You won’t believe how easy this Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake is to make. And it’s so rich and moist, it doesn’t need any frosting. It’s one of my favorite low carb desserts.
I consider myself something of a keto chocolate cake fanatic. As evidenced by my vast recipe archives with multiple cake recipes, each with their own unique twist. And each special in their own unique way.
I’ve got Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake and Keto Chocolate Zucchini Cake. I’ve got dairy free Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake and Coconut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes. I’ve got simple Keto Texas Sheet Cake and elegant Chocolate Kahlua Cake.
See, that’s the beauty of chocolate cake; that it’s not just one thing. It’s many beautiful things. And this keto slow cooker cake is one of those beautiful, delectable, luscious, low carb things.
Why you will love this recipe
I first created this recipe back in August 2014, when it was too hot to turn on the oven. I found the idea of baking my slow cooker very intriguing, but I wasn’t sure it would work with my low carb ingredients. Still, I figured it was worth a shot.
I never expected the results to be so fabulous, so astonishingly tender and moist. It quickly became one of my most popular keto cake recipes.
Over the years, I tweaked the recipe to make it even lower in carbs but just as delicious. It’s such an easy cake to make, and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen in high summer. It’s also so moist and tender, it needs no frosting.
But a scoop of keto ice cream on top would certainly not go amiss!
Reader Reviews
“Thank you!! I have been searching for years for a keto cake recipe that is edible and I’ve finally found it! It’s very close to the “real” thing. I live at high altitude and baking is difficult. Cakes and bread are usually dense and half the size they’re supposed to be. Not this one!” — Pam
“This cake was absolutely wonderful! My guests loved it and couldn’t believe it was low carb and gluten free. The fact that it didn’t heat up the kitchen was a plus. I used a crock pot liner which i buttered, then used it to pull out the cake from the slow cooker. Easy, peasy and no pot to clean up!” — Yolanda
“This is the best low carb chocolate cake I’ve made. Turns out perfect every time. Love that I can put it in the slow cooker and not worry about checking to make sure it’s done without overbaking it. So moist and chocolaty.” — Maureen
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: Using good quality almond flour is extremely important for any almond flour cake.
- Cocoa powder: Use Dutch process cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Sweetener: You can use any sweetener you like best here. Allulose and erythritol both work, as does a combination of the two.
- Protein powder: You can use whey protein powder, egg white protein powder, or a plant-based powder.
- Cold coffee: Coffee helps deepen the chocolate flavor. It does not taste like coffee.
- Sugar free chocolate chips: You can use Lily’s or ChocZero. You can also use homemade sugar free chocolate chips.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, whey protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1/3 of the liquid until well combined. If the batter is very thick, add more liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
3. Spread the batter: Spread the batter our in the to greased ceramic insert of a 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.
4. Bake: Cook for 2 1/2 hours. It will be gooey and like a pudding cake at 2 hours, and more firm and cake-like at 2 1/2 hours.
5. Cool: Turn the slow cooker off and let cool 20 to 30 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve warm. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or keto ice cream.
Tips for Success
This cake isn’t meant to be flipped out of the crockpot, but rather served in sliced like a snack cake. If you are really dying to lift it all out in one piece, you will need to line your crockpot with parchment. It does leave wrinkled edges in the cake, however.
Do not use collagen or beef-based protein here, it will make the cake very gummy and hard to cook through.
I made this recipe with mostly allulose as the sweetener (I used Swerve allulose). The great part about this cake is that it turns out well with almost any granular sweetener you like best.
The chocolate chips are optional, but you can have some fun here. Try different flavors of chips or chopped nuts instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
A slow cooker keeps it more moist and tender as it traps the moisture during cooking. It also helps keep your kitchen cool if you crave keto cake in the middle of summer!
This keto slow cooker chocolate cake recipe has 7.3g of carbs and 4.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.1g net carbs per slice.
Store the cake in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze the cake for several months.
More great slow cooker recipes
Keto Slow Cooker Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (95 g) sweetener, allulose or erythritol
- 1/3 cup (28.67 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (27 g) unflavored whey protein powder, can sub egg white protein powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (85.21 g) butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (78.86 ml) water or cold coffee
- 1/3 cup (60 g) mini sugar-free chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Grease the ceramic insert of a 6 quart slow cooker well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, whey protein powder, baking powder and salt.
- Stir in the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1/3 of the liquid until well combined. If the batter is very thick, add more liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
- Pour the batter into prepared insert and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips.
- Cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. It will be gooey and like a pudding cake at 2 hours, and more cakey at 2 1/2 hours.
- Turn the slow cooker off and let cool 20 to 30 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve warm. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or keto ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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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I used my InstaPot on the SlowCooker setting— fabulous!! It was messy to get it out, but the flavor, texture and moisture were fantastic! Also, I used Xylitol instead of Swerve, it was great! Tank you so much for this recipe 🙂
I just made this, made just a couple substitutions – used Splenda as the sweetener (and added a touch more than the recipe calls for, as it didn’t taste sweet enough for my taste being the sweet toother that I am), used chocolate whey protein (because that’s what I had on hand), Special Dark cocoa, and 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup water mixed together instead of the almond milk. I also added a touch more cream when I added the extra Splenda to help balance the dry / liquid ratio. OMG! This is one of the very best low carb desserts I’ve ever made! Super delicious – rich, chocolatey, creamy, amazing! I originally used the heavy cream since I didn’t have any almond milk but I think I will continue to use watered Dow cream in the future, as I think that made it extra creamy and rich…..what a happy accident 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
So flat it worked out so well!
