St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake gets a keto makeover! This easy keto cake recipe is rich and incredibly buttery, yet still low carb enough to fit into your healthy diet.
I feel like I have been waiting forever to make a good keto gooey butter cake. I’ve been eyeing so many glorious conventional recipes, wondering if I should take a stab at making a healthier, low carb version.
Then I took the plunge and I wondered what took me so long. This cake, which is really more like bars, is deceptive in its simplicity. It doesn’t look like much but it tastes so good. And if you love keto cheesecake, you’ve got to give this a try.
Pair it with a few fresh berries and perhaps a little whipped cream, and everyone will love it!
Why this recipe is so awesome
You have to admit that the name Gooey Butter Cake is simply mouthwatering. It makes you want to run to the kitchen and get baking! It originated in St. Louis, Missouri, and it features a flat, dense cake with a filling of cream cheese and butter.
In the conventional recipe, the cake portion is usually made with boxed cake mix. And there are some pretty great keto cake mixes available these days. But I know not everyone has access to these products.
So I have provided two different version of this recipe, one with cake mix and one with the cake made from scratch. I used my almond flour cake as a guide, but scaled it back a bit to fit the recipe.
Both versions of Gooey Keto Butter Cake are easy to make and absolutely delicious. Both live up to the promise of the real deal. And if you choose a good cake mix like Swerve or Good Dee’s, the overall carb count is about the same.
It does make quite a few servings, but it’s also freezable. So you can make it to share, or just for yourself!
Reader reviews
“Such a delicious treat! Another fantastic recipe that will be saved. The consistency was as promised (gooey goodness), flavor was very real to a non-keto dessert. Downsides will be how to keep myself from eating too much of this!” — Veronica
This is by far THE best Keto dessert I have made to date! I followed the directions to a tee and my husband and I almost fought over the last piece!! That would explain why I’m making another one today! Going to try the pumpkin or maybe lemon additions but the original is fantastic!!!!” — Mary C.
“I just made it and hubby and I were absolutely delighted with it. The texture of the base is like a delicious cookie and the filling is absolutely heavenly. Even my neighbours (who are not ‘keto’ dieters) loved it. This is a real keeper.” – Hana
Ingredients needed
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- Keto vanilla cake mix: If you want to go the cake mix route, I recommend using either Swerve Vanilla Cake Mix, King Arthur Keto Cake Mix, or Good Dee’s Snack Cake. All of these are brands I like and trust.
- Almond flour: If you want to make the cake from scratch, use good fine almond flour for the best consistency.
- Sweetener: The cake portion takes a granular sweetener and the filling needs a powdered sweetener. I use Swerve for both. See the Expert Tips for more sweetener options.
- Protein powder: A little protein powder gives the cake part better structure. Both whey protein and egg white work well, and most plant based powders work too.
- Butter: You need butter for both the cake portion and the filling.
- Cream cheese: The filling is a little like cheesecake, except softer and gooier.
- Eggs: The cake takes a single egg, so it acts more like a crust. But the filling takes two eggs.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and stir to combine well.
2. Press into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9×13 greased baking pan.
3. In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the filling over the crust. Bake at 325ºF for 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is mostly set, but the center still jiggles, and the edges are just golden brown.
5. Remove and let cool completely, then dust with powdered sweetener and cut into bars.
Expert tips
If you truly want a gooey butter cake, make sure to under-bake it. Don’t wait for that filling to firm up, take it out of the oven while the center is still quite jiggly. Keep your eye on it as every oven is different and baking times are only ever a guide.
I highly recommend the added butter in the filling. Because low carb sweeteners don’t bake like sugar, the filling can end up more firm than the conventional gooey butter cake. The additional butter really helps this keto version.
Get creative with this recipe! Some readers have added zest of one lemon plus and a teaspoon of lemon extract to make it a lemon gooey butter cake. I also created a Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake recipe, which is super popular during the holidays.
Sweetener Options
The sweetener you choose can make or break many a recipe, but this Gooey Keto Butter Cake is a bit more forgiving. You can use any granular or powdered sweetener, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
Changes in sweeteners can affect the baking time, so keep your eye on them. Allulose can also cause the cake to brown a little more quickly. Erythritol will make the filling a bit more firm, whereas allulose may make it softer and gooier.
Recipe FAQs
A conventional recipe for Gooey Butter Cake has about 35g per serving. However, this recipe for Keto Gooey Butter Cake has only 4.2g of carbs and 1.6g of fiber per square.
Classic Gooey Butter Cake contains boxed cake mix, butter, eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. This keto version offers a boxed mix option as well as making your own vanilla cake from scratch.
You can store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Keto Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoon unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup Swerve Confectioners
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered Swerve for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and stir to combine well.
- Press into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared baking pan.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the filling is mostly set, but the center still jiggles, and the edges are just golden brown.
- Remove and let cool, then dust with powdered Swerve and cut into bars.
