Sugar Free Cake

This easy Sugar Free Cake is so moist and flavorful that you won’t believe it has no oil, no sugar or artificial sweetener. With its rich chocolate frosting, this recipe is perfect for holiday meals, birthdays and healthy desserts. Only 83 calories per slice!

Welcome back to my series of sugar-free desserts without artificial sweeteners. After the viral sugar free cheesecake, apple sugar-free brownies and my 3 ingredient brownies with banana, today I’m excited to share the recipe for a zero sugar cake with chocolate frosting.

It’s so rich and moist that you’d never guess it’s flourless, gluten-free, dairy-free, low in calories, and completely sugar-free! While diabetics can finally indulge without worry, even kids, toddlers and picky eaters will love it—and keep coming back for more.

Why you will love this recipe

• Naturally sweet without sugar or artificial sweeteners. The ripe bananas provide natural sweetness and moisture, eliminating the need for added sugar or artificial sweeteners. You won’t even notice there’s no sugar because the bananas bring a caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with cocoa.
• Quick and easy preparation. With only 4 main ingredients, this recipe is so quick to prepare in a bowl in under 30 minutes. This makes it perfect if you’re not a baker or just a beginner, or if you are cooking with kids.
• Healthy and good for the diet. Made with no sugar, no oil, no dairy and no artificial nasties, this chocolate cake is a healthy dessert with benefits. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals from the bananas, protein from the egg, and antioxidants from the cocoa powder. Swapping flour for oat or almond flour adds fibers and makes it suitable for gluten-free diets.
• Endless customization options. You can easily modify this recipe with different flavors, mix-ins, or even make a high-protein version using protein powder. With a sweet, chocolatey flavor and moist texture, it’s great for birthdays, parties, or a a casual treat to satisfy your late-night cravings.

Ingredients and substitutes

This may be the easiest sugar free chocolate cake. You only need a handful of pantry staples that you probably already have at home–no sugar, no artificial sweetener, no oil and no dairy. Here are more details, along with tips and substitutes–precise quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

• Ripe bananas. In this recipe, ripe bananas add natural sweetness without sugar. Make sure they are very ripe for the best flavor. As an alternative you can use 2 blended apples or pears, or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
• Egg. It helps bind the batter and improve the flavor. If vegan, replace with ⅓ cup (80 g) of peanut butter, a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 ½ tbsp water) or a chia egg.
• Cocoa powder. To keep the cake free of sugars, use unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch cocoa powder or baking cacao will also work, but be mindful about added sugars.
• Oat flour. It provides structure while keeping it gluten-free. Substitute with almond flour or protein powder for a high protein, low carb version.
• Baking powder. It helps the cake rise.
• Vanilla extract. Optional but recommended, it enhances flavors.
• Pinch of salt. Salt balances the sweetness and boosts all flavors.

For the complete experience, I served my sugarless banana cake with a chocolate frosting. My way of making frosting is quite straightforward and, of course, it doesn’t contain sugars–just plain Greek yogurt and cocoa powder.

How to make sugar free cake

This simple cake comes together in a bowl in less than 5 minutes. You can find the printable recipe at the end of this blog post, but for now here’s an overview with step-by-step pictures.

Step 1 – Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 5 inches (12 cm) round baking mold with parchment paper or grease it with oil–this ensures your cake won’t stick to the pan.

Step 2 – Mix. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add egg, cocoa powder, oat flour or almond flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and vanilla extract, if using it. With the help of a fork or spatula, mix to combine until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

Step 3 – Bake. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking mold, then bake in the middle rack of a hot oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the cake has set and is cooked inside. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center–it should come out clean with just a few crumbles.

Step 4 – Serve or frost. Let cool, then serve immediately or top it with sugar-free frosting. To make the ganache, mix in a small bowl Greek yogurt with cocoa powder until smooth and thick. If desired, you can add little maple syrup or honey for more sweetness.

Watch the video recipe & bake along!

Recipe variations

• High protein sugar free cake – Swap oat flour for protein powder in equal amounts. My recommendation is to use vanilla or chocolate flavor protein powder, they perfectly match with bananas.
• Vegan sugarless cake – Replace the egg with ⅓ cup peanut butter or a flaxseed egg; all other ingredients are already vegan-friendly.
• Chocolate cake for diabetics – To keep the glycemic index low, swap bananas for 2 blended apples or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Apples have a GI of about 39, while the GI of bananas is slightly higher (55).
• Sugar free cake with frosting – Once baked and cooled down, top the dessert with a rich chocolate ganache or a simple vanilla frosting.
• Mix-ins – Fold in ½ cup of strawberries, blueberries or raspberries, sugar-free chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or dried fruits such as cranberries and pieces of dates.

More sugar-free desserts

• Sugar-free banana bread
• Sugar-free brownies
• Sugar-free cheesecake
• Sugar-free muffins
• 3 ingredient brownies with banana
• Banana oatmeal cookies