This healthy and decadent double chocolate chia cake is made of 100% real food ingredients. It is extra moist, rich and bursting with flavor. Easy to make, this delicious and versatile dessert is perfect for the novice baker. It is also paleo, gluten-free, eggless and flourless making, it the perfect guilt-free dessert or snack.
If you have children, then you know how hard it can be, at times, to properly feed a toddler. One day they will eat something and ask for more like its the best thing in the world, making HMMMs' and OHHHs'. And you're like: "Score!".
Then a few days later, you get back from work, exhausted, and think to yourself: "Hey I'm going to make that particular dish tonight, its easy and kids love it".
Then... your little prince/princess looks at you, straight to the eye, and throws the plate on the floor.
Gordon Ramsay style...
*Grin*
Ok, enough with trying to be the perfect dad.
Have I ever served chocolate cake to a 2-year-old for supper, after everything else failed?
I plead Guilty.
But hey, not any chocolate cake!
This healthy chocolate Cake.
Have I felt bad about it?
Yes, a little. I mean, you don't want your kids to develop the habit of skipping dinner just to have dessert instead. Not in my house, truuuust me on that.
The good side though, is that this cake is made of 100% healthy ingredients.
You can have a slice of this chocolate chia seed cake for breakfast any day of the week without feeling guilty, ever.
For this recipe, I used quite a bit of peanut butter. I was worried at first, as I thought the taste would be overpowering.
It's not that I don't like peanut butter, it's just that to me, peanut butter and chocolate cake don't mix so well.
But I can confirm: This cake tastes chocolate, chocolate, and only chocolate. Triple chocolate to be more specific. No sign of peanut butter. Nowhere to be seen.
And for a cake that's made without any traditional ingredients, completely from scratch, I have to say that I am very, very pleased with how it turned out.
It's more fudgy and rich than most regular chocolate cake recipes and you won't feel as bad after your second piece... (or third).
The secret to its super moist texture?
It lies in the mix of creamy greek yogurt and chia pudding.
LOVE it.
I found that this cake is best eaten cold. I had a piece right out of the oven, and another one (a few other ones actually) after a couple hours in the fridge and I have to admit I preferred the second option.
A few hours in the refrigerator gave this chocolate cake an intense fudgy texture, almost like a brownie.
Oh damn... Now I want another piece.
I guess I'll have to bake another one tomorrow.
Ok now, here is the recipe!
Recipe
Chocolate Chia Cake
Ingredients
Chia Seed Pudding:
- 4 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup almond milk
Rest of the cake ingredients:
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup nut butter of choice I used organic peanut butter
- 1 cup Vanilla Yogurt See notes for paleo/vegan versions
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips of choice
Refer to the instructions section for frosting recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- The first step of this recipe is to prepare the chia seed pudding, which is very simple: Simply soak 4 tablespoons chia seeds into 1 cup of almond milk (or milk of choice), for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Set aside as soon as the mixture is liquid, do not overheat it as it may burn the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl (coconut flour, cacao powder, baking powder, chocolate chips). Stir well.
- Slowly incorporate the chia seed pudding, melted coconut oil/peanut butter mixture, maple syrup and yogurt into the dry the ingredients. Stir well.
- Grease a regular sized cake pan and pour the cake preparation, spread evenly.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Frosting: I used this recipe for Sweet Potato Chocolate Frosting
