Healthy Apple Cake is the ultimate fall treat—dense, moist, and perfectly spiced! Just blend up the batter, pour it into the pan, and bake. It’s that easy!
Try some other tasty apple treats: Applesauce Cake, Apple Nachos, or Gluten Free Apple Muffins.
An Easy, Healthy Apple Cake
I can’t wait for you to try this cake—it’s out of this world! It’s made with wholesome ingredients like protein-packed eggs, fiber-rich oats, and filling cashews, yet it tastes totally indulgent. It’s dense, moist, and has that perfect apple pie flavor.
Here’s a quick overview:
- No flour needed: Uses whole oats for a hearty texture.
- No refined sugar: Sweetened naturally with applesauce and honey.
- Cashews: Adds healthy fats and protein for a treat that satisfies.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Healthy Apple Cake:
- Cashews: Use dry roasted and lightly salted for the best flavor.
- Old-fashioned oats: Essential for the right texture; quick oats won’t work the same way.
- Honey or maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness.
- Coconut oil: Measure when melted for accuracy and smooth blending.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Keeps the cake moist and adds natural sweetness. You can also make your own applesauce.
- Eggs: Provide structure and protein.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavors.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Ensure the cake rises and stays light.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the spice flavors.
- Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg: Creates that warm, apple pie flavor.
- Corn starch: Important for thickening since there isn’t any flour.
Quick Tip
Want to frost this Healthy Apple Cake? Try Cream Cheese Frosting and garnish with coarsely chopped nuts or a Bare dried Apple Chips. Or top slices with a spoonful of vanilla Greek yogurt.
How To Make Healthy Apple Cake
- Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and grease an 8×8 pan.
- Blend: Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Bake: Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until set.
- Cool & Serve: Cool on a rack, dust with powdered sugar if desired, then slice and enjoy!
Use a light-colored 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. The cake is ready when the top isn’t shiny, edges are golden, and it pulls away from the sides. A toothpick should come out clean or with a few crumbs.
Storage
Leftover Healthy Apple Cake
- Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Wrap individual pieces tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
More Gluten-Free Baked Goods
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins with chocolate chips
- Healthy Ice Cream made with sweet potatoes
- Gluten-Free Brownies with a chocolate fudge frosting
- Healthy Carrot Muffins naturally sweetened with dates
- Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes with chocolate chips
Healthy Apple Cake
Equipment
- High powered blender see note 1
- 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
First Blend
- 1 cup dry roasted and lightly salted cashews
- 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats see note 2
- 3/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil measure when melted
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract optional
Second Blend
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch see note 3
- 1/2 batch cream cheese frosting optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add all “First Blend” ingredients to a powerful blender. Blend until smooth, about 60 seconds. Then add “Second Blend” ingredients and blend until creamy, about 60-90 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool fully on a wire rack. If desired, prepare cream cheese frosting and frost before slicing and serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, I’m about to try out this recipe. It sounds amazing! I was wondering if you think it would do well in a muffin tin to make muffins out of it and if so, how long do you recommend the baking time to be?
Hey Nicole, I haven’t tested this cake in muffin form but I do have a really delicious healthy apple muffin recipe: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/healthy-flourless-almond-apple-muffins/.
Made it today… Baked for the first time in a very long time, and this came out absolutely perfect! This is definitely keeper! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Vesna! 🙂
No lies here, made this today and both my husband and I enjoyed this flavorful cake very much. Reminiscent of gingerbread on top of apple, and smells delicious as it bakes. I was concerned that my blender might have issues blending the cashews so I broke down the cashews first and my Cuisinart handled the blends with no problem. Another yummy + healthy recipe! Thank you, thank you.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Eva! 🙂