You’re either going to love me or hate me for this post. Why? Because this grain-free chocolate cake which just so happens to have zucchini in it is AMAZING. You will love how rich and chocolaty it is, how moist and tender. You will be utterly amazed that this cake has no flour of any kind and that there is zucchini in it. Zucchini! It is sweetened with maple syrup and that’s all. After your first bite, you might exclaim, “Three cheers for Pamela!”
Orrrrrrr, you will find this cake, which is more like a cross between a brownie and cake, completely irresistible and TOO amazing. You will walk by it on the countertop and find the uncontrollable need to even out all the edges until you are left with a mere crumb. But you’ll convince yourself it’s healthful! It contains almond butter and zucchini. Zucchini! And you will not be able to stop eating it. The next time you make it you will freeze most of it so that you are not tempted by its chocolaty goodness and inhale three-fourths of it before the kids get home. But you cannot stop dreaming about this cake so you find out it even taste good FROZEN because there is no waiting when it comes to this cake. And after you eat all of the frozen cake, you might exclaim, “I curse the day I met Pamela! Darn this chocolate amazingness!”
And that’s what I’m talking about.
Even Mr. Picky himself went crazy for this cake. I actually came clean and told him there was zucchini in here and he didn’t care!! If you are nut-free, don’t sweat. Substitute sunflower butter in an equal amount and it will work perfectly. Sunflower butter does have a slightly nuttier flavor, almost like peanut butter. But I when I made the cake with sunflower butter for some nut-free people, they couldn’t detect it. Make it. Devour it. Love it. Share it. Tell me all about it.
Grain-free Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe and VIDEO
Ingredients
- coconut oil or butter for greasing pan
- 1 cup creamy, unsweetened, unsalted almond butter, raw or roasted, or sunflower butter for a nut-free cake
- 1/3 cup pure Grade A maple syrup or raw honey
- ¼ cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini, about 2 small
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan. If you want to remove the cake from the pan in one piece, line it with unbleached parchment paper as well.
- In a large bowl combine the almond butter, maple syrup, cacao powder, salt, coffee powder, egg, vanilla, and baking soda until smooth.
- Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake until just set and a toothpick comes out clean or with dry crumbs. Do not overbake. A 9 x 9 pan will take 35-45 minutes. An 8 x 8 pan will take 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hi! 🙂 Can you use frozen spiraled zucchini in a pinch (if you shop It up super finely)? Or does that not work?
PS YOU are my favorite, Pamela!!! So glad I found you!
I haven’t tried using frozen zucchini here, but I would defrost the zoodles and pat dry so the batter is not too wet. ANd yes, chop finely! Let me know how it turns out.
THANK YOU!!! <3
Could I double this and put in a 9x 13 pan?
Totally!
Snowed in in Chicago and was hoping I wouldn’t love this so much – but alas I can’t stop eating it. How is it best stored for a few days?
It’s the best! Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
I made this cake yesterday with my 3-year-old daughter, and it turned out incredible. At one point, I took a call and my daughter dumped more coffee powder than what was specified on the recipe, and I thought, “Oh, no, we’re gonna end up with chocolate and coffee cake!” But, it was all chocolate at the end.
We ate it with some Fromage and Fig ice cream from Lick (https://www.ilikelick.com/seasonal) in Austin. Oh, it was decadent!
yum yum!!
Hi, for some reason my cake is super watery and I’ve had it in my oven for 60 min now. Any way to fix that?
Sorry that this is happening. There must be some mismeasurement or maybe the pan size is too small or the temperature in the oven is too low. This is my most popular recipe of all my recipes and I can’t say that I have had anyone write to me with an issue. Perhaps just refrigerate it so it firms up and eat it cold.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe three times so far and each time I have had to bake it for 1 hour and fifteen-twenty minutes to get it to bake through. It could be my oven since it is a new and I am not familiar with it and don’t yet know if it runs cooler than other ovens.
I love the recipe!
Christina, it does firm up quite a bit as it sits. When I take it out, it is still pretty soft, but not liquidy. It could be that your nut butter is more liquidy or maybe you’re packing the zucchini in the measuring cups and then you have more zucchini….
Do you recommend squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini first?
Nope! It’s not necessary for this recipe.
Are we supposed to let the zucchini drain before using it?
Hi Shelley, I’ve made it without draining the zucchini. And, it turned out really good.
Did you modify anything?
Nope!
I have made this and all have loved it so!
I would like to make this for my friends birthday and she is allergic to so many ingredients including all nuts and seeds. Can I do it without the nut butter?
Thank you!
I’m afraid not. So sorry!
it does seem quite essential. thanks.
This was absolutely incredible. My husband and I absolutely loved this and that’s huge coming from him since he’s typically a bit quicker to shun ‘healthier’ desserts than I am. He was SHOCKED when I mentioned it had zucchini in it – waited to disclose this after he took a few bites of course! : ) This is an incredible recipe that I’ll be turning to time and time again!
Going to make this weekend. Would it work to use the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix with Reishi instead of the instant coffee? I only have that or Nespresso pods. Or leave it out? Thanks! ~Kristina
Just leave it out. Not essential at all!
Thanks so much! I made it and delicious and so shared with my sister-in-law. She just asked out of curiosity the benefit of grain-free? I started to answer then thought best ask! Thanks in advance. ~Kristina
It can be a little lower glycemic if almond and/or coconut flour or nut butter stands in for a grain flour. The nuts also add good fat, too!