Healthy Double Chocolate Swiss Roll
This healthy double chocolate Swiss roll is a no-bake dessert built from a soft almond-and-oat sponge sweetened with dates and banana, rolled around a silky coconut cream and cocoa filling. There is no refined sugar, no flour, and no oven. It chills in the fridge and slices into a rich, intensely chocolatey spiral that tastes far more decadent than its ingredient list.
Let’s talk desserts a bit, as I’m quite sure you know I’m a pretty big fan. I think it is super important not to rely solely on dessert all day long, and to have some fruits, veggies, and real food too, but I also think it is extremely important to make room for pleasure when it comes to your tastebuds. We are often taught to push our sugar cravings aside and never give in. I disagree with that entirely. It is all about moderation.
I wanted to make this introduction for yet another decadent dessert, and a favorite of mine: the double chocolate Swiss roll. By now you are probably aware of my love for Swiss rolls. In the past I made a version with vanilla and one with carrot cake, both of which turned out amazing, and that is why I can’t stop trying these out in different flavors. I love chocolate so much that I chose to double it up in this recipe. It turned out so rich and decadent that I couldn’t wait to share it with you. I find it amazing as a 4 o’clock pick-me-up, and I wouldn’t mind having it as a birthday cake, either.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A no-bake chocolate dessert you can make without turning on the oven, perfect for warm days.
- A refined-sugar-free treat sweetened only with dates, banana, and a touch of maple syrup.
- A naturally gluten-free dessert, since the base uses ground almonds and oat flour instead of wheat.
- A make-ahead showstopper you can prep the night before and slice straight from the fridge.
- An impressive-looking dessert for a birthday, a dinner party, or a Swedish-style Fika break with coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Double the chocolate. Cocoa goes into both the sponge and the filling, so every bite is deeply chocolatey rather than just sweet with a hint of cocoa.
- No oven, no fuss. The whole thing comes together in a food processor and sets in the fridge, which makes it foolproof even if you have never rolled a cake before.
- Sweetened with real food. Dates and ripe banana do most of the sweetening, with just a little maple syrup in the filling, so there is no refined sugar anywhere.
- Naturally gluten-free. Ground almonds and oat flour give you a tender, flexible base without any wheat flour.
- Make-ahead friendly. It actually improves after a few hours in the fridge, which makes it ideal for entertaining when you want one less thing to do on the day.
- Rich but balanced. The almonds add protein and healthy fats, so a thin slice feels satisfying rather than just sugary.
Ingredient Notes
Ground almonds form the backbone of the sponge and bring richness, structure, and a little protein. Look for finely ground almonds (almond meal or almond flour) rather than coarse chopped nuts, because a fine grind gives you a dough that holds together and rolls without cracking. If you only have whole almonds, pulse them in the food processor first until sandy, but stop before they turn into almond butter.
Oat flour lightens the base and keeps it from feeling too dense and oily from the almonds alone. You can buy oat flour or make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a blender until powdery. If you need this to be strictly gluten-free, choose oats labeled certified gluten-free, since standard oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat.
Dates are the main sweetener and also the glue that binds the dough. Use soft, sticky Medjool dates if you can find them, and make sure they are pitted before they go in the processor. If your dates feel dry or hard, soak them in warm water for ten minutes and drain well, otherwise they will not break down smoothly and you will get gritty bits in the sponge.
Ripe banana adds natural sweetness, moisture, and just enough binding to keep the base flexible. The spottier and softer the banana, the sweeter and easier it mashes, so reach for one that is well past bright yellow. A green or barely ripe banana will be starchy and will not give you the same sweetness or pliability.
Cocoa powder does double duty here, flavoring both the sponge and the filling. Use a good unsweetened cocoa, and if you want a darker, more intense result, a Dutch-processed cocoa gives a smoother, less acidic chocolate flavor. This is where the depth of the whole dessert comes from, so it is worth using a brand you actually like the taste of.
Coconut cream is the base of the filling and what makes it silky and spreadable. Use thick coconut cream, not the thin coconut milk drink, for the richest texture. A useful trick is to chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight and scoop only the firm cream that rises to the top, leaving the watery liquid behind.
