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 ⅓ 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 ½ hours. It will be gooey and like a pudding cake at 2 hours, and more firm and cake-like at 2 ½ 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 almond flour
- ½ cup sweetener allulose or erythritol
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unflavored whey protein powder can sub egg white protein powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ to ½ cup water or cold coffee
- ⅓ cup 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 ⅓ 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 ½ hours. It will be gooey and like a pudding cake at 2 hours, and more cakey at 2 ½ 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.
Deborah Kirk says
Carolyn, I have used your crock pot gingerbread recipe a few times..but I can’t seem to find recipe..?
Carolyn says
That recipe lived on A Sweet Life which has gone under. I am afraid it’s gone for good.
Laurie Newman says
Delicious
Pam says
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!
Do you have any other flavor keto cake recipes made in the slow cooker ? Maybe Red velvet?
Marla Goss says
Any NUT free substitutes for the almond flour? I am also allergic to Sunflower Seeds…
Carolyn says
Sorry, that’s the best option here. Not really sure what to say…
Susan says
I haven’t made this yet, but all of the desserts I have made by you have always been top notch. Now that you’ve made this…..you have got to try making a Hot Fudge Cake in the crockpot! I have tried to change my old Betty Crocker recipe into keto and failed. However, YOU could absolutely do it. Looking forward to some future crockpot recipes from you.
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Yolanda Salas says
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!
Anna says
Love how moist the cake turned out, also very chocolate-y! However, I cooked it for 2.5 hours and the edges turned out very dry and dark, almost burned. I just trimmed it up and served the slices with your Keto Vanilla Ice Cream (to which I added buttered pecans, made according to your Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pie recipe! :). Next time I bake this cake I will stop at 2 hours and see how it goes! Thanks, Carolyn, this was a delicious 4th of July dessert for us!
Carolyn says
I think it’s possibly your brand of slow cooker? But yes, do what you need to do!
Joyce says
This cake is delicious! Even my non-keto husband enjoyed it!
I do have one complaint… How do you get it out and serve neatly
from the crock pot???????
Alice says
Hi Carolyn, I don’t have a crock pot. Can I use the slow cooking function from my Instapot?
MAUREEN says
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.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Sharon Lurie says
I can’t find either egg white protein powder or whey protein powder. What else can I use?
I saw some websites say I can use cottage cheese in place of whey protein powder, but none of them say if it is an even swap.
What should I do?
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Absolutely not! Sorry, but that’s terrible advice, since it would add a ton of moisture to the recipe and throw off the wet-to-dry ratio. If you have to, you can skip it but the cake won’t rise as well.
Cathy Forehand says
Hello, Carolyn, I made this recipe for the second time today. So moist. Love it. The first time I scooped it right out of the pot to serve. This time I wanted to take it to a gathering so I tried to ‘un-pot’ it….fail. I had greased the pot *very* well. I don’t think there is any way to get it out whole. I can live with that.
My question is, last time I made a note to increase the Swerve a little, so I used a *heaping* 1/2 cup this time—still not sweet enough IMO. I am using the ‘dark’ Hershey’s cocoa powder. Could this be the reason it’s not sweet enough? If not, can I increase the sugar to 3/4 c or 1 cup or will this interfere with the recipe too much? Also, I sprinkled the choc chips on top instead of folding into batter if this could have made a diff. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Please advise. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes and advice.
Marie says
This recipe is a must for me! I do it every week. I don’t use chocolate chips but I substitute a tablespoon of cocoa with dark cocoa. And I substitute 1/4 cup of almond flour for lupine flour. I think the texture is softer after freezing. I eat it with keto granola and keto ice cream. A true delight!
Jane says
I haven’t tried any of your marvy desserts yet because I have a question about sweeteners . . . . . I NEED to cut back on sweeteners – period.
If I cut back – in any recipe – will it affect the end result, in any way, of a recipe?
Thanks for your fun site!
Laura says
Thank you for posting this recipe! It is incredible, so delicious and fluffy, everyone that had a slice loved it very much and asked for the recipe ????????????????
My question is: i made this cake today but have guests tomorrow, i know you said that it’s best enjoyed warm with whipped cream on top, I just don’t know if it’s ok to save it whole in a cake container out on the countertop or refrigerate it until tomorrow and take it out a couple of hours before serving it? What do you recommend?
Carolyn says
Either way works well enough! It should still be great tomorrow as long as it’s stored tightly without a whole bunch of air getting in, drying it out.
KP says
I made the full recipe in my 20-year-old crockpot. Took 5 hours! ???? so delicious. My husband hates all Keto desserts because he says he can taste the fake sugar. However, he absolutely loved this! It is fantastic! Thanks so much!
Laura says
How long will the cake take in a 4qt crockpot?
Carolyn says
Well I can’t tell you exact times, since i don’t have that size of crockpot. To be honest, I would cut down the recipe by about 25 to 30%.
Cheryl S says
perfect recipe for warm weather when I don’t want to heat up the house with the oven!
Renee Pajestka says
Thanks for the recipe. Can I use an egg to replace the whey?
Carolyn says
No, an additional egg adds too much liquid.
Taylor says
Absolutely love that this is low carb and made in the slow cooker! So easy and delicious!