Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Flour Cake
Last week I received an email from the President of Omega Nutrition. You all know of this company right? They are most well-known for their flax seed and coconut oils.
I was offered free samples of their coconut flour, flax flour, and pumpkin seed flour. These wonderful flours can be used as gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free baking alternatives. I was excited to try the pumpkin seed flour. It just sounds so exotic and new. I have never seen or made anything with this type of grain-free flour. Immediately after I read his email an image of a rich chocolate cake was beginning to take shape in my mind, right down to the minute details of the sliced strawberries and mint leaves for garnish!
This fine, pale green flour is perfect for those following a grain-free diet and for those also allergic to nuts. What about the nutrient profile you ask? Well, we certainly can't complain! 100 grams of this flour offers about 7 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and a whopping 64 grams of protein!
The pumpkin seeds are processed and ground at a low temperature and packaged according to the omegaflo process. This special process protects the nutrients from damaging light, heat, and oxygen exposure. This gluten-free, organic, and kosher flour will not disappoint!
This evening I made a chocolate cake. I used eggs, sorry to those of you who follow me because of my egg-free baking. This was just what my mind had conjured up last week so I wanted to stick with it. For an egg-free version, you may try substituting the almond flour for pumpkin seed flour in my Grain-Free, Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes. I prefer the flavor of egg-free baked treats, so the next time I bake with pumpkin seed flour it will be egg-free.
Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Flour Cake
This rich, dark chocolate cake is high in protein and nutrients like zinc and essential fatty acids (linoleic and oleic fatty acids). Because of its richness, serve it with a light, fruity sauce or sliced fresh strawberries. Watch the baking time closely. Test for doneness after about 35 minutes. If the top of the cake feels jiggly to the touch it needs more time, if not, pull it out.
Pumpkin seed protein powder can be purchased online if you cannot find it locally at your health food store. This is the one I use in my recipes: Omega Nutrition Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder.
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin seed flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil, coconut milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together well.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan on the center rack in the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes.
- Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and flip cake onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is delicious served with fresh berries and coconut whipped cream!
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Wondering where I can purchase the pumpkin seed flour. I live in Washington State.
On a high protein keto diet, and magnesium and potassium are necessary supplements on the diet. Pumpkin seeds, as a whole food, are my preferred source for these, even though they don't strictly follow the "rules". With xylitol and Greek yogurt, instead of the honey, oil, and milk, i think i can adapt this recipe to my diet. I didn't think any baked goods would be an option until my diet break!
Hi there, I am wondering if I could sub a different milk for the cake? I'm thinking of hemp, which has no strong aftertaste.
Hi there,
Do you know if I can sub a different dairy free milk for the cake? I'm thinking of hemp milk, which has some oil but not a strong coconut taste.
Hi there,
This giveaway was from 2009. You should be able to order it online from Omega Nutrition. It's labeled as pumpkin seed protein powder I believe. :)
I would love to try the pumpkin seed flour! After I read about it,I was all ready to see where I could order it online. But winning it would be doubly sweet!
My 84 year old mother has had some major digestive problems and none of her doctors even hinted that she might have celiac disease or even a gluten sensitivity. I stumbled upon the fact that she may have gluten issues while reading a book. Her symptoms fit everything I read.I want to do as much as I can to change her diet and help her have a better quality of life. I will be changing my diet as well!
Wow! Chocolate cake made with just pumpkin seed flour. Winning this flour would be enormous. I'd love to be able to make this for my son who has type 1 diabetes and is gluten free and now has discovered he doesn't digest nuts well. To have cake that is so high in protein for a diabetic/gluten intolerant would be heaven.
I made the chocolate pumpkin seed flour cake tonight, and while it was good, I was a bit disappointed in the taste. I did make a few changes only because I didn't have everything on hand, so I'm wondering if you have thoughts on how those may have affected how it turned out. I used my own ground pumpkin seed flour, which I saw you said makes a difference b/c it would need less liquid. However I don't think that would effect the taste. I also used cow's milk instead of coconut milk, and I used coconut oil instead of grapeseed oil. Do you think those changes would affect taste significantly? Texture was great. Thanks in advance!!
