She’s healthy! She’s cute! She’s popular to boot! For reals though, you’re about to meet (or reintroduce yourself to) the most delicious chocolate cake ever that celebrates ZUCCHINI. I had to re-share this beauty because it’s like a mix between a brownie, a cake, and a chocolate molten cake omgggg. To be honest I nailed this recipe the very first time I made it and I couldn’t stop spooning it out of the pan straight into my mouth.
But here’s the deal: not only is this chocolate zucchini cake gluten free, it also includes a good amount of protein thanks to yogurt, is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup + coconut sugar, and made with nutritious almond flour and oat flour. The best part though? The melted chocolate + sea salt on top when it’s all finished. It’s like biting into a fudgy, gooey brownie and I am HERE FOR IT.
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Your fav chocolate cake just got a healthy makeover
That’s right, this chocolate zucchini cake is made with better-for-you ingredients that you can feel good about! Yet it still tastes SO decadent. This chocolate zucchini cake is:
- Packed with vegetables. You won’t even be able to tell, but there’s a whole fiber-packed zucchini baked right into this cake!
- Gluten free. Oat flour and almond flour keep this chocolate zucchini cake gluten-free, and almond flour gives it some healthy fats.
- Naturally sweetened. We’re using some pure maple syrup and coconut sugar to give the cake the perfect sweetness.
- Filled with protein. A small container of yogurt makes the cake super moist while boosting the protein!
What you’ll need to make this healthy chocolate zucchini cake
This healthy chocolate zucchini cake is made with plenty of fridge and pantry staples for a fun, easy dessert you’ll want to make again and again. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Zucchini: this little veggie is the star of the show! Zucchini gives the chocolate cake moisture without having to add a ton of butter (like in regular cakes). Check our tips for baking with zucchini in the post below!
- Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs in this recipe to help it bake up. We haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs, but let us know if you do!
- Sweetener: we’re naturally sweetening the cake with pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. You’ll also need some vanilla extract.
- Yogurt: I love baking with siggi’s yogurt because it doesn’t add a ton of excess sugar and it gives baked goods the perfect amount of moisture. I used the vanilla yogurt in this one for a little boost of flavor!
- Coconut oil: to keep the zucchini chocolate cake nice and fudgy.
- Flours: as I mentioned, we’re using almond flour and oat flour to make the cake gluten free. See below for making your own oat flour!
- Cacao powder: gotta have that rich chocolate flavor (+ a boost of antioxidants!). So much better than regular cocoa powder (though you can use that instead!)
- Baking staples: don’t forget the baking soda and salt.
- Topping & add-ins: I love mixing in chocolate chips and creating an epic chocolate drizzle with more chocolate chips and coconut oil. Wanna get fancy? Add some fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of sea salt to the top, too!
Simple ingredient swaps
I recommend sticking with the recipe the best that you can, but here are some easy ingredient swaps that should work well:
- For the coconut sugar: feel free to use regular brown sugar instead.
- For the yogurt: I love using vanilla yogurt, but plain yogurt or even plant-based yogurt will work as well.
- For the coconut oil: melted and cooled butter or vegan butter are great alternatives.
- For the cacao powder: unsweetened cocoa powder works perfectly, too!
Can I use a different flour?
Unfortunately, no, I can’t recommend a substitute for the almond flour or oat flour here as they give the gluten free chocolate zucchini cake the perfect texture.
Make your own oat flour right at home
That’s right, if you’re out of oat flour you can easily make it with just one ingredient! Check out my tutorial on how to make homemade oat flour right at home to use in this gluten free chocolate zucchini cake. So easy!
Remember these tips when baking with zucchini
- Use the small side of your box grater so that you get perfect shreds of zucchini. No one will be able to tell there’s a veggie in the cake! Honestly, a simple cheese grater will also work well.
- Squeeze out your zucchini shreds as much as possible using a cheesecloth, clean dish towel or paper towel to get all of the excess liquid out. This is VERY important so that the cake has the right texture.
- Shred zucchini first, measure it out then squeeze off excess moisture.
- Feel free to shred a bunch of zucchini and freeze it for later! Follow my tips and tricks here.
Fun ways to customize this chocolate zucchini cake
- Make it extra fudgy. If you want this cake to be super fudgy, feel free to store the cake in the fridge! It will taste just like a brownie and gets even more moist and fudgy by the day.
- Choose your fav frosting. I love creating the simple drizzle as a chocolate frosting for this cake but feel free to try my strawberry frosting or peanut butter frosting for a unique twist. Just remember to halve those recipes!
