The ULTIMATE Vegan Gluten-Free German Chocolate Cake

This Vegan Sugar-Free German Chocolate Cake is rich, moist, and naturally sweetened with dates. Made with oat flour, coconut, pecans, and a creamy cashew-coconut frosting, it’s a healthy dessert that tastes totally indulgent, perfect for any occasion.

This vegan gluten-free German chocolate cake is everything you love about the original: rich chocolate layers, sweet coconut-pecan flavor, and luscious frosting, without the dairy, eggs, gluten, or refined sugar. It’s proof that indulgence can still be nourishing.

Perfect for birthdays (it is my FAVORITE cake to make for family members’ birthdays!!), holidays, or when you want to show off your healthy baking skills, this cake is made with whole food ingredients and natural sweetness that won’t leave you with a sugar crash.

What’s Inside This Vegan Sugar-Free German Chocolate Cake?

Instead of processed sugar and flour, I use:

• Gluten-free oat flour for a hearty, fiber-rich base
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for deep chocolate flavor
• Medjool dates blended with warm water for a natural caramel-like sweetness
• Dairy-free yogurt and chocolate almond milk to keep the crumb soft and tender
• Apple cider vinegar for a little rise
• Shredded coconut and chopped pecans mixed right into the batter for texture and that signature German chocolate flair

It’s the kind of cake that feels indulgent, but is secretly packed with plant-powered goodness.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Totally vegan and gluten-free
• Naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup
• Packed with texture from coconut and pecans
• Frosting that’s creamy, rich, and dairy-free
• Perfect for sharing (or not)

Ingredients:

For cake:

• 1 ½ cup gluten-free oat flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 container SoDelicious Unsweetened Plain Yogurt (5.3 oz) (or another plain vegan yogurt)
• ¾ cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ cups of medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
• ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

For frosting:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight, then drained and gently patted dry
• 1 cup coconut milk, from a can
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 rounded tbsp coconut oil, solid
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• ¼ cup date syrup (HEALTHYHELPER saves $$!)
• Optional: chopped pecans and chocolate chips for topping

Directions:

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two round 8×1.5-inch cake pans with cooking spray and set aside.
• Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. In a food processor, blend dates and water until pureed and smooth. Place date paste in a bowl and add yogurt, vanilla, milk, and apple cider vinegar. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the shredded coconut and pecans and mix until evenly distributed.
• Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
• Remove cake from oven and allow both parts to fully cool on a wire rack before flipping them out of the pans and frosting them.

For the frosting:

• While the cake is cooking, blend all frosting ingredients in a food processor. The mixture will not be thick like frosting at first, so pour it into a bowl or container and place it in the fridge for about an hour to thicken.
• Once the cake frosting has thickened and it is thoroughly cooled, begin frosting it one layer at a time and then stack it on top of one another. Frost the entire outside of the stacked cake and decorate with extra pecans and chocolate chips if desired.

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