This tender low carb coffee cake has a cinnamon filling and a sugar-free cream cheese glaze. An easy keto cake recipe that tastes like your favorite cinnamon roll! Now updated with a how-to video. And it’s even easier to make.
Please note that I have updated this keto cinnamon roll coffee cake ever so slightly to be even easier to make!
Sometimes I take a bit of one of my creations and I think to myself “I am really good at what I do”. That isn’t quite as self-aggrandizing as it may seem. Really, I am often just somewhat amazed at how I fell into this job, if you can even call it that. More to the point, I am often amazed at what I can create with ingredients I’d never even heard of only a few short years ago.
And I seem to have gained an innate sense of the characteristics of my ingredients that allows me to combine them in new and different ways, mostly to great success. Admittedly, occasionally I fail tremendously, but I still learn something from every failure that helps me in future recipes. I don’t feel limited by my dietary restrictions, and in fact I’d say the opposite is true.
They have opened up a whole new world of ingredients to me, and I daresay I am a better baker because of it. I am more creative, more sure of myself…and I clearly have a healthy appreciation for my own work.
How To Make Keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
There is true joy in being good at what you do. I have been pretty good at a number of things in my life, some of which I even got paid to do. I was a pretty great academic advisor in my day and I enjoyed that most of the time. And at the time, I thought I’d work in higher education for the rest of my life.
Funny how life lays waste to the best laid, most carefully thought out plans. In this case, for the better, because as much as I enjoyed dispensing academic advice to unappreciative college kids, it simply doesn’t compare to the enjoyment I derive from this blog. I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I love the whole process, from the initial recipe concept to the actual execution in the kitchen. And then sharing it here with stories and pictures, and seeing what my readers think and if they have good results with it too.
With that sort of lead in, I am sure you must think I came up with the most astonishing, most amazing low carb, gluten-free recipe ever. The truth is that this actually yet another variation on my favourite low carb cake recipe. That cake turned out so well and has come to have a life of its own; it’s spawned so many other recipes and I just keep thinking of more and more things to do with it.
The idea for a coffee cake based on cinnamon rolls popped into my head one day and I knew instantly that my almond crusted butter cake was the perfect base recipe. It never fails me, that one. It’s the perfect low carb yellow cake recipe, with a light, tender crumb, that it makes a perfect building block for other recipes.
A little cinnamon “sugar” baked into the middle of the cake, then brushing the hot cake with melted butter and sprinkling more cinnamon “sugar”, then a cream cheese icing drizzle and you have yourself low carb Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake.
And I really did bite into this Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake and think “yeah, I am really good at this”. Call it egotistical if you will. I just call it delicious.
PLEASE NOTE! This delicious low carb cake recipe has been updated to be even EASIER to make. Same great flavor, I promise.
Love to bake? You need my new cookbook!
Keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling:
- 3 tablespoon granulated sweetener (erythritol or allulose)
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake:
- 3 cups almond flour
- ½ cup erythritol sweetener
- ¼ cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond milk or water
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 ½ ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon powdered sweetener (erythritol or allulose)
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon 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 9x9 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.
Nita says
Delicious cake! I only had 1 cup of almond flour, so I cut the recipe to a third and baked it in a 7×4 pan. For the sweetner, I used a mix of tagatose (3 tbsp) and erythritol (1 tbsp). I’m not a big fan of the cooling effect of erythritol, and tagatose is slightly sweeter and has absolutely no aftertaste or cooling effect. I’m at high altitude and my cake sank in the middle, but nevertheless, it was delicious and moist. I liked it best at room temperature with a nice layer of the cream cheese frosting. Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Carolyn says
Your changes sound delicious (ableit very small!) 😉
Judy says
Just made this coffee cake, yum yum!
Stacy says
I know you can appreciate this … I loved the texture of this cake, so I modified it to make chocolate donuts. To the cake recipe, I added about a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, decided it was not enough, then added 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate, ramped up the swerve and stevia glycerite, added 1/2 tbsp of psyillium husk, used chocolate almond milk, and chocolate protein powder … and viola … wonderful chocolate donuts. Even my picky daughter who eschews my grain free creations loved it. We topped it off with your peppermint icing for one kid and chocolate glaze for the other two.
