• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Eat Something Delicious

  • About
    • FAQ
    • Ingredient Guide
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Contact Me
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts & Treats
    • Drinks
    • Entrees
    • Family Favorites
    • I'm Only Human Recipes
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Sauces, Spices, & Extras
    • Seafood
    • Sides
    • Soups
  • Beyond Recipes
  • Contact Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Extras
  • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Extras
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake

    August 30, 2018 By Meagan Fikes 4 Comments

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com


    Some links on this site are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase at one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Additionally, I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I only link to products and services I personally recommend and believe will benefit my readers. These links help to cover some of my blogging expenses. I appreciate your support!


    Click this button to skip straight to the recipe
    This is my first time making a flavored gooey butter cake. I can't remember who I got it from but I have a family recipe for gooey butter cake which I used as a starting point for my dairy free, gluten free version of "original flavor" gooey butter cake. The recipe includes lots of different flavor ideas in the notes section that I never thought to try before - the original is so good, why would I want to change it?!

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    One of the flavors was chocolate gooey butter cake which basically involves swapping the yellow cake mix for a chocolate one and adding some cocoa powder to the gooey filling. There was also a peanut butter version but I didn't like that the peanut butter was mixed into the top layer because it might affect the texture (not that I ever tried it).

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    For this recipe, I decided to swap the peanut butter for allergy-friendly sunbutter and layer it between the cake and topping so there was no change to the texture of the topping. In the cake I tested while developing the recipe, I actually did peanut butter on one half since Lenny likes it better and it was on sale but either one will work depending on your needs and preferences.

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    In addition to using cocoa powder and chocolate cake mix, I also added allergy-friendly chocolate chips to the cake layer to make it extra chocolatey. The cake mix I used is by Simple Mills. I just recently tried it for the first time to make cupcakes for girl's weekend. I used their vanilla frosting on top and they were so good!

    What's really clever about the Simple Mills cake mix (no, they aren't sponsoring this post, I just really like them and think you will too) is that the box includes instructions for making muffins, cake/cupcakes, or brownies all from the same mix! I almost made the "crust" layer from brownies for this recipe but I wanted more of a traditional gooey butter cake texture. I might try it another time though!

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    What really surprised me about this recipe is how incredibly heavy that 9X13 pan got! I picked it up with one hand and had to readjust so I didn't lose my grip. It easily serves a crowd! Really think about it though - there's 20 oz of cake mix, an entire pound of powdered sugar (yes, seriously), about a pound of sunbutter, a half pound of butter alternative, plus several other ingredients. That's at least 3 ¾ pounds of chocolate sunbuttery goodness for you to share with about 17 of your closest friends. Or not. Totally up to you.

    This definitely isn't the end for my gooey butter cake posts. I have a few more flavors I want to try and plan on making one this weekend while I have a tub of dairy free cream cheese on hand. I'm a little obsessed with these right now and I'm hoping you are sharing my enthusiasm!

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

     

    Print

    Recipe

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Meagan Fikes
    • Prep Time: 15
    • Cook Time: 45
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: one 9X13 inch cake (about 18 servings) 1x
    • Method: baking
    Print
    Pin

    Description

    Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy.


    Ingredients

    Bottom cake layer:

    • 18 oz gluten free dairy free chocolate cake mix *see notes
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ C (one stick) earth balance soy free buttery sticks, melted
    • ¾ C dark chocolate chips (I recommend Enjoy Life chocolate chips for a gluten free/soy free/dairy free option)

    Middle layer:

    • 1 ½ C sunbutter (I recommend the organic SunButter since there's no sugar or salt added, feel free to sub peanut butter if allergies permit)

    Gooey layer:

    • 8 oz (one package) Daiya plain cream cheeze style spread, softened
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ C (one stick) earth balance soy free buttery sticks, melted
    • 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
    • 1 lb powdered sugar (grain/corn free, if needed)
    • ¼ C cocoa powder

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a lightly colored, metal 9×13 inch pan.
    2. Using either a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the cake mix, one egg, and ½ C melted butter alternative. Once combined, it will be crumbly. Stir in the chocolate chips then press this mixture into the bottom of the pan.
    3. Warm the sunbutter or peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until runny enough to easily spread. Stir to reincorporate the oils then pour this over the cake layer and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
    4. Using a mixer again, beat the cream cheese alternative until it is as smooth as possible (it may stay a little lumpy but you will be able to completely smooth it in the next step).
    5. Add the two remaining eggs, the other ½ C butter alternative, and vanilla extract and beat until completely smooth.
    6. Gradually mix in all of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. The end result should be like a smooth batter. Pour this over the sunbutter layer and gently tap the pan on the counter to get it to spread out evenly.
    7. Bake for 35-50 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. The center should still be a little jiggly and finish setting once it’s removed from the oven (like a baked cheesecake). Additionally, some oil may pool on the top of the cake – don’t confuse this oil with undercooked batter or you could end up over cooking it.
    8. Once the cake has been removed from the oven and cooled, you can either leave it as-is or dust with additional powdered sugar before serving.

