This Gluten-Free Italian Christmas Cake, also known as chocolate Christmas cake or Panforte Italian Christmas Cake, is an easy-to-make holiday dessert! Featuring maple syrup, nuts, dark chocolate, cocoa, spices, and dried fruit, it’s rich in flavor with a chewy, toffee-like texture. Serve in small slices, or wrap it up as a DIY holiday gift!
The Best Italian Christmas Cake
We may not be Italian, but Italian Christmas Cake is one of our favorite holiday traditions! Also known as panforte, it’s unlike anything else you’ll ever taste! A rich, fudgy base is studded with chopped nuts and dried fruit and flavored with warm spices.
More like a rich nut and fruit cake than a true cake, every bite is decadent. A little goes a long way, but don’t be surprised when you find yourself eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Seriously, it’s that good!
Plus, with minimal prep time and a quick cook time, you can be in and out of the kitchen, dessert in hand, with a total time of less than an hour. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get baking!
Ingredients You’ll Need for a Gluten-Free Chocolate Christmas Cake
- Dried Fruit – Figs, dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins all taste great!
- Nuts – We use whole almonds and macadamia nuts. If preferred, hazelnuts, walnuts, or pistachios can be substituted, if preferred.
- Tapioca Flour – This is used to coat the nuts.
- Cocoa Powder – Make sure it’s unsweetened!
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and ground ginger add subtle warmth similar to a fruit cake or spice cake. Some people like to add a dash of nutmeg or cloves, too!
- Refined Coconut Oil – This combines with the chocolate to create a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – This adds extra depth to the cake, enhancing the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Baking Chocolate – Use dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or bittersweet baking chocolate, and chop it into pieces.
- Maple Syrup – This helps create a caramel-like liquid. Agave can be substituted if preferred.
- Coconut Palm Sugar – This gives a slightly nuttier taste and lowers the glycemic index of the cake. However, you can use raw white sugar or a sugar substitute in place of coconut sugar, if desired.
- Optional Toppings – We love to serve this Italian Christmas cake topped with powdered sugar or cacao powder!
How to Make a Gluten-Free Italian Christmas Cake
Prep-Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the fruit and nuts with a sharp knife instead. It just takes a little longer to do!
- Prepare the fruit. Before you begin, chop large dried fruit in a food processor.
- Toast the almonds. Preheat your oven, and toast the almonds just until they’re golden. Be careful not to burn!
- Chop the nuts. Transfer the toasted almonds to a food processor, and pulse until they’re coarsely chopped. Do the same with the macadamia nuts.
- Reduce the heat. Lower the temperature of the oven so it has plenty of time to cool.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and stir until evenly distributed.
- Melt the wet ingredients. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Then, add the wet ingredients, and melt, stirring to combine. Set the pan aside.
Alternative Method: If preferred, you can melt the ingredients in the microwave instead. Simply place the coconut oil and dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt in 30-second increments stirring in between.
- Boil the sugar. Combine the maple syrup and coconut palm sugar in a small pot over low heat, stirring until dissolved. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the mixture heats to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about three minutes! Once it’s hot enough, remove the mixture from the heat.
- Combine. Immediately pour the hot syrup and melted chocolate over the fruit and nut mixture, and stir quickly with a spoon until everything is combined and coated.
- Bake. Press the “dough” into a prepared cake tin or panettone mold, and use a damp spatula to press it down into the tin. Transfer the cake to the oven, and bake just until set.
Pro-Tip: Be careful not to overbake, or your cake will crumble!
- Cool. Remove the Italian Christmas cake from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for a few hours. Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar as desired.
- Slice. Use a sharp knife to cut the cake into thin slices or small blocks, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Panforte is incredibly rich on its own and can easily be enjoyed plain. However, some people like to enjoy it almost like bread or a scone, topping it with butter, cream, or preserves!
You also can’t go wrong with a warm mug of hot chocolate, dairy-free espresso con panna, or a hot toddy with spiced rum!
How to Store
Store leftover Italian Christmas cake wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freeze your panforte for up to three months. To serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and warm it in the oven when you’re ready to eat!
