Chocolate Snack Cake (GF/DF)

I came up with this recipe after one of the participants in a workshop I taught asked for a simple gluten and dairy free chocolate snack cake! Voila! It’s a fudgy, yummy cake, easy to make and a hit with those who have tested the recipe. I’ve made it a few times – each time so good! This will be on rotation in my kitchen! As you can see below, there is a lot of healthy nutrition in this snack cake! It’s a healthy afternoon pick-me-up, or served as dessert. But as with all snacks, always in moderation!

All-natural peanut butter is a good source of Vit E, B3 and B6, manganese, magnesium and copper which is particularly good to support immune health. The fat in peanut butter is oleic acid which supports and maintains cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Peanut butter is high in calories so eat it in moderation. It also supports brain health as it works to on nerve repair, myelin production and inflammation reduction.

Oats are a nutrient dense, gluten free whole grain, high in fiber and higher amounts of protein than other grains and oats are a rich source of manganese (essential for metabolism, supports bone health and provides immune support), phosphorous and vitamin B1 (thiamin) (support healthy cells and boosts energy levels).

Cocoa is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, rich in magnesium which relaxes the smooth muscles of the body, the heart and the intestines.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Chocolate Snack Cake goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 35-45 minutes / Servings: 6 or 6-8 depending on how big you cut it

Ingredients

⅓ Cup All-Natural Peanut Butter – make sure it’s runny. Alternate: Sunbutter or another runny nut butter.
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Coconut Sugar
1½ Cups Non-Dairy (or Dairy Milk) of Your Choice
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1½ Cups Quick Oats
½ Cup Large Flake Oats
1/3 Cup Almond Flour or Oat Flour – to make oat flour, whirl oats in a food processor or blender until they have a flour-like consistency
¼ Cup Cocoa
1½ Tablespoons Hemp Hearts or Flax Meal, or both!
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
⅓ + 2 Tablespoons Cup Chocolate Chips – divided, optional
Generous Pinch of Course Sea Salt - for on top before baking - optional

How It’s Made

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line an 8x8inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk the runny peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut sugar together.
Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Add the oats, cocoa, hemp hearts, flax meal (if using), baking powder and whisk until combined.
Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to let the oats soak up some of the liquid.
After 10 minutes, stir in the 1/3 cup chocolate chips and stir.
Pour the batter into your parchment lined pan, sprinkle some chocolate chips and coarse sea salt (if using) on top.
Bake for 35 minutes. Test for doneness by poking a toothpick or a sharp knife into the middle area of the cake. It should come out clean or with a few crumbs. If there is still wet batter, bake longer and check in 5-minute increments until your cake is done.
Remove from the oven and let it sit to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Store covered on your counter for 2 days, then move it into your fridge to keep for up to a week – if it lasts that long before being devoured!
Serve a square warm after cooled from baking or warmed up next day in the microwave for 30 seconds, at room temp or cold from the fridge – it’s delicious any temperature you eat it! A splash of coconut cream or whipping cream on top with some berries or served with some n’ice cream is delicious and makes it fancy to serve!

Enjoy!