This decadent keto flourless chocolate cake has the perfect fudgy texture. It’s a rich sugar-free dessert for the diehard chocolate lover. And it’s totally dairy-free!
I’ve been working on a secret project and this keto flourless chocolate cake is part of it. You may have seen me hinting at it a few times recently, but now the cat is out of the bag.
I’ve put together a new e-cookbook, and it’s devoted to dairy-free desserts! I am truly excited about this one and I think you will be too.
It goes on sale on January 4th, but I thought I’d share one of the recipes and a few other sneak peeks so you can see what’s coming.
Jump to:
Easy sugar-free chocolate cake
There are so many delicious ways to make keto chocolate cake. But for this book, I wanted a one-layer cake that was simple to prepare but still decadent enough for a special occasion.
And keto flourless chocolate cake was the perfect solution. You prepare the batter in a single bowl, so there’s less to clean up. And unlike many flourless cakes, there’s no need to whip the egg whites.
It’s incredibly dense and rich, almost like biting into a piece of fudge. When you top it with sugar-free chocolate glaze, it becomes something truly special. And it all comes together in less than an hour!
Ingredients
This one-bowl chocolate cake takes basic keto ingredients and is totally dairy-free. You will need:
- Unsweetened chocolate – don’t confuse this with sugar-free chocolate, which contains non-nutritive sweeteners.
- Coconut oil
- Sweeteners – I used Swerve as well as a little allulose for the glaze.
- Eggs
- Coconut cream – the thick portion from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk.
- Cocoa powder
- Espresso powder – this is an optional ingredient but it helps intensify the chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to make keto flourless chocolate cake
- Prep the baking pan. Make sure to grease it well and line it with parchment, so it’s easier to flip the cake out at the end.
- Set up a double boiler. Set a heatproof bowl over a pot that has one or two inches of water, and bring the water to a light simmer. This creates a more gently heat for melting chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate carefully. Unsweetened chocolate is finicky at best so keep your eyes on it and stir frequently. Once it’s fully melted, remove the pan from over the heat but keep the bowl over the warm pan.
- Stir in the eggs. You will see the mixture thicken up considerably as you whisk in the eggs, but this is normal.
- Whisk in the coconut cream. Add this in right after the eggs, and whisk until the chocolate mixture smooths out again, then spread it in the prepared pan.
- Bake until just barely set. This cake is meant to be moist and fudgy so don’t over-bake it.
- Let cool. Don’t flip it out of the pan too soon or you risk baking it.
- Prepare the glaze. The dairy-free chocolate glaze is optional but oh my, is it ever delicious!
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not at all. If you prefer to use dairy-based ingredients, replace the coconut oil with butter and the coconut cream with heavy whipping cream.
I developed and tested this recipe using Swerve so I really can’t guarantee the results with anything else. In my experience, allulose tends to make cakes like this softer and puffier, so it won’t be quite the same. And it make take longer to bake through and set properly.
I don’t recommend it for several reasons. Using sugar-free chocolate rather than unsweetened chocolate raises the carb count considerably. They also have less fiber and will change the consistency of both the cake and the glaze.
A little bit of coffee helps intensify chocolate flavors, but it won’t make it taste at all like coffee. It is an optional ingredient so if you prefer not to use it, simply leave it out.
Storage Information
Keto flourless chocolate cake can be kept on the counter for 3 days and in the fridge for a week. Be sure to cover it up and place plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to keep it from drying out.
The unglazed cake can be frozen for up to two months.
Dairy-Free Dessert Cookbook
Eager to hear more about my new ebook? I am so proud of this one and excited to share it with you. It’s been in the works for over a year!
Easy Dairy-Free Keto Desserts contains 50 easy and delicious keto dessert recipes. Some are already here on the blog but about two-thirds of them are completely new.
I worked with a designer this time around to make it a truly beautiful and useful e-cookbook. Many thanks to Melissa from Fine Lime Designs, for bringing my ideas into fruition. Check out this sneak peek of all the recipes!
For the time being, it is available only as a downloadable PDF. However, I am considering trying to upload it to Amazon as a Kindle book as well. That may take me a little while to figure out!
It goes on sale on Tuesday, January 4th so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup Swerve Granular
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup cocoa powder
Glaze:
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
- 1 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon allulose or BochaSweet
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease an 8 inch round metal baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the chopped chocolate and the coconut oil. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Remove the pan from heat but keep the bowl over the warm water. Stir in the sweetener, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt until well combined.
- Add the eggs and stir to combine. The mixture may thicken considerably so add the coconut cream quickly and keep stirring until it smooths out again. Stir in the cocoa powder until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the sides are set and the top is just barely firm to the touch. Do not over-bake.
- Remove and let cool 30 minutes in the pan, then flip out onto a cake platter and remove the parchment (the bottom will become the top).
Glaze:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the coconut cream to just a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt.
- Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Let sit a few minutes to thicken and then spread over the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate 20 minutes to set the glaze.
Jean says
This flourless chocolate cake is so decadent! It’s an absolute fan favorite in our household and guests don’t realize it’s low carb. It is absolute chocolate heaven!
Deb says
We did not like…Needs more sweetener.
Carolyn says
I suspect it’s the sweetener you used. What brand was it?