More of Our Favorite
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
Gluten-Free Italian Christmas Cake (Panforte) Recipe
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make this gluten-free Italian Christmas cake recipe (panforte) for a decadent holiday dessert that will transport your taste buds to Italy!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups dried fruit (figs, dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins)
- 1 ¼ cup raw whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup halved macadamia nuts or skinless hazelnut, pre-roasted or toasted
- 4 Tablespoons tapioca flour (see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 ounces (90-100 grams) chopped dark chocolate
- ¾ cup maple syrup or agave
- ⅔ cup coconut palm sugar (see notes)
- Optional: powdered sugar and cocoa or cacao powder to dust the cake
Instructions
Recipe UPDATED 12/1/2017
- Make sure all the dried fruit is chopped. If using figs or dried apricot, give them a pulse in the food processor to chop. If using smaller dried fruit, like raisins/cranberries, no need to chop.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Toast the almonds for 5-7 minutes or until golden then remove from the oven.
- Place toasted almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Do the same for the macadamia nuts or chop by hand (there will still be large pieces of nuts once chopped).
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
- Grease or line a 8 to 9 inch cake pan (or springform pan) with parchment paper. Grease the sides and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried fruit, nuts, tapioca flour, cocoa, ground ginger, cinnamon.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the coconut oil, vanilla, and dark chocolate and melt until combined. Set aside. (See notes for alternative microwave instructions).
- In a small sauce pot on low heat, combine the maple syrup and coconut palm sugar until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to heat the sugar and maple syrup until the temperature reads 240 F (115ºC.) or about 3 minutes. Once it reaches temperature, remove from the heat.
- Immediately pour the hot syrup and melted chocolate over the fruit and nut mixture. With a sturdy spoon, mix very quickly until everything is combined and coated.
- Press the batter into the prepared caked tin. Use a spatula that is a bit damp to press the batter into the tin (see notes).
- Bake about 30 to 33 minutes. Be sure not to overcook or it will crumble.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit to cool for a few hours. Once cooled, dust with cocoa and/or powdered sugar.
- Slice the cake into thin slices or small blocks (15-20 small slices or more if you cut into 1-2 inch squares). Store the cake wrapped in parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
Substitute Tips – Use raw white sugar or a sugar substitute in place of coconut sugar, if desired. Coconut palm sugar will give it a nuttier tasty and lower glycemic index. Tapioca flour or rice flour works best to coat the nuts/fruit.
Prep Tips – For melting chocolate in the microwave, simply place the coconut oil and dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Cooking in 30 second increments, stirring between, until melted. If the batter is not thoroughly mixed with the hot syrup, once placed in the cake tin (pre-baked), simply mix a a few Tablespoons each of maple syrup and sugar over high heat. Let it boil for 1 minute then pour on top of the cake tin in the areas that did not set. Then bake in the oven.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: dessert
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 29.3 g
- Sodium: 10.3 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.1 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0.3 mg
The quantity of sugar in this recipe is obscene. You fail to grasp the metabolic ramifications/reasoning behind the word Paleo.
Very disappointing to find this recipe; I had hoped for better.
There are lower sugar options if needed.
I’m so excite to make this for my family this Christmas! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes! ?
You’re welcome, Jessica! Hope you and your family enjoy! It’s a favorite in our house at Christmas!
I love the sound of this recipe. I am half Italian but have never heard of this cake. (this is what comes from the father being the Italian one and never living around the Italian side.) I looked back at an original recipe for this cake and noticed it used pistachios. Is there a reason you used hazelnuts/macadamia nuts instead? As a Texas gal myself I am always tempted to use pecans lol. Happy New Year from Fort Worth
Ohh you must ask your father about this! Curious if he has had it. I didn’t use pistachios only because I was looking for something more buttery and non green for photos. ?. Like macadamia nuts, they are around the same cost as delicious. I’ve had many people use both? Whatever floats your boat. Hope that makes sense
And I think pecans would be divine too!
Thanks for such an easy chocolate cake.
i cant find wher to add the coconut oil?
Sorry about that. I”m in the middle of updating/retesting recipe. Just added it. PLease let me know if you have any questions.
Adding this to my holiday “to-eat” list!!
