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Real Balanced

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Home Recipes Keto Coffee Cake

Keto Coffee Cake

Net Carbs:3.4g
Published:12/14/20Updated:04/05/21
18 Comments This post contains affiliate links.
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K CF VG NF

This Keto Coffee Cake is made without almond flour or coconut flour, is low in carbs, and would make for the perfect accompaniment alongside your morning cup of coffee. The recipe requires just 15 minutes of prep time and the cake can be made and served in 1 hour.

This recipe post is being shared in partnership with Lakanto.

overhead image of keto coffee cake sliced into 16 pieces

Be sure to read through the blog post for the answers to frequently asked questions before you move on to the recipe card and begin making this recipe. You will find step-by-step photos within the blog post (located above the recipe card) that will help you to successfully make this recipe for Keto Coffee Cake.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

sliced keto coffee cake

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.

a mixing bowl with 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.

a mixing bowl with mixed eggs, monk fruit sweetener, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla extract

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

a mixing bowl with mixed eggs, monk fruit sweetener, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla extract

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).

baking pan with poured mixture

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.

blender with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds

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.

a mixing bowl with floured seeds and crushed sunflower seeds and sesame seeds

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.

baking pan with parchment paper filled with mixture

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.

baking pan with parchment paper containing keto coffee cake

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.

angled image of keto coffee cake sliced into 16 pieces

Looking for more low-carb cake recipes?

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

  • Instant Pot Lava Cakes
  • Keto Pumpkin Pie Mug Cake
  • Nut-Free Keto Cheesecake
  • Keto No-Bake Cheesecake
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angled image of keto coffee cake sliced into 16 pieces

Keto Coffee Cake


★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Sara Nelson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 16 pieces 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe
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Description

This Keto Coffee Cake is made without almond flour or coconut flour, is low in carbs, and would make for the perfect accompaniment alongside your morning cup of coffee. The recipe requires just 15 minutes of prep time and the cake can be made and served in just 1 hour.


Ingredients

Coffee Cake:

  • 1 ¾ cup (193g) ground sunflower seed meal
  • 1 scoop (29g) unflavored whey protein powder
  • 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp of salt
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup + 1 tsp (100g) golden monk fruit sweetener
  • ½ cup (4 oz) melted butter
  • ¼ cup (57g) full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum

Crumble Topping:

  • ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds (41g)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds (18g)
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 tbsp (24g) golden monk fruit sweetener
  • 2 tbsp (1 oz) melted butter
  • 1 tbsp (~7g) unflavored whey protein powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Coffee Cake: Line a 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together ground sunflower seed meal, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. 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 preaheating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celcius).
  4. Crumble Topping: 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Recipe Notes:

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. 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.

Ground Sunflower Seed Meal Substitution: You can make ground sunflower seed meal by pulsing raw sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor until they turn into a flour. If you can eat nuts, you should be able to substitute in almond flour at a 1:1 ratio substitution.

Unflavored Whey Protein Powder Substitution: 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 Substitution: 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.

Where Monk Fruit Sweetener Can Be Purchased: 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.

Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener Substitution: 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 Substitution: Sour cream should work here. Substitute in for yogurt at a 1:1 ratio.

Net Carbs: 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.

Storage: 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.

Keywords: keto coffee cake, coffee cake recipe, easy coffee cake recipe

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram at @realbalanced or leave me a comment & rating below.

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18 Comments

  1. Jo says

    January 4, 2021 at 7:59 am

    Love how good this is and that’s it’s nut free too and still light and fluffy. Had a slice with a cuppa every day this week. Thanks Sara.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Christine says

    July 20, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Oh my goodness. This is delicious. Light and fluffy like a real baked good instead of the dense keto baked goods that I’m used to. I think the topping was a bit too messy–mine didn’t turn into a crumble so much as a bunch of sugary coconut shreds, but it was still amazing. Can’t thank you enough!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Sara Nelson says

      July 21, 2020 at 9:32 am

      I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed, Christine!

