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Spring is always crazy for my family – my husband, myself and both kids have birthdays within a two month time span! Not to mention half a dozen other family members. The good news? It’s an excuse to make cake. And, this gluten-free sugar-free flourless chocolate cake recipe is a new favorite.
The Key To Low Carb Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
You may think that gluten-free flourless chocolate cake is already naturally low carb, but it isn’t. Even though there is no wheat, the sugar is a big problem!
Most flourless chocolate cake recipes don’t actually add sugar, but they do use regular chocolate in them – sweetened with sugar, of course. So even if you can make a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake with regular chocolate, it can still be very high in sugar.
So, what’s the key to keto flourless chocolate cake? Sugar-free chocolate!
I’ve tried making this flourless chocolate cake with cocoa powder or unsweetened baker’s chocolate, but the results were inconsistent. Sometimes it turned out great, and sometimes the chocolate would seize or the texture was dry. So I made it again and again until I reached a better version!
Finally, I settled on sugar-free stevia sweetened chocolate, which is one of the few stevia products where I can’t taste that aftertaste at all. Promise.
And this is why I consider this the best flourless chocolate cake ever. No sugar, and it’s still natural. I used powdered monk fruit allulose blend to add a bit more sweetness to offset the butter we’re adding, but you get to decide which sweetener you want to use for that part. And yes, if all you care about is gluten-free, you can even use actual powdered sugar.
But for those of us that want a healthier, low carb flourless chocolate cake, there are better options.
When I first made this sugar-free flourless chocolate cake recipe, my favorite sweeteners to use for it were powdered erythritol or powdered monk fruit sweetener. However, now I recommend powdered monk fruit allulose blend because it dissolves the best and creates the best silky smooth texture.
Why powdered? For texture. Using a granulated sweetener may yield a grainy result, and a liquid one will make the cake too runny. If you have a granulated sweetener, you could try powdering it in a coffee grinder or food processor.
Gluten-free Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Is flourless chocolate cake gluten-free? Yes. In fact, most flourless chocolate cake recipes are actually naturally gluten-free.
The difference is that this is a sugar-free keto flourless chocolate cake recipe. And like I mentioned above, it’s more customizable to use your favorite sweetener.
What about the carbs in flourless chocolate cake? The regular versions are actually pretty high because of all that sugar. But, my keto flourless chocolate cake only has 5 grams net carbs per slice.
The best part? This low carb flourless chocolate cake recipe requires only FIVE ingredients! All you need is sugar-free chocolate, butter, powdered sweetener, vanilla extract, and eggs. I love easy low carb chocolate recipes with very few ingredients like that.
I also included optional sea salt, which you can skip if you use salted butter. Don’t worry, the cake isn’t salty. It’s just there to bring out the flavors.
It was so tempting for me to make this flourless chocolate cake paleo or dairy-free. I attempted to make it with coconut oil and ghee, but unfortunately the result was just not the same.
For some reason, these fats did not mix as well as the butter does, and I ended up with little pockets of coconut oil in the cake. Not good! You can try it to see if you have better results, but I didn’t. Sorry, you need butter for this one!
So, how to make flourless chocolate cake? Let me tell you how simple it is…
How To Make Flourless Chocolate Cake
This is probably one of the easiest methods for how to make flourless chocolate cake. There is no separating eggs or whipping egg whites required. I didn’t find it necessary, because flourless chocolate cake is already supposed to be very dense, anyway. And, I’m all about easy!
How To Prepare the Batter for Flourless Chocolate Cake
Start by melting the chocolate and butter in a double boiler on the stove or at medium-low power in the microwave. Stir occasionally and don’t overheat.
It will be nice and smooth:
Pour the mixture into a large bowl, and gently beat in the vanilla and sea salt. Then beat in the eggs with a hand mixer at low speed, one by one.
Finally, beat in the sweetener, still at low speed. It might seem gritty when you begin, but as you continue it will get smooth again. It won’t be perfectly smooth like melted chocolate, though. Like this:
Why low speed? Because we don’t want to create too many air bubbles. Again, low carb flourless chocolate cake is supposed to be dense! For the same reason, don’t mix too much.