Rhea
Pumpkin seed flour will be a godsend for my family. My seven year old son has celiac and is extremely sensitive to sugars and oxalates. This rules out 99.9% of foods (we are on GAPS and Low Oxalate Diets, modified to remove all sugars including fruit and honey). He is tired of eating the same meals over and over again, and who could blame him? My hub and I are busy researching ingredients and recipes this morning. Sita C. Portland OR
I've been wheat free now for 3 weeks and I'm loving it! Happy to see another nut flour being introduced to us. I have several family members who are diabetic and I am excited to be able to offer them alternatives to typical sugar/gluten laden treats. Can't wait to try this!
Baked this cake last night and wow it was yum. I used coconut flour instead of the arrowroot as I wanted it to be starch free and it turned out perfectly. Very impressed. Now going to try your cherry pumpkinseed flour muffins. Very excited about this flour too.
cheers Fee
Brisbane, Australia
Recently my 4 year old went gluten free this sounds like the perfect treat to help with our transition
In case anyone is wondering, Omega Nutrition is calling their pumpkin seed flour "Pumpkin Protein Powder". They are one and the same. :)
I made this cake today with some modifications, and it came out great!
I used...
2 cups ground organic raw pumpkin seeds (instead of the flour),
3 tbsp coconut manna mixed into
1 cup + 1 tbsp water (instead of coconut milk),
1/3 cup melted organic cold-pressed coconut oil (instead of grapeseed oil)
note: if you try this, you'd want room temperature eggs, that were mixed in one-by-one to the wet ingredients. Also add the eggs into the wet mixture last. This would be to prevent the melted coconut oil from solidifying.
I along with my 4 and 6 year old sons enjoyed this very much.
Thank you sooooo much for such a great recipe.
Donny Ward - I would love to try this gluten free flour! I have been on a path of discovery ever since I was diagnosed with a severe gluten intolerance. I am so excited to try the chocolate cake recipe. I may have to grind some flour of my own until this is available. PLEASE make it soon!
Be well, and in Peace.
I m not sure if the first note from me got posted.. so I ll try again..
Can I have this interesting flour?? I just simply want to make whatEVER you make.. You have the most interesting recipes I can find!
Smiling..
Laura
I hope this product is available in Central Oregon! It's so hard to find certain products here. I have T1 Diabetes, so any flour that I can find and use that has very little carbs is a good route for me! I just started this Gluten-Free diet by order of my Chiropractor, and it's very difficult to find breads/pastas/baking products with little carbs! Thanks for the information!
Wow, a cake without xanthum gum! We also can't use agave nectar. Our digestive systems hate these 2 items.
I would love to try pumpkin seed flour as we are grain free in this house.
Audrey Jensen
This is great! We have gone gluten-free for several months with the whole family. We are excited to use the pumpkin seed flour in baking due to the lower carbs and high protein. It looks like it will help us make more healthy treats for our 6-year old diabetic son. Thank you for doing the experimentation and sharing the fruit of your labors!
I am grain free and reaping the benefits. I no longer have cravings for sweets and ordinary breads. I have more energy. I am very enthusiastic about trying this new flour. I love this website.
Sarita - I appreciate the details of your cake making experience detailed on your blog! :)
I think your results may differ not because of using cornstarch but because of using your own ground pumpkin seeds. The pumpkin seed flour I use from Omega Nutrition is made from partially defatted pumpkin seeds which are very finely ground. This would affect the amount of moisture that is absorbed. Your ground seeds don't absorb as much liquid as the flour I use, causing your cake to rise and sink. I wonder what would happen if you use less coconut milk next time?
Anyways, yes this cake isn't too sweet and has a very rich chocolate flavor! I just updated the recipe to use 1 1/4 cups coconut milk (up from 1 cup). I found this extra 1/4 cup keeps it moist. (Again this would only be appropriate if using Omega's Pumpkin Seed Flour).
