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Rich and decadent this Flourless Chocolate Cake is easy-to-make and so delicious. Made in under 35 minutes, without any refined sugars or gluten, this is the perfect cake to make whenever you need that chocolate fix!
Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake
This Flourless Chocolate Cake is one of my favorite recipes I have ever made. It is rich and heavenly, everything a flourless cake should be. Plus, it is topped with a delicious berry sauce that ties it all together. We can’t get enough of this cake. I’ve been making it since 2014, and it’s on repeat every year around this time!
It’s made all in one bowl and bakes up in about 25 minutes. That means, whenever the chocolate craving strikes, you now have a recipe to make!
Here’s What You Need to Make It
- Dark Chocolate
- Coconut Oil
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Coffee
- Honey
- Eggs
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Sea Salt
- Berries (for the quick compote!)
Substitutions
Chocolate: We recommend using chopped whole chocolate for this, but in a pinch, chocolate chips can work ok. Just make sure to use high-quality chocolate chips which tend to melt better. If you like very dark chocolate, use very dark chocolate. If you like more of a semi-sweet type of chocolate, then use that!
Apple Sauce: This won’t taste like apple sauce, promise! But the apple sauce adds moisture to the cake without needing quite as much oil. Just make sure the use the smooth, unsweetened kind.
Cocoa Powder: Either dutch or natural cocoa powder works here.
Eggs: We have not tested and do not think that an egg substitute will work here.
Honey: Feel free to use maple syrup in place of honey.
Coffee: This helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate. If you are avoiding caffeine, replace it with water.
How to Tell When the Chocolate Cake is Done
Sometimes it can be tricky to tell when a chocolate cake is done. Luckily, for this Flourless Chocolate Cake there is a clear sign of when it’s fully cooked: look for the cake to be shiny, set, and puffed up all over.
The cake will fall as it’s cool, and this is totally normal.
Tips for Removing the Flourless Cake from the Pan
You should let the cake cool in the pan for a few hours, or until it’s easy to handle the pan.
Then, take a dull knife and run it around the edge of the cake. Carefully snap open the springform mold. And then, take the knife and run it carefully between the bottom of the cake and the springform pan to release the cake. Then, transfer it to a serving platter.
Alternatively, you can likely just leave it on the bottom of the springform pan, but you still want to run a knife underneath the cake and the pan to separate it so it’s easy to slice and remove.
How to Serve It
Serve this cake with a dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar and a quick berry compote! The berry compote is optional, but it’s so simple to make and really adds such a nice contrast of flavors. Who doesn’t love fruit and chocolate together?!
This cake is best eaten within a day or two. It will keep at room temperature for one day. Or you could put it in the refrigerator for a super fudgy type cake.
Watch the video here:
If you like this chocolate recipe, check these out:
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- Avocado Brownies
- Healthy Chocolate Hummus Dip
- Paleo Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For Flourless Cake:
- 6 oz. dark chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tablespoons hot coffee
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Additional cocoa powder for dusting
Quick Berry Compote:
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9" springform pan with coconut oil.
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil on the stove. Add dark chocolate and coconut oil to a medium heatproof bowl and then set the bowl over the saucepan. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until all of the mixture is melted.
- Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in apple sauce, coffee and honey. Let cool for 3-5 minutes, until no longer very hot.
- Whisk in eggs until well combined. And finally whisk in cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt.
- Pour mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake is set and puffed all over. Let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the optional berry compote: Add fruit and honey to a small saucepan. Cook on medium for 1 minute. Mash the fruit and cook for another minute until it comes to a boil. Shut off the heat and let cool.
- Run a dull knife around the edge of the cake, and unhook the springform pan. Run a knife under the cake to loosen it from the bottom and transfer the cake to a platter. Generously dust with cocoa powder. Serve with berry compote, if desired.
I made a cake similar to this Saturday. I’d like to switch it up with cupcakes for V day. How long would you suggest I bake them? Thanks!
I’ve been obsessed with finding healthy, paleo chocolate cake recipes. I just made this one and it’s yummy! Dusted it with tiny bit of powdered sugar and a few raspberries. My new go-to recipe!
Would it affect the texture too much to decrease the amount of honey?
Thanks!!
This all looks great! I’m thinking of making the flourless chocolate cake for my boyfriend this weekend, but I wanted to make it a day ahead of time. Will it still be good if I bake it and then stick it in the fridge for 24 hours? Or should I just leave it out at room temperature until we eat it?
Thanks for the tips!
Either way! If you put it in the fridge let it sit out for about an hour before serving; or lightly heat it for warm cake!
That looks so insanely decadent… I have never made a flour less cake, maybe this will inspire me to!
Hey Lexi! Can you sub anything for the hot coffee?
I’m visiting from The Healthy Maven. Your cake looks AMAZING! I love your photos, they are gorgeous! I feel like I can jump right in with a fork to take a bite or few. 🙂
I definitely didn’t like V-day when I was single, but love it now that I’m married!
I’ll have to try the flourless chocolate cake! Looks easy and amazing. I will try and replace the eggs somehow… thanks for this!
Valentine’s Day is my birthday so I’ve always loved the holiday — even when I was single. 🙂
We like to stay in on v-day instead of going out to a crowded restaurant so I love the idea of a healthy Valentine’s Day menu. I’ve never cooked scallops at home but I’d love to try the Walnut Encrusted Scallops.
And your flourless chocolate cake looks amazing!
I am so excited to try that cake! I have a nut-allergy, so can’t make any of the lovely recipes that call for almond flour…but this…THIS I can make! 🙂 Thank you!
sounds like a great recipe! i love flourless chocolate cakes!
Chocolate and raspberries is such an underrated combo!! I’ll take ten pieces, please and thanks!!
This cake and the pictures are gorgeous! I love that you all got together to create this meal. Such a great idea!
This cake looks to die for! I have all the ingredients kicking around in my pantry and am definitely going to test it out when my next dessert craving hits. I love that you ladies came together for this fabulous dinner menu. It’s such a cute idea, and sounds like an amazing flavour combo. The new season of House of Cards comes out on Valentine’s Day and I’m dying to see it so my roomate and I have some sweet plans to make an amazing meal and have the ultimate TV marathon. Not your conventional Valentine’s Day but I think it sounds perfect.
And I was just worinedng about that too!
This cake looks awesome! Is there anything I can substitute for the coffee to make it more kid friendly?
Thank you Gayle! I think leaving it out would be fine, but I can’t promise as I haven’t tried it without the coffee. Feel free to share how it goes if you try it!
I’m amazed at how pretty this cake is. Props to you girl! On the agenda for v-day.. home cooked meal and a movie on the couch with my bf! Perfect, cheap, and cozy.
Sounds like the perfect night, Christine! Thanks so much.
Wowww that looks like something I would dive head first into! The chocolate color is so rich and beautiful. Such a fun idea to get a bunch of bloggers together for something like that! I can’t wait to read the other courses. I’m not the biggest valentine’s fan… but I have been single for three years so that could be the problem haha!
Yummy!! I love this idea that you all went into together! I am going to have to try all of these recipes!
Wow! i dont even know where to start! So many beautiful recipes to try, and what influential, inspirational bloggers together! Yummmmmm! I love this post, I know my valentines day meals will be full of goodness!
I love this healthy Valentines idea, and love that you guys are all so LOVE-crazy! This cake looks super-delicious 🙂 Yay Valentines!