Notes: Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-minute oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find them in canisters right next to the old-fashioned oats at the grocery store. (You’ll also use instant oats in all of these snack cake recipes and these cookie recipes of mine, too!) In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.

Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this. I don’t recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder because they have a different acidity level, which will affect the taste and texture of your snack cake.

For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.

It’s extremely important to measure the flour, cocoa powder, and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of any will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture — especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cake batter. Too much cocoa powder will also make your snack cake taste bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty.

Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

For a sweeter flavor, increase the maple syrup by an additional 2 tablespoons (½ cup total), and decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons (5 tablespoons instead).

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}