Happy Baking! -Ali :)
Hi Ali. I love your site. I wanted to tell you about my results from this cake. I just made it! I live in Guatemala, so some of the ingredients are hard to come by. I couldn't find arrowroot anywhere, so I used cornstarch as an alternative. I also made my own flour from whole pumpkin seeds which I first toasted a bit. You can find the powdered version here, however it usually contains salt, as it is often used as a condiment. The cake was delicious, a little on the savory/nutty side, but very good. Mine turned out deflated though,or sunken in. Why do you think that would be? For the cornstarch? I've never had this problem with baked goods before, despite the altitude difference.
Thanks for you help!
You can see my results here: http://comamosya.wordpress.com/
Sunvegan - I took the info that Omega Nutrition gave me. I would suggest that you contact them for a detailed answer to your question. All of their contact info is on the link I provided in the "update" - thanks, good question! -Ali :)
USDA database states 100g edible pumpkin seed have 24g protein. I would love for the flour to have 60 ish g for same weight, but how can that be? Anorexia D/T medical problem leads to inadequate protein intake for me. This is why I ask this question, Thanks.
I just added ordering info for the pumpkin seed flour. There is an update in bold at the bottom of this post.
I am working on more recipes using this flour but have not had a lot of luck without eggs. Watch for more recipes in the days and weeks to come.
Enjoy! -Ali :)
GREAT!!! Another gluten free grain!!! Can't wait till it becomes available!!!
I've been grinding pumpkinseeds into flour at a madening rate since October when my son went on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I order the seeds in 25 pound cases and use a coffee grinder to grind them. I would LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEE to find a vendor for pre-ground flour!!! Please pass along the contact info. I'm desperate!!!
Thanks,
Stacie
I am so disappointed I missed this-the cake looks delicious.
Corine, L - I will let you know when this flour becomes available.
And congratulations to T Watson for winning this contest!
-Ali :)
This cake looks amazing! Do you know when the pumpkin flour will be available to purcahse? Thanks so much for your blog and delicious-looking recipes. I just found you and can't wait to take a look at your cookbook too!
The cake looks great! I am always looking for new GF recipes, especially since I just found out today that my son is gluten sensitive. And we all love pumpkin at my house.
Thanks for sharing!
This drawing is now closed. Thanks everyone for participating! I wish I could give each of you a package of this amazing flour! I will announce the winner tomorrow in my next post.
Yes - to those of you who were wondering if this cake tastes good. It is fantastic! I ate 2 slices for breakfast the other morning with a tall glass of green smoothie! The egg-y flavor isn't there after a day or so - meaning I thought the cake tasted much better the next day.
If anyone else gets their hands on some of this flour and tries this cake recipe please leave a comment here, I would love your feedback.
Thanks! -Ali :)
Gosh this would be timely. My mother has been struggling with her current grain free diet as iy is really strict. She was able to cut down on her Rhumatoid Arthirtis meds when on the diet perfectly. She's only 50 btw and has suffered with RA since she was 35. We all believe she's an undiagnosed Celiac, hard to fiagnose when the only thing that would make her able to get a diagnosis would also cripple her entirely. Shes been using almond flour as her sole flour substitute, but I think that after 18 months of this, she's getting weary.
Even I'm not chosen, I'll find a way to get my hands on some and have it shipped to Quebec. I'll check their site first, maybe they already do :)
Thank you for sharing this product!
I would love to try out this flour. It looks super healthy and that cake sounds delish! If I won, I would need to rely on you to provide a few more recipes. I am not like you when it comes to baking, I need a recipe to follow!
Thanks, ~J
hi..
all i can say about your fantastic cookbook is that your cookbook is THE cookbook to use. i am checking off every recipe i have tried-- and last night i made the spicy black bean soup. ( and the day before i finally found a store that carries chipotle in powdered form!) so give me the pumpkin seed flour and you will see me happily baking!
smiling!
laura
This cake looks delicious!