Maple syrup sweetens the filling without making it grainy the way granulated sugar would. Real maple syrup also keeps the filling glossy and pourable. A pinch of salt added alongside it is not optional in my book, because salt sharpens the chocolate and stops the whole thing from tasting flat.
Tips
- Pulse, do not over-process the dough. Run the food processor just until the mixture clumps and holds together when pressed between your fingers. If you blend too long, the almonds release oil and the base turns greasy and heavy instead of soft and sliceable.
- Mind the thickness when you spread. Aim for an even 1 to 1.5 cm layer. Too thin and it tears when you roll; too thick and it becomes stiff and cracks. An even rectangle is what lets you roll a tight, neat spiral.
- Chill the base before filling. The 30 minutes in the fridge is not optional. A cold, firm base rolls cleanly, while a warm soft one sags and splits. You know it is ready when it feels set and lifts off the parchment without sticking.
- Roll using the parchment. Lift the edge of the parchment paper and use it to guide the dough over on itself, peeling the paper back as you go. This gives you a tighter roll than trying to lift the soft dough with your hands.
- Let it set fully before slicing. The roll needs a few hours, ideally overnight, in the fridge so the filling firms up. Slice with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts and you will get those clean chocolate spirals.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the nuts. Ground hazelnuts in place of the almonds give you a chocolate-hazelnut spin that tastes like a praline truffle. Ground walnuts also work and bring a slightly earthier note.
- Change the sweetener. If you are out of dates, a thick fig paste or a few extra spoonfuls of maple syrup can stand in, though dates give the best binding, so you may need to add a little more oat flour to compensate.
- Add texture or flavor. Fold a handful of chopped dark chocolate, a spoonful of orange zest, or a little espresso powder into the filling to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Different filling base. If coconut is not your thing, a thick cashew cream blended with cocoa and maple syrup makes a neutral, equally silky filling.
Storage and Make Ahead
This roll is a natural make-ahead dessert. Because it needs a few hours to overnight in the fridge to set anyway, I usually assemble it the day before I want to serve it. Keep it covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it stays fresh for up to four or five days. The flavor deepens as it sits, so day two is often even better than day one. You can also freeze the finished roll, well wrapped, for up to a month, then thaw it in the fridge before slicing.
If you love a good chocolate dessert as much as I do, you might also enjoy this easy chocolate mousse or these raw almond chocolate truffles, both of which lean on the same no-bake spirit. For more inspiration, browse my roundup of vegan sugar-free desserts.
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Healthy Double Chocolate Swiss Roll
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ¾ cup ground almonds
- ¾ cup oat flour
- 10 dates pitted
- 1 banana ripe
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
For the chocolate cream:
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the ground almonds, oat flour, dates, banana, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
- Pulse together until a dough forms.
- Spread the dough on a tray lined with parchment paper, about 1-1.5 cm thick, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: combine the coconut cream, cocoa powder, and maple syrup with a pinch of salt.
- Spread the filling over your dough and gently roll it up.
- Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It is sweetened with dates, ripe banana, and maple syrup, and the filling is made from coconut cream rather than dairy. There are no eggs, no butter, and no honey anywhere in the recipe, so it is fully plant-based.
It can be. The base uses ground almonds and oat flour instead of wheat flour, so there is no gluten from the flour itself. To keep it strictly gluten-free, use oats and oat flour that are labeled certified gluten-free, since standard oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat.
No, this is a completely no-bake dessert. The almond and oat base is pulsed in a food processor and chilled in the fridge to firm up, then filled, rolled, and refrigerated again until set. The oven never gets involved.
Spread the dough in an even 1 to 1.5 cm layer and chill it for 30 minutes before filling, so it is firm rather than soft. Then use the parchment paper to guide the roll over on itself instead of lifting the dough with your hands. A cold, even base rolls cleanly without splitting.
Stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge, it stays fresh for four to five days, and the flavor actually deepens after the first day. You can also freeze the finished roll, well wrapped, for up to a month and thaw it in the fridge before slicing.
Yes, and it is one of the best things about this recipe. It needs a few hours to overnight in the fridge to set, so assembling it the day before you plan to serve it works perfectly and means there is nothing left to do on the day.
Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds?
Sure!
Perfect dessert when you’re on the run!