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This chocolate spoon cake is a rich, gooey gluten-free chocolate cake baked right on a sheet pan in about 30 minutes. It's made with almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup, and it's best scooped up warm with a spoon over ice cream!
Table of Contents
- Chocolate Spoon Cake (Gooey Gluten-Free Sheet Pan Recipe)
- Why you'll love this sheet pan chocolate lava cake
- Simple ingredients you'll need
- How to make chocolate spoon cake
- Watch me make this cake recipe!
- Recipe tips
- Serving suggestions
- Meal prep & storage
- Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
- FAQ
- More recipes you'll love
- Chocolate Spoon Cake (Gooey Gluten-Free Sheet Pan Recipe)
- Save this cake recipe to Pinterest and make it later!
Chocolate Spoon Cake (Gooey Gluten-Free Sheet Pan Recipe)
This chocolate spoon cake is pure chocolate heaven!
It's like a cross between a chocolate cake and a giant mouthful of chocolate pudding, with a soft, gooey center that's just made for digging into with a spoon.
There's even pumpkin hiding in the batter, and you'd never know it's there (sneaky, I know!).
My absolute favorite way to serve it is warm with a scoop of my browned butter protein ice cream - LOVE that combo!
Spoonable chocolate cake made better for you... don't mind if I do!
Why you'll love this sheet pan chocolate lava cake
Gooey, rich, and SO easy - It bakes up like a cross between a chocolate lava cake and a fudgy brownie, and it's ready in about 30 minutes with just one bowl and one pan. Easy peasy!
Gluten free and naturally sweetened - Almond flour and coconut flour replace the wheat flour, and maple syrup sweetens it instead of a cup of brown sugar.
Sneaky pumpkin - A whole cup of pumpkin puree keeps it super moist and adds a little fiber, and you can't taste it under all that chocolate goodness!
A little protein boost - With 6 grams of protein per serving from the almond flour and egg, plus even more when you add a scoop of protein ice cream on top!
Simple ingredients you'll need
Here's what you'll need to make this gooey chocolate spoon cake. You'll find the full amounts and nutrition information in the recipe card below.
- Almond milk - Any unsweetened milk works here, dairy or non-dairy. Room temperature milk mixes in more smoothly.
- Avocado oil - A neutral oil that keeps the cake soft and moist. Melted coconut oil works too.
- Pumpkin puree - Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. It adds moisture and fiber without tasting like pumpkin.
- Egg - Helps hold everything together. A room temperature egg blends in best.
- Maple syrup - Naturally sweetens the cake. Look for pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Vanilla extract - Brings out the chocolate flavor. Pure or natural vanilla extract is best.
- Almond flour - Look for blanched, finely ground almond flour for the softest texture.
- Coconut flour - A little goes a long way! It soaks up moisture and gives the cake structure, so don't swap it 1:1 with other flours.
- Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder gives that deep chocolate cake flavor. Dutch-process cocoa makes it extra dark and rich. For an ultra dark chocolate color, use black cocoa powder.
- Baking powder and baking soda - These give the cake a little lift so it isn't dense.
- Sea salt - Just enough to balance the sweetness and make the chocolate pop.
- Dark chocolate chips - These melt into gooey little pockets of melted chocolate. Choose dairy-free chips if you need to.
How to make chocolate spoon cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a quarter sheet pan with a little oil so the cake doesn't stick.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, avocado oil, pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt right to the same bowl (no second bowl needed!) and mix until there are no dry streaks left. The batter will be on the thick side - that's the coconut flour doing its thing.
- Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the edges are set, but the center of the cake still looks soft. Pull it a little early rather than late - that gooey center is the whole point!
- Let it cool for a few minutes, then scoop it out and serve warm.
Watch me make this cake recipe!
The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
Recipe tips
- Don't overbake it. Keep a close eye on the baking time. The edges should be set, and the center should still look slightly underdone.
- Use room temperature ingredients. A room temperature egg and milk help the batter mix up smoothly and evenly.
- Measure the coconut flour carefully. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Too much will make the cake dry instead of gooey.
- Serve it warm. It's at its gooiest fresh from the oven. Leftovers get that melty texture back with a quick warm-up.
Serving suggestions
- Warm with a scoop of my browned butter protein ice cream - my absolute favorite way to eat it!
- With a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Topped with fresh berries, your favorite fruits, or a sprinkle of freeze-dried fruit.
- Drizzled with a little melted chocolate or peanut butter for an extra chocolatey twist.
Meal prep & storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to bring back the gooey center.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm before serving.
- Make ahead: Bake it earlier in the day and rewarm just before serving.
Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
Below you'll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this chocolate spoon cake recipe.
Avocado oil - Melted coconut oil or another neutral oil like light olive oil works the same way.
Almond milk - Use any milk you like, such as oat milk, cashew milk, or regular milk.
Maple syrup - Honey works in place of maple syrup, though it will change the flavor slightly and make it a bit sweeter.
Egg - For an egg-free version, try a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water). The cake may be a little more delicate, but that's okay because it doesn't need to hold its structure too much.
Pumpkin puree - Mashed sweet potato or unsweetened applesauce can be used instead.
Dark chocolate chips - Semi-sweet chips or chopped chocolate work great. Use dairy-free chips to make the whole cake dairy free.
Fun add-ins - Swirl in a spoonful of peanut butter, scatter fresh raspberries or strawberries on top before baking, or add a pinch of cinnamon for a warm twist.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
FAQ
A chocolate spoon cake is a super moist, gooey chocolate cake that's so soft you eat it with a spoon. It's somewhere between a chocolate lava cake and chocolate pudding. Many versions use a boxed cake mix and pudding, but this one is made from scratch and gluten free, too!
Yes! It's made with almond flour and coconut flour instead of wheat flour. Just check the labels on your chocolate chips and baking powder to be sure they're certified gluten free if you need them to be.
Yes, a greased baking dish works. A smaller, deeper dish will make a thicker cake, so it will need a longer baking time. Check the center often so it stays gooey.
The edges should look set and pull away slightly from the pan, while the center still looks soft. It will continue to firm up a bit as it cools.
Not really! The cocoa powder and chocolate chips cover it up. The pumpkin mostly adds moisture and a little fiber.
More recipes you'll love
- Crustless dairy free pumpkin pie
- Low sugar chocolate almond flour cupcakes
- Healthy butternut squash brownies with cottage cheese
If you try this healthy chocolate spoon cake recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Chocolate Spoon Cake (Gooey Gluten-Free Sheet Pan Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a small 9x13 rimmed sheet pan.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the almond milk, avocado oil, pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to the same bowl and mix until there are no dry streaks left.
- Fold in the chocolate. Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
- Fill the pan. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and top with extra chocolate chips.
- Bake. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks soft. Don't overcook, this cake is best slightly gooey in the center.
- Cool and serve. Let cool for a few minutes, then scoop and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Save this cake recipe to Pinterest and make it later!
