This keto chocolate torte is made with heart-healthy walnuts. It’s one of the densest, moistest, richest low carb cakes you will ever eat. A little sliver is enough to satisfy!
Before we dive into this delicious recipe, we need to ask ourselves a very important question. A very important question, indeed.
What is the difference between a cake and a torte? See, I told you it was of the utmost importance!
When I first created this rich and chocolatey keto dessert, I automatically called it a torte. For no other reason than it simply seemed like a torte, rather than a cake. And it turns out I was onto something.
While there really is no clear definition of a torte, it’s usually a dense, rich cake made with ground nuts rather than flour, and with little to no leaveners like baking powder soda. They can have multiple layers with jam or buttercream or they can be a single layer.
This Keto Chocolate Torte definitely falls into the rich dense cake category. Yum!
Why you will love this recipe
If rich, sweet, chocolatey desserts are your jam, then this Chocolate Walnut Torte is for you!
It’s an easy one-layer keto chocolate cake that looks elegant enough for any occasion. And if you don’t like walnuts, you can use pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds. You can even use sunflower seeds if you need to be nut-free!
Prefer dairy-free? You can do that too! Simply replace the butter with any oil and swap the whipping cream for coconut cream.
And this amazing keto chocolate torte has only 3.8g net carbs per slice.
Ingredients you need
- Walnuts: I love walnuts for the base of this chocolate torte, but you can also do pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds.
- Sweetener: I prefer Swerve Sweetener for almost all of my baking, but any sweetener you like can work. Do be forewarned that the baking time may change if you use allulose.
- Cocoa powder: I recommend a good Dutched cocoa for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Butter: This chocolate torte would also be good with coconut oil or walnut oil.
- Unsweetened chocolate: I use Ghirardelli or Guittard, as I find that Baker’s brand tends to seize badly.
- Whipping cream: Use heavy whipping cream for the ganache, or unsweetened coconut cream for a dairy-free version.
- Sugar-free dark chocolate: This is not the same as unsweetened chocolate so make sure you don’t mix them up. I like ChocZero or Lily’s for this ganache.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt.
Step by step directions
1. Grind the nuts: In a food processor, process the walnuts until finely ground. Add the sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Melt the chocolate: In a large saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Add liquid and whisk until mixture smooths out.
3. Bake the torte: Stir in the walnut mixture until well combined. Spread the batter in prepared baking pan and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly wet.
4. Make the ganache: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to just a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit to melt 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
5. Glaze the cake: Cool another few minutes to thicken, then pour the glaze over the cake, smoothing over the sides of the torte. Sprinkle the top with walnut pieces and chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.
Expert tips
Make sure you line your cake pan with parchment so the torte is easy to flip out. But you still want to grease the both the pan and the parchment paper.
Don’t panic if your chocolate seizes and becomes gloppy when you add the eggs. This is very normal! It will smooth out as you add the warm liquid. Add only enough liquid until it’s smooth again.
Don’t overbake this torte. You want the edges to be well set, but the center should still look a bit wet. It will continue to cook a little after it’s out of the oven.
More delicious recipes with walnuts
Keto Chocolate Walnut Torte Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Torte:
- 5 ounces raw walnuts
- ¾ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoon walnut oil (or 2 more tablespoon butter)
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoon leftover coffee or water warm, but not hot
Glaze:
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate chopped
- ⅓ cup walnut pieces
Instructions
Torte
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a 9-inch round baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a food processor, process the walnuts until finely ground. Add the sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
- In a large saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Add liquid one tablespoon at a time and whisk until the mixture smooths out.
- Stir in the walnut mixture until well combined. Spread the batter in prepared baking pan and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly wet.
- Remove and let cool 20 in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.
Ganache
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to just a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit to melt 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Cool another few minutes to thicken, then pour the glaze over the cake, smoothing over the sides of the torte.
- Sprinkle the top with walnut pieces and chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.
Deb says
The tort part of this is still very bitter. Will try using 1/2 cup swerve and 3/4 cup stevia raw. The glaze recipe had no sweetener at all. It was awful until I added swerve brown sugar and stevia to it. Not sure if that was just an oops I forgot to add? But it’s not in the recipe. Will try to make again with a few tweaks.
Carolyn says
I’m sorry but you made a major error. I didn’t say to use unsweetened chocolate for the glaze… I said to use SUGAR-FREE chocolate and I linked you to exactly what I meant. Sugar-free means that it is indeed sweetened, just not with sugar. So yes, you torte would be unbelievably bitter. Please read the recipe carefully.
