This tender keto coffee cake has all the amazing flavor of a gooey home-baked cinnamon roll, but with far less effort. Grab a fork and dive in!
Sometimes I take a bite of one of my own creations and I think to myself “I am really good at this!”. That isn’t quite as self-aggrandizing as it may seem, since it genuinely takes me by surprise.
And this Keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake is a prime example. I created it many years ago and I remember that exact reaction. It is the perfect combination of tender keto coffee cake and sweet keto cinnamon rolls.
And it’s a recipe I return to again and again. It meet with approval from everyone I serve it to!
You will love this easy cake recipe
Who doesn’t love an ooey gooey cinnamon roll? But the conventional kind are insanely carb-heavy. And the homemade keto variety, which is usually made with mozzarella dough, take quite a bit of effort to make.
This Keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake offers those same wonderful flavors in an easy-to-make package. Simply prepare the almond flour cake batter, and layer it with a cinnamon “sugar” filling.
Bake to golden brown perfection, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon “sugar”. Then drizzle on a little cream cheese icing and you are transported to sweet cinnamon roll heaven.
I really did bite into this keto cake recipe and think “yeah, I am really good at this!”. Call it egotistical if you will. I just call it delicious.
Reader Reviews
“Hands down this is best coffee cake recipe ever! It even tops my favorite recipe from my pre keto days! I used a glass pan so I had to bake a bit longer, but turned out fine. And I added chopped walnuts to filling and topping, fantastic! Definite 5 star rating!” — Jes
“This is a Winner! Thank you Carolyn for such great recipes! You are my “go to” site (and I also have one of your cookbooks) for delicious Keto! I made the salmon and vegetables for dinner tonight!! Cinnamon Roll coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow.” — Janet
“Made this one today… holy cow it’s moist. Melts in your mouth! No chewing required lol Ended up taking some to neighbors and will be taking some to a girlfriend in the morning wrapped up with your dessert cookbook. Now I have none left. Guess we’re making another tomorrow!” — Elizabeth
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: As with any almond flour recipe, the finer your flour, the better the consistency of the cake. I always have good results with Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sweetener: I recommend using an erythritol based sweetener for the cake, as allulose can cause it to darken very quickly. But you have options for the filling and frosting!
- Cinnamon: Do yourself a solid and use a good ground cinnamon. If your’s isn’t fresh, consider adding a little more to punch up the flavor.
- Protein powder: Using unflavored protein powder helps the cake rise better and have a fluffy consistency. You can also use egg white protein powder.
- Almond milk: I use a little almond milk to thin out the muffin batter but you can also use water.
- Cream cheese: A little cream cheese drizzle makes this all the more cinnamon roll-esque. Let it soften first for smoother mixing.
- Heavy whipping cream: A little cream is used for the cream cheese icing.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, butter, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl combine the sweetener and cinnamon and mix well. Set aside.
2. Prepare the cake batter: Whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the almond milk and continue to stir until well combined.
3. Assemble the cake: Spread half of the batter a greased 9×9 inch baking pan, then sprinkle with about two thirds of the cinnamon filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter over top and smooth with a knife or an offset spatula.
4. Bake the cake: Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown the top is just firm to the touch.
5. Add the topping: Brush the cake with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon filling mixture. Let cool in pan.
6. Drizzle with frosting: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Pipe or drizzle over cooled cake.
Tips for Success
I use a metal pan for my coffee cake recipe. You can use glass or ceramic pans, but they don’t conduct heat efficiently the way metal does. But once they heat up, they hold onto the heat so you risk burning the edges while the center isn’t cooked.
If you are NOT using a metal pan, you will need to lower the oven temperature by about 25 to 50 degrees, and bake 15 to 30 minutes longer. That way, the edges don’t get browned before the center is cooked.
Yes, the protein powder is important to this recipe. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein powder helps the cake rise properly. That’s why my cakes are light and fluffy compared to may keto cake recipes. You can sub egg white protein powder if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many readers outside of North America question why “coffee cake” don’t actually contain coffee. It’s easy to understand the confusion. American-style coffee cake is so named because it’s meant to be served with coffee. It’s often consumed at breakfast or brunch, or sometimes as part of a coffee break in the afternoon.
Because this coffee cake has a cream cheese frosting, leftovers should be covered and refrigerated. It will last like this for up to a week.
This keto cinnamon roll coffee cake recipe has 5.4g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.0g net carbs per slice.
More delicious keto coffee cake recipes!
Keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling:
- 3 tbsp (21.3 g) granulated sweetener, (erythritol or allulose)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cake:
- 3 cups (336 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) erythritol sweetener
- 1/4 cup (27 g) unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) almond milk or water
- 1 tbsp melted butter
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 1/2 ounces (44.13 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp powdered sweetener, (erythritol or allulose)
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Combine the Swerve and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease an 9×9 inch baking pan.
- Whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the almond milk and continue to stir until well combined.
- Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan, then sprinkle with about two thirds of the cinnamon filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter over top and smooth with a knife or an offset spatula.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven.
- Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon filling mixture. Let cool completely in the pan.
Frosting
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Pipe or drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Hi Carolyn,
I think it’s pretty obvious that you do a number of things quite well! Besides being a fabulous writer and story teller, you are an incredible cook and recipe developer and we in the blogosphere are only too appreciative for your abilities and creativty! Thanks so much for being a passionate food writer and blogger! Our low carb GAPS diet world is a tastier and better place because of you!
Thanks for All You Do!
Thank you so much, Kari!
Hello Carolyn!! I baked this cake today and I must say…it was soooo gooood!! I followed your recipe exactly except I added my leftover sugarfree/cinnamon topping that I had (made too much) and mixed it into the cream cheese icing. I piped that on top and this was great. I cut it into small bars…about 15 or so, to keep myself from eating it all. I can stop at 2 or three if I set my mind up to it. Thank you for another great recipe!! WuuuHuuu!!
I like your use of the leftover cinnamon topping!
HA! I had no idea you were an academic advisor. I could totally see that. I’ve always loved a good coffee cake but so rarely make them because E and I will totally devour the whole things ourselves. But the next time I’m going to a brunch, I know what I’m making!
It is so nice to hear you say that, because I think it about myself all the time. I know I’m a good cook (because of all the reasons you stated) and I know I’m a good writer. And while I dabble in French cooking on my blog, I’m starting to think that writing is going to be the thing that takes over. (I’m publishing my memoir, a chapter at a time on my blog each Monday, and plan to publish it before starting on the next book).
But I have just as many insecurities as the next person. I think highly enough of myself, but hopefully not too much so. I’m happy to recognize the skills and talents in the person next to me, even when they are better than I am. But oh, when you find that groove and you just fall into it and you think – I could write (cook) forever and never grow tired of it – it is SUCH a great feeling. 🙂
And, by the way, as soon as I saw this recipe (before I even opened the post), I knew it was what I’d be making tonight for my guests. 🙂 You are skilled, my friend.
I’d forgotten that you write a blog too, so I just hopped on over. I read the When I Was a Princess post but couldn’t find a way to comment (I am not un-technical but I couldn’t see where to enter one). It’s lovely and YOU are lovely. Your stories are wonderful. I love the writing part too and part of what I love about food blogging is that it serves both loves so well.
I need to start reading your memoir (memoire). I hope I can find you on Blog Lovin so I can follow at regular intervals.
Carolyn- Just made the Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake and it seemed liked there was at least twice the amount of flour that the other ingredients could accommodate. Is there a typo? I added 3 cups of almond milk to get the batter to hold together.
3 tbsp Swerve Sweetener or granulated erythritol
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener or granulated erythritol
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol
1 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Nope, my amounts are correct. So many people have made this recipe without issue. What kind of almond flour were you using? Sounds like maybe it was the Sukrin defatted kind that’s powdery? That’s very different stuff than regular almond flour.
My apologies! That will teach me to cook WITH my glasses on. I just discovered I grabbed a bag of Coconut flour! My bad.
Hahaha that’s so dang funny! I’m careful to make sure my glasses are on as I’ve had some pretty close calls myself. Glad to know I’m not alone lol.
Hi Carolyn,
I “discovered” (I know you weren’t lost, but maybe I was) you blog last week, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I believe you may have just changed my life.
Probably not surprisingly, the first recipe of yours I tried was the crusted almond butter cake (so delicious!!!! THANK YOU!!!) promptly followed by your pumpkin/cardamom creation (it was my first time ever using cardamom, I found some green pods at my neighborhood grocery store that I then managed to peel and grind by hand – I suspect it may have had a stronger flavor than the pre-ground variety, but I still loved the cake). And, even with that small a samlpe size, I can absolutely agree with your assesement that you are very good at what you do, and I can’t wait to try this new recipe.
You rock, lady!
Thank you, Diana! I appreciate your kind words.
I love this recipe! How do I make it into cupcakes or muffins
Should be pretty straightforward, but I’ve never tried it. It will only make 12.