    Notes

    I originally used Simple Mills Chocolate Muffin & Cake Mix in this recipe but the Simple Mills allergen chart (updated 4/9/2019) shows it is made on shared equipment with wheat (as well as milk and other potential allergens you may have, click on "Allergen Info" on their product page to read more) so I will be using a different brand going forward. Any gluten free/dairy free cake mix should work just fine but know that it is currently untested with other brands.

    Brands other than those I’ve linked to in the ingredients section may or may not work but these are the brands I tested the recipe with. An exception would be the grain free powdered sugar – I used conventional powdered sugar but either one will work fine. Additionally, any chocolate chip will work but others may not be as "allergy friendly" as the brand I linked to so keep that in mind if you have food allergies.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @eatsomethingdelicious on Instagram and hashtag it #eatsomethingdelicious

     

    Chocolate Sunbutter Gooey Butter Cake | Chocolate flavored gooey butter cake with a thick layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter!) in the middle. Free from dairy, gluten, grains, and soy. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    « Dairy Free Gooey Butter Cake
    Onion Sesame Bagel Dogs »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bill

      August 31, 2018 at 7:09 am

      Looks really good. I can see lots of variation possibilities, so looking forward to what you come up with. Bottom, middle, and gooey -- nice! (I learn so much from your posts.)

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        August 31, 2018 at 12:51 pm

        Thanks, Bill! I’m excited to try this next one. I have a lot of ideas for variations but I’m trying to stick to just one more for now (it’s seasonal) and then move on to different recipes for a while.

        Reply
    2. Tracy

      October 10, 2018 at 5:28 am

      So good, I could eat the whole pan.

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        October 10, 2018 at 11:24 am

        Lol they’re addicting, aren’t they?

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About Meagan

    About Meagan

    I started out with a passion for creating unique recipes and decorating cakes. In June of 2012, I discovered I was not only severely gluten intolerant but also, many of the foods I was eating I simply couldn't include in my diet anymore. Fortunately, my love for trying new recipes, ingredients, and cooking methods made re-learning how to cook seem more like a fun challenge than an unfortunate circumstance. I'm so happy to say that my dietary restrictions haven't stopped me from doing what I love. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

    Some links on this site are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase at one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products and services I personally recommend and believe will benefit my readers. These links help to cover some of my blogging expenses. I appreciate your support!

    I'm a member of Food Blogger Pro. Learn how to start and grow your food blog.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Eat Something Delicious logo

    Additional Content

    • Ingredient Guide
    • Gluten Intolerance & Celiac Disease
    • Recipe Index
    • FAQ

    Still Hungry?

    Join my newsletter to get email exclusive recipes, free downloads, and notifications of new blog posts - all by email.

    Sign Me Up!

