Almond Joy Zucchini Cake

by Shelley · May contain affiliate links

Published • Updated October 20, 2023

~ If you love zucchini bread, you’ve gotta try our decadent Almond Joy Zucchini Cake! It’s moist and tender, and full of the almond, coconut and chocolate flavors you love in Almond Joy candy bars! Nutritious enough for an afternoon snack, but indulgent enough for dessert! ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Freezable    Make Ahead    Vegetarian  

The beloved flavors of an Almond Joy candy bar … in a decadently moist and tender Zucchini Cake! If you love zucchini bread, you’ve absolutely gotta try this recipe! It’s full of the vanilla-almond, coconut, and chocolate flavors you love, and it’s actually much healthier too (but don’t worry – no one will ever know)! Nutritious enough for an afternoon snack … but indulgent enough for dessert! | zucchini recipes healthy | almond joy cake | almond joy bars | www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com
So decadent! If you love zucchini bread, you've gotta try our scrumptious Almond Joy Zucchini Cake! It's moist and tender, and full of the almond, coconut and chocolate flavors you love in Almond Joy candy bars! Bonus: it’s nutritious enough for an afternoon snack … but also indulgent enough for dessert! Try it as an after-school treat, or serve it next to ice cream – YUM! | zucchini recipes healthy | zucchini recipes baked | almond joy cake | almond joy bars | www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com
Tender cake loaded with the beloved almond, chocolate and coconut flavors of an Almond Joy candy bar! If you love zucchini bread, this recipe is a must-try! Bonus: it’s actually much healthier too, with whole grains and way less fat (but don’t worry – no one will ever know)! Nutritious enough for an afternoon snack … but indulgent enough for dessert! Try it with ice cream for an unforgettable treat! | zucchini recipes healthy | almond joy cake | almond joy bars | www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com

Closeup of one piece of cake turned up at angle in corner of pan.

Back when my dear friend, Gretchen, was still my business partner here at THK, she used to make fun of me for my Almond Joy obsession.

Well, let’s be honest here. She use to make fun of me for LOTS of things. Lots and lots of really well-deserved reasons.

But the whole Almond Joy thing. I can’t blame her. She had a point. I tried to sneak those flavors into so many of our recipes. Sometimes she just had to put her foot down, though. I mean … Almond Joy meatloaf? (Ok … I’m kidding about that one … but only by a little.)

But Almond Joy Snack Bites and Almond Joy Oatmeal and Almond Joy Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding were great ideas! Fantastic ideas, even! You guys LOOOOOOVED them as much as we did, and they’ve been reader faves ever since we published them. It’s been more than 4 years since those were posted, though … and I don’t know about you, but I was kinda needing a (healthy) Almond Joy fix!

So I thought it was about time to throw another Almond Joy idea your way – you’ll love it every bit as much as our others!

What You’ll Adore About This Zucchini Cake

For real … what’s not to love here? We’re talkin’:

  • a moist, crumbly zucchini cake
  • that’s highlighted with vanilla-almond flavors, sweet coconut and lots of chocolate bits
  • all topped with toasty coconut and crunchy almonds!

Closeup of fingers holding one piece of cake with rest of cake in pan in background.

Plus, since this is THK, you know we’ve worked in lots of nutritious little upgrades, to make this a healthy zucchini cake, like:

  • 100% whole grain flour (you won’t even notice!)
  • waaaaay less fat since we subbed out most of the butter and oil in traditional recipes, replacing it with applesauce (don’t worry – you won’t notice this, either!)
  • 1 fruit (apples in the applesauce) + 1 veggie (‘cuz … ya know … zucchini cake)

So let’s talk for just a moment about some of the nifty little health-ification strategies we used to make our decadent zucchini cake more nutritious and THK-worthy. These handy tips are ones we use in lots of our other recipes, too, and you can even try phasing them into some of your own baking recipes once you get the hang of ’em!

Using White Whole Wheat Flour

As we explain at greater length in our recipe post for Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread, white whole wheat flour is basically the same as “regular” whole wheat flour, in terms of nutrition and how it performs in recipes. Both are whole-grain and have a definite nutrition advantage over all-purpose white flour.

White whole wheat flour is simply ground from a different type of wheat than “regular” whole wheat flour. In baking, they can generally be used interchangeably.

But, white whole wheat flour has a more neutral flavor than “regular” whole wheat flour. So, it generally goes absolutely unnoticed when we use it in our baking – even by picky eaters!

One piece of zucchini cake on edge of wooden cutting board, surrounded by crumbs and more pieces.