Literally, I have been so sceptical about keto baking after trying out a few failed recipes but this cake is amazing and you have restored my faith that I can stick to a low carb diet as one of the only things I really missed was cake! when cut up they are actually like really nice little chocolate brownies.
THANK-YOU!!!
You are most welcome, Jessica. I agree, dessert is the key to being able to stick it out for me, so yay you found something you liked!
This sounds amazing!! What does the protein powder do for the cake? I saw someone said they used gelatin. Can beef gelatin be used?
No idea if the gelatin would work as I haven’t tried it. A dry protein helps the cake rise and hold its shape.
I used a 3.5 qt oval “hook-up” crockpot. It’s about 11″x8.75″, so is big, but shallow. I made the full recipe. It came out beautifully. I stopped right at 2.5 hours. It’s actually very cakey. Next time I may go less to get that pudding cake texture. It was still moist, but definitely needed whipped cream both for the moistness and to cut the chocolate (very rich!). The flavor is nice and chocolatey. I did add a tbsp of instant coffee (I stole that from a few other of your chocolate cake recipes).
I wonder if the “hook up” crock pot runs a little hotter. I was expecting to need to cook another 30-69 minutes since I only used a 3.5 qt, but if anything, it could have gone a touch less time.
Another success! Thank you!
I am not sure what kind of crockpot that is but I am glad it worked!
My husband is allergic to almond– is there a substitute for the almond flour?
Thanks!
Your best bet is sunflower seed flour.
Hi Carolyn, I have made many of your low carb desserts with great success and have LOVED all of them with the exception of this Crockpot chocolate cake. I found it to have very little flavor and almost no sweetness. Oh well, one thumbs down among the 10 or so other desserts I have made and found to be incredible!
Wow, I am surprised. This is one of our favourites. Ah well…
trust me, you have provided me with some of the most incredible low carb recipes I have ever had. A really big help for a Diabetic with a sweet tooth. Thank you so much!!!!!
Holy cow! Made this in my 3 qt, cooked for 2 hours on low and am eating it as lunch because I’m a grown up and I can 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
It’s good being a grown up 😉
I just put this in my crock pot and can’t wait to try it!
I’m new at this low carb healthy cooking thing. Lol. So I have 2 questions about this recipe.
1. I used trivia baking blend, was that the correct thing to use?
2. I’ve never used whey protein powder before. I didn’t want to buy a giant container of the stuff, so I used a packet of Ray Robb’s whey protein, vanilla flavored. It looked like it was a sample packet to use to make a single shake or something. I know your recipe said unflavored, but was what I used basically the right thing?
I am not sure, I’ve never used the Truvia baking blend but if it measure like sugar than it should be fine. The packet of whey protein should be just fine!
Finally got to make this cake today!! I believe it is the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten, and definitely the best CAKE I’ve ever made!!! I have a 5 qt. crockpot and cooked it for 3 hours and it was moist and delicous! I didn’t put a thing on it! Thank you so much for all your recipes!!
I love hearing that, Jennifer!
I really appreciate all of your recipes! Thank you so much!
I made this cake today and mine cooked in 2 1/2 hours and came out fine. It was a little bitter or just not sweet enough. I used Swerve and canned coconut milk. Also it seemed a little course like It had nuts in it. Was this because I used Bob’s almond meal/flour? Should I add more Swerve or something else. I think it would be wonderful if it was a little sweeter. Maybe I should just put icing on it????
Sweetness can be such a personal thing so sounds to me like you really need a bit more of that. And yes, Bob’s might be a little coarse for this recipe. Maybe try adding this chocolate sauce for a sweeter treat. Or sweeten some whipped cream. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/01/the-best-low-carb-hot-fudge-sauce.html
This was SO GOOD! My daughter wants something like this in a vanilla cake, or something we could add flavorings to like banana (extract). I am terrified to waste the ingredients and experiment. How could you turn this into a vanilla cake? We use vanilla whey protein powder in any case.
Made this for Mother’s Day. When I tried to flip it, it fell apart (sad face), but omigosh was it tasty. I whipped something else up real quick for dessert at Mom’s and kept this for myself. Have been eating it with some butter melted over it all week for breakfast. Yum! Next time, I would just cut it from the slow cooker instead of trying to flip. So delish!
I simply cut mine out of the pan, I never tried to flip it out.
This may sound dumb but how do you get this our of the crock pot?
I didn’t. I cut it in the crockpot like snack cake and served it from there. But you can line the crockpot with parchment and lift it out if you want.
Hi There! Any chance that you can make this without a slow cooker? I don’t have one, eek!
Yes, you can bake it in the oven at 350F. I recommend covering in foil to keep as much moisture in as possible. Not sure how long but it will probably take at least 20 minutes in a 9×13 pan. I would check it frequently.