This keto poke cake recipe features tender low carb cake with a rich coconut cream filling and a delicious sugar free whipped cream topping. It’s a sweet and creamy dessert everyone will love!
Coconut Cream Poke Cake is an oldie but a goodie, and much deserving of an update. If you love my Keto Coconut Cream Pie, you definitely want to try this!
The idea of poke cake has cast a bit of a spell over me. For a long time, I didn’t see the appeal of these desserts, as they typically use boxed mix and store-bought Jello. But once I started making my own healthier keto versions from scratch, I was hooked.
And now I’ve got several variations of keto poke cake. There’s the fabulous Peanut Butter Poke Cake, the popular Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, and the classic Strawberry Poke Cake. And I have more fun ideas on the way!
What you will love about this recipe
This Keto Coconut Cream Poke Cake is fun to make and it’s not particularly difficult. It doesn’t rely on boxed mixes or instant pudding, but it comes together easily. And the creamy rich coconut flavor can’t be beat!
It starts with an easy but tender almond flour cake, which you poke holes in once it cools. You then create a sugar-free coconut pudding that gets poured over the cake and sinks down into the holes.
You do need to let that chill and set for a few hours, and then you top it all off with keto whipped cream. The result is so moist and delicious, so light and fluffy, it’s like biting into a coconut cream cloud.
Oh and did I mention it has only 4g net carbs per serving?
Reader Reviews
“We had this for dessert tonight and oh my it lived up to its legend! Thought it was divine!” — Dawn J.
“I made your Coconut Poke Cake for Father’s Day for my Dad who LOVES coconut. It was an extreme hit with everyone, low carb or not, and even those who don’t particularly care for coconut (my husband.) Thanks once again!” — Dee
“OMG! Im in LOVE with this cake! So delicious! I didn’t top it with whipped cream, still so good. Coconuty goodness. Really simple to make. You’re a genius Carolyn! I can never thank you enough for your hard-work and dedication.” — Lee.
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: I really love the texture of almond flour for keto poke cake. But if you would prefer a coconut flour version, use the cake portion from my Keto Coconut Cake.
- Shredded coconut: Add unsweetened shredded coconut to the cake batter for texture and flavor. And make sure to garnish the top of the cake with more too!
- Sweeteners: I use Swerve Granular in the cake and allulose in the coconut cream filling. See the Expert Tips section for other sweetener options.
- Protein powder: The protein helps the cake rise properly so I don’t recommend skipping it. You can use whey protein powder or egg white protein powder, but I don’t recommend collagen as it will make the cake gummy and hard to cook through.
- Oil: The cake takes oil, but you can use avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter.
- Eggs: The eggs need to be separated, as you use only egg whites in the cake itself, to keep it lighter in color. The pudding uses up most of the yolks.
- Coconut Cream: Unsweetened coconut cream works best for the coconut pudding. It creates a creamy consistency that doesn’t require any gums or added thickeners. You can purchase cans of coconut cream or just use the thick white portion from the top of a can of coconut milk.
- Heavy whipping cream: The topping on this poke cake is a classic whipped cream frosting.
- Extracts: You will need both vanilla extract and coconut extract.
- Pantry staples: Baking powder and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil, egg whites, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add just enough liquid for a thick but pourable batter.
2. Bake the cake: Spread the batter in a greased 9×9 inch square baking pan and bake at 325ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top is just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely in the pan. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
3. Temper the egg yolks: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut cream and the sweetener and bring to just a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly whisk about half of the hot coconut cream into the yolks to temper. Then slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the remaining coconut cream in the pan.
4. Cook the filling: Continue to cook another 3 to 5 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes, then pour over the cake, allowing it to sink into the holes. Give the cake a few gentle taps on the counter to help the filling sink in. Refrigerate 2 hours to help it firm up.
5. Whip the cream: In a large bowl, combine the cream, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Whip until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Spread evenly over the chilled cake.
6. Garnish: Sprinkle the top of the cake with more shredded coconut.
Expert tips
This is an easy keto cake recipe, but it does have several components and several steps. You can make the cake portion a day or two in advance, if you want to break up the process. You can also make the whole thing a day ahead, cover it tightly, and store in the fridge.
Dairy-Free Option: Use egg white protein powder in the cake, and make coconut whipped cream for the topping.
Sweetener Options: You can make the cake itself with almost any sweetener. Do keep in mind that allulose will make the cake brown quite quickly and look much darker on the outside so keep your eye on it while it bakes.
You can also sweeten the whipped cream topping with your preferred sweetener, but I recommend powdered versions to avoid any grittiness.
I like allulose or BochaSweet in the coconut pudding so you don’t get any recrystallization. But you can do erythritol sweeteners or a combination as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poke cake is so named because you literally poke holes all over the cake so that it absorbs the filling. The filling is usually made of pudding or jello, and it makes the cake extra moist.
Conventional poke cake can have upwards of 30g of carbs per serving. But this keto coconut cream poke cake recipe has 6.4g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber, so it has only 4g net carbs per slice.
Keto poke cake freezes very well. You can freeze it whole or cut it up into individual slices. Make sure to wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn, and it should be food for 2 to 3 months.