This looks awesome!! “The Kiwi is obviously not Italian” made me chuckle. Oh man, I was just telling my sister how great it would be to do BBQs outdoors for Xmas. I mean we’re insane and BBQ all year round here in Alberta anyway, but yeah, to actually have warm weather for Christmas sounds amazing. Will you be going to NZ for Xmas anytime soon?
OMG it’s so fun! YOu must get down to NZ or Australia for christmas sometime. Or Hawaii. BBQ and fun in the sun. We are heading back down in March, I think.
This chocolate cake looks sexy indeed! Never grew up eating panforte–I don’t think I’ve ever tried it!–but it sounds amazing! I love how you added your own little unique twist on the traditional recipe as well!
No way! That’s awesome. Do you have an original recipe?
Superb!!! cake , we love very much this recipe and thanks to you for giving this awesome!! recipe. I will try this recipe recently. Thanks!!!
This really didn’t work. Sorry to leave a negative comment (I have enjoyed other recipes of yours) but I feel I should because perhaps you will take another look at your recipe. I am a very careful and experienced baker – I used to do it professionally. When I added the chocolate to the syrup it seized. I had to toss it and start again. Round 2 resulted in a final mixture that was nowhere near sticky enough to stay together, so I decided to abandon the recipe and solve the problem by adding some date caramel and create bites instead.
I think you should test this recipe some more since it is very frustrating to make something with expensive ingredients and have to problem solve it several times and end up with a less than satisfying result.
Oh I’m so sorry to hear that Kerry! I’ve made this 3 x. I’ve had others make it too. What kind of chocolate did you use? I’ll be sure to test again and get back to you. Thanks for the feedback!
I had the same problem. I was planning to serve it for a party tonight and I can’t even cut it. It just crumbles. I spent a lot of money on these ingredients and frustrating time trying to figure out what to do. Am thinking about pouring some bourbon or brandy on it. Otherwise I will just toss it.
I”m so sorry to hear that! I updated the recipe instructions, separating the chocolate and sugar mix after retesting. I’m about to test a 3rd time. I’ve found that it depends on the coconut flour. I’d like to give another option there due to this problem. I’ve had several had it work out great! And a few with this problem. I’m determined to find the SOLUTION so no one has this problem.
Karen and Kerry, shoot me an email and I am happy to send you a little gift due to make up for your costs and your frustrations. Thank you for your feedback, truly!
I’m not sure about your nieces and nephew but I would accept this cake as my holiday present, happily in fact. It looks like everything.
Is it too late? I’ll ship! hehe
Yummm! I loveeee panforte! A few years back I made a similar version (but not grain free/paleo) and it’s become an annual must-make!
Oh I’d love your recipe! I bet it is amazing.
These are such beautiful pictures! I have so many family members who would love to receive this as a holiday gift!
What a gorgeous recipe! I love that you made it gluten free. We always make my Grandmothers cookies… but they are the polar opposite of gluten free and healthy! haha!
The liquid coconut oil looks amazing!
I;d love that recipe, your grandmas! So fun! Maybe I could make them GF
I’ve never thought to make a Christmas cake! Fruit cake is the only one I’d even heard of. But this looks like a dessert definitely worth celebrating!
Me neither. I guess that’s why i wanted to try this spin off. Glad i did! Hooked!
you are a genius!!! how do you come up with this stuff! YUM!! NEED!
Thanks friend. Trying my best. I wish i could share. I have so much food! LOL!
Creating new traditions during the holidays is so fun, right?! This easy chocolate Christmas cake looks like a great tradition to start! Wish I had a slice right now!
totally! now I just need your company.
This is my kind of cake! Just get me straight to the chocolate 🙂
haha you know it!
Oh my gosh this looks so amazing. I swear I am going to actually cook and make one of your recipes for Christmas Eve I just don’t know if I should do this one or one of the fudges/toffees.
do it! or invite me and I will make. haha!
That looks way better than a fruitcake! 🙂
haha i hope so! <3
I love that you and your hubs try out new recipes to form your own holiday traditions! Such a fun change-up. This cake is perfection! I love panforte and am obsessed with this healthier version. Coconut oil and coconut sugar is absolutely amazing in baked goodies ..I have everything I need to whip this up!
right? coconut oil and sugar are like gifts from the paleo/vegan gods! bahahaha!
