Dairy-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake for the win! This dense, perfectly rich chocolate cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and naturally sweetened, but has all the indulgent flavor you’re looking for on a special occasion.
I need very few excuses to make something chocolate, but Valentine’s Day is one of my favorites. So, I did it up right–a dense, perfectly rich flourless chocolate cake. And, because I couldn’t resist, a bright, beautiful raspberry sauce to drizzle over top.
This, dear reader, is what chocolate dreams are made of.
I love flourless chocolate cake for its fudgy texture and the delicious richness that’s perfect in small doses. A thin little slice feels just decadent enough without being too much. This flourless chocolate cake is made from gluten and dairy free ingredients and couldn’t be easier.
Start With Simple Ingredients
Another great thing about dairy-free flourless chocolate cake? The simple ingredients list! Let’s take a look:
How to Make Dairy-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, or grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. If using a cake pan instead of a springform, cut two long strips of parchment paper and make an “X” on the bottom of the pan. Fold them over the edge of the pan a bit so they don’t flop right into your batter. Then, layer in a circle that’s been cut to fit the bottom of your pan (I just trace the pan on parchment and cut it out). When the cake has cooled a few minutes on a cooling rack, you’ll use the “X” strips as handles to lift the cake out.
- Melt Chocolate & Coconut Oil. In a medium microwave safe bowl (or a medium saucepan), melt unsweetened chocolate and coconut oil together over low heat until completely smooth.
- Whisk Eggs. While the chocolate is melting, whisk eggs together in a bowl until they are slightly lighter in color. (When you lift your whisk up, the eggs should fall in a thin stream instead of in clumps–this is called the “ribbon test”)
- Combine. When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup to cool the chocolate mixture down slightly, then slowly whisk in the eggs. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder (to avoid lumps) using a sifter or fine mesh sieve and stir to just combine.
- Transfer The Batter. Pour cake batter into your prepared pan, gently shake the pan back and forth a bit to settle the batter, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the middle is just set. (if using a 9 inch pan, you’ll want to check it at 13-15 minutes as it may cook slightly faster) Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. If you’ve used a springform pan, you’ll open the ring and allow the cake to finish cooling on the cooling rack that way. If you’ve used the parchment trick, use the “handles” you made with the parchment to gently lift the cake out and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve. Enjoy this cake with your favorite toppings, like raspberry sauce, powdered sugar, dairy-free whipped cream, etc. Store leftover cake (without toppings!) in an airtight container at room temperature 1-2 days, in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Delicious Toppings To Try
Flourless chocolate cakes are very no-fuss, but they feel really indulgent and a little bit fancy, which makes them perfect for dinner parties or holidays. They stand on their own beautifully, but there are also a TON of ways you could serve this to take it to the next level…
- Fresh raspberry sauce (raspberry coulis)
- Sliced strawberries
- Whipped coconut cream or whipped cream
- Shaved chocolate
- A pinch of coarse sea salt
- Toasted almonds or hazelnuts
- Vegan caramel sauce
- A sprinkle of powdered sugar
- Coconut (especially toasted coconut)
- Toffee bits
However you plan to serve it, trust me that a thin little slice goes a long way. And the final result will be delicious!
Tips & Tricks For The Best Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake
THIS IS A DENSE CAKE. This flourless chocolate cake won’t rise much at all, and it’ll be very fudgy and rich (somewhere between a truffle and a brownie). That’s the beauty of flourless chocolate cake. It’s a little bit different, and it’s SO GOOD. Don’t panic if it doesn’t puff up much in the oven. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
IT FREEZES LIKE A DREAM! You can slice and freeze flourless chocolate cake with no trouble, which means it’s great for making ahead of time (or pulling out a single slice on a day when it would hit the spot). Similarly, you can make the raspberry sauce ahead of time. You can freeze it, or refrigerate it.
Tips For Getting Flourless Chocolate Cake Out Of The Pan
- Try A Springform Pan! You can certainly use a spring-form pan for this. Springform pans have removable sides, which means you don’t have to worry about flipping or lifting the cake out of the pan. I’ve also made it with an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan and haven’t had any problems.
- Use Parchment Paper. If you’re using a regular pan, the trick is to use parchment paper. First, grease your pan (or spray it with nonstick spray). Cut two long strips of parchment and make an “X” on the bottom of the pan. Fold them over the edge of the pan a bit so they don’t flop right into your batter. Then, layer in a circle that’s been cut to fit the bottom of your pan (I just trace the pan on parchment and cut it out) and pour in your batter. When the cake has cooled a few minutes on a cooling rack, you’ll use the “X” strips as handles to lift the cake out.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Flourless Chocolate recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Flourless Chocolate Cake (Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) coconut oil – measure solid
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Raspberry Sauce:
- 1 (10 oz) package of frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (or 10 oz fresh raspberries)
- 2-3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Other Optional Toppings:
- Fresh strawberries
- Dairy-free whipped cream
- Toasted almonds or hazelnuts
- Flaky sea salt like Maldon
- Shaved chocolate
- Powdered sugar
- Toasted coconut
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make The Cake:
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, or grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. If using a cake pan instead of a springform, cut two long strips of parchment paper and make an "X" on the bottom of the pan. Fold them over the edge of the pan a bit so they don't flop right into your batter. Then, layer in a circle that's been cut to fit the bottom of your pan (I just trace the pan on parchment and cut it out). When the cake has cooled a few minutes on a cooling rack, you'll use the "X" strips as handles to lift the cake out.