    eatsomethingdelicious

    Gluten free & dairy free recipes.
    Business account: @slipstreamwebdesign

    I was going to write some jokes about logging but I was going to write some jokes about logging but you wooden get them. Because they’re super dumb. Ok, I’ll share anyway.
.
How do lumberjacks find a missing exponent?
By using LOGarithms
.
What did the lumberjack wear to work on casual Friday?
His favorite Tree-shirt
.
When is the most stressful time of year for a tree?
Sept-timber
.
I told you they were bad, right? 😅 Cut me some slack, they were for a kids birthday party. Oh, and I have more…
.
Why did the logger get a gym membership?
He wanted to get lumber jacked 💪
.
Why couldn’t the tree answer the riddle?
He was stumped
.
What kind of beer do lumberjacks drink?
Loggers 🍻
.
Why did the logger have back pain?
He didn’t have enough lumber support
.
Embarrassingly enough, I have a bunch more but I’ll save them for a project in a later blog post. For now, I just have the cake.
.
This is a 2 part, absolutely massive blog post on making this logging scene cake from start to finish. The cake is chocolate and vanilla layers with cookies & cream filling. And as always, gluten free and dairy free.
.
The recipe is at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
Thanks for chopping by 👋
.
.
.
.
.
#glutenfree #dairyfree #dessert #foodallergies #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious #cakedecorating #foodbloggerpro #cake
    Big news: I cleaned my house the other day 😅 Bu Big news: I cleaned my house the other day 😅 But seriously, it’s amazing how much having a clean space can help. My energy levels are completely uncalled for considering we’re well beyond a month of Erika barely sleeping at night and at least one family member dealing with a cold. I’m so tired of snot 😩 And being responsible for 3 peoples noses. We’re trying to graduate one nose to self-care but apparently the art of nose blowing takes a lot more boxes of tissues to master. We’ll get there.
.
Ok enough gross stuff. My finally clean again space has made me so much more focused and motivated to get things done. I’ve burned through most of my work to-do list and made it to the fun stuff that I don’t have to do but just want to. And since I was at that point, I decided to do something for myself by working on my blog. And I went a little overboard by working on 5 blog posts at once. I probably won’t get through them all but I have 3 ready so far.
.
This first post is a 30 minute ground beef stroganoff that I made almost 3 years ago. I didn’t do a great job writing down the recipe so I wasn’t able to post it until I figured out what I forgot to write down. Figured it out the other day and it was so good!
.
You can get the recipe at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
.
.
.
.
.
#glutenfree #dairyfree #celiac #eatsomethingdelicious #30minutemeals #foodallergies #foodbloggerpro #glutenintolerant
    Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th b Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th birthday cake on the blog today. Also wrote a recap on everything that’s been going on for the past year since I would normally write about it in my blog posts but haven’t written anything! I don’t know when I’ll be back on there. I’ve only had time for site maintenance and I really miss blogging but I’ll be back on once things slow down. The link to the new post is in my profile!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#glutenfree #dairyfree #cakedecorating #foodallergies #celiacdisease
    I almost didn’t make this into a casserole becau I almost didn’t make this into a casserole because the sauce and pasta combined made a delicious side dish on their own! @beldolcefood #sponsored my most recent blog post and provided me with their new gluten free fusilli and penne to try out. I used the fusilli in this recipe and the sauce is a creamy, cheesy enchilada sauce made from just 3 ingredients.
.
I ended up adding taco meat, fire roasted tomatoes, corn, black beans, and dairy free cheese to make a taco noodle casserole. Then we ate it all and I made it again! This is one of those recipes that will be going in our regular meal rotation.
.
This is a pretty versatile recipe. It can be made vegan just by leaving out the meat and it’s just as good. And as I said earlier, the pasta with just the sauce makes a really good side dish. You can also top it with whatever you like such as cilantro, jalapeños, sour cream, scallions, or salsa.
.
The recipe and details on @beldolcefood new gluten free pasta is linked in my profile:
@eatsomethingdelicious
Let me know if you try it!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#glutenfree #dairyfree #glutenfreefacility #pasta #casserole #beldolce #foodallergies #f52grams #foodbloggerpro #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious
    I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers t I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers that makes cakes for their blogs “birthdays”. Or uses the blog birthdays as an excuse to make yet another cake recipe....yeah, that’s probably more accurate.
.
Definitely felt like I needed a good excuse for this one because it’s my fifth variation of gooey butter cake! However, my site is seven years old so maybe I should have had seven gooey butter cakes ready to go? Guess I’d better get caught up before year eight 😉
.
Anyways, I really enjoyed this carrot cake variation of gooey butter cake. The cake layer/crust swaps out the yellow cake mix with spice cake mix and I added in some shredded carrots and raisins. I kept the “gooey” top layer the same except that I topped it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and additional raisins before baking.
.
If you want to try the recipe, the link is in my profile: @eatsomethingdelicious
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#gooeybuttercake #foodallergies #glutenfree #dairyfree #foodbloggerpro #baking #celiac #f52grams #f52sweets #glutenintolerant #carrotcake
#glutenfreelife #eatsomethingdelicious
    Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The carame Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The caramel stuffed crispy rice treats recipe is written below. The other recipes (gooey butter cookies, salted caramel turtles, and pumpkin snickerdoodles) can be found at the link in my bio!
.
CARAMEL STUFFED CRISPY RICE TREATS
.
INGREDIENTS
.
• ¼ C dairy free butter, divided
• 4 C mini marshmallows (regular and vegan both work), divided
• 6 C gluten free rice cereal *see notes*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 10-11 oz dairy free chewy caramels
• 11.25 oz can sweetened condensed coconut milk
.
DIRECTIONS
.
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the dairy free butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cups of marshmallows and stir until they are melted with no lumps.
2. Remove from heat and stir in ½ tsp of vanilla then gently fold in 3 cups of cereal until it is well-combined with the marshmallows.
3. Using wet hands, press this mixture evenly into the bottom of a 7x11 inch casserole dish and set aside.
4. Unwrap the caramels and add them along with the sweetened condensed coconut milk to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often to avoid burning. Once this has turned to a completely smooth sauce, pour over the cereal layer.
5. Make your top cereal layer by repeating steps 1 and 2. Distribute this evenly over the caramel layer and pat down with wet hands.
6. Once the treats have cooled down, they will firm up and hold their shape when cut. Cut into squares and serve.
.
NOTES
.
• Potential allergens contained in this recipe may vary due to brands of ingredients used, product reformulations, etc. Please verify that all your ingredients are safe for you to consume and always be mindful of allergen cross contamination while cooking.
• Double check that the cereal you use is gluten free. At least one brand carries 2 different versions of rice cereal and only one is GF.
• Don't make both cereal layers in one large batch then divide it up. The top layer will cool and firm up before you can layer it on which will make the caramel seep out when you press it down.
    Follow on Instagram

    Privacy Policy • Privacy Settings • Cookie Policy • Terms of Service • Accessibility Policy • Disclaimer

    COPYRIGHT © 2014-2025 EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED