This chocolate chip pumpkin cake bakes up dense and moist—thanks in part to the ingredients (applesauce, Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree) and also because you make it in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Yes, that's right, you can satisfy your sweet tooth and bake delicious desserts right in your Instant Pot!
Come to think of it, you technically aren't "baking" when using your electric pressure cooker. To bake something means that it is cooked using dry high heat in an enclosed environment, like an oven. The heat ends up cooking the food from the outside to the inside, giving you an exterior that is browner, firmer and drier than the inside.
How Oven Baking is Different than "Baking" in the Instant Pot
When "baking" with your Instant Pot, you are actually steaming the food and you will end up with much less browning on the exterior and an inside that is much more dense and moist than the same item that is baked in an oven (since there is no evaporation during the cooking cycle). This article on Salon goes into great detail about how cooking in the Instant Pot differs from the more traditional method of oven baking.
Slice of pumpkin chocolate chip cake
For more healthy pumpkin recipes with favorite fall flavors, check out Pumpkin Spice Cake, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins, 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins and Cookies, Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake, or even No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crock Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Instant Pot Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chips?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 162 calories.
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
To make this cake lighter, healthier and more Weight Watchers friendly I:
- Substituted the ¼ cup canola oil called for with ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- Used half as many mini chocolate chips (which were still very plentiful)
- Used Truvia Baking Blend (affiliate link) in place of sugar
This cake can also be drizzled with simple glaze, if desired—just be sure to adjust your WW Points accordingly.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. Spray a 6-cup mini bundt pan (affiliate link) with non-stick spray and set aside.
Ready to make the cake
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl (affiliate link), whisk together all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and sweetener.
Whisking the dry ingredients
Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl, stir together egg, yogurt, applesauce, milk, vanilla and pumpkin puree until thoroughly combined.
Mixing the wet ingredients in a separate bowl
Step 4: Pour wet ingredients mixture into dry flour mixture and mix well, until all dry ingredients have been absorbed.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well
Fold in the miniature chocolate chips.
Fold in the miniature chocolate chips
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth top if necessary.
Pour the batter into prepared mini bundt pan
Step 6: Add 1 cup of water to inner pot of Instant Pot. Lightly cover bundt pan with aluminum foil, place on steam rack and carefully set in inner pot.
Cover the cake with foil and set on rack inside Instant Pot
Step 7: Place lid on Instant Pot in locked position with the steam release valve in Sealing position. Select HIGH pressure and set cook time for 30 minutes.
Place cover on Pot, with steam release in Sealing position, and set for 30 minutes on HIGH pressure
Step 8: After cooking time finishes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move steam release valve to Venting position and quickly release the remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
Step 9: Carefully remove the wire steam rack and set the bundt pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Allow the cake to cool completely
Step 10: For best results, after the cake has cooled completely, place a large cake plate over the pan and invert to release the cake.
Fresh baked pumpkin chocolate chip cake
Step 11: If desired, lightly dust cake with powdered sugar before cutting into 8 equal pieces.
Serving piece of pumpkin chocolate chip cake
Step 12: Store any leftover cake in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar which I replaced with ½ cup Truvia Baking Blend (affiliate link). Truvia Cane Sugar Baking Blend bakes and browns like sugar, but with 75% fewer calories per serving than sugar. And you can use less because ½ cup Truvia Blend is equal to 1 cup of sugar.
Slice of pumpkin chocolate chip cake with sprinkle of powdered sugar
And in an attempt to keep this cake low in fat, I also substituted the ¼ cup canola oil called for with ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt and used half as many mini chocolate chips (which were still very plentiful).
I tend to like my desserts on the less sweet side and I prefer plain cakes to frosted (or iced) cakes. Given this, I kept it simple with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving. Because this is such a moist cake, the powdered sugar was absorbed almost immediately!
This cake can also be drizzled with simple glaze, if desired—just be sure to adjust your WW Points accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this cake plain, with a light dusting of powdered sugar or drizzled with your favorite glaze or icing. Serve with a dollop of lite whipped topping or scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt or ice cream.
Any leftovers should be kept in an airtight container.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Low-Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Truvia Baking Blend
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk beverage
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and sweetener.
- In a separate mixing bowl, stir together egg, yogurt, applesauce, milk, vanilla and pumpkin puree until thoroughly combined.
- Pour wet mixture into dry flour mixture and mix well, until all dry ingredients have been absorbed. Fold in the miniature chocolate chips.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to inner pot of Instant Pot. Lightly cover bundt pan with aluminum foil, place on steam rack and carefully set in inner pot.
- Place lid on Instant Pot in locked position with the steam release valve in Sealing position. Select HIGH pressure and set cook time for 30 minutes.
- After cooking time finishes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move steam release valve to Venting position and quickly release the remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the wire steam rack and set the bundt pan on a wire rack to cool.
- After cake has cooled completely, place a large cake plate over the pan and invert to release the cake.
- If desired, lightly dust cake with powdered sugar before cutting into 8 equal pieces.
- Store any leftover cake in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Recipe source: The Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook: 100 great recipes with fewer calories and less fat (affiliate link) by Dana Angelo White MS, RD, ATC
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you like this Instant Pot Pumpkin Cake, you might also like
- Deep Dish Instant Pot Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
- 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Hazelnut Fudge Cake
- Banana Oat Flourless Instant Pot Cake
- Homemade Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Puree
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
Ellen
Martha, I've made so many of your recipes and they're all good. This cake sounds good and I would love to make it, but don't have an Instapot. Could you give us some instructions for how to make this in a slow cooker or the oven?
Thank you,
Ellen
Martha McKinnon
Hi Ellen, This is kinda tricky since I've only made it in the InstantPot. I'm estimating this cake would take about 45 minutes (plus or minus 5-10 minutes) at 350 in the oven. If you try it would love to know how it turns out for you. Also here's a link to several more pumpkin cake recipes to consider: https://simple-nourished-living.com/12-easy-healthy-low-fat-pumpkin-cake-recipes/