This healthy chocolate pumpkin cake has big chocolate flavor and tons of fudginess but is lightened up and whole wheat.

Oh, this cake. This unbelievably rich, moist, delicious healthy pumpkin chocolate cake.

I could eat it all day, every day.

I’ve made this cake so many times over the years. It’s crazy easy to whip up and it’s always a hit!

This chocolate cake is rich, fudge-y and decadent but also decidedly pretty good for you.

It’s made with whole wheat flour, no butter, no oil and it’s got pumpkin in it. I mean, all kinds of goodness here.

You might also want to check out my healthy pumpkin bread or our go-to pumpkin muffins. Or try this banana pumpkin chocolate chip cake for some tall slices of fall deliciousness.

Back to today's recipe.

Let's tackle a few quick notes about this recipe.

Ingredient Notes:

• Flour: I use white whole wheat flour, which is 100% whole grain but has a lighter consistency and taste. You can also use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or use a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour if you prefer.
• Cocoa Powder: Regular cocoa powder works great here or you could use a dark chocolate cocoa powder for extra chocolate richness.
• Pumpkin: We're using regular canned pumpkin puree. Be sure it's plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
• Milk: Skim milk is just fine here, as is 2% milk. You can also use soy milk if you need a dairy-free or vegan option; I've done that countless times.
• Chocolate Chips: Semisweet chocolate chips are my go-to, but you could also try milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you prefer. Choose a dairy-free kind if you need this recipe to be dairy-free or vegan.

As mentioned, you can make this recipe dairy-free and/or vegan by using a milk alternative like soy milk and choosing dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips for the recipe.

OK, let's talk about how to store leftovers.

Storage Tips:

• Chocolate pumpkin cake, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• You can also store these snack cake squares in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. They'll keep for 4-5 days.
• They freeze beautifully too! Let the cake cool completely then slice and place the cake pieces in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Label and date it and freeze for up to 5-6 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator or pop in the microwave, directly from the freezer, to reheat.

I have a feeling you'll be sneaking bites of this snack cake when no one’s looking. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.

And I certainly won't tell if you decide you want to sneak a piece for breakfast. I am solidly in the camp of chocolate for breakfast and you cannot change my mind. 😉

I hope you give this a try soon. I think you're gonna love it as much as we do.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Continue to Content

Yield: 9 large cake squares

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Print

This healthy chocolate pumpkin cake has big chocolate flavor and tons of fudginess but is lightened up and whole wheat.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole wheat flour (see notes)
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup milk (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour through salt) very well.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together pumpkin, milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into a well-greased 8x8 glass pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool, then cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes

Flour: I use white whole wheat flour, which is 100% whole grain but has a lighter consistency and taste. You can also use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or use a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour if you prefer.

Cocoa Powder: Regular cocoa powder works great here or you could use a dark chocolate cocoa powder for extra chocolate richness.

Pumpkin: We're using regular canned pumpkin puree. Be sure it's plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.

Milk: Skim milk is just fine here, as is 2% milk. You can also use soy milk if you need a dairy-free or vegan option; I've done that countless times.

Chocolate Chips: Semisweet chocolate chips are my go-to, but you could also try milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you prefer. Choose a dairy-free kind if you need this recipe to be dairy-free or vegan.

Storing: Chocolate pumpkin cake, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store these snack cake squares in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. They'll keep for 4-5 days.

Freezing: This cake freezes beautifully too! Let the cake cool completely then slice and place the cake pieces in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Label and date it and freeze for up to 5-6 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator or pop in the microwave, directly from the freezer, to reheat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 252mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g