This is fantastic! My dad is going to love it – he can’t have sugar anymore!
Great almond flour coffee cake recipe, Carolyn! Pinning to our group board to share! xo
oh yes, and I just love cream cheese icing! This looks so good Carolyn, what a great way to lighten up a old favorite.
This looks fantastic. I’ve been craving cinnamon roll flavors for a while, now, and nothing seems to sate it. Perhaps this will help… 🙂
This looks amazing and I want to make it right now. Any substitution suggestion for unflavored whey protein? Or should I just be patient to make this recipe until I get some.
Do you have any kind of protein powder? Even meringue powder (powdered egg whites) would help. You could use vanilla protein powder but it will taste somewhat different and have a strong vanilla flavour (in which case, skip the vanilla extract). If you don’t put in some extra protein, it won’t rise properly…mind you, it would still taste good!
Yeah, I have vanilla protein powder. I want this to turn out so I think I’m going to get some unflavored this weekend. Thanks for the reply and recipe!
Carolyn would collagen work in place of the whey protein? 🙂
No, absolutely not. I have tried collagen in baked goods and they end up very gummy.
What about gelatin in replacement of whey protein powder?
No, that would make it very gummy. I’ve tried.
I use 1/4 hemp hearts and it works beautifully.
1/4 c. Hemp hearts in place of protein powder??
Does protein isolate work instead of protein powder?
Yes, it should work fine.
I’ve made this with Orgain Chocolate Protein Powder (all I had at the time). Comes out perfectly delicious. It’s a favorite in our house. I let it sit for awhile and don’t serve warm. It’s so good the next day when it’s firmer and super moist. I didn’t like flavor as much warm as I do cold. But that’s normal for me. I’m the type of eat cold pizza out the fridge person. Goes perfectly with a nice hot cup of pumpkin spice coffee. I’ve been doing Keto for 10 months and down 78 lbs! It’s nice to be able to enjoy a little sweet stuff without the bad stuff. I also use Monk Fruit Sweetener instead. Enjoy!
I just received an order of Swerve and have been looking for a great recipe to try it out. This looks perfect and I actually have all of the ingredients!
In my “conventional” cinnamon roll recipe (which I don’t make any more), it calls for a little cocoa powder in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Gives it a little extra something. So I’ll probably still do that.
On Step 6, you should start with “Spread half the batter…” or someone might accidentally pour it all in before they read the rest!
Thanks for taking the time to make these amazing recipes!
Good call on the instructions, let me take a look…
Made the cake and it is amazing! So moist and delicious. It is so nice to finally have a low-carb option for something sweet. I just couldn’t tolerate any other sugar substitutes. I’m so glad I discovered Swerve and, in turn, this recipe!
Where does the coffee flavour come from please
Coffee cake is a kind of cake that goes with coffee…it’s not actually coffee flavoured.
Do we have to use the whey protein powder
If you want it rise properly, yes.
Oh wow! This looks fantastic Carolynn!
Hi, This is delicious, we’ve made it many times and have taken it to work for gatherings and got rave reviews. I love your recipes, any chance you could add the button for metric measurements? It is SO much easier than imperial. Thanks, Kathy
Looks wonderful! And I love that it’s a lighter, healthier version. Thanks! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this…your recipes are always SO good!! Thnx
There really is something so satisfying about finding something that you’re truly good at. Making money while doing it is just a bonus.
This cake looks wonderful and I’m sure it would be fantastic with a cup of tea.
YUM!! Love that almond butter cake. I know I’ll love this one too! Our community (those with blood sugar issues or doing low carb for other reasons) needs passionate and intelligent recipe developers and story tellers! thanks, Carolyn, and keep it up!
Made the Cinnamon Coffee Cake this morning. We found it a little too sweet. Can I cut the Swerve to 1/2 cup and add some lemon zest to the batter. What do you think? Thanks
You can always cut back on sweetener.
I just started the keto diet. I tried making this today and it was okay but very dry. Did yours come out crumbly? I wonder if I made it correctly?
If it was dry, something went wrong. What almond flour did you use? What sweetener?
I actually tried this today , and used about 1/2 cup Lupin flour and the rest almond flour. Also, I used monk fruit as the sweetener instead of Swerve. Came out pretty good, but was wondering if you had ever tried using Lupin flour in any of your recipes?
Only in my cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. I don’t feel it’s the best flour, since it’s pretty high carb. Yes, the carbs are mostly fibre but it’s as yet unclear on how much dietary fiber affects blood glucose.