- Celebrate a birthday! If you want to make this a fun birthday cake, feel free to add some pretty rainbow sprinkles on top of the melted chocolate. I love this brand of natural sprinkles!
How to store this cake
Feel free to keep the chocolate zucchini cake recipe covered at room temperature for about a day or so, then place it in the fridge covered for 5 days.
Freezer-friendly chocolate zucchini cake
Yes, this one bowl chocolate zucchini cake freezes well for up to 2 months! I prefer to freeze the cake without the chocolate topping. Here’s how to do it:
- Let the cake cool and then wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- Place the full cake in a zip-top freezer bag.
- To serve it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before adding the chocolate topping and serving it.
More zucchini recipes you’ll love
- Summer Garden Crustless Zucchini Pie
- Fluffy Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Pancakes
- Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Sheet Pan Zucchini Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce
- The Best Zucchini Brownies You’ll Ever Eat
Get all of my zucchini recipes here!
I hope you love this wonderful healthy chocolate zucchini cake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Chocolate Zucchini Cake (healthy + gluten free)
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded and squeezed of excess moisture with a paper towel (1 cup shredded zucchini)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (77g) coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
- ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
- 1 (5.3 oz) container siggi's 0% vanilla yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (56g) virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (168g) packed fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (48g) oat flour
- ½ cup (40g) cacao powder (or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (90g) chocolate chips
- For the topping:
- ½ cup (90g) chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling on top
- Raspberries to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- First, measure out 1 heaping cup of shredded zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the moisture/water. This is very important!
- Add shredded zucchini, eggs, coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, siggi’s yogurt, vanilla extract to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined. Finally stir in melted and cooled coconut oil until well combined.
- Next, add dry ingredients: almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Fold ½ cup chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before topping it.
- Next make the topping: add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a medium bowl; microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted. Alternatively you can melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Once chocolate is melted, pour over the cake and tilt the pan side to side to help evenly distribute the chocolate and coat every inch of the cake. Finally, sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you’d like.
- Cut the cake into 12 slices. Serve with fresh raspberries or strawberries and enjoy! Store cake in the fridge after a day.
Recipe Notes
See the full post for freezing instructions!
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by The Mindful Hapa
This post was originally published on August 6, 2021, republished on August 7, 2022, republished on July 31st, 2023, and republished on August 18, 2025.
This was seriously delicious! I used 80% sugar substitute and 20% brown sugar and it was still great. I’m sure it’s even better as written bc everything I’ve made from this website is amazing but I don’t do well with sugar in general, unfortunately. I ended up adding egg whites to thin the batter bc mine was a bit thick. That may have been due to the substitutions, not sure. Moist and fudgy almost like brownies. So good!!
I’m glad that swap worked out well! Perfect dessert 🙂
Hi,
Can I increae the sweetness? How much honey or coconut sugar can I increase without compromising the cake texture?
You could increase coconut sugar by 1/4 cup if you’d like, or just add more chocolate chips to the cake and that will increase the sweetness!
We love this cake!! So decadent and chocolatey – easy to make with my toddler and satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth. Mom win
So happy to hear that!
So delicious! How would I adjust the recipe to make cupcakes?
Glad you enjoyed! I haven’t tested it, but I’ve seen other readers make cupcakes successfully. I’d recommend baking in a cupcake tin at the same oven temp but checking for doneness around 18 minutes or so. Let me know if you try it!
Can we use anything grain free in place of the oatflour?
Hmmm I haven’t tested this with anything other than how it is written, I’m sorry! Subbing in a grain free flour would likely really change the texture (and not in a good way). Try my paleo chocolate cake here.
Hi,
How do I replace 2 eggs with flax eggs? What is the flaxseed powder to water ratio in grams?
I’m new to using flax eggs, So, I’m not sure
Thanks in advance <3
Hi! Check out this tutorial 🙂 You’ll use 3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal per 1 tablespoon of water, and let it set up in the fridge.
Thank you for doing all the hard work! I live alone, so baking these delicious gluten-free recipes means either sharing or freezing them. I have Hashimoto’s syndrome and am in Palliative care for aggressive breast cancer. I need to be cautious about everything I eat – I start organically and adjust for my 83 yr old body to eat only the foods that I can digest. Here in BC, Canada we have some amazing organic foods in Save-On Foods! Patti
I’m so glad you’re finding nourishing recipes to fuel with, Patti! Sending you love and healing!
Can I use this recipe to make a 3 tiered smash cake for a 1st birthday? My cake pans are 6inches.
Yes, I think that should work!
So, so good. You would never know that there’s a zucchini in there! Very simple to make and frost, too.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Can I double the recipe and make it in a 13×9? How would this change the cooking time?
