I’ve had my eye on olive-oil cakes for a while.

Fast definition: an Italian style side dish, usually made in a savory style without much sugar.

You know. Interesting + different sounding.

And therefore eye catching to me.

Or maybe it’s just the word “cake” made with something healthier like olive oil (more likely the reason).

Or, the third possibility.

Say this out loud: Orange-olive oil cakes, lavender olive-oil cakes + rosemary olive-oil cakes.

Are you not having Italian vacation fairies dancing in your head?

Like something you’d eat, crumbly and perfect, lounging on on the edge of the Mediterranean with some cheese and rose?

(Ok. So, that’s probably where my real interest in them comes for me. Vacation fairies. They get me every time.)

See the appeal?

But, truth be told. Selfishly, I rarely like making things that I don’t or can’t really eat. {Read more about my story of why I stopped eating gluten 4 years ago here}

So when I came across this version– with an option to swap almond flour instead of wheat flour, and listing chocolate and only 1 cup of sugar for the entire recipe, I was on it faster than ——–

So, it’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, yes. But I’d bet you that you would never ever know that by tasting it.

Except of course,when you still feel great an hour after eating it. And the next morning when you wake up, because it’s a much cleaner and healthier option when it comes to a sweet little treat.

And it couldn’t be easier to throw together in 5 minutes and pop in the oven.

Which means it’s a keeper, it’s my book.

Chocolate-Olive Oil Molten Cake [gluten +dairy free]:

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

What You’ll Need:

1 ½ cups almond flour/almond meal

2/3 cup olive oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

6 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)

½ cup boiling water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch sea salt

How Easy It Is To Make:

Preheat oven to 325. Line a pie pan with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla. Add boiling water. Whisk to combine. Then add olive oil and eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk together. In a different bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate ones and stir together well.

Pour batter into a parchment lined pie pan and bake for 40 mins (for goey molten texture) or 45 mins (drier cake like texture).

Serve with fresh strawberries + chopped mint leaves, greek yogurt, or coconut milk or regular ice cream.

photo by Jasmine Pulley

Love this recipe? You’d love the cookbook then too. And be sure to check out the brand new Food Academy, now open for enrollment, and the seasonal meal plans!