Love that you and your hubby made your own traditions! This cake is just gorgeous!
Thanks jess!
Oh wow. Delicious. I love that you and your husband do different traditions for holidays; it’s so fun to try new cuisines and new recipes for celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. <3 And if I were your niece or nephew, I would totally love cookies or cake from you.
i want the celebrations to be all year! haha, okay well you know what i mean. It’s fun and really makes the season BRIGHT! <3 you
This is a stunner!! Yay for coconut oil, I love all the healthier swaps you made without sacrificing flavor. Gorgeous photos as always!
Thanks! I think you’ll love it too!
I would eat the entire thing! YUM!
LOL, I won’t tell! 😉
oh my! Give me all the chocolate things!
I know, right?! You have to try this!
Oh man… I LOVE panforte!!! This sounds amazing. I love all Christmas baked goods. Fudge is a staple every year, as are various cookies. Didn’t you have a GF sugar cookie recipe? Vegas has been asking for them…
P.S. Rhyming in a Christmas tradition/baking post? You’re too corny. LOL!
I sure do! It’s the cinnamon spiced paleo sugar cookie. Sooo freakin good
Ps I’m a cornball. I know
All the memories of fruit cake flooding back with this one.. but this one looks so much better! I might have to find time to whip this up for my grandma’s since neither can bake this year being in a nursing home/ recovery (broken hip) center.
That would be so sweet to do for your grandmas!
Seriously this cake is absolutely beautiful and your photography is incredible!
Thanks matt! You and Naomi must be rubbing off on me. ?
So I know that this is supposed to be a shared Christmas Cake and all that – but there’s no way this sucker would make it out of my house. I’m calling DIBS on the entire thing! Though I must admit that I am on a full mission to trick my little brother daily into eating healthy sweets. I got him to eat a chickpea blondie the other day and he LOVED it – then went backwards when I told him what it was made of and said he hated it 😉 This Chocolate Christmas Cake may just have to be put to the test!! 😉
Haha! You can totally call DIBS on this! And make one for your little brother too! I predict it will pass the test! 😉
I wonder if I made this cake for the in-laws (who notoriously love alllll things traditional for the holidays – ie, LOTS of sugar and flour)… If they would adore it?! Hmmmmmm!!!!! Testing 😉
I say go for it and report back!
Hey girl. I just came here to say that your photos have been ON POINT lately. Major photography envy over here! 😉
You are too kind friend! I actually have not liked my photos lately. Haha. We are our own worst critic. Right? And you are amazing! Keep inspiring us
Seriously… your writing/stories (I’m nosy ;)) & photography is AMAZING! love love love this!!! xxoo
Oh PS. Cotter Crunch Paleo sweet potato pie will be a new “Holiday Tradition”
Ps i adore you! You make me smile and I am thankful
I’m not a very great cake maker but this looks easy and delicious! Pinned for later 🙂
It is easy! Would love to hear if you make it!
What a fun thing to make for the holidays! It’s a unique twist on those fruit and nut cakes you see in the grocery stores, and looks way more appealing. It looks so yummy!!
Thanks! Hope you try this!
Oh, yum! I do a lot holiday baking but not much with chocolate – this could change that!
You so should!
You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy this cake! I want it to be a new tradition in this house, too!
I kinda wish I was Italian. More wine! LOL!
I love a good Christmas cake!
The recipe that is traditional in my family is the kind that is baked in a loaf pan, studded with tons of dried fruit and soaked in brandy or rum a few weeks before Christmas. I always anticipate a slice each Christmas.
I have pinned your recipe so I can give it a go, how can a dark chocolate Christmas cake be anything but fabulous?!
Oh wonderful! Keep me posted! love the brandy part
This is screaming for some vanilla ice cream. Like, wailing for it.
yup, you know it!
It’s 6:30am and I’m ready for a few slices of this cake. Drooling over here! 🙂
I had some for breakfast. Not gonna lie
Yum! I’ll take a slice! I don’t need to be talked into chocolate cake anytime of year.