I think that should work! I would still check the cake around 30-35 minutes.
I made the recipe as is, and it is amazing! My daughter and I have a wheat intolerance. And this moist, not too sweet, just the right amount of chocolate, and a decadent dessert. Nice for breakfast too. 😋
So happy it was a hit!
OMG, these are SO deliciously moist and flavorful. I’ve tried many recipes using zucchini and chocolate but this one takes the top place. WOWEE!! I did not make the frosting but it didn’t need it at all. Thank you!!
The best!!
Hi,
Can I use honey to sweeten the cake? Also, how much is 1 medium or 1 cup shredded zucchini approx in grams?
Hi! I’m afraid the honey might change the flavor of the cake and/or burn in the oven. I believe it’s about 125-150g.
Is it possible to substitute almond flour with coconut flour? How much?
I wouldn’t recommend it – sorry! Coconut flour is MUCH more absorbent than almond flour so the texture will be very different.
I’ve made this recipe twice now as birthday cakes and it has been great. I used a vanilla frosting the first time and a chocolate frosting the second time (to make it seem more like a traditional birthday cake) and everyone loved it. You can’t tell there is zucchini in it, and it even tastes great cold right out of the fridge. Next time I plan on trying the melted chocolate on top as the recipe is written. I was wondering if you have ever made this into cupcakes? Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy this is a favorite! I haven’t tested this as cupcakes but I think it should work well!
This is one of the best gluten free cakes I’ve ever made. An instant hit with everyone. It’s perfectly fudgy and completely decadent. I also like that it’s high in protein. We loved it so much that I made it twice in one week.
The whole family loved these! I made these with the strawberry buttercream frosting! So fudgy and with the strawberry flavor on top- absolute perfection! Thank you for this delicious recipe! Such a fun dessert and love getting some veggies and fruit in there!
Omg great idea to add the strawberry frosting! Glad it was a hit!
Super delicious straight out of the oven but loved it even more after refrigerating it overnight! Super fudgy! Great recipe for chocolate cravings! Can’t wait to make again!
Agreed!! I love how fudgy it gets 🙂
Made this today but substituted the yogurt for coconut yogurt and can confirm it was amazing and the whole cake was eaten up within the hour with everyone going back for seconds, including my diabetic dad who avoids sweets. It was so rich and decadent and moist and hard to believe it contains no naughty ingredients. Will be making it again this week for dinner guests!
Amazing! So happy to hear it was a hit!
I made this last night and let it cool completely at room temperature before frosting it this morning. I made a chocolate ganache with 4oz dark chocolate + 1/2 cup heavy cream which was the perfect amount for this 8″ square cake. Had a slice this afternoon. Wow.. This is dense and super rich! Very moist. A small square is more than enough! I may have to freeze half the cake.
My zucchini was small so I only had about 1/2 cup zucchini squeezed dry. I used avocado oil instead of coconut oil and brown sugar vs coconut sugar. Everything else as written. Took 40 mins to bake with extra 3 mins with oven turned off as I still had a few crumbs on my toothpick.
Overall excellent recipe for chocoholics. I like chocolate but not obsessed with it. It’s a bit rich for me 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed! Great idea to freeze slices for later 🙂
Very well thought out organized and delicious recipe. I tried two other chocolate zucchini cake recipes and this one was 100% the best. This is a keeper. Thank you for all the tips and tricks for preparation, baking, freezing, storing. We all loved this fantastic gluten free cake!
A keeper!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
Very easy to make and delicious without being overly sweet! At 40 minutes it still appeared underbaked so I baked it another 4-5 minutes which I do NOT recommend. Go with what the recipe says for baking time and as it cools it’ll be less gooey. It still tastes really good but a just a tad on the over baked side , so follow Monique’s directions!! 😂
I have made this delicious cake so many times.. I’ve changed it up with cassava flour, emmer wheat flour, always works.. I did ir with butter once, not as good as coconut oil. I subbed coconut milk( half the amount of yoghurt) for 1 bake, still worked .
Delicious 🤎 a winner 🌟 🤩
I’m glad those swaps have worked out well! Perfect dessert 🙂
This was so delicious!! Incredibly moist and full of chocolate flavor you would never know this was secretly healthy. I made the exact recipe and wouldn’t change a thing. I did add some chopped freeze dried strawberries on top which were so fun.
Amazing! So glad you loved this one!
Omg! I made this and I can’t stop eating it. I made it for guests and I think I am going to finish it before they arrive. Thank you.
The perfect dessert!!
