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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Love that whipped cream topping on top! So light and fluffy!
2 questions, When the recipe calls for 1 large egg and 1 large egg white is that just 1 egg or 1 egg plus the white from another egg? Also what brand of whey powder do you use and where do i buy this?
Hi Cheryl…. It’s one large WHOLE egg, and then one additional egg white from another egg. Hope that makes it more clear. I use Tera’s Whey a lot but I recently purchased this one and really like it. https://amzn.to/2NozeDp
Such a delicious cake! The flavor was perfect!!
This turned out just like the photos. The taste was amazing too!
The flavors in this cake and to die for, seriously best recipe ever!
This is exactly the type of cake that will make you stop and savor each bite! Love it!
This was such a great recipe! Flavorful, quick and delicious! Yum!
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!
So happy to hear it!
Love the thought of this cake ! Would like to have it for Valentine’s Day tomorrow,
is it best made the day of ? Or made today and sit until tomorrow . . .
do flavors blend more ?
Thanks !
You could make the cake today and then do the rest tomorrow.
OMG! Im in LOVE with this cakeee! 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. ???? YOU ROCK!
I have made this recipe 100 times. I usually don’t even do the poke part – the cake is amazing all on it’s own. I double and triple, add flavorings or berries… endless. And every single time the cake is rich, moist, and delicious. My family is keto, but I have fed it to MANY non-ket people and they have no idea. Wonderful recipe!
Hi! The cake part of this recipe was so good! But the coconut cream part did not work for me. How do you keep the eggs from cooking when you pour them in the heated nut milk? I just wrote up a review of my attempt at this recipe on my blog: http://www.diabeticherbivore.com/reviews/recipe-review-low-carb-coconut-cream-poke-cake/ I’d love any tips you might have for this relatively inexperienced cook and others like me! 🙂
Well, you’ve already identified the issue. Your milk mixture was too hot when you added it into the eggs. Even if it’s pretty hot, you add VERY slowly as the instructions state, whisking the whole time. If you don’t do this…yes they will curdle.
This may seem like a stupid question but where is the actual recipe? I am only able to see the links to your coconut cream pie and the link for the coconut custard. Am I missing something? Also, what is the nutritional facts for this cake? Thanks!
Never I see it now, can’t wait to give it a try!
You weren’t missing anything. Something was wonky with the plug-in and it wasn’t showing up for a bit.
Can you please help me find this recipe and the directions, I can’t fine it anywhere and my husband loves coconut. Thank you
It’s there now. It seems my recipe plug in was having some issues but you should be able to see it now.
This coconut cake looks crazy good! Pinning this!
Delicious cake! I made it last night for our 49th anniversary. It was wonderful! I think I’ll make it next year for our big 50th party but only for the low carbers. It would be difficult to make for over 100 people! They’ll have to eat the fancy bakery kind that isn’t worth eating! My cream topping got too thick so I guess I cooked it too long. It was good even though it only laid on top of the cake. I have an ISO cream dispenser and make coconut whipped cream with it. It is a great non dairy topping. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes Carolyn! I’m anxious to get your new cookbook!