      Reply
  3. Linsy Wilson says

    June 27, 2020 at 11:13 am

    I was afraid this would be eggy, but it was fantastic. I am so glad I tried this recipe. We were going on vacation with a friend who is extremely allergic to nuts. I had to find nut-free keto recipes so that we weren’t putting her at risk. I am SO pleased with this recipe, that I make it all the time now.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Lara says

    April 15, 2019 at 6:43 am

    Does it taste eggy? 9 eggs! I would try it though but I don’t see coffee listed anywhere in the ingredients?!

    Reply
    • Sara Nelson says

      April 15, 2019 at 9:48 am

      Hey, Lara! No, it doesn’t taste eggy. The purpose of the eggs is to act as a “glue” to hold all of the ingredients together. As for coffee not being an ingredient, coffee is actually not in coffee cake. It’s a dessert meant to compliment a cup of coffee.

      Reply
      • Lara says

        April 16, 2019 at 9:45 am

        Thanks for the reply! I am going to try this because the egg would help in my protien intake 🙂 I see i was looking for a coffee flavored cake but this might be yummy too. I don’t have lakanto ( it’s not available where I live) but I hope stevia or truvia would work too 🙂

        Reply
        • Sara Nelson says

          April 16, 2019 at 10:16 am

          Of course! You can absolutely add some espresso powder do the recipe, which will give it a coffee flavor! I’d suggest doing like 1-2 tsp espresso powder. 🙂 And, you can sub in Truvia here at a 1:1 ratio for monk fruit sweetener. Enjoy, Lara!

          Reply
          • Lara says

            April 17, 2019 at 7:59 am

            Thanks so much. Love your blog ?

  5. Charlotte Moore says

    February 22, 2019 at 7:39 am

    When I subtracted the fiber from the total carbs I get 1.7 carbs. It says it is 3.5 in the beginning of the recipe.

    Reply
  6. Brandy says

    February 9, 2019 at 8:04 am

    Do you think I could use a bundt pan with this recipe? Would I need to double it? Thanks

    Reply
    • Sara Nelson says

      February 11, 2019 at 9:40 am

      I think it would work in a bundt pan! I don’t think you’d need to double it, depending on the size of the bundt pan you use, of course! If it’s a large pan, then yes, I would perhaps double it; if you do that, though, note that baking time will likely need to be increased.

      Reply
  7. Cathy says

    November 10, 2018 at 9:49 am

    What size casserole dish are we to use? I used a loaf pan and it had to cook for 55 minutes. Did you use aq 8×8 or ?? It turned out very good, however the icing was grainny (but good) I would like to make this again, but with the proper pan.

    Cathy

    Reply
    • realbalanced says

      November 10, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Hi, Cathy! Thanks for your comment! Yes, this should be baked in an 8×8 baking pan. I updated the recipe card to reflect that!

      Reply
  8. Jessica says

    August 3, 2018 at 5:25 pm

    Wish I’d known to use a large casserole pan , instead of a brownie size pan. Cake didn’t bake , and rose Wayne too high. If I don’t put it in a larger pan , it would have worked. Also, the cumble came out soupy, too much coconut oil. Wish I’d slowly added the oil, the name I would have known and stopped at two table spoons. So I had to put the crumble into a bread pan and cook it separately to make it solid. Tastes great, though. I will try it again with fixes.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • realbalanced says

      August 3, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      Thank you for that feedback, Jessica! I’m glad you enjoyed the taste! It’s one of my favorite recipes!!!

      Reply
  9. Ryan says

    June 1, 2018 at 10:27 am

    Easily my new favorite breakfast (dessert?) in the house!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • realbalanced says

      June 1, 2018 at 10:40 am

      Breakfast dessert! The best meal of the day! 🙂 Thank you!!!

      Reply

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My name is Sara Nelson and I am the face behind Real Balanced. I am a Mom to Lucy and Simon, obsessed with my Boston Terrier, and a proud Wisconsinite. On my site, you will find delicious low-carb, keto-friendly, nut-free, and 30-minute recipes. Read More
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