That’s it – your sugar-free flourless chocolate cake batter is ready! Pour it into a lined springform pan. Smooth the top, tap against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles, and bake.
Here is what it looks like right before baking:
How To Tell When Flourless Chocolate Cake Is Done
Now, here is the critical part. The most important step in making the best flourless chocolate cake is not over or under baking it! You want the top to start to form a very thin crust, but it should be jiggly underneath.
Use a thermometer to get it just right. The keto flourless chocolate cake is done baking when the internal temperature measures 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
How To Serve Flourless Chocolate Cake
The hardest part comes next – waiting! Resist the urge to dig in right away. Let the sugar-free flourless chocolate cake cool to room temperature right in the pan. Then, refrigerate overnight, for at least 8 hours.
Why? This helps the cake set and also finalizes the dense, silky texture. Please don’t skip the chilling step, because the texture will not be very good without it.
Remove the pan from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before serving. Pop the sides off the springform pan and carefully flip the cake onto a towel, then flip back onto a plate or cake stand.
You can dust with additional powdered sweetener if desired. I like to add raspberries!
Make sure to let the flourless chocolate cake reach room temperature before slicing. Otherwise, it will crack when you try to cut into it. Besides, the texture is best at room temp.
How To Store Flourless Chocolate Cake
How long does flourless chocolate cake last? It actually lasts quite a while. If you need a chocolate cake that’s just for you, try this chocolate mug cake!
You can refrigerate keto flourless chocolate cake for up to a few days. And again, make sure you so at least overnight. As it sits, the cake will mellow, improving its flavor and reducing bitterness.
You can also freeze the cake. Just thaw it in the fridge, then finish thawing on the counter.
After the great response I received on the vanilla gluten-free birthday cake at my daughter’s birthday last year, I was excited to serve a chocolate one this year. And, it was a hit – yay!
For all you chocolate lovers out there, sugar-free gluten-free flourless chocolate cake is your answer.
More Keto Cake Recipes
- Classic Keto Cheesecake – The most popular dessert on Wholesome Yum!
- Keto Carrot Cake – Perfect for special occasions. Don’t miss the frosting on this one.
- Keto German Chocolate Cake – Tastes just like the original version, with no white flour or sugar whatsoever!
- Almond Lemon Cake
- Keto Chocolate Cake – Perfect for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or anytime.
Tools To Make Flourless Chocolate Cake
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Sugar-free dark chocolate – I used these chocolate bars. It’s a pack of 12 but the price per bar is a much better deal than individually. Don’t confuse this with unsweetened baker’s chocolate, it needs to be sweetened but sugar-free.
- Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The BEST sugar-free sweetener for the smoothest texture in flourless chocolate cake.
- Double boiler – A must for melting chocolate without burning it.
- Hand mixer – Sturdy, powerful, and perfect for keto flourless chocolate cake!
- Springform pan – This one is the perfect size and doesn’t leak.
- Thermometer – It’s not just for meat, it’s very useful for this cake, too.
Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
This gluten-free sugar-free flourless chocolate cake recipe needs just FIVE INGREDIENTS! Made with sugar-free chocolate and your sweetener of choice, this is the best flourless chocolate cake recipe ever! Naturally keto and low carb.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 9 in (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together, in a double boiler on the stove or at medium-low power in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Do not overheat to avoid splitting.
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Remove from heat and pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat in the vanilla and sea salt at *low* speed.
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Beat in the eggs at *low* speed, one at a time.
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Beat in the powdered sweetener, still at low speed. The mixture should be somewhat smooth, but a little lumpy.
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Pour the batter into the lined pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place the springform pan onto a baking sheet to catch any leaks, just in case.
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Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top just starts to form a very thin crust on the edges only, and the internal temperature in the center via thermometer is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The cake will not look done, which is normal, so go by the temperature.
- Cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours) right in the pan.
- Remove the pan from the fridge 1 hour before serving. Pop off the sides of the springform pan and transfer to a plate or cake stand. Dust with additional powdered sweetener if desired. Let the cake reach room temperature before slicing.
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 of the entire flourless chocolate cake
- Make sure to use sugar-free stevia sweetened chocolate like this, not unsweetened baker's chocolate!
- This recipe was originally created using powdered erythritol, but now I highly recommend Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend for the best texture.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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154 Comments
Colleen
0This looks wonderful! Looking at the nutrition and I’m wondering where the 12 grams of fiber comes from? Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Colleen, The fiber in this recipe comes from the chocolate bars.
Louise
0Does Stevia powder measure the same as your sweetener? I haven’t made the cake yet but I WANT to!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Louise, No, stevia does not measure the same as Besti. Besti measures 1:1 with real sugar.
Kathy
0What percent of Cocoa should the chocolate bar be?
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi Kathy, I used 70% Cocoa.
Jill
0She was right about the oil separating but I took a shot anyway. Strict dairy free so I used Mykonos vegan butter. I took out when it reached 140 degrees but there was a pool of liquid on top and in the baking sheet. I poured off the liquid and let it cool. Refrigerated overnight. It probably was a completely different cake but it was dense, oh so chocolatey, and yummy. Even my non keto friends thought it was decadent. Needed a steak knife to cut thru to serve. But tasted great and easy to eat with a fork. Will make again.
Diane Jackson
0Firsts time looking at this site. 24oz of chocolate for the flourless chocolate cake ??????????? Seems like a lot!! It looks delicious, but I’m unsure of amount.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Diane, That is the correct amount.
J.
0The taste was good but mine came out watery and never became dense. I cooked it for 30 minutes and it seemed to be a good consistency. But then it became watery. Any idea what happened? I used vegan butter but I’m not sure that would cause this issue.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Did you follow the recipe as written?
Takara Juntunen
0AMAZING!! I’ve been waiting for this moment. I was careful to follow each and every step and made sure not to rush ANYstepp. I literally cannot believe how incredible this cake is… my mom is diabetic (type 1) and she did NOT believe that this had no sugar in it. She’s been checking her sugars over the last 2 hours because she said ‘it’s impossible something sugar free tastes THIS good!!’ I’m SO happy to say I’ve found my new go-to for parties where we have many Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Keto people. Now they can enjoy something without sacrificing their health! Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe. This is a literal LIFE SAVER for diabetics!!
Erin
0Can this be frozen?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Erin, Yes, it can be frozen.
LF
0Hi, I love the recipe but would like to make the cake less dense. How could I adapt the recipe to do that. Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Most flourless cake is very dense, I recommend trying my keto chocolate cake recipe.
Amy S.
0Hello…this looks wonderful. Just checking, is 6 eggs correct? Only two are used in the video.
Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Amy, Yes, 6 is correct.
Yara
0I made this before and it was delicious! Followed the recipe to a T and it came out great! But I have a question! Would it be ok to half this recipe to make 2 mini 3 inch cakes?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Yara, Yes that should work for you.
Rochelle
0It looks beautiful if you have a doiley you can put on top of the cake and use the powdered allulose to make a design.
Lisa
0Help! I have the following springform pans – 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 inches. Do I have to add a 9 inch or can I use the 8 or 10? How would I adjust the cooking time? I made a different recipe for a flourless cake and the texture was OK, but the taste wasn’t good and I am sure it must have been the sweetener. I will try yours this time.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, Yes either an 8 or 10″ pan would work. The time will vary slightly, I would start checking it about 10 minutes early for the larger 10″ pan.
RJ Roper
0Excellent recipe!
Jodie DeNardis
0I made this dessert for Laboratory Professionals Week at the hospital. I have two employees that are on Keto. This cake was a HUGE hit even with the employees that do eat sugar! Thank you for sharing!! I did add 1tsp of coffee extract to bring out the chocolate but honestly this cake is perfect the way it is! Thank you for sharing!!
Bella
0I made this for my mom’s birthday cake, and it was perfect. She cannot eat a lot of foods due to reactions she has to them, so being able to eat cake made her really happy. The cake was a little overpowering on its own, but it was perfect eaten with some sort of cream (we used dairy free ice cream). The leftovers were delicious warmed in the toaster oven, and the chocolate melted into a sort of lava cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Candace Ganjavi
0Five stars! It won’t let me rate it….
Okay. Before tackling this amazing looking venture, I did read through the comments. And while some people did have “trouble”, I was sold at “butter floating on top” and “too much chocolate”. Done. I made this just like the recipe called for…besides having 4 children running around so maybe I heated the chocolate too long or maybe I didn’t count right or maybe I didn’t include a crucial ingredient…and sure enough! I had a glorious cake with butter floating on top and loads of chocolate. I could hardly wait the 8 hours…yes I counted and may have had it for breakfast…it was perfect. As soon as I pulled it out of the oven, I carefully walked it over to the stove top to rest. Butter and all. I didn’t have a spring form pan but just a regular cake pan. It worked out fine. Maybe I had more butter in my cake that way. Anyways. This is a very forgiving recipe. You can “screw it up” and it’s still dagum delicious. Thank you! I’ll be making this for birthdays and special occasions for sure!
Michelle
0This cake is UNBELIEVABLE! I’m borderline for gestational diabetes and with 8 weeks to go, I thought my cravings for sweets would do me in. This recipe is simple and absolutely satisfies those cravings. I used Stevia that I had on hand and could only find sugar free chocolate chips, rather than bars, so I used those. But it turned out excellent regardless! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Leila
0Is it possible to make this cake with *just* pure powdered monkfruit extract as the sweetener? I can’t have xylitol in the house b/c of pets and erythritol and allulose both give me severe GI distress in even small amounts. Thanks! 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Leila, I have not tested this, but I think the recipe should still work. You’ll need to check with the manufacturer of your monk fruit to figure out exactly how much you will need for the recipe, as brands can vary in sweetness. Best wishes!
Carol
0Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening
I tried to make this cake this morning 9/23/2020). I used a double boiler and watched the butter and Lily’s sugar-free dark chocolate slow melting/melding process very carefully. Once everything was melted/melded together, stirring occasionally, the mixture looked great. However, during beating in the vanilla and sea salt (on low speed) there was a noticeable amount of liquid butter clinging onto the sides of the mixing bowl. I went ahead and beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time at low speed and the butter seemed to re-incorporate. I forged ahead and added the Besti powdered sweetener, again at low speed, and the mixture was lumpy smooth but there was still some liquid butter on the sides of the mixing bowl. At this point there was no turning back so I went ahead and poured the batter into the prepared springform pan, smoothed the top, placed it on a baking sheet, and put in a preheated 350 degree oven.
I checked it’s process 15 minutes into it’s 25 min baking time only to find that it was swimming in butter. The butter was covering the top of the entire cake as well as bubbling around the entire circumference. I didn’t know what to do at this point but decided to mop up as much butter as possible with paper towels and continued to bake the required time as well as 140 degrees F in center. I removed the cake, mopped up a little more butter, and allowed it to cool, covered it, and placed it in the refrigerator. It looked ok when I placed it in the refrigerator but i’m 99.9% sure that it will not be edible tomorrow. After expelling all that butter I think the texture will be brick-like. I don’t actually know where I went wrong since I followed your recipe to the nth degree. I did not leave a rating.
I would appreciate your feedback,
Carol
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Carol, I am sorry this has happened to you. Butter separation can occur when the chocolate and butter mixture get too hot. A double boiler helps to regulate the temperature, but it can still get too hot. Chocolate shouldn’t exceed 120 degrees or else it can cause problems with separation. Once your chocolate is mostly melted, pull it off the water bath. The remaining small bits of chocolate will melt with the residual heat and it will help to keep the temp lower. I hope you decide to give this recipe a try again in the future.
Jodie Denardis
0Hi.
I have a question about the springform pan. Can I split the recipe into 2 tinier springform pans? Would there be any time adjustments? Thanks!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jodie, This will probably work if you use two 6-inch springform pans, but it will make more than two cakes if you are using a size smaller than that. The bake time will be less depending on the size pan you use. Remember that you are looking for a specific temperature – 140 degrees, so be prepared to check the temperature a couple of times.