Eula Tolentino says
You consistently have the best low carb recipes I’ve ever tasted! I’m slowly going through all your dessert recipes and they’ve all been fantastic! Better than the carby versions in my opinion. Thank you for sharing these because they’ve kept me sustainably low carb and very happy.
Carolyn says
So glad you think so!
Jetta says
Didn’t have almond milk so I used heavy cream. Cooked it in a convection oven and took it out at 20 minutes because it looked done and it was. Turned out rich and delicious. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it worked out!
Jennifer Blake says
Love the rich flavor this offers! I don’t wanna share it with anyone!
Lindsay Cotter says
This looks totally amazing! I’m sure Diane will consider this deliciousness worth the wait!
Katie says
I love the richness of these sorts of cakes, and the addition of espresso makes it that much of a deeper flavor. Yum!
Liz says
What am exquisite torte, Carolyn! I adore your desserts!
Lorri Bosch says
Can I use coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup for this recipe? I have several food intolerances and cannot use the sweeter this calls for. It is difficult for me to find sweets that I can eat. I miss my sweets!
Thanks
Carolyn says
Sure, I would use coconut sugar so you don’t throw off the liquid content.
Jo says
What’s the volume of the walnuts after they’ve been ground, please? I have some pre-ground walnuts I’d like to use. Alternatively, what’s the weight of the walnuts, please?
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Sorry, no idea. I didn’t measure it that way. I’d probably do about 2/3 or 3/4 of the whole nuts.
Karen Ellem says
Hi!
I live in Australia and have just come across your choc walnut Torte and looking forward to making it. Im on a Keto diet because of my bad health and really miss light/or dark fruit cakes,and Im wondering if you had a recipe for a cake and replaced all the mixed fruit with toasted various nuts.I would love such a recipe.Can you help please? Kind regards,
Carolyn says
I don’t have such a thing but it’s on my list to make for next year!
Denise says
My friend made this for me for my birthday! It was amazing!!!
Nic says
Waiting for mine to cool but it looks and smells incredible! Been meaning to try this for a while and wish I hadn’t waited so long ? thank you so much for all your amazing recipes! I’m in the UK and I now have two sets of cup measures just for your recipes which always work!
Carolyn says
Haha, smart. I bet US cups are pretty easy to come by and help with accuracy!
Chuck Jones says
I would recommend using a spring form pan. That worked really well for me.
From my experience, next time I make this I will reverse the order here: “In a large saucepan set over low heat, melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs and vanilla extract.” I’ll slowly drizzle the chocolate into the beaten eggs.
When I started whisking in the eggs, the chocolate mixture started separating and the eggs started curdling. I was really lucky to be able to rescue it.
Carolyn says
That would only happen if your heat was too high and your chocolate mixture too warm. You may want to give your chocolate and butter a little time to cool before adding the eggs. If you have an electric stove-top, the heat is harder to control than gas and that may be why your chocolate was too warm.
Marie says
Hi, i was wondering if I could dubble this and bake it in a spring form pan?
What do you think?
Carolyn says
It will take longer to cook, I am not sure how long.
Kathy says
Do you mean 3gm Carb instead of 300
Carolyn says
I don’t mean either. YOu’ are reading the wrong thing. You are looking at the Recommended Daily Values.
Kathy says
Do you mean 3gm Carb instead of 300. Yes. See that sorry
plasterers bristol says
one of my all time favorite cake recipes. Thanks for sharing. Simon
Kath says
Made this for a family get together, for my non low carb relies. They loved it. So did I!!
Used xylitol. Very rich and decadent.
Tom says
This is an incredible dessert, so decadent and chocolate-y. Although your pictures are excellent, I’m not sure they quite do justice to just how fantastic this torte is. It’s like eating a piece of fudge-y heaven. And yes, a small piece is very satisfying.
Carolyn says
Wow, that’s high praise, thanks!
Lisa says
Thank you for this recipe Carolyn! I love to bake and have made many desserts throughout the years. This one is hands down one of the best desserts ever, and that includes the NON Low Carb variety! A new family favorite. I made this for Christmas day, and then once again just because. I will be making this for the 3rd tomorrow since my dad has requested this dessert for his 87th birthday celebration. Your Blog is awesome and it is one of the first ones I look at when searching out new and delicious recipes! Thanks again!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it, Lisa!
Anja says
Best chocolate keto cake I ever had! I love the moisture and rich chocolate flavour. It was even better after one night in fridge. Thank you for the recepie.
Carolyn says
Well, I love hearing that!
Marcia Little says
I am in love with this cake! I have now made two. So good.
Carolyn says
That’s awesome!