Swapping Applesauce for Oil and Butter

You’ve probably noticed that lots of healthier baking recipes (particularly for quick breads and muffins) slash the typical amounts of butter and oil, replacing them with fruit purees (most often plain applesauce).

This technique can actually work surprisingly well, depending on the moisture content of other ingredients. But, after lots of trial and error through testing numerous baking recipes, we find that we get the best results when we don’t completely eliminate the oil. Leaving just a tablespoon or two of oil in the recipe often makes a slight but noticeable improvement in the texture of our cake or bread.

It works brilliantly in this zucchini cake recipe, and in lots of our other favorite muffin and quick bread recipes, like our Cherry-Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Healthy Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Healthy Apple Cobbler Muffins.

Just make sure you purchase plain, unsweetened applesauce. You want to choose one that doesn’t have any added sugars, sweeteners or flavorings.

Adding in the Goodies!

A couple more little tricks we like to use in our recipes focus on what we add into the recipe, not what we take out.

Shredded zucchini piled on cutting board near extra zucchinis and other ingredients, plus kitchen scale and whisk.

1) Lots of Fruit and Veg – Since this is a zucchini cake, there is … of course … zucchini! Just like with zucchini bread, the shredded zucchini in this cake adds lots of moisture. But in terms of flavor, it just fades into the background – essentially flavorless – allowing all the other yummy Almond Joy flavors to shine through!

BTW – a healthy eating side note tip here: I use a kitchen scale A LOT, and highly recommend having one around, for both precision, and also for portion control. If you want to get a handle on calorie consumption and portion sizes, kitchen scales can really help you visualize correct portioning. I absolutely love the pretty turquoise one you see in the back of this photo. Ty bought it for me last Christmas, and it’s affordable and also super-handy, whether I’m checking portion sizes or weighing ingredients (like the zucchini for this recipe).

So, anyway … if you’re keeping track, we now have 1 fruit (apples from the applesauce) and 1 veggie! That’s pretty darn good for a cake, I’d say!

2) Nuts – Another great addition here is those toasty-crunchy almonds. Not just because they add wonderful flavor and texture, but also because they add some protein.

3) Mini Chocolate Chips – since this is Almond Joy Cake, we have to have chocolate! But here’s where we use another little health-ification trick we love. In a lot of recipes, we find that using mini chocolate chips allows us to use less chocolate overall.

One piece of cake with top lifted off so you can see flecks of zucchini, coconut and melty chocolate chips inside.

Those little bursts of chocolate spread out more evenly all through recipes like this cake, so you still get the sense that there’s a lot of chocolate happening in there, without having to use quite as much.

This works great in some of our other recipes, too – like our Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins. Give this sneaky little technique a try in some of your own favorite recipes, too!

Tips for Making This Zucchini Cake

• The “Muffin Method”

Like most muffin and quick bread recipes, this zucchini cake uses the “muffin method” of mixing. This basically means that you:

Step 1 – Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl (I recommend whisking to make sure they’re very evenly distributed and thoroughly combined) …

Large glass bowl of dry ingredients with whisk; shredded zucchini, chocolate chips and wet ingredients nearby.

Step 2 – In a separate bowl, you thoroughly mix together the wet ingredients (which includes the sugar, believe it or not) …

Medium glass bowl of wet ingredients being mixed with wooden spoon; pile of shredded zucchini alongside.

Step 3 – Then, just before you’re ready to put your cake in the preheated oven, you combine the dry and wet ingredients, mixing as little as possible (to ensure that you don’t encourage too much gluten development from overmixing the flour – which can toughen your cake). I generally like to make a “well” in the dry ingredients before pouring the wet ingredients in, just to help with folding and stirring it all together. Remember – the important takeaway here is not to overmix.

Wet and dry ingredients being combined in glass bowl with wooden spoon.

Step 4 – Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, add in the “mix-ins” – for this cake, that’s the zucchini, coconut and chocolate chips.

Zucchini, coconut and chocolate chips being stirred into cake batter.

I prefer not to mix them in until this final step, so they don’t get in the way of the wet and dry ingredients properly combining first.

Step 5 – Pour the whole wonderful mixture into your awaiting baking pan, and sprinkle on that final flourish of almonds and coconut.

Flatlay of cake batter in pan with empty bowls and wooden mixing spoon nearby.

• Differences in Baking Pans

Exactly how long your zucchini cake will need to bake depends somewhat on what type of pan you use. We discuss this in much greater detail in our post for Healthy Hawaiian Banana Bread (if you want to do a deep dive on the subject).

