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 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup unflavoured whey protein powder or egg white protein powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ to ½ cup water or almond milk
Coconut Pudding
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup allulose
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Topping:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon Swerve Confectioners
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup 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.
- 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.
suzanne miller says
Thrive ad is obnoxious.
When I clicked on coconut cream in the recipe, it kept going to Thrive will-not-take-no for an answer. Please tell these guys. With this take no prisoners attitude, I’m done with them before even starting.
👿
Tracy says
Hi Carolyn! I would like to make this for the weekend but will be traveling tomorrow. Do you think I could make the cake now and save the poking/pouring/chilling until Saturday (3 days from now)? ????
Carolyn says
Sure! Just refrigerate it, tightly wrapped up so it doesn’t dry out.
Tina says
Yumm. Can’t wait to try this!
Sarah says
Just made this for our family Christmas that will be on 27th! My cream filling was yellowish like egg custard. I use pasture raised eggs that have dark yellow yokes. I did not go down in the holes very well. I am letting it sit in refrigerator overnight. But how well will the whipped cream topping last? Should I wait and make it day I serve it or will it keep refrigerated. Seems like whipped cream usually doesn’t last too long! Can’t wait to try this. Always my favorite dessert at Christmas but haven’t had it since being on Keto the past 2 Christmases. Making Keto boiled custard too!
Carolyn says
I’ve found I need to make bigger holes with the custard is a bit on the thick side! I think you can make the whipped topping a day in advance. Should be fine!
Sandra says
Can you substitute canned Coconut Cream for Coconut Milk?
Carolyn says
Sure.
ariadna says
I do not have whey protein. Can I skip this ingredient?
Carolyn says
Not if you want it to rise properly.
cathy says
Can you make this with vanilla whey or does it need to be unflavored?
Carolyn says
You can but sometimes vanilla protein powders have a very strong vanilla flavour.
Dawnj says
We had this for dessert tonight and oh my it lived up to its legend! Thought it was devine. Would it be plausible to make your “chocolate peppermint pound cake” (w/o peppermint), poke holes, pour over the holes your caramel sauce recipe, topping with walnuts or pecans and chocolate ganache?
Kimberley says
I have a dumb question; sorry. The coconut oil. Is that 1/2 cup measured out solid and then melted? Or should I melt some and measure a 1/2 cup? It does it all equal out? I’m not crazy right, there would be a difference, no?
Carolyn says
It’s not going to make a huge difference but I usually measure when a bit softened so I can pack it into the cup… then I melt.
Christine says
I made this for my dad’s birthday. There were about 15 people and I knew someone was bringing a full sugar cake, so I assumed this would be plenty and I’d have leftovers. This disappeared FAST, while the other cake had plenty of leftovers. Nobody there was a low-carber and I didn’t tell anyone a thing until after they devoured it. Nobody could believe this was low carb, even the kids. Every adult asked for the recipe. I’ve made a lot of your recipes and my family has enjoyed them, but this was far and away the biggest hit yet!! I made the Boston Cream Poke Cake last weekend and it was delicious but the Coconut Cake set the bar really high. I want to try a poke cake in every variety possible LOL!!! Thank you so much for helping make my dad’s birthday so special!!
Kell says
Made this today – very good. I couldn’t really tell where the custard was, though I worked real hard to get it in the holes, the consistency looked just like your photo. The cake was quite crumbly but tasty. I only had milk chocolate flavored whey protein powder so the cake is also an interesting color. 😀 The whipped cream and toasted coconut really topped it off perfectly, who doesn’t like whipped cream!
Kell says
I’m thinking of making this for Thanksgiving – could I substitute banana extract instead of the coconut or vanilla? I always loved a banana coconut cream pie — and I’m trying keto so no bananas for me.
Carolyn says
Yes, it would be lovely!
Kell says
Thanks for quick reply!
Becky Hardin says
This is one of my favorite poke cakes! Yum
Julie Blanner says
I always love finding new poke cakes! This was delicious and so full of flavor.
Stephanie says
So delicious! I could eat this every day!
Cheryl S says
THIS CAKE WAS A BIG HIT WITH MY MOM WHEN I MADE IT FOR HER BIRTHDAY!!
Taylor says
Love that whipped cream topping on top! So light and fluffy!
Cheryl says
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?
Carolyn says
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
Suzy says
Such a delicious cake! The flavor was perfect!!
Aimee Shugarman says
This turned out just like the photos. The taste was amazing too!