie Morgan says
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! I am allergic to coconut. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can substitute for the coconut flour? Would you increase the almond flour by the same? Or the protein powder? Would I need to reduce liquid or egg? Thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Use another cup of almond flour in place of the 1/3 cup of coconut flour.
Nicole Pelletier says
A couple of questions, i only have chocolate protein mix on hand, can i use that maybe double and omit the cocoa powder? And could this be cupcakes instead?
Carolyn says
Yes, it makes great cupcakes. No, just add the chocolate protein powder in addition to the cocoa.
Anita says
This is delicious. Needs just a bit more sugar, but is moist and flavorful. I’m so glad to find a great cake recipe, thanks.
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Priscilla says
My husband recently got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I need to radically change my ways of cooking. I’m learning about low carb and sugar-free baking. Is it necessary to add whey protein powder? Can I leave it out or substitute for something else? We’re on a tight budget and after shopping for many new pantry staples, I’m unable to purchase the protein powder, the one I was looking at was over $20. I might buy it later in the future though. What brand of unsweetened chocolate did you use for the glaze? Can I also add raw cacao powder for the cake or unsweetened dark cocoa powder? Would monk fruit sweetener be okay for the cake instead of granular swerve? I’m so interested in trying your recipe, we have plenty of garden zucchini harvest and my family loves chocolate. This looks delish and the many other recipes you have. Thanks! 🙂
Carolyn says
Hi Priscilla. I understand the tight budget and you can skip it but… things rise better with it. Here is a video I did on Facebook to show readers why I use it. https://www.facebook.com/AllDayIDreamAboutFood/posts/1798732540154127
Raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder should be fine for the cake, although the raw cacao may be more bitter. Monk fruit would be fine, I just don’t know the conversion of it. Hope that helps!
Priscilla says
Great video, thanks for sharing! Now it makes sense. However, I use a lot of organic and non-GMO ingredients in baking. I try to avoid too much dairy, I can tolerate some but not all. Like I can do cheese, yogurt, etc. but not dairy ice cream. If I eat too much dairy, I get sick. I noticed you use Bob’s Red Mill whey protein powder, is that free from GMOs? I found goat whey protein powder online, woud that work? Also what brand of unsweetened chocolate did you use for the glaze? I usually like semi-sweet and semi-dark chocolate but I have to make everything sugar-free for my husband. I apprediate your time.
Carolyn says
You can use any protein powder here and goat whey or egg white protein is a great choice. For unsweetened chocolate, I typically use ghirardelli or Scharffenberger.
Priscilla says
Thank you so much! I had to use some of my savings, I ordered the goat whey protein powder. I can’t wait to try your cake recipe.
Angelique says
I had tons of zucchini, I had a huabamd with a birthday, and this was the best birthday cake ever! Thanks for the great recipe!!!