Flourless Chocolate Cake
Flourless chocolate cake lovers can rejoice – because here’s the best flourless chocolate cake recipe! With just 5 ingredients it’s easy, ultra rich and decadent, gluten-free, nut-free, paleo and keto friendly.
The Best Flourless Chocolate Cake
With the holidays right around the corner it truly is the baking time of year. Last year’s wildly successful desserts – my Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake and Vegan Caramel Cheesecake – are still reader favorites. And if you haven’t yet made them, you should.
But for Christmas this year I wanted something simple and easy, yet still dazzling to the eyes. Let me introduce you to my Flourless Chocolate Cake!
Most flourless chocolate cakes are extremely dense, almost fudge-like. And while those are delicious, I was aiming for something lighter, fluffier and more cake like. Because if I want fudge, I’ll eat fudge, but when I want cake, I truly want cake.
Ingredients in Flourless Chocolate Cake
With just 5 ingredients, this flourless chocolate cake is pretty fool proof. It’s just semi-sweet chocolate, butter, eggs, coconut sugar and espresso powder.
I use coconut sugar instead of processed white sugar for a natural sugar. But you could also use maple syrup. If you do use maple syrup, the end result won’t have the crackle on top (as maple syrup has more moisture) and it’ll be slightly sweeter. The coconut sugar version will have a more cake-like texture, the maple syrup one a lighter texture.
And for those following a low-carb or keto diet, you can substitute a keto-friendly sugar like monkfruit.
The choice is yours. All variations are delicious.
Is Flourless Chocolate Cake Gluten-Free?
Yes, it is! That’s the beauty of this recipe. There’s absolutely no flour involved.
My version of flourless chocolate cake can also be made paleo (just swap the butter with coconut oil) and low carb or keto (swap in a keto-friendly sugar like monkfruit or erythritol). All sugar variations can be swapped in on a 1:1 ratio.
How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake
Start by separating your eggs. Put the egg whites in a small bowl and the yolk in a different bowl. This will also help them come to room temperature.
Add the chocolate chips and butter to a large glass bowl and heat over a double-boiler. Use a bowl larger than what you need, as you’ll be adding egg whites to this mixture later. Stir the chocolate and butter together until it’s completely melted and silky smooth. Then remove it from the double boiler and let it cool to room temperate.
Add the egg whites to a stand mixer. Beat until you have soft peaks, then slowly add the coconut sugar (a small bit at a time) until it’s fully incorporated. Normally sugar would turn the egg whites glossy (like when you’re making a merengue), but that won’t happen in this case as the coconut sugar granules are much larger. And that’s fine. You just want them combined.
Once your chocolate is at room temperature add the egg yolks and stir to combine. Be sure to not add these while the chocolate is hot, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate, which is never ideal. Then, stir in the espresso powder.
Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the chocolate and stir to lighten it up. Don’t worry about deflating the egg whites in this first batch. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold them in, trying not to deflate them too much.
Pour the batter into a 9-inch greased springform pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake will rise significantly as it cooks (like a soufflé), but will fall back down as it cools. That’s what gives it that lovely crackled texture on top.
Once it’s fully cooled, remove it from the pan and serve it plan with berries and coconut whipped cream or sprinkle cacao powder or homemade powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!
More Gluten-Free Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake (gluten-free, paleo)
- Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes
- Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free, paleo)
- Chocolate Covered Bananas
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Hazelnuts and Sea Salt
Flourless Chocolate Cake (No Refined Sugar)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons butter, or coconut oil
- 6 large eggs, egg whites and yolks separated (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- optional cacao powder, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. You can also line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper (on top of the butter) for easy removal.
- Add the chocolate and butter to a large glass bowl and melt over a double-boiler, stirring until fully melted. Alternatively, you can slowly heat the chocolate and butter in 20-second increments in the microwave. Remove the bowl from the double-boiler (or microwave) and let cool to room temperature.
- While the chocolate is cooling, add the egg whites to a large bowl and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form. Slowly add the coconut sugar while beating, about one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- To the melted and now room temperature chocolate add the egg yolks and espresso powder and stir together. (*Please make sure the chocolate is cooled to room temperature, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate).
- Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate, then stir to combine and lighten the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, trying not to deflate the mixture too much.
- Pour the batter in the springform pan and bake for 45 minutes. The cake will rise to the top of the springform pan while baking, but will deflate once cooled.
- Let the cake cool completely, then remove from the springform pan. Dust with cacao powder before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- My favorite chocolate chips are Pascha Chocolate Chips as they’re gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Very allergen-friendly!
- Sometimes it can be difficult to find espresso powder in the supermarket. I purchase this one from Amazon. Make sure to read my Paleo Chocolate Cake recipe to understand the amazing effect espresso powder has on chocolate desserts.