Carolyn says
Yep, I can certainly appreciate it. YUM!
shangella says
This was my first baking recipe from your blog. I loved this cake (considering it’s made with almond flower). I am an atkins adherent and this is perfect for a non-cheat treat! I have a friend allergic to gluten, I can’t wait to make this for her! 🙂
Only down side is the cake costs nearly 15$ to make…. everything is more expensive in Canada heh!
Carolyn says
I know it is very pricey up there! sorry about that.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Who could tell these are low carbs? I love it. Will other type of protein powder work too? I have some strawberry flavoured soya protein and pea protein…
Carolyn says
I’ve never heard of pea protein. Obviously the strawberry flavoured will make your final result a little strawberry flavoured. Not sure, but you could try either.
carol says
Hi Carolyn. I must admit I only scanned the comments so please forgive me if this has already been asked. Do you think this could be made in muffin tins for individual servings?
Carolyn says
Probably, but either grease the muffin tin very well or line it with paper liners to keep it from sticking!
Carol says
Thanks. Can’t wait to try it. We are doing a let Cinco de Mayo (Ocho de Junio) & I wanted something cinnamony.
Barb says
I’ve been following your blog for quite a while now and have made many of your recipes, mostly successful. I made this coffee cake this morning and it was OUTSTANDING! I did make a few changes, just because of the ingredients I had on hand. I used almond meal, not almond flour (I get in in bulk at Sprouts here in San Diego County. This last batch I bought was very light in color–maybe fewer skins?), only had vanilla whey protein powder so used that but left out the vanilla. My husband and I could not believe how good it was, and I didn’t even make the frosting!!! We have a bit left (for tomorrow) so I’m thinking I’ll be making another batch tomorrow. Thank you SO MUCH for all the great recipes–you are an inspiration!!!!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much! Glad to hear it’s good even without the icing.
Carole says
Lovely work! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about cakes? This is the link . There are lots of great links there already. I do hope to see you there. Cheers
AM says
Made this and it was sooooo good. Just finished up the last of it. I didn’t have unflavored protein powder, but used egg white powder and worked great. Also, I love cinnamon and used the stronger Vietnamese cinnamon too. Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
Shaina says
That is a thing of beauty.
Roberta in Alberta says
Hi Carolyn,
This is delicious! I am not a big fan of too much cinnamon and this recipe has just the right amount to compliment the cake, but not overwhelm it.
I have the most enviable ingredient in my arsenal…powdered vanilla straight out of a friend’s suitcase from his recent trip to Madagascar. The cream cheese frosting proved the perfect partner.
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Yum!
Lily Rose says
Made this Friday, DEELISH! It was gone by Sunday night! Mmm.
Nout says
I made this cake over the weekend and I must say…FANTASTIC! Even though I only had vanilla flavored protein powder and somehow I ended up forgetting to put the salt into the batter, the cake turned out SO SO GOOD. My husband even said it was the BEST low carb I’ve ever made. Thank you so much Carolyn, for sharing this recipe. xo
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
It’s the best feeling to have a job that you love and look forward to doing and you certainly are the best at what you do!
Beverly says
Oh my word. I made this for breakfast today and think it’s the best coffee cake I’ve EVER had, not just among the gluten-free, low-carb crowd. I’d never used whey protein in baking before and was a little put off by the expense, but I had faith in your recipe and am SO glad I tried it.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Beverly. The protein powder really does help the consistency and getting a proper rise!
Marcia says
Wonderful!!! I took it to the cafe at our church – all rave reviews and multiple people asking for the recipe (directed to your site of course). I had to cook mine longer – might be my oven as I have seen that with other recipes. I LOVE all your creations!!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Marcia!
Mary in Louisiana says
Just made this, yummm. I love cinnamon so I will up the cinnamon for my taste. Do use *great cinnamon* from Penzeys http://tinyurl.com/oznox34 or others. They have a blend of 4 that is wonderful. I personally favor the very strong Vietnamese
Pam says
This is a fabulous recipe Carolyn…thank you once again for your baking talent and expertise, and your generosity in sharing!
Dita says
There you go again. Another fantastic remake of our favorite taste. I agree with others that you are a wonderful cook and your blogging is very enjoyable. Thanks again.
Danielle B. says
I am so glad to have found your blog. I have just started a gluten-free/sugar-free lifestyle and am very excited about the healthy possibilities for my family! I can’t wait to read through and try some of your recipes and to learn to create my own as I change my baking habits.