This vegan chocolate cake recipe is perfect if you need a show stopping fancy chocolate dessert to impress all your guests. No one will ever know how easy it is to do!
The best vegan chocolate cake ever
Unlike many other popular vegan chocolate cake recipes, this one doesn’t require a long list of hard-to-find ingredients.
You can actually make a chocolate filling with only two ingredients!
If you’re not a baker and have written off cake recipes in the past as too difficult, you should definitely give this a try. It will completely change your mind.
With no baking required (not even for the crust), this simple recipe can be egg-free, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
Try this too Vegan Cheesecake Recipe
A non-vegan approved recipe
With its raw dessert crust and rich chocolate ganache center, the allure of a no-bake vegan chocolate cake is almost impossible to resist.
I made this last weekend for a small group of friends, none of whom are vegan.
They all absolutely loved it.
One friend even said she would go vegan in a heartbeat if she could eat this chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Not sure I’d go that far…but does delicious.
Non-vegans love me too Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate vegan tart topping ideas
I recommend pretending to be an artist and using this gorgeous cake as a blank canvas to decorate with an array of delicious vegan garnishes.
Sprinkle with shaved chocolate, cocoa nibs or flaky Maldon sea salt.
Top with powdered sugar and sliced ​​fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or cherries.
Or arrange banana slices and homemade Coconut Whipped Cream around the circumference of the round cake.
Drizzle with almond butter, peanut butter or hot chocolate fudge sauce.
You can also top the eggless dessert with pretzels, coffee beans, or crushed mint candies.
For the Chocolate Nutella Cake, use roasted hazelnuts in the shell and garnish with additional hazelnuts and a swirl. Homemade Nutella.
I topped with melted chocolate, a quick sprinkle of salt and a handful of mini dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients for dairy-free chocolate cake
Coconut Milk – This should be canned full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream, not the kind that comes in a carton in the refrigerated section, and should not be light or low-fat.
There’s also a coconut-free version linked in the recipe box below that uses high-protein firm or silken tofu to achieve a similar texture.
Chocolate chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. To make a cake that is completely vegan, be sure to check the label and buy dairy-free chocolate chips.
Most grocery stores should have at least one plant-based option. If using sugar-free chocolate chips, add your favorite sweetener to taste in the filling.
Vegan pie crust – You have many options for the base. I chose to make a raw tart crust with dates, cocoa powder and nuts.
Try a mix that contains any of the following: pecans, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, or cashews.
If you prefer, feel free to use any chocolate or non-chocolate vegan pie crust that will fit in a nine-inch removable bottom tart pan. Or go with the sugar-free option below.
A sugar-free keto variation
For the keto version of the recipe, buy sugar-free chocolate chips and use the following low-carb pie crust as your crust recipe:
Combine two cups of almond or pecan flour, one-fourth teaspoon of salt, and six tablespoons of melted coconut oil or butter, or enough to make it slightly sticky.
If you don’t have pecan or almond meal on hand, you can pulse the raw nuts in a food processor until they have the consistency of flour.
Leftover coconut milk? to do Vegan Pumpkin Pie or Coconut Ice Cream
What if I don’t have a cake pan?
I didn’t even have a cake pan at first, so I ordered one it’s on Amazon.
It came with two standard size cake pans (nine and eleven inches) and four mini cake pans. The overall price was surprisingly cheap.
So I have a great excuse to try more vegan cake recipes in the near future, including fruit tarts, lemon tarts and savory tarts.
If you don’t want to pour into a new tart pan, simply line the bottom of any nine-inch round pan with parchment paper.
How to make a vegan chocolate cake
I like to make it a day or night ahead to give it plenty of time for the filling.
If using palm skins, buy pitted dates or remove the pits. The palm should be soft. However, if they are old (rock hard), rehydrate them by microwave for a few seconds or by pouring boiling water over them and soaking until soft.
The first step to making the recipe is to combine all of the crust ingredients in a food processor until evenly blended and crumbly.
I tried the recipe in a blender, but I ended up with a very sticky dough that was difficult (if not impossible) to work with. Therefore, I recommend using a high-quality food processor if you have one.
Transfer mixture to a nine-inch tart pan or parchment-lined pie pan. Press very firmly from the center outwards to distribute the dough evenly. Set aside.
Heat the coconut milk or coconut cream in a saucepan until it begins to boil. Turn off the heat and add a cup of chocolate chips. Stir constantly until the chips are melted and the tart filling is smooth.
Pour the contents of the pan into the prepared crust and freeze for several hours or overnight or until firm enough to slice.
Refrigerate leftovers for three to four days. Or slice the cake and freeze in an airtight container for up to two months.
Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe Video
Watch a step-by-step vegan cake recipe video above
The cake is adapted to these Chocolate Truffles and Avocado chocolate mousse.
Chocolate Cake Filling
- 1 cup canned coconut milk or coconut cream (non-coconut version: Vegan Chocolate Pie)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Crust Recipe
- 2 cups walnut or almonds or pecans
- 1 cup dates (or use the keto crust recipe above)
- 3 spoon cocoa powder
- 1/8 c.q salt
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*I like to make the recipe the night before for the most robust results. Or if you don’t want to wait that long, you can freeze it until it hardens.To make the vegan chocolate cake: Remove the pits from the dates if they have not been pitted. If the dates are too hard, put them in the microwave for a few seconds. Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor until fine crumbs form. (Using a blender results in a super sticky dough that’s harder to work with.) Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan or parchment-lined cake pan and press down very firmly to distribute the dough evenly. Heat the coconut milk (it should be the full-fat canned kind) or cream to a low simmer. Turn off the heat completely and stir until the chocolate chips are melted. Pour the filling into the crust. Either freeze for a few hours until firm enough to cut, or refrigerate overnight. If it is still too soft to cut into clean slices, freeze for half an hour to firm it up. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. See nutrition facts
Vegan chocolate desserts