- Definitely use a springform pan and not a regular pan for this cake recipe. It makes it easy to remove and transfer to a serving plate.
- If you do opt for maple syrup in this recipe, you may need to cook the cake several minutes longer as maple syrup adds moisture to the recipe.
I made this last night for my gluten free hubby’s birthday and we both loved it!!! Question- how would you store it if it’s going to take you a few days to finish it all!
Glad this was the perfect cake for you hubby’s birthday Julie!
Adding a rating for my previous comment – 100 stars if I could.
What a delicious, rich, moist cake and with so much depth! My 5 year old proclaimed that this is the best cake in the whole wild world ;) we bake a ton and have tried almost all Lisa’s desserts. Lisa’s dessert always gets this praise and rightfully so! This cake and simply outstanding. So easy to make as well. Thank you Lisa, once again!
❤️
Aw, yay!! So happy you and your little one love this recipe Lana. Thanks so much!
I was so nervous about messing this up, but it’s extremely difficult to mess up! Made it for our Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah. It was a hit! I had my daughter help me, and she was so surprised by how easy it was to make. I think it made her feel that even she can do this, herself!
Happy to hear this cake was a success Marissa!
Without a spring form pan I’m wondering if I could pull this off. I see that the cake rose quite a bit, so I’m thinking of trying it in a deep, round casserole dish that looks like it’s about the size of that spring form pan. If I put parchment in the bottom and then make an X with parchment about 4-5 inches wide, do you think I could lift it out the the parchment X?
Hi Janet – yes, I think it would work with parchment paper in a pan. Good luck!
This was delicous, I had ran out of coconut sugar so used ‘Swerve’ Brown Sugar as my husband is a Diabetic. Baked exactly 45 minutes. Soooo good and will be making again.
Chocolaty, moist, deliciousness! You never fail me Lisa.
Glad you enjoyed this chocolate cake Diane!
Hi Lisa! Another question, can I make this cake the day before it’s going to be served?
Absolutely! Just make sure to store it in the fridge prior to serving. It should last about a week in the fridge.
Hi Lisa! Would I be able to use Hu gems for this instead of the pascha chocolate chips?
Any chocolate chips of your choice will work Hima!
Hi, i use your same recipe but increase the proportion by 1.5x because i want the cake to be thicker.. however, the batter become so much watery.. why is that so..
Unfortunately, I don’t know why, sorry!
I just made this recipe yesterday for my sister’s birthday, and it is amazing. The only addition was two tablespoons of organic maple syrup while mixing the egg whites and coconut sugar. I will be making this recipe for all special occasions. Thanks for all you do.
So glad this chocolate cake was a hit for your sister’s birthday Wendy! Definitely a recipe to keep on hand for future special occasions :)
If I use unsweetened chocolate instead of semisweet and just add a little more coconut sugar, will I get the same results as the original recipe?
Super moist chocolate cake! I made it last night and it’s like a chocolate egg souffle. Very delicious. I see the calories per serving here but how many servings is this cake Lisa?
Glad you enjoyed this cake Carmen! You can always find the servings in the recipe card down below, but there are 12 servings :)
Hi Lisa,
I wonder what happens if I don’t add any kind of sugar, nor sweetener to any of the cakes? I know you use very little sweeteners in your recipes but since I don’t eat any processed sugars, nor artificial sweeteners I was wondering if that little amount is necessary for the texture or can be left out please?
Thank you! :)
Hi Anita – it really depends on the individual recipe how much it can be tweaked. But some sweeteners are usually needed for cakes in order to give them structure.
How long will the cake last for once cooked
Hi Ruth – I would say it lasts about a week in the fridge.
I’m trying to cut down on saturated fats. Do you have a suggestion for what I could replace the butter with? I worry olive oil would make it taste weird….
Hi Angel – you could try it with a canola oil, which is lower in saturated fat.
Although the taste was great. The texture was a bit dry and crumbly for a four less chocolate cake. Would love to try making again…do you think this can be from over whipping the egg whites?
Hi Ahalya – the texture definitely shouldn’t be dry, it’s actually super moist. It sounds like you may have over cooked it a little (as all ovens cook slightly differently). Next time, I’d try reducing the time in the oven just a bit and see how that goes!
This cake is perfect for me. I love chocolate ☺ and it’s also a perfect way for me to sneak in eggs to a breakfast dessert 😇 it’s not too sweet which I appreciate as well, and I like to eat it with a bit of sour jam on top which compliments the sweetness of the chocolate.
The taste reminds me of a brownie which I love as well.
Definitely to be repeated, I just need to work on my egg whites technique 😉
So glad this was the perfect chocolate recipe Barbora!
