Cooking with Carney: Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

Dynamic Duo: Chocolate and peanut butter have long been an irresistible mashup for desserts. The pair in this cake create a simple, moist cake that’s perfect for a get together.

Carney Ziegler

It is the last week of Skinny September! This is the one of the easiest, cheapest and yummiest health-ified desserts I’ve made, and I am so excited to share it.

I’ve always seen “healthy” boxed cake mix recipes with Greek yogurt and lemon cake, or Greek yogurt with carrot cake, but I wanted to do a little twist on that. Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake, but not filled with eggs, oil, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sauce, and everything else delicious but equally terrible for you.

So, I tested out this Greek yogurt cake and it was a success! Chocolate cake, topped with chocolate pudding that soaks into this moist, dense cake, topped with a super easy whipped peanut butter spread, topped AGAIN with mini chocolate chips (if you wish). How miraculous.

The first time I baked this, I made only half a batch (using half a box of cake mix) since it was a tester recipe. But now that I know how yummy it is, I may or may not have to go stock up on boxes of chocolate cake mix…I hope you do, too!

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter lover (which is basically everyone, be honest), try this recipe! It is so simple, moist and amazing, not to mention skinny.

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes. Chill time: 2 hours. Total time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Yields: 9×13 pan; 15-18 pieces of cake

Ingredients:

  • 15.25 oz. box chocolate cake mix (I used Pillsbury Devil’s Food)
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 – 1.4 oz. boxes Sugar Free, Fat Free Chocolate Pudding Mix
  • 4 cups skim milk
  • 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 8 oz. container Sugar Free Cool Whip
  • mini chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, etc. for serving, optional

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a glass 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together cake mix, yogurt and water on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes.
  3. 3. While cake is cooling, whisk pudding mixes and milk for about 2 minutes. The pudding will start to thicken, but should not be set up.
  4. After the cake has cooled 5 minutes, use a straw or end of a wooden spoon to generously poke cake with holes, being careful to not poke all the way through. Using a spatula, carefully pour pudding evenly over the cake, making sure to fill in all holes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  5. When ready to serve, stir together peanut butter and Cool Whip in a medium bowl until combined. Spread over cooled cake. Add additional toppings if desired. Cut and serve!

*Recipe can easily be halved and baked in an 8×8″ or 9×9″ pan like I used in the pictures. To do so, simply half everything in the recipe and reduce baking time on cake. To half the boxed cake, use 1 1/2 cups of cake mix, unpacked.