I'd love to try this pumpkin flour. I'm always experimenting with recipes to find healthy alternatives. The high protein content is exactly what I'm looking for since I'm a protein type.
I also have many friends on gluten-free diets and would love to bake them this chocolate cake that's gluten-free.
I am thrilled to see this pumpkin seed flour coming out and can't wait to try it.
While working on recipes for my grain free breakfast cookbook, I tried grinding pumpkin seeds, both raw and roasted for flour to make pancakes. They were absolutely terrible. Needless to say, that recipe didn't make it into the book. Perhaps it would have with a decent flour to start with!
If anyone else is working with a grain free, gluten free diet, please come visit me at www.grainfreerecipes.com
We can be successful if we all work together!
What a great recipe! I cook with coconut flour all the time and will often throw my nuts and seeds into a coffee grinder to get them into a flour too. Such a great high protein/fibre and EFA option.
I love chocolate cake, but honestly never heard of pumpkin seed flour. The cake looks moist and delicious. Until the flour is available, is there a special trick to grinding pumpkin seeds?
Thanks as always for your ability to create amazing good tasting gluten free recipes! You are truly gifted!!
Deb
HI , MY friend sent your web site to me because my 8 yo was just diagnosed with auto immune thyroiditis and her ND says she must be gluten, egg and dairy free! WOW a life change for us and I am sure somewhere there is a blessing! We would love to try the pumpkin seed flour but more inportantly we are thrilled to find egg free ideas-we are getting sick of black beans and corn tortillas-thank you for your good work, Teresa
I am currently studying nutrition and your site has been an amazing resource for me, especially as I've been trying to master gluten-free baking and convince others that gluten-free can taste good! The pumpkin seed flour sounds like a fabulous, nutritious addition to the gluten-free cabinet and I would love to experiment with it. I posted about the contest on my blog,
http://oncearoundthekitchen.blogspot.com/
Happy Baking!
this looks like a cake we made when i was growing up. i would love trying a new flour, i have been too adventurous with baking yet.
I love chocolate and I really want to make this cake! I have all the other ingredients ready to go, all i need is the flour so please pick me!
My son follows a wheat free diet and it would be fun to try punpkin seed flour. I also love to try things that are new to us in America, but used overseas.
Ali--That has to be in the top 10 of the world's most gorgous chocolate cakes!! I know all us reading and looking at it would be happy for just a crumb of it because obviously we couldn't all have a piece, but wow! :-)
Because I have issues with several gf flours, I rely on my homemade rice flour mix. While it's economical and does make great tasting baked goods, it doesn't have the nutritional value of something like this pumpkin seed flour. Those values are quite impressive! I eat pumpkin seeds with no problem so I'm hopeful this flour would work well for me.
I've added info on your post and giveway in a comment in my latest post and will also add the info to my next post so it will get good visibility. :-)
Thanks so much,
Shirley (Braden)
I am so excited about this flour - now I can make your grain-free chocolate cupcakes! Tree nuts are off limits for me. I can't do gluten, eggs, dairy, or soy either. The thought of a high protein gluten/grain-free flour is really exciting. When will this flour be available and where can I buy it? Oh I hope I win!
Oh my goodness! Ali your cake looks beautiful!!!! Who would of thought it's made of... sunflower seeds!?
I am EXCITED about this, I have never tried sunflower seed flour, it sounds great!! So my reason for wanting to try it is because it's something that won't hurt my belly and would definitely be a fun treat to experiment with!
Thanks for the giveaway, have a lovely weekend :-)
This is the coolest giveaway ever! I didn't even know you could make pumpkin seed flour! I would love to make pumpkin corn muffins with this flour. I posted a link to your blog on mine.
www.glutenfreegidget.blogspot.com
I could just imagine how wonderful pasta made with pumkin seed flour would be! I can't wait till it is readily available!