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Rich and moist, this vegan chocolate protein cake with yogurt is so decadent that you’ll never guess it is also healthy. Ready to learn how to make yogurt protein cake for a healthy chocolate treat?
I still remember the emotions running through my veins. Last Sunday I was in the mood for dessert (weird, isn’t it?). But not a simple dessert. I wanted chocolate protein cake with yogurt. And I wanted it so badly that I set out baking. However, I soon realized that no eggs were left, therefore I had to improvise and do without.
Well my friend, let me tell you that it was a blessing in disguise. Although quite hesitant at first, when this vegan protein cake came out of the oven I was impressed by the result. Literally, it smelled so freaking good that I couldn’t resist tasting. Delicious. Oh Lord, so delicious! A delicious and healthy vegan chocolate cake that is made with yogurt – and no eggs of course. You have to try !
The ingredients for yogurt protein cake
Here is everything you need to make this vegan chocolate protein cake with yogurt, plus more details and substitutes.
- Oat flour: you can use homemade or store-bought oat flour, gluten-free if it is necessary. As an alternative, you can replace oat flour with any other flour, such as wholewheat or all purposes flour.
- Almond flour: this recipe uses defatted almond flour, which is lower in fats and therefore calories. Of course, you are free to swap it out for normal (full-fat) almond flour, or replace with more oat flour.
- Protein powder: the best option is vegan protein powder (pea or soy are great), as it does not dry out when exposed to the high temperature of the oven. As an alternative, you can make this yogurt protein cake with casein, but I do not recommend whey protein powder (as it will make your cake pretty dry). More on this in the following section!
- Cocoa powder: for a healthy chocolate protein cake that is also free from added sugars, I recommend natural cocoa powder.
- Yogurt of choice: I recommend making this protein chocolate cake with a smooth yogurt. For this recipe I used plain, unsweetened soy yogurt, but you are free to replace with any other yogurt you like.
- Milk of choice: this vegan chocolate protein cake can be prepared with any type of (plant based) milk – soy, almond, oat, rice, pea or cashew milk, pick and choose your favorite!
- Maple syrup: as it is less processed and has a lower glycemic index, maple syrup is going to make a healthier vegan yogurt cake. Indeed you are free to replace it with agave syrup, data syrup or honey if you are not vegan. Also coconut sugar, brown sugar or erythritol work, but the batter may require some more milk (as they are granular sweeteners).
- Baking powder: obviously, this will make the cake rise.
- Vanilla extract and salt: these two ingredients will give your vegan protein cake an irresistibly delicious flavor!
Which protein powder for this chocolate cake?
I recommend making this yogurt chocolate cake with either vegan protein powder or casein. These two types of protein powder do not dry out when heated and therefore they won’t ruin the texture of your cake. If you opt for whey, instead, your protein cake will probably turn out a bit dry. But it will still taste good!
Moreover, the choice of protein powder can slightly alter the consistency of the cake batter. Thus, you may need to make some changes. As a rule of thumb:
- Vegan protein powder and casein are more absorbent. Therefore your recipe may require a larger amount of milk to get smooth.
- Whey protein powder dissolves very easily. Therefore, the batter of your yogurt protein cake may need more oat flour if it is too liquid.
Choosing the protein powder flavor
After discussing the best types of protein powder, let me give you some recommendations on the best flavors.
As this is a vegan chocolate cake, chocolate protein powder would be the best pick. But also vanilla, brownie or unflavored powders work great (actually, I like using vanilla). Although other more exotic flavors (such as cookies and cream) may also be used, I do not really recommend it, as they will make your yogurt cake taste quite artificial.
How to make protein cake with yogurt
To begin with, add to a bowl the yogurt, the maple syrup, the vanilla extract, the cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Then stir the ingredients until the batter gets smooth.
Sift into the bowl the oat flour, the almond flour (or more oat flour), the protein powder and the baking powder. Stir to combine, while gradually adding milk. For the milk, start with 120 ml (or 1/2 cup) and add up to 150 ml only if the batter is still dry. Based on the protein powder that you are using, you may need to adapt the recipe with more oat flour if the batter is too liquid or with more milk if it is too dry. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips and give a it good stir.