The short story is: Glass, dark metal, and light metal all perform a little differently in terms of how quickly they heat up and how effectively they transfer heat to your cake.

I’ve baked this cake in both glass and in the metal pan you see in the photos, and I can vouch for the fact that you could see bake times anywhere from 33 – 40 minutes, depending on the pan.

The first time you bake this, just plan to check for doneness early and often until you know how your oven and your pan will bake the cake.

Closeup of one slice cut and separated in corner of baking pan still filled with rest of cake.

You want a wooden pick to come out just clean, but you don’t want to overbake and dry out your lovely cake.

Serving Ideas

• A Scrumptious but Nutritious Snack – I originally intended this recipe to be a snackin’ cake – sort of an alternative to slices of zucchini bread. And it really is perfect as an after-school treat for the kiddos. Or, hey hey … for you (with maybe a nice cup of afternoon coffee)! With all the whole grains, fruit, veg, and even a bit of protein, it’s a treat you can actually feel good about!

• Dessert – What I realized, though, was that we were all reaching for pieces of this cake as a dessert, too! It’s decadent enough to appease that after-dinner sweet tooth, but it’s not so rich or heavy that you regret it later.

Even better? Nestle a little piece of this cake next to a scoop of reduced-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Oh yesssss! That’s next-level yumminess right there, I’ve gotta tell ya!

2 pieces of zucchini cake on crackled blue plate, one with a bite cut away.

Whenever you serve this – snack time, dessert … or … ahem … somewhere in between … I’m betting you just might’ve found your new-favorite alternative to zucchini bread. And maybe your new-fave cake recipe, too!

Oh – and if you’re eyeing this recipe because you’ve got an abundance of zucchini overtaking your garden, be sure to check out all of our other Healthy, Easy Zucchini Recipes, too! (I mean … after you make this scrummy cake first, of course!)

This decadent Almond Joy Zucchini Cake is filled with the almond, coconut and chocolate flavors you love in Almond Joy candy bars! Nutritious enough for snacks, but indulgent enough for dessert!

~ by Shelley

Zoomed in on side of one piece of cake that's turned upwards in pan so you can see inside.

Almond Joy Zucchini Cake

Yield: 24 pieces
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes

All the things you love about zucchini bread ... in a decadent zucchini CAKE! So moist and tender, and loaded with the almond, coconut and chocolate flavors of Almond Joy candy bars! Nutritious enough for an afternoon snack ... but indulgent enough for dessert, too!

•  Freezable  •  Make Ahead    Vegetarian   

Ingredients

  • cooking spray and flour for preparing pan (if needed)

For the Batter:

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (fine grain, not flaked kosher salt)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 7-8 ounces of zucchini squash)
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Topping:

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Prepare an 11 x 7-inch baking pan (see note about using a 9 x 9 pan) by spraying with cooking spray and/or lightly but thoroughly flouring the bottom (if needed – some pans don't need this).
  3. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt, whisking to combine thoroughly.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, oil, almond extract, and vanilla. Stir well to combine thoroughly. 
  5. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist (do not over-mix).
  6. Add zucchini, 3/4 cup coconut, and chocolate chips, and stir briefly again, just to distribute evenly. 
  7. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan and sprinkle almonds and 1/4 cup coconut evenly over the top of the batter.
  8. Bake for 33-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (See note below for more information on adjusting baking time for various types of pans.) 
  9. Cool completely in pan, on a wire rack, before cutting and serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead and Freezing: This zucchini cake recipe freezes well. After cooling completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer in a freezer-safe zipper bag. You can also pre-slice the cake and freeze individual portions.

Adjusting Bake Time for Your Pans: You may need to make small adjustments in bake time to account for different pan materials. Glass baking pans (and usually also dark metal pans) generally will tend to bake this cake a little faster than light metal pans. I've used both glass and light metal successfully in testing this recipe, but there can be a variance of a few minutes in baking time. The key is to check for doneness early and often, especially until you know how a recipe will work with your pan and your oven. Also, I've tested this recipe in a 9 x 9 glass pan, and although I prefer using an 11 x 7 for this recipe, if all you have is a square 9 x 9, you will need to increase the baking time closer to 45 minutes.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

24 thoughts on “Almond Joy Zucchini Cake”

  1. I just stumbled on this cake and it has all the ingredients that I love. I will give it a try this weekend swapping the wheat flour with spelt and other low gluten options.

    Looking forward to tasting it 🙂

    Reply
  2. I was looking for a cake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Skip to Recipe