Kimberly Ann Ward says
Could I substitute carob (unsweetened) for the chocolate and reduce the sweetener a tad? I can’t have chocolate and carob is naturally sweet. Thanks for your advice.
Carolyn says
I don’t bake with carob so I am not the best person to advise but I think you should try it!
Anne says
Your guide to the different types of sweeteners is so useful. It will really help to understand the different ways it affects what I bake.
I would also love to buy the e-book on desserts that came out in January.
Thank you so much
Bethany Donoghue says
Hi! I love your recipes, I’m a huge fan! Question: I need to make enough for about 200 people… can I make and keep in the fridge for 5 days, is that unglazed? Or glazed. I own a low carb / keto food truck. Also, how many slices does this make for one 8″ pan?
Thank you!
Bethany
Low Carbolicious! LLC
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t scale up that much usually so I am not really a good guide here.
F Dominick says
So, SO good!
Made for discerning, not keto sweet lovers and rivaled a pastry shop favorite that is no longer available and if it was would be $60.
THANK YOU!!!
I did replace the 3/4 cup swerve with
1/4 cup truvia baking
1/4 lakanto monk fruit
1/4 allulose
In Glaze I used granular in coffee grinder for powdered
3 TB powdered swerve —
1 TB truvia baking
1 TB xylitol
1 TB lakanto monkfruit
I REALLY don’t like the taste of erythritol.
I also used 1 TB Starbucks via instead of the 1 tsp by accident
Susan Bowen says
What is the sugar content of this flourless chocolate cake? I love your recipes but need to know the sugar content also since I am diabetic. Thank you
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t calculate that and with good reason. 1. as a fellow diabetic, I can tell you that it’s the carb content that matters most, as that’s the number that will affect your blood glucose. 2. ALL of my recipes are unlikely to have much sugar content, given that I don’t use added sugars. If they have any at all, it’s from naturally occurring sugars in things like cream or cream cheese. The sugar content will always be a small portion of the overall carb content.
But if you find you still need that information, you should be able to calculate it easily yourself with some sort of online nutritional calculator.
Kerri Linnegar says
We have different brands in Australia – would Lindt 95% cocoa chocolate be suitable for this recipe?
Carolyn says
Yes, that should work.
Candace says
I made this cake for my NYE dinner tonight and the house smells amazing! It looks just like yours with one exception, my glaze isn’t shiny. It’s more of a matte colour. It sure does taste good though, I had to lick the whisk. Lol
Any ideas? I followed your recipe exactly.
Thanks for all your recipes and tips. You make keto baking fun!
Petra says
this cake is delicious. everyone loved it. will make it again definitely. just perfect
Cindy Spohn says
Made this Thanksgiving 2022! Made this dairy instead, one of the most delicious cakes I have made. Uber rich, but delicious. I have half left, I’m going to cube up and freeze, they will make a wonderful bite when you just need that little something. Definitely a keeper!
Carolyn says
GREAT idea!!!
Simone says
I don’t have espresso powder. Can I make an amount of espresso coffee and use the coffee liquid?
Simone says
Sorry I just seen you said to leave it out if you don’t have it. But I like to use it is the coffee is ok to sub out?
Carolyn says
You will need to reduce the other liquid accordingly.
Teresa says
The recipe calls for 1/3 cup coconut oil. Is this measured in liquid or solid state?
Carolyn says
Measure solid unless it says melted.
Patty Roloff says
This looks like a great recipe. I do have a few questions. Can it be frozen? If so, how does it turn out when thawed? Can I substitute something in place of espresso powder?
Carolyn says
The blog post already answers all of these questions.
Marla says
I made this tonight (1/2 recipe) and it does make a very intense rich chocolate cake and I like it! I made mine in a Springform pan which was actually too big for it so it came out thin but still good.
Vicki Loomis says
This is the BEST cake ever. I served it for Easter Dinner and everyone enjoyed it.
Violet says
Hello! Would it be possible to use Heavy Whipping Cream instead of Coconut Cream?
Carolyn says
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions! 🙂
Alice R says
Can I use granular monk fruit as opposed to swerve granular?
Carolyn says
So “monk fruit” usually isn’t really monkfruit at all but erythritol with a tiny bit of monk fruit to make it sweeter. Turn your bag over and if the first ingredient is erythritol, then it’s a good replacement for Swerve. Please read this article for a better understanding of keto sweeteners: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-keto-sweeteners/
Lisa says
Uh Oh! I made your Flourless Chocolate Torte. Apparently, the recipe changed since I last printed it out & it changed A LOT! The recipe rating is for the old recipe. I made it in 2x 6″ spring form pans & topped (rather than stirred in) macadamia nuts (rather than pecans). I would have given it 5 stars but there was a good 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil that leaked out. I’ve printed out the new recipe & will try it too. I did notice you are using a regular cake pan though & wondering why you changed from the spring form pan?
Carolyn says
I have not idea what old recipe you are referring to? This one hasn’t been changed at all and I only first published it in January.
Wendy says
I just love that you include links to some of the ingredients, not only to purchase, but it’s so helpful to see what an ingredient is if it’s new to the repertoire!
You’re the best—and I can’t wait to try this one!!