This cake! It reminds me of that McCain chocolate cake with frosting that I used to devour when I was younger. Except this version is healthier and even has some zucchini in it. It's a gluten free chocolate zucchini cake and I think you're gonna love it. Because not only is the cake itself delicious and moist (sorry for using that word!), it also has a rich and SUPER EASY chocolate frosting. I'm talking just four ingredients here!
Why You'll Love This Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Cake
Nearly every summer, I make a version of this gluten free chocolate zucchini cake. It tastes amazing and it's such a great way to use up extra zucchini. I love that this tastes rich, chocolatey and has that secret addition of zucchini. Whenever I give this to anyone to try, they're always surprised to learn it has zucchini in it. The chocolate flavour really helps to hide any zucchini flavour.
Easy to make!
Sneakily adds some nutrition into chocolate cake, seriously, nobody can tell there is zucchini in here.
Moist and flavourful.
The chocolate frosting is easy to make and super chocolatey.
Freeze leftovers for your next chocolate craving, it's perfect for that!
Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake is low on ingredients, most of them you probably already have on hand.
Coconut Butter: this is what you'll use for the frosting on this gluten free chocolate zucchini cake. Coconut butter is the meat from the coconut, ground into a super fine smooth consistency. To make it super smooth and for the frosting, you'll blend the coconut butter with additional cocoa powder, maple syrup and coconut oil. The brand I use and love is this one from Nutiva.
Chocolate Chips: To add even more chocolate to this cake (it is cake after all), I use some chocolate chips on top. The brand I like to use for chocolate chips are these ones from Enjoy Life.
How to Make This Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This gluten free chocolate zucchini cake recipe couldn't be easier to make! It's all made in one bowl so there is less to clean up too. Here is what you'll need to do:
Shred the zucchini using a box grater. Place the shredded zucchini in a fine mesh sieve or use a nut milk bag like I do. You want to ensure that you really squeeze out all excess water. Zucchini has a lot of water in it, and that will affect the recipe, so squeeze hard!
Then mix together all of the wet ingredients first.
Then add in the dry ingredients and give that a good stir, until everything is incorporated.
Fold in those chocolate chips.
Now add this mixture to an 8 x 8 pan and place in the oven to bake.
While this is baking, add all of the ingredients for the chocolate frosting to a blender or food processor. And blend until very smooth and everything is nicely incorporated.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool before removing from the pan. Let it cool completely on a cooling rack and then go ahead and spread out all that delicious chocolate frosting. Top with chocolate chips!
How to Store This Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Cake
Room temperature: you can leave this stored in a sealed container at room temperature for one to two days. If it is really hot in your place, you may want to move it to the fridge, otherwise the frosting will melt.
In the fridge: this cake is best eaten cold in my opinion. Because the frosting is made from coconut oil and coconut butter, it will melt if left out and it's hot in your place. So I recommend storing the frosted chocolate cake in the fridge. This way, you can let it come to room temperature and enjoy it, or microwave it for a few seconds to soften it a bit.
Freeze it: optionally, you can also freeze pieces of this cake as well. Just store pieces wrapped in parchment paper and then in a freezer ziploc bag. It's better if you freeze slices without the frosting (store that separately), but it will work either way.
Tips for Making the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Squeeze excess water VERY well from the zucchini. Zucchini holds so much liquid, so use a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and squeeze it very well to get rid of excess water.
Let the cake cool. Before you frost it, be sure it has had time to cool down, otherwise the frosting will just melt more and be a general hot mess.
Line the pan with parchment paper going in both directions, use a little bit of coconut oil to grease the pan so the paper sticks. This will make removing it much easier.
The frosting will harden once it's in the fridge, so let it come to room temperature before enjoying. Or, microwave for a few seconds to soften slightly.
Don't over bake: this healthy zucchini chocolate cake is supposed to be moist and soft. When you insert a toothpick in the center, it may not come out clean. Instead, test if the cake is done by seeing how springy the cake is when you press gently in the center.
More zucchini? You can add more shredded zucchini if you like. I'd recommend adding only up to an extra 1/2 cup.
Measuring shredded zucchini: once you've shredded the zucchini, then measure it. From there, then squeeze out all that excess liquid.
Substitutions
Egg-free/vegan: this recipe can be made with a flax egg instead of an egg. To do so, mix 1 tbsp ground flax seeds with 3 tbsps of water and let it gel and thicken for a few minutes before adding as you would the egg.
Nut-free: use oat milk or coconut milk (the refrigerated kind) or regular milk and tahini instead of almond butter.
Oat flour: be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour.
No frosting: you can omit the frosting if you'd like, it is delicious though and I recommend making it.
If you make this healthy gluten free chocolate zucchini cake, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to tag me on Instagram, and/or leave a comment, rating or review below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.
LIKE THIS RECIPE? HERE ARE MORE BAKING RECIPES TO TRY:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper going in both directions to ensure it's easily removed.
In a fine mesh sieve or a nut milk bag, squeeze out as much water from the shredded zucchini as possible. Then add the shredded zucchini to a large bowl.
Add the remaining wet ingredients to the bowl from the egg to the apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine.
Add the dry ingredients from the oat flour to the salt and mix well to combine. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and place in the oven to bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow it to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then carefully lift the parchment paper to release the cake. Place this on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor add all of the ingredients for the chocolate frosting and blend until smooth, creamy and well combined. Set aside.
Once the zucchini cake is cool, spread the chocolate frosting all over. Top with remaining chocolate chips. Keep on the counter if your kitchen is nice and cool, otherwise, move it to the fridge.
Notes
To make this vegan: use a flax egg instead of an egg. Combine 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. Mix with a fork to combine and let it sit for a few minutes before adding to the recipe.
For easy removal: line the pan with parchment paper going in both directions, use a little bit of coconut oil to grease the pan so the paper sticks.
Measure shredded zucchini: once you've shredded the zucchini, then measure it. From there, then squeeze out all that excess liquid.
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AnneMarie
August 20, 2023
This is a delicious decadent cake! Do much like a flourless chocolate torte. Only subs I made was a flax egg, and solid heavy coconut cream for the coconut butter. Definitely keep this recipe!
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