AMAZING cake! My son and his gf just graduated and I chose this recipe b/c she has celiac. Everyone in her very picky family LOVED it!! It’ll be on our rotation for sure. I’m going to try it with vegan yogurt and flax egg next time!
So glad this was a hit! Perfect treat!
This might be yer best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. No one in my family would have ever guessed it was gluten free OR contained zucchini!!
WOO! So glad you and your family are loving this cake and it turned out amazing for you 🙂
Monique! This recipe is *chefs kiss*! Wow I made it without the chocolate glaze and it didn’t need it! Paired with some raspberries or strawberries it’s an excellent treat with some tea or espresso! Definitely making this again! Thank you!
AMAZING! I am so glad you’re loving this cake and it turned out great for you ❤️
So moist and yummy! Loved by all my kiddos and husband.
Yay! Happy to hear this recipe is a hit for the whole family, Jessica!
I did recipe exactly as written. Was a crumble not batter – thought maybe it would transform with cooking, did not.
Super dry and crumbly
Hi Gen – Sounds like something definitely went wrong, this is not supposed to be crumbly at all. Were all of your ingredients fresh? You might want to recheck how much liquid you put to make sure the amount was correct.
This cake is incredible, so delicious and moist! My go to chocolate cake!
YUMM! Love this so much, the best texture. Glad you’re loving it!
This cake was a hit! It is so moist and delicious. Love the use of almond flour and oat flour combo. Also love the sweeteners that are used. 10/10 for sure!
Aww yay! I am so glad you found this recipe and it turned out great for you, Claire.
Can I use only oat flour? Also can I use a different brand of greek yogurt?
for the best results I would recommend sticking to the recipe, especially when it comes to the flours. But you can use your preference of greek yogurt! Hope you enjoy this cake.
Unbelievably amazing! So good and so easy. Chocolatey and incredibly moist. Kid and husband approved!
WOO! This makes me so happy to hear, glad this recipe is a hit 🙂
This is an unbelievable cake. It’s hard to believe it is healthy. It is so moist and rich and chocolatey. I made this for the 4th of July and it didn’t last 20 minutes. People were obsessed. Definitely make the icing, so easy and worth it.
Ahh this is seriously the best, Maria. I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it was a hit. The icing it a total must 😍
Just made this today and turned out wonderfully! My changes due to not wishing to make an extra trip to store and simply using what I already had – 1 cup + 1 TB. Almond flour, slightly less than a 1/2 cup of coconut flour (omitted oat flour), 1/3 c. brown sugar, honey, 1/2 tsp maple flavoring, vegan butter, then used 1 TB tahini in the topping. The texture is very light, fluffy, moist yet somehow fudgey also. Thank you Monique for so much healthy culinary recipes and inspiration for a healthier stress less lifestyle (digestion problems, eating disorder, and very underweight – now all in the past!).☺️
Aw this means the world to me! I am so glad you’re loving this cake and it turned out great for you ❤️
These were fantastic! I can’t have coconut oil so I subbed olive oil, and I made muffins without frosting but omg! So delish! Next time will try frosting but honestly the muffins were so good I didn’t miss it. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it’s a keeper!
Ah I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turns out great of you, Melissa. Thank you for sharing your sub and I HIGHLY recommend adding the frosting, SO good 👏🏼
Holy cow Batman this cake is awesome! Super easy to make and you only use 1 bowl which makes clean up a breeze. I made this cake yesterday for my father in laws birthday. All I told him was it’s a chocolate cake. As he was devouring his 2nd slice I decided to fill him in and let him know it was gluten free, refined sugar free and packed with healthy zucchini. He was stunned. He said this is the best cake I’ve ever eaten! The only sub I made was I used plain siggis greek yogurt and increased the vanilla a little. Monique thank you so much for another incredible recipe! I’ve been making 1 of your recipes every weekend for the last month or so and each one is better than the last.
So happy to hear that, Candis! No one can tell there are nourishing ingredients in this one 🙂 Such a great treat!
Just made this tonight for a dinner party. It was a hit! I did use tapioca instead of oat flour, used plain Greek yoghurt instead, and put slightly less maple and coconut sugar in than suggested, and it was still nicely sweet. Would def make again. Thanks from NZ!
Yum! I am so glad this recipe is a hit
This cake was just fudgey goodness in a pan. Kind of a cross between cake and a brownie, it was so rich and delicious. I love that it has no refined sugar (cane sugar). I followed the recipe but where there were options I used coconut sugar and cocoa powder.
The only thing that wasn’t great was the icing. It turned into a thick, solid layer on top, which made the cake nearly impossible to cut and the icing just randomly broke. It too was yummy, just didn’t work so well.