This chocolate pear cake with olive oil is everything a special cake should be: rich, moist, chocolaty, and absolutely stunning. Made with wholesome ingredients, it's paleo-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free - yet tastes completely indulgent.
Whether you serve it at a birthday party, a dinner with friends, or a cozy coffee afternoon, this chocolate pear cake with olive oil always makes an impression. It's one of those desserts that looks impressive and tastes even better. Compliments are guaranteed!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
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Ingredients
- Dark Chocolate: Provides rich, deep chocolate flavor. Use high-quality chocolate with a high cocoa content for best results.
- Eggs: Separated into yolks and whites. The yolks add richness, while whipped egg whites make the cake light and airy.
- Coconut Sugar: Naturally sweetens the cake while keeping it refined sugar-free. The cake is intentionally less sweet than classic chocolate cake. For a sweeter version, use up to ¾ cup (140 g) coconut sugar. As a substitute, use ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar - note that this is not paleo-friendly.
- Olive Oil: Keeps the cake incredibly moist and rich. Don't worry - you won't taste the olive oil. You can replace it with butter, dairy-free margarine, or virgin coconut oil. Butter and margarine are not paleo-friendly.
- Almond Flour: Replaces wheat flour and keeps the cake gluten-free, moist, and tender. Ground almonds or almond meal also work.
- Pear: Adds natural sweetness, moisture, and a fruity contrast to the chocolate.
- Hazelnuts: Chopped and sprinkled on top for crunch and nutty flavor.
- Cinnamon, Cardamom, Salt & Vanilla Extract: Add warmth, balance, and depth, enhancing the rich chocolate flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper and grease with some coconut oil.
- Melt the chocolate over a water bath or in the microwave.
- Mix egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl of a stand mixer. Add melted chocolate and olive oil, mix until combined. Stir in almond flour, ground cinnamon, and cardamom.
- Whisk egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.
- Fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
- Half the pear, remove the core and stem, thinly slice and arrange beautifully on the batter. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for 50 minutes (until a toothpick comes out mostly clean). Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let it cool completely in the springform pan.
- Indulge!
The recipe is adapted from the talented Renee Byrd’s Will Frolic for Food “Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Cardamom, Pears, and Hazelnuts”!
More Gluten-Free Treats
- Paleo Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
- No Bake Superfood Brownies
- Almond Flour Banana Bread with Walnuts
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Pear Cake with Olive Oil (Paleo & Gluten-Free)
email me this recipe 💌
Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar- & dairy-free
- 3 organic eggs, egg yolks and whites separated
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 small pears, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper and grease with some coconut oil.
- Melt the chocolate over a water bath or in the microwave.
- Mix egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl of a stand mixer. Add melted chocolate and olive oil, mix until combined. Stir in almond flour, ground cinnamon, and cardamom.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter and pour into the prepared springform pan.
- Half the pears, remove the core and stem, thinly slice and arrange beautifully on the batter. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for 50 minutes (until a toothpick comes out mostly clean). Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let it cool completely in the springform pan.
- Indulge!
Notes
- Sugar: This chocolate cake is made with less sugar than regular chocolate cake. Thus it’s less sweet and healthier. Feel free to use up to ¾ cup (140g) coconut sugar for a sweeter cake!
- Coconut Sugar Substitution: Use ½ cup (100g) brown sugar instead of coconut sugar! → Be aware; brown sugar is not paleo-friendly!
- Olive Oil Substitution: Use ½ cup regular or dairy-free butter. → Be aware, butter or margarine (even if dairy-free) is not paleo-friendly! Can also be substituted with virgin coconut oil for a paleo-friendly option.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. → Although this chocolate cake tastes best when eaten within the same day.
- Recipe adapted from Will Frolic for Food “Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Cardamom, Pears, and Hazelnuts”
Nutrition
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Perhaps Step 4 should say ‘in a separate bowl’ (and with what tool) for those who don’t have a lot of baking experience. It’s a standard process, but not everyone knows it. I’m hoping this turns out in a slightly larger pan!
Hi Bonnie, thanks for your feedback. I’ve added your suggestion and hope it’s now clear for everyone. 🥰