I’m making this cake for the 2nd time. I love it!’ So easy, quick and delicious. I love serving it with coco whip :)
Happy to hear you enjoy this cake Angelee!
Can i use an equal amount of 100 percent dark chocolate bar and add sweetener to that instead of the chips
I’d like to make this wonderful cake as the star of my Christmas dessert menu. I’d like to use duck eggs. I’m not sure of the number of duck eggs to substitute for the chicken eggs. What do you recommend?
I haven’t tried this recipe using duck eggs unfortunately. But if you do try it, please let me know how it goes!
I’m late to the party, but I would weigh the six eggs on a kitchen scale, the match the weight with duck eggs as nearly as possible.
Hi Lisa! This looks great, and I’d like to try it out for Thanksgiving. I don’t bake many desserts, so I don’t own a springform pan. I know this is what you recommend, but do you have any alternatives? Thank you!
Hi Allison – you could use a regular pan if you line the bottom with parchment paper. It’s usually just a little harder to get out than a springform pan. Enjoy!
I’m so excited to try this recipe for m birthday next week!
Just wondering can I substitute the coconut sugar for brown sugar? Or what suar sub would be best?
Thankyou!!!
Hi Elisa – I haven’t tried that substitutions, but it will probably work, Let me know how it goes! And happy birthday!
I love this recipe! Lisa, any tips on reducing ingredients to an 8” pan? Thank you!
Hi Egay – you should have no problem using an 8″ pan. It’ll just be a little thicker and you may need to cook a little bit longer. Enjoy!
I just found out I should not have chicken egg whites and have a slightly lower tolerance to the egg yolk as well. I’ve used aquafaba in other recipes but do you think it would work here? Or would duck eggs be a better substitute?
Hi Bri – I’ve found aquafaba is a good substitute when up to two eggs are used in a recipe. Given that this recipe is mainly eggs, which are needed to help it firm up like a custard, I’d go with the duck eggs.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! It’s so delicious and easy to make!
Hi Iren- So glad you enjoyed this chocolate cake :)
This looks amazing! I plan to make it tomorrow. Can I use instant coffee instant of espresso powder? If so, how much? Thank you!
Hi Sharon – yes, that’s fine. You could use the same amount. Enjoy!
Hi can I use granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar as my mum is allergic to it? It looks really yummy
Hi Chloe- Yes, that’s fine!
Can I substitute coconut sugar for monk fruit or erythritol to make it more keto?
Hi Ariana- I haven’t tried it with those substitutes, but I’m thinking it could work! Might have to adjust the measurements though for each depending how sweet you want it.
Can I freeze it? BTW your egg cooking post changed my life! thank you
Hi Dora – you can freeze my regular chocolate cake no problem, but I honestly haven’t tried freezing this one. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
I didn’t like this cake. It really lacked flavor. I wanted to like it. I kept eating hoping the next bite would change my mind. It just didn’t get better.
Hi April – because there’s very few ingredients in this recipe, I do recommend using a high quality chocolate. If you love the chocolate chips on their own, you should love this recipe. It’s a good reminder that recipes are only as good as the ingredients that are used. :) Hopefully you enjoy some of my other recipes more!
Hi Lisa,
I don’t have espresso powder, or instant coffee. Can I use cold brew as a substitute? If so, in adding a wet ingredient, would I need to omit 1/2 tsp of oil/butter to balance the recipe ratios?
Thanks.
Hi Barbara – you could always leave the espresso powder out of the recipe. You’ll still have a delicious chocolate cake. :)
Made this and loved the texture! Although might have gone overboard with the cacao powder on top so would try with less or without next time.
Hi Hana – It is very easy to get carried away with the cacao powder! But I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe nonetheless :)
My mom made this for my birthday cake and I loved it!!!! It was very moist in the inside. She put a ganache on top because she wanted it to be more birthday cake like!
Hi Suzanne – Happy Birthday! I’m so glad you loved this cake – and the ganache on top sounds amazing :)
Hi. I just started cutting carbs. I discovered your channel and subscribed. I love your recipes and ideas. When I saw the flowerless cake recipe I knew I wanted to try it. I made this cake today and it was surprisingly good (since I’ve never had a flowerless cake before). I’ve also been reducing sugar so now everything I taste is overly sweet so I can reduce the sugar on this one… Can I use cacao powder instead of choc. Chips? If so, how? I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Janice – I’m so happy you love this recipe! Because I haven’t tried this recipe with cacao powder as a replacement for the melted chocolate, I’m not sure what the ratios might be. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
I know in some cake recipes applesauce is used instead of butter. Have you tried that in this recipe?
Hi Janice – I haven’t tried that in this recipe yet. If you do try it, let us know how it turns out!