This healthy chocolate chip cake is made in just 5 minutes in the microwave. It uses butternut squash for natural sweetness and ground almonds for protein.
I’ve long wanted a quick microwave cake that can be prepared and cooked in minutes to satisfy a family’s sweet cravings after dinner. I wanted it to follow a simple free-from approach with minimal added sugar while still tasting sweet and comforting.
For natural sweetness I experimented with butternut squash. If you don’t have butternut squash, canned or homemade pumpkin puree works just as well.
How to make butternut squash puree
To make butternut squash puree, cut the squash in half lengthways and wrap each half in foil. Roast at 180°C (160°C fan) for about an hour or until the flesh is very tender. Scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Portion the puree into bags or containers before freezing. I freeze it in roughly 200g portions, which is a convenient amount for this recipe. Properly stored, frozen squash or pumpkin puree keeps for up to a year.
If you prefer not to make your own, you can use a tin of pumpkin puree instead. Store-bought canned pumpkin can be harder to find in some places, but it’s an easy alternative.
Why this is a healthy chocolate chip cake
This cake uses butternut squash (or pumpkin), ground almonds and an egg as the base. That combination provides natural sweetness, fibre, antioxidants and beta-carotene from the squash, plus protein, calcium and magnesium from the almonds. Because the recipe relies on the squash for sweetness, there’s very little processed sugar involved—the only processed sugar typically comes from the dark chocolate chips.
Serve the cakes straight from the microwave, turned out onto a plate and dusted with a little extra cinnamon. They’re lovely with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or a dairy-free chocolate sauce for an indulgent finish.
Butternut squash and pumpkin are versatile: they lend themselves beautifully to both sweet and savoury recipes. If you have a favourite way to use them, this recipe is an easy addition to your repertoire.
Pin the recipe for healthy chocolate chip cake:
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butternut squash or pumpkin puree
- 4 tbsp ground almonds
- 2 tbsp gluten-free plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 free-range egg – whisked
- 1-2 tbsp dark chocolate chips – check ingredients
- coconut oil or other oil for greasing
Instructions
-
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
-
Add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
-
Grease four small ramekins (or two larger ones) with coconut oil and divide the mixture between them.
-
Cook each small ramekin for about 1½ minutes on high or a large ramekin for about 3 minutes, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Microwave power varies, so adjust timing if needed. This recipe was tested in an 800W microwave.
-
Turn the cakes out onto plates, sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and serve.
I’m pleased to say this recipe has been included in a recipe book for people with diabetes.
I shared this at a food blog event.