Susan
0I can’t wait to try this! Your link goes to the crystallized ( BESTI MONK FRUIT SWEETENER WITH ALLULOSE – CRYSTALLIZED). Did you mean the powdered Besti allose? Also, I don’t have a double boiler. Any tips about making this without one?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susan, Thank you for catching this, yes, please use powdered sweetener. The chocolate can easily be melted in the microwave at medium-low power, stirring occasionally. Do not overheat to avoid splitting. Enjoy!
angie
0I made it and it’s so good. I would like to make it again but wonder how I might further lower the carb count for this. Will using Swerve work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Angie, A different sweetener will not change the carb count. Look for sugar-free chocolate that has the lowest carb count, that’s really the only way to reduce carbs any further in the recipe. Best wishes!
Belinda
0Thank you for this great recipe, it turned out perfectly. I was just wondering if I could use stevia sweetened milk chocolate next time as some of my friends don’t like dark chocolate?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Belinda, Yes that will work great. Enjoy!
Marcia
0I just made the cake and it has all the butter running out! all around the pan and if I touch the top of the cake it pools out. I used everything you recommended. What the heck happened? I’m going to put it in the fridge and see what it looks and tastes like tomorrow. Was the amount of butter correct? 1 and 1/2 cups?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marcia, The amount of butter is correct. Unfortunately, this can happen when the chocolate and butter mixture gets too hot.
Joan
0I’m hoping to make this next week for a friend’s birthday. I am unfamiliar with sugar substitutes though. I only have access to xylitol but I am unfamiliar with using alternative sweeteners. Would it be an exact sub 1/2C xylitol instead of 1/2C monk fruit blend sweetener?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Joan, Yes the level of sweetness will be the same, but xylitol is typically granulated, which won’t work because the result would be grainy. You’d need to powder your xylitol to the consistency of powdered sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor. The result is also creamier and smoother with allulose based sweeteners such as the one in the recipe, so if you want to try it, you can get powdered monk fruit allulose blend here.
Jennifer Bailey
0I am so sad and frustrated. I have been looking forward to trying this recipe for ages. I followed the instructions *to a tee. I read the entire recipe through before beginning, gathered all of my ingredients and began. I was very careful not to over melt the chocolate mixture. I used a double broiler and as soon as it was all melted, I removed it from the heat source. I added the salt and vanilla and mixed on low as instructed. I then began to add the eggs. (Room temp) with each egg, the mixture got grittier and grittier (much more so than in the video). I kept at it and added the sweetener and poured it into the pan as instructed. I checked it after 20 mins and there was a pool of melted butter on top. The temp was only 120 so I put it back in for 3 more minutes, checked it, same thing. I finally took it out after 28 total minutes because I was afraid to over bake it. I blotted the butter from the top because I did not think that congealed butter on top would be any good. I am going to cool and refrigerate as instructed, but I am not hopeful. I am so upset, I was going to serve this in Easter. I just don’t know where it went so wrong any ideas???
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, I am sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. The batter does appear to get “gritty” once you remove it from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. If it became too gritty to mix, it’s probably due to the eggs still being too chilly. The temperature change between warm and cold will shock the batter and make it too thick and gritty. The only other possibility is that somehow water had gotten into your batter. This would cause the chocolate mixture to seize and become too thick to mix. I hope this helps!
Marcy
0I halved the recipe and poured into greased paper-lined muffin tins. Filled about 2/3 full, it made 16. I baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes as the thermometer read 160! Next time I may try a 325 degree oven, but these came out divine! Delicious:)
Megan
0In mixing the butter separated from the batter. Not sure what I did wrong. I tried mixing it again before pouring into the pan and it still was separating as soon as I stopped mixing. Currently baking anyways to see what happens.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Megan, Did the chocolate butter mixture start to bubble or boil? If the chocolate gets too hot, it can cause separation.
Linda Windham
0I think there is a misprint (or misunderstanding) in the ingredients. To me, at first, I read it as 24 oz. of chocolate. Shouldn’t it read two 4oz. bars of chocolate?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, No, the recipe card is correct. It’s 24 ounces, not 2 4-ounce bars. Thanks!
Deb
0We love this recipe. I make it with Lilly’s semi sweet chocolate baking chips and leave out the additional sweetner, delicious everytime!
Becci
0Can I swap the “besti powdered monk fruit allulose blend” for truvia stevie leaf extract at all? I’m unable to find it anywhere? Thankyou
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Becci, Sorry, no, your cake will be gritty using that sweetener. You can find Besti Powdered Sweetener here.