- Melt Chocolate & Coconut Oil. In a medium microwave safe bowl (or a medium saucepan), melt unsweetened chocolate and coconut oil together over low heat until completely smooth.
- Whisk Eggs. While the chocolate is melting, whisk eggs together in a bowl until they are slightly lighter in color. (When you lift your whisk up, the eggs should fall in a thin stream instead of in clumps–this is called the "ribbon test")
- Combine. When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup to cool the chocolate mixture down slightly, then slowly whisk in the eggs. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder (to avoid lumps) using a sifter or fine mesh sieve and stir to just combine.
- Transfer The Batter. Pour cake batter into your prepared pan, gently shake the pan back and forth a bit to settle the batter, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the middle is just set. (if using a 9 inch pan, you'll want to check it at 13-15 minutes as it may cook slightly faster) Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. If you've used a springform pan, you'll open the ring and allow the cake to finish cooling on the cooling rack that way. If you've used the parchment trick, use the "handles" you made with the parchment to gently lift the cake out and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve. Enjoy this cake with your favorite toppings, like raspberry sauce, powdered sugar, dairy-free whipped cream, etc. Store leftover cake (without toppings!) in an airtight container at room temperature 1-2 days, in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Make The Raspberry Sauce:
- Blend. Place raspberries, honey, and lemon juice in a blender. Puree until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of water, if needed.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and refrigerate until ready to serve!
- Serve & Store. Raspberry sauce can be made in advance and will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or frozen up to 2 months.
Notes
- Chocolate. Be sure to use UNSWEETENED chocolate for this recipe. Semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, etc. are not recommended.
- Coconut Oil. Butter or vegan butter can be substituted here, depending on your dietary needs. I don’t recommend substituting other oils, like vegetable oil or olive oil here.
- Cocoa Powder. I recommend natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli), rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/Recipe originally shared February 2017. Updated with step-by-step photos, additional recipe notes, and new video and republished January 2026.
can I sub avocado oil for the coconut oil
I don’t recommend it in this cake, since the subtle sweetness of the coconut helps bring out the chocolate flavor. A reader in the past used avocado oil and reported that they could taste it in the cake. But, if that doesn’t bother you, you could try it! It will also be slightly more dense with avocado oil than coconut oil.
Question: would it be possible to prepare the batter the day before and let it sit in the fridge until I need it?
I wouldn’t probably recommend it for best results.
Why are the carbs so high without using flour?
I feel like 16-17 grams per serving isn’t bad at all for a cake! The carbs come from the pure maple syrup and the unsweetened chocolate.
I’m excited to make this. How far ahead can it be made without having to freeze it?
Most gluten-free baked goods only stay fresh 2-3 days at room temperature. I wouldn’t make it further than a day in advance without freezing it!
Finally a dessert that’s chocolate enough Thank you. I omitted vanilla and the raspberry sauce, and substituted agave nectar for maple syrup. I think it looks like brownies. I cut the round layer in 16 or more pieces and a singke piece is surprisingly satisfying. I froze the part I didn’t eat immediately and can take a sliver when wanted, comfortably edible without thawing, and it reminds me of semi-sweet chocolate cheesecake. Thumbs up!
YUM! So glad you loved it!
This is delicious! It was exactly what I was hoping for! Really rich and smooth. Will definitely be making it again and looking forward to freezing some slices for the future!
I’m so glad to hear that Kelly!!!
Good
Good Morning! Would it be possible to substitute granulated sugar for the maple syrup in a pinch? Another question: the best coconut oil to use is the one in the jar which is hard, not in liquid form in a bottle? Excited to try this recipe for the first time.
Hi, Leslie! I haven’t made this one with regular sugar before, but in general, you need double the amount of granulated sugar as you do liquid for the ratios of wet to dry ingredients to turn out properly. Any substitutions or swaps will have an impact on the final bake, so when possible, I recommend using exactly what’s called for when baking. As for coconut oil, yes! You’ll want to scoop and melt solid coconut oil from a jar rather than using the liquid form in a bottle.
If sugar isn’t a problem for you, you might actually love this peppermint flourless chocolate recipe made without the peppermint.
Hiya,
Wondering if you can share some brands of chocolate baking bars or chips that are V + GF ? I think the costco semi sweet chocolate chips are, was thinking of trying that but wondering if you think it may come out too sweet?
Thank you!
Hi, Carissa! You want to use unsweetened chocolate in this recipe. Simple bars (like Baker’s brand) or Lindt unsweetened bars are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free since they’re 100% cacao.
I’ve made this recipe a number of times for dinner parties and it is always a huge hit! I’m always sad there aren’t leftovers as it is so chocolatey delicious!! If I double the recipe do I have to make two cakes or can I use one pan and bake it longer?
Hi, Julie! I’m so glad you’re loving it! For the easiest and most consistent results, I’d recommend making two separate cakes.
Thank you for your quick response!
You bet!