More delicious coconut recipes
Keto Coconut Cream Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (280 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (40 g) shredded coconut
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavoured whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) avocado oil
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (78.86 ml) water or almond milk
Coconut Pudding
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) coconut cream
- 1/4 cup (50 g) allulose
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp coconut extract
Topping:
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) whipping cream
- 3 tbsp Swerve Confectioners
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (20 g) shredded coconut
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease a 9×9 inch square metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil, egg whites, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add just enough liquid for a thick but pourable batter.
- Spread the batter in prepared baking pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top is just firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
Coconut Pudding
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut cream and the sweetener and bring to just a simmer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly stir in about half of the hot coconut cream, whisking continuously. Then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into remaining coconut cream in the pan.
- Continue to cook another 3 to 5 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the coconut extract.
- Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes, then pour over the cake, allowing it to sink into the holes. Give the cake a few gentle taps on the counter to help the filling sink in. Refrigerate 2 hours to help it firm up.
Topping
- In a large bowl, combine the cream, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Whip until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Spread evenly over the chilled cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the shredded coconut.
Video
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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Thank you. I am thinking that I will freeze it without the whipped cream on top. I’m not sure how well that part would freeze.
Can this be frozen? I don’t think I can eat it all before it goes bad.
Yes, I think it would freeze well.
Can anything else be used in place of the protein powder and egg white powder?
I really wanted to make today!!!!
Thank you! Love your recipes and this cake and carrot cake are the bomb!!!
Nothing really to sub for it. You can skip it but your cake may not rise quite as well.
Hi can finely ground almond flour be used, would you need less or can you use same amount?
This already uses finely ground almond flour.
I missed that thank you
Does this cake do well refrigerated over night. I wanted to make the cake tonight to be eaten for Thanksgiving for tomorrow.
Yes, it’s great after a night in the fridge!
Thank you so much, Caroyln! My family and I LOVE your recipes. It has been so helpful for me as both my parents have diabetes (each with sweet tooth). Thank you for all your recipes! I hope you have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!
Made this today as my birthday cake, it was delish. Thanks for a great recipe!
The cake turned out nicely but needed extra time baking. I also used the end of wooden spoon to make the poke holes so I could get plenty of the custard into them which worked a treat and the custard set nicely. I then decided to turn the extra yolks into lemon curd, then split the cake into 2 layers (custard was set by that stage so stayed put through the slicing) and sandwiched them together with the lemon curd and then added the whipped cream topping. Wowzer!!!….yummo!!!
Wow, creative!
Thanks ? . Just a lil addition to an already fab recipe. Oh, and in case anyone else reads my comments and was wondering…yes, I made no-sugar-added lemon curd (i used Natvia, which is an erythritol stevia blend)
Hi Carolyn, could I sub 1 cup of coconut flour for the shredded coconut? Thinking of using this recipe to make a tiramisu poke cake.
No, you can’t, because that would be an awful mess. Coconut flour is very dense and absorbs huge amounts of moisture and you’d end up with a hockey puck. Just leave out the shredded coconut or add a little more almond flour.
Thanks for the advice.
I was looking for a low carb recipe to make a cake for my husband’s birthday. Came across this coconut poke cake on the internet. What a success it was. My husband loved it. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome!
i don’t have whey protein or egg white powder….are there any other subs??
Would love to make this tonight for Easter:) I looks amazing!
Thanks!!!
You really need a dry protein to replace the gluten. You can leave it out but your cake could be more dense.
What about something like collagen hydrolysate powder?
Since I haven’t tried it, I really couldn’t say. I guess you can always experiment!
I made this cake yesterday and it is very yummy. My only issue was the coconut cream was very thick like a custard and I couldn’t get it to soak into the holes, most of it just sat on top. I left out the xanthan gun and still found it to be too thick. Not sure what I did wrong but I will modify the recipe the next time I make it so the cream doesn’t get so thick. Otherwise, the recipe is a keeper!
Sounds to me like it got overcooked and the eggs made it too thick. Maybe try thinning it out with a bit of extra liquid next time?
This is delicious!!!!! Maybe the best coconut cake I have ever eaten!!
Can I say that this is truly an awesome recipe? This is the first poke cake I’ve tried and it was moist and perfectly composed. Even my friend who hates coconut was won over! I confess I put more toasted coconut shavings over the top of the cake and it looked really pretty!
This is amazing! I made this for my husband’s birthday cake this past week, and he absolutely loved it — we all did! He really misses tres leches cakes, and he also loves coconut, so this really hit the spot. He was expecting a mug cake, so this was a nice surprise. Thank you so much for this recipe! Love your website. We have your skillet cookies in the oven now 😉
So glad he loved it and happy birthday to him!
I made this cake as my Birthday Cake yesterday. I did put a ‘glaze’ of strawberry jam on top of the cake once the entire thing had cooled.. and then the whipping cream on top. It will forever be known as ‘Birthday Cake’ in our home from this day forward. :). Thanks so much Carolyn!
Are you supposed to beat the egg whites and then fold them in? This makes a very sturdy cake and it could be lighter.
Nope, you should be following the instructions as written. Mine was just the right texture. Did you use almond meal instead of almond flour?