Healthy Spinach Pistachio Cake with Honey Buttercream

Want to make a green cake without artificial food coloring? This spinach cake is what you need! The green color comes from a combination of fresh spinach and pistachios. The cake batter is made in the food processor and is loaded with nourishing, yet simple ingredients you’ll be excited to serve to your family and friends!

Healthy Spinach Pistachio Cake with Honey Buttercream

I love using St. Patrick’s Day as a reason to bring more green foods into our lives. I’m all about adding spinach into green smoothies, and a little more unsuspecting in egg wraps, and now we’re putting it in cake!

It’s really so much fun to find ways to use natural food coloring from foods.

This isn’t just any cake though.

The pistachio base brings an incredible flavor to the sweet and soft cake. Plus it adds more green!

The leafy greens are fully blended into the cake batter – no one sees it (other than the color of the cake) and you definitely cannot taste it!

Sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce, this recipe has less sugar than your average cake.

The cake layers are topped with creamy and sweet honey vanilla buttercream frosting that brings the perfect balance.

It’s easy enough for a weeknight dessert, but tastes so incredible that you’ll want to serve it the next time you have guests over!

Why you’ll love this spinach cake recipe

Easy recipe – Unlike other cake recipes that use multiple bowls, the entire cake batter is made in the food processor. It’s blended quickly and the recipe is easy enough for beginners to follow.

Kid-approved – Even a picky eater will be excited about this healthy cake recipe! Once they are okay with the fun green color, they’ll love the flavor of this cake. I’ve served it many times to my family and parents and it’s been a hit each time!

Unique flavors – Move over chocolate and vanilla cake, this pistachio cake is where it’s at! If you enjoy pistachios, you will fall in love with this cake. Using salted pistachios brings the perfect balance of salty and sweet that will make you want to come back to this recipe a second time (then a third and fourth!).

What you need for the perfect cake

Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.

• pistachios
• eggs
• maple syrup
• almond milk
• unsweetened applesauce
• coconut oil
• vanilla extract
• fresh spinach
• brown rice flour
• coconut flour
• baking powder
• cinnamon

• softened unsalted butter
• honey
• vanilla extract
• powdered sugar
• dairy-free milk

How to make a sweet vegetable cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil and line the base of two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

Step 2: To a food processor, add the pistachios pulse, and blend until the nuts are ground into a rough flour. You don’t want to over blend or it will turn into pistachio butter!

Step 3: Add the eggs, maple syrup, almond milk, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Blend with the pistachio until combined (scrape down the bowl if needed).

Step 4: Add the spinach and blend until smooth, then add all the dry ingredients and blend.

Step 5: When your batter is smooth, pour it into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-32 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick – it should come out clean or with a dry crumb.

Step 6: While the cake cools, prep your frosting by creaming the softened butter with honey and vanilla with the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and creamy. Add milk as needed to thin it out.

Step 7: Stack and frost the cakes. Add crushed pistachio on the top of the spinach cakes, serve, and enjoy!

Watch me make the best spinach pistachio cake!

The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!

Can you use a different size cake pan?

Yes, absolutely! The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the cake pan that you use.

You can use 1 larger round cake pan, or a square baking pan, turn it into cupcakes with a muffin pan, or use a sheet pan for a large rectangle cake!

Be sure to check doneness before removing your cake from the oven.

The top should spring back slightly when pressed, and there shouldn’t be any excess moisture or batter on a toothpick when inserted into the center of the cake.

How to store

Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.

You can also freeze cake! Slice into individual servings, place parchment paper between each piece, and freeze in a freezer container or bag. Label it date it, and store for up to 6 months in the freezer.

To enjoy this cake from frozen, remove the number of pieces that you’d like, and allow it to defrost at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments

Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this st. patrick’s day perfect cake recipe. 

If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!

Pistachios – This has been tested using dry roasted salted almonds as well and it works well! It will change the flavor with no pistachios, but it will still be delicious! Other nuts like pecans or walnuts should work well here too.

Eggs – Substituting eggs for flax egg should work – if you try this egg-free option please share in the comments!

Maple syrup – Honey or agave nectar are both good alternatives to use in place of maple syrup. Using honey will darken the cake a bit, so just watch that it does not burn.

Almond milk – Any unsweetened non-dairy or regular milk will work in place of almond milk!

Applesauce – You can replace the applesauce with another fruit puree like pear sauce, or swap in a vegetable for it. Pumpkin puree and blended sweet potatoes should work well too! However, they may change the color in the cake slightly.

Coconut oil – Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil are great alternatives.

Brown rice flour – Substitutes include white rice flour, oat flour, and whole wheat flour.

Coconut flour – For this recipe, coconut flour is not a 1:1 substitute for other types of flours.

Honey vanilla buttercream frosting – While this cake is the perfect match with honey vanilla buttercream, it would also be delicious with my low-sugar cream cheese frosting or a dollop of whipped cream!

More delicious cakes you’ll love

• No-sugar banana cake with cream cheese frosting
• Chocolate black bean cake with chocolate frosting
• Low-sugar carrot cake with Greek yogurt frosting
• Green matcha whoopie pie cakes

If you try this easy spinach cake recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!

XO

Heather