This Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe is so rich and chocolatey! It’s a family favorite that happens to be dairy-free and gluten-free.
Hold on, chocolate lovers. Are you ready for a extremely delicious cake recipe? Because we have one for you! The Chocolate Zucchini Cake is rich, chocolaty and irresistibly good. Even if you don’t eat gluten or dairy free (which we don’t), this is an inventive way to eat real whole foods in dessert form! This cake has become a family favorite in our household. The zucchini makes it ultra moist and it’s gooey and just sweet enough. It really is an eye catcher! Here’s how to do it.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake Ingredients
Alex and I don’t follow any particular diet, but we love the creativity that comes with creating whole food recipes for people with different nutritional philosophies. We often create gluten-free and vegan desserts that everyone can enjoy, like our favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites. That’s exactly the philosophy behind this gluten and dairy free cake!
Here are the ingredients you need to make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake. You’ll find that they’re all good for your whole foods, so you can feel good about serving them to your family!
- almond butter This adds fat and texture instead of butter! Use sunflower butter if you have nut allergies.
- zucchini Shredded zucchini adds moisture and a chewy texture!
- maple syrup
- cocoa powder
- egg For vegans, use a flaxseed egg
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- dark chocolate chips If you’re on a dairy-free diet, use dairy-free chocolate chips
- instant coffee powder (Optional)
How to serve Chocolate Zucchini Pie
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake was a favorite at our house from the first bite! It’s surprising how the texture of all the ingredients combines into something resembling a cake despite the lack of flour.
This cake would be perfect for a summer BBQ as it would satisfy almost any mass diet! We usually just eat it, but here are some ways to boost it! Serve with:
Variations: Make it vegan!
Want to make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake vegan? It is already dairy free but contains 1 egg. How do you make it vegan? Use a flax egg! A flaxseed egg is simply ground flaxseed and water, which together form a binder that’s often used in vegan baked goods. It works well here as a binder for this cake, especially as it is a sheet cake. Go to How to Make a Flax Egg.
About the book: Kitchen Matters
This recipe is from Pamela Salzman’s Kitchen Matters cookbook. Pamela likes to eat real food, not too much, and especially plants: just like us! She says in the introduction to her book, “I believe with 100% certainty that what you eat is more important than anything else. You choose what goes in your basket and pan. If you want to be healthy, cooking as many nutrient-dense foods as often as possible is a good start. Your health matters and your cooking matters.
The recipes in Pamela’s Kitchen Matters book are vegetable-heavy and packed with meals that the whole family can enjoy, regardless of their food philosophies or dietary preferences. Get the book here: Kitchen Questions by Pamela Salzman
Congratulations to Pamela for an amazing Chocolate Zucchini Pie recipe and book! We’re applauding here, our mouths are filled with chocolate. Our little chocolate monster Larson is a HUGE fan of this gluten free chocolate cake! If you follow us on Instagram you may have seen that he can now say chocolate (before mom – and I couldn’t be prouder!).
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe is…
Grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian. For vegans, substitute a flaxseed egg.
The description
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe is so rich and chocolatey! It’s a family favorite that happens to be dairy-free and gluten-free.
- 1 cup creamy unsweetened almond butter (or sunflower butter)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Instant coffee powder (optional)*
- 1 large egg (or flaxseed egg for vegans)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (approx 2 few)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, dairy-free as much as you like
- Coconut oil, for the pan
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan with coconut oil. If you want to remove the cake from the mold in one piece, also line it with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the almond butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, salt, coffee powder, egg, vanilla, and baking soda. fully connected and a sticky dough forms.
- Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with dry crumbs. Don’t overcook. A 9-inch pan takes about 30 minutes; an 8 inch takes about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.
Remarks
*Instant coffee powder enhances the taste of chocolate in baked goods. However, it is completely optional. There are alternatives to coffee, such as Pero, a caffeine-free chicory and barley product. Due to the barley, Pero is neither gluten-free nor grain-free. Do not use coffee grounds instead of instant coffee powder. Reprinted with permission from Kitchen Matters by Pamela Salzman
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Chocolate Zucchini Cake
More gluten free desserts
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is one of our favorite dessert recipes…of all time! Here are some other popular gluten-free desserts:
Last update: June 2020
