Keto Coffee Cake

Low-carb coffee cake without almond flour or coconut flour

Unlike most keto coffee cakes which are made from almond flour or coconut flour, this one is both nut-free and coconut-free.

Rather than almond flour or coconut flour, the main component of the base layer is made with a combination of ground sunflower seed meal and whey protein. The crumb topping is made with a mixture of sunflower seeds and unflavored whey protein powder, as well as spices and monk fruit sweetener.

Keto coffee cake FAQs

Before you begin making this recipe, I would recommend reading the answers to commonly asked questions about this recipe, as well as looking through the step-by-step photos below.

Are there any ingredient substitution options?

• Ground Sunflower Seed Meal: You can make ground sunflower seed meal by pulsing raw sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor until they turn into a flour (be careful to not over-blend, as doing this will lead to making sunflower seed butter, which has a consistency similar to that of peanut butter or almond butter). If you can eat nuts, you should be able to substitute in almond flour at a 1:1 ratio substitution.
• Unflavored Whey Protein Powder: Egg white powder should work here at a 1:1 substitution. The easiest place to find this will be Amazon, though some grocery stores do carry it. If you are going to order online, I would suggest just ordering unflavored whey protein powder.
• Gluten-Free Baking Powder: You can replace the gluten-free baking powder in this recipe by making your own at home using baking soda and cream of tartar. For the 2 tsp of baking powder this recipe calls for, you will need to use 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp cream of tartar. Cream of tartar can typically be found at your grocery store with the spices. This substitution will make your recipe grain-free.
• Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener: Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Swerve, or erythritol can be used here at a 1:1 substitution ratio. Note that if you make any substitutions to the Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, the flavor of the cake may be slightly different than the original recipe intended.
• Full-Fat Greek Yogurt: Sour cream should work here. Substitute in for yogurt at a 1:1 ratio.

What is ground sunflower seed meal?

Ground sunflower seed meal is, quite literally, ground-up sunflower seeds. I buy mine pre-ground from Amazon, but you can make your own by grinding up raw sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor until it turns into a flour. As noted in the Ingredient Substitution section above, just be sure to not over-blend it as the sunflower seeds will go from being a flour consistency to the consistency of sunflower seed butter.

What is monk fruit sweetener and where can I buy it?

Monk fruit sweetener is my most-used sweetener. It is sweet like sugar, yet is net carb-free. It incorporates into recipes at a 1:1 substitution ratio for sugar.

I purchase my golden monk fruit sweetener from Lakanto’s website and have it delivered. If you also want to do this, you can use discount code REALBALANCED at checkout for 20% OFF your order.

If you’d rather find and purchase monk fruit sweetener in-store, many grocery stores, especially specialty stores and Costco, carry Lakanto products.

You can find all of my low-carb recipes that use monk fruit sweetener here.

How many net carbs per slice?

The recipe yields 16 servings, and each serving contains 3.4 grams of net carbs. One serving is equivalent to one slice of coffee cake.

The full nutrition information for this recipe, including calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions within the recipe card.

What can be served with this coffee cake?

• Cup of black coffee, keto coffee, low-carb creamy cold brew, or espresso
• Dollop of Greek or coconut yogurt
• Spoonful of keto-friendly ice cream

Who is this nut-free coffee cake suitable for?

This wonderfully moist keto coffee cake is suitable for all the following diets:

• Keto and Low-Carb: One serving contains 3.4 grams of net carbs
• Gluten-Free: This keto coffee cake is gluten-free. If you sub in a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda (instructions on doing this are listed above as well as in the recipe card), you can also make this recipe grain-free.
• Nut-Free: This is a nut-free recipe. Almond flour is not used.
• Coconut-Free: Coconut products are not needed to make this coffee cake.
• Refined Sugar-Free: This coffee cake is sweetened with monk fruit sweetener and is free from refined sugar.
• Vegetarian: This recipe is vegetarian-friendly.

How to store after baking?

Store the baked coffee cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that this will lead to the cake becoming a little denser so, if you prefer, before eating leftovers, you can heat it up in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften it.

How to make this keto coffee cake

Coffee Cake: Line a 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, stir together ground sunflower seed meal, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate clean mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together eggs, monk fruit sweetener, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla extract until pale and light in color, about 2 minutes.

Add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients and mix again with electric mixer until all ingredients are well-combined.

Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and, using a rubber spatula, smooth top into even layer. Set pan aside and allow oven to start preheating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celcius).

Crumble: In a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse sunflower seeds and sesame seeds until just floured, leaving some seeds still in-tact and chunky.

Transfer floured seeds to a clean mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula until ingredients are incorporated; the mixture will be lumpy and thick.

Spoon crumble mixture atop cake batter in baking pan and, using a rubber spatula, distribute the crumble mixture onto top of batter. Using a knife or toothpick, carefully slightly mix crumble into some of the batter to add additional texture to the cake.

Transfer baking pan to oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes before loosely covering with foil to finish cooking for additional 15-20 minutes (this is to avoid the crumble from over-browning), or until a skewer can be inserted and come out clean.

Final Steps: Remove pan from oven and allow cake to cool per slicing and serving. Note that the cake will continue to firm up while it cools outside of the oven so be sure to not over-bake.

Looking for more low-carb cake recipes?

If you enjoyed this coffee cake, you’ll love these other cake recipes:

• Keto Pumpkin Pie Mug Cake
• Nut-Free Keto Cheesecake
• Keto No-Bake Cheesecake