This healthy pumpkin cake with applesauce is like a cross between a lava cake and pumpkin pie! With a creamy pumpkin pudding layer, crunchy pecans and a moist and pumpkin spice flavoured cake, it makes the perfect nutritious yet decadent fall dessert! {Vegan & dairy-free}
If you’re looking to break out of the pumpkin pie box, I highly recommend trying out this healthy pumpkin cake with applesauce. This isn’t just any old cake, though — it’s a mouthwatering pumpkin pudding cake that also happens to be super easy to prepare!
Picture a warm gooey pumpkin spice flavoured cake with a layer of pumpkin pudding sauce and crunchy pecan topping. Top it up with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and you’ve got one delicious fall dessert.
This year, surprise your guests by making this unique spin on pumpkin pie!
If you’re looking for other pumpkin dessert recipes, check out this Easy Pumpkin Pie without Evaporated Milk or Pumpkin Balls!
Why we love this healthy pumpkin cake recipe
- Unique: Most people expect pumpkin pie during the autumn season, but this pumpkin cake is such a tasty way to switch it up. It’s like lava cake meets pumpkin pie!
- Easy: Simply mix together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, sprinkle with the sugar and pecan topping, pour on the boiling water and pop in the oven! Such a simple dessert!
- Healthier dessert option: Isn’t it nice when your dessert is decadent and nutritious too? This pumpkin cake contains 3 grams of fibre per serving and at 12 grams of sugar per serving, is lower in sugar than your typical dessert. Not to mention, it’s vegan as well, so suitable for those who prefer a plant-based option.
Ingredient Notes
- Whole-wheat pastry flour: Lends a softer and fluffier texture to baked goods and incorporates some extra nutrients since it contains both the bran and the germ, unlike all-purpose flour. If you can’t find whole-wheat pastry flour, you can also mix half all purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour.
- Coconut palm sugar: Has a similar texture to brown sugar but is slightly lower on the glycemic index which means less of a spike in blood sugar.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are used to incorporate a pumpkin pie flavour. You could also add ground ginger and cloves or sub in pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Pumpkin puree: Provides moisture and that classic pumpkin flavour. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling as the filling is significantly higher in sugar.
- Milk: I typically use unsweetened almond milk for this cake, but you can also use regular milk or another plant-based milk alternative.
- Applesauce: Adds some extra moisture and sweetness to the cake and is a good alternative for any eggs or oil. Use unsweetened store-bought or homemade applesauce.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray (preferably a dish with higher sides).
- In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar and spices until combined. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, stir pumpkin, milk, applesauce and vanilla together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together. It should form a thick batter.
- Add mixture to casserole dish, smoothing with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the coconut sugar and pecans evenly over top of the cake batter in the dish. Pour the boiling hot water over top. Do NOT stir!
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the middle is still slightly gooey. Be sure to place on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Whole-wheat pastry flour tends to have a shorter shelf life due to the oil content in the bran. Be sure to store whole wheat pastry flour in a cool and dry place or preferably in the freezer to prevent it from going rancid quickly.
- If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, the best substitution would be mixing together half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour.
- Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling. The two can be easily confused but the latter is much higher in sugar.
- It’s very important that you don’t stir the coconut sugar and boiling water mixture since this is what forms the pudding layer.
- You’ll know the cake is done when the edges start to brown and the centre is still a little gooey. Don’t over bake it or the pudding layer will start to solidify.
- You can bake this cake in a circular or square baking dish, preferably with higher sides so that the water doesn’t overflow over the top. I typically use an 8-inch baking dish.
- Be sure to place the baking dish on a baking tray to catch any of the liquid if it overflows.
Recipe FAQs
Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from a lower protein soft spring wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour is milled from hard winter wheat. The soft spring wheat is softer and lower in protein and will result in baked goods that have a similar texture to that of white flour. It’s therefore a more suitable option for baking cookies, cakes, muffins, and biscuits. And it’s more nutritious than white flour!
Whole wheat flour derived from hard winter wheat which is higher in protein and thus a better option for baking breads.
It’s not typically recommended as the whole wheat flour is milled from hard wheat and will lend a different flavour and texture than the whole wheat pastry flour, which is ground more finely and results in a softer and fluffier texture suitable for many baked goods. If you need to find a substitute for whole-wheat pastry flour, try mixing half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour instead.
You can store this cake covered in the fridge for up to five days.
Yes, freezing this cakes is a great way to preserve its freshness and moisture. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this pumpkin pudding cake warm, cold or at room temperature. Although it’s great on its own, it tastes especially good with a dollop of regular or coconut whipped cream or ice cream with an additional sprinkle of chopped pecans.
More similar recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
- Pumpkin French Toast Sticks
- Birthday Smash Cake
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- English Trifle Recipe with Custard
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Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Applesauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk can also use regular milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray (preferably a dish with higher sides).
- In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar and spices until combined. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, stir pumpkin, milk, applesauce and vanilla together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together. It should form a thick batter.
- Add batter to casserole dish, smoothing with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the coconut sugar and pecans evenly over top of the cake batter in the dish. Pour the boiling hot water over top. Do NOT stir!
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the middle is still slightly gooey. {Be sure to place on a baking sheet incase it bubbles over.} Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- Whole-wheat pastry flour tends to have a shorter shelf life due to the oil content in the bran. Be sure to store whole wheat pastry flour in a cool and dry place or preferably in the freezer to prevent it from going rancid quickly.
- If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, the best substitution would be mixing together half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour.
- Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling. The two can be easily confused but the latter is much higher in sugar.
- It’s very important that you don’t stir the coconut sugar and boiling water mixture since this is what forms the pudding layer.
- You’ll know the cake is done when the edges start to brown and the centre is still a little gooey. Don’t over bake it or the pudding layer will start to solidify.
- You can bake this cake in a circular or square baking dish, preferably with higher sides so that the water doesn’t overflow over the top. I typically use an 8-inch baking dish.
- Be sure to place the baking dish on a baking tray to catch any of the liquid if it overflows.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in November 2015 and was updated October 2021 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Hi, Elysia, I love your site, and use quite a few of your recipes. Can I make this one gluten free? Appreciate your feedback on that.
Thanks so much Dianna! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes :) I haven’t personally tried making this recipe with any gluten-free alternatives, but based on some research, it looks like sorghum might be a good alternative to whole-wheat pastry flour. But again, I haven’t personally tried it myself so I’m not quite sure how it would turn out. If you happen to experiment with a GF alternative, please let me know how it goes!
i just pinned this and it looks absolutely mouth watering!!! Can’t believe its healthy!!
Thanks Rachel! It was a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner! Love when recipes can be tweaked and made into a healthier version! :)