Transfer the protein cake batter to a prepared loaf pan and bake in hot oven for 30 to 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
How to store this vegan chocolate protein cake
Before storing, make sure that you allow the vegan protein cake to cool completely. I suggest taking it out of the oven, placing it over a dish and letting it rest at room temperature. Once it has cooled, you can transfer it into a food container and refrigerate for a maximum of 3 days.
For a longer storage, you can also seal it in airtight zipping bags and freeze. Frozen, this vegan chocolate protein cake will last for up to 3 months. And when you get all the cravings, just take the cake out of the freezer and and pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes. Enjoy, my friend!
More high protein chocolate desserts
- Flourless protein brownie in a mug
- Low calorie protein brownie skillet
- Protein chocolate cookie for one
- 3 ingredient chocolate protein mousse
- Chocolate protein cake for one
- Flourless Greek yogurt brownies
Vegan Chocolate Protein Cake with Yogurt
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 70 grams (3/4 cup) oat flour (or preferred flour)
- 40 grams (1/3 cup 1 tbsp) almond flour (or more oat flour)
- 45 grams (1/2 scant cup) protein powder (vegan or casein, see notes*)
- 30 grams (1/3 scant cup) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/6 tsp salt
- 40 grams (1/4 cup) chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
- 180 grams (3/4 cup) yogurt of choice (I used soy yogurt)
- 120 to 150 ml (1/2 cup) milk of choice (see notes*)
- 70 grams (1/3 cup) maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (350°F) and fold a 20 cm (7.9 inches) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl add yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, salt and stir until smooth.
- Add to the bowl oat flour, almond flour (or more oat flour), vegan protein powder and baking powder. Stir to combine while gradually adding milk – start with 120 ml (1/2 cup) and add up to 150 ml milk if the batter is still too dry. Based on the protein powder you are using, you will need to adapt with more oat flour if batter is too liquid or with more milk if batter is too dry.
- Fold in chocolate chips and give it a good stir.
- Transfer the protein yogurt cake batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake in hot oven for 30 to 45 minutes (mine took 42 minutes).
- Let cool before serving and keep stored in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days.
Hi, Is the oven temp 180c for fan or non-fan oven?
I have a fan oven, and au have made the recipe twice and the edges are nice and fluffy, but the centre is really dense and stodgy.
Any advice?
Hey Amy,
thanks for your enquiry. I used a fan oven.
Regarding the texture, it comes down to the type of protein powder and yogurt used, as some protein powders absorb more liquid and some yogurts are more liquid than others. The problem may be that the batter was too moist and wet before baking. In this case, next time I recommend adding little more flour as needed.
Hope it helps,
Matteo
This is so good, definitely saving this recipe. Tastes amazing for a high protein snack!! ? I used Alpro soya yoghurt and V-Gain vegan protein.
Hey dear Sophie,
thank you so so much for your lovely comment!!! So glad you liked this yogurt protein cake recipe 😉
I love Alpro soy yogurt so much too, perfect for this protein cake recipe!
Have a fantastic day,
Matteo
Thank you for this recipe, it was delicious?. I did not have syrup so I use 8 little sachets of Splenda, and it came out good?
Hey dear Carmen,
thank you very much for your comment. I am incredibly glad to hear that you like my recipe!
Kind regards,
Matteo
Just made this. Wanted a recipe to use up my yoghurt that’s also packed with protein and this turned out great, i already ate a quarter ??
I used Golden Syrup, used alpro chocolate soy milk, i used Greek yogurt, and i used pancake protein powder mix (vanilla). This turned out yummy. Saving the recipe ?
Hey dear Hannah,
thank you very much for your feedback, I am incredibly happy to hear that you liked this recipe and that it turned out delicious. Definitely one of my favorite protein cakes as well!!
Have a great week,
Matteo?
Thank you for this recipe, it was delicious?. I did not have syrup so I use 8 little sachets of Splenda, and it came out good?