Patricia Keegan says
I have a question about this recipe, but all your recipes in general. If I am using a glass baking pan should I decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees? Should I always lower the temperature if I’m using a glass pan on any of your recipes. I am looking for guidance and was afraid to just assume to always lower the temperature.
My 9×13 pan is glass and I preheated the oven to 325. By 30 minutes it was not only done, but overdone.
Thank you for your time.
Carolyn says
It’s hard to specify the switch from metal to glass. Yes, lower the temp, but then… you also need to watch it carefully!
Gwen Larson says
I haven’t made this yet, but am wondering whether this (made with a Swerve cake mix) would be considered gluten free. My soon-to-be DIL is gluten sensitive so I’m trying to find recipes.
Gail says
Can I add lemon extract to the cream cheese filing to make a lemon tart like dessert?
Carolyn says
Please read the expert tips! 😉
Ted says
I made this yesterday. I had a bit of trouble getting the first piece out (I cut it into 24 pieces), but after that, no sweat! This is delicious… not too sweet, but sweet enough to be a dessert. I skipped the powdered sweetener on top. I had a piece for breakfast with coffee and the filling was a Cheese Danish, pure and simple! Great recipe. Thanks.
Carolyn says
The smaller pieces are harder to get out, for sure!
Brenda says
Really good. We ate it plain this first time, but I think I’ll put some berries on it an it will be even bettter!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Barbara says
Would a different sweetener in the filling make it more gooey or better, i.e. allulose or monkfruit?
Carolyn says
You mean the syrup? Allulose is a good choice.
Lisa Hill Maxwell says
I made it this weekend!
Rebecca Estes says
Does this need to be refrigerated after its made?
Carolyn says
Yes.
Shawna says
I love this idea.. but sadly I’m highly reactive to almond flour do you have something like this made with coconut flour? I love so many of your recipes 🙂
Carolyn says
You can try using the cake part of my Chantilly cake… but you won’t need as much of it. I recommend cutting it down to two thirds of the recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chantilly-cake/
Dawna says
I am from St Louis metro. ooey gooey butter cake is yummy. I am thinking you version is delicious too. I can’t wait to try it!1
Sue says
As a St Louis resident gooey butter cake is craved. Someone made a post of a ice cream that matches this cake. Would you be able to keto this?
It’s made by “the Ice Cream Factory” brand.
Laura says
Hi There,
Could this cake be baked and then frozen?
Thank you!
Laura
Carolyn says
Yes, it does nicely… I did it with the pumpkin version and it came out just as well as it went in! Wrap it up tightly.
Laura says
Thank you!!
patricia a boutilier says
When I went to make this all I had was a GoodDee’s devils food cake mix. I used that for the crust. Didn’t clean the bowl after and made the filling in same bowl so there was a bit of chocolate cake mix in there—the filling was cocoa colored. I sprinkled in some instant expresso powder. It was yummy!
Carolyn says
I like that idea!
Veronica says
Such a delicious treat! Another fantastic recipe that will be saved. The consistency was as promised (gooey goodness), flavor was very real to a non-keto dessert. Downsides will be how to keep myself from eating too much of this!
A couple of follow up questions:
1) I ended up using a combo of allulose and lankato monk fruit in both the cake and the filling as I didn’t have enough of the different sweeteners on hand. While the family loved it, it did taste pretty sweet even without the powdered sweetener. I’ve studied your guide to sweeteners (https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-keto-sweeteners/), but haven’t figured out what the culprit could be. Any thoughts or recommendations for the next go around? It’s the filling that was definitely sweeter than expected. Usually powdered sugar tastes sweeter in general, so was surprised when the alternatives turned out sweeter. Will try with the powdered sugar too but wanted to see if you had any thoughts.
2) does this freeze well?
Thanks!!!
Carolyn says
The culprit is very possibly the Lakanto. Their powdered sweetener used to be 2x as sweet, so I wonder if you had some of that? I can never guarantee the outcome when people use different sweeteners! Should freeze just fine.
Veronica says
Thanks! I was using granular Lakanto vs the powerdered Lakanto. When I try it again, I will aim for using exactly what you put in the recipe. I find it hard to keep so many different kinds of sweeteners on hand and have enough when the craving hits! When we froze it, I think it helped to take the sweetness down a bit due to the icy nature. Still delish and barely slows down my consumptions of these bars!
Keto tiff says
Just in case you’re still wondering why this happened- powdered sweetener is usually 2-3x the volume of granulated sweetener. It subbing one for the other, it’s best to go by weight. Google can help you to do the conversion if you don’t have a kitchen scale
Carolyn says
Actually, it very much depends on the sweetener you use. Swerve Confectioners is the same sweetness as Swerve Granular.
Paula says
This is wonderful, love gooey butter cake. Do you have a chocolate version gooey butter cake?
Carolyn says
Not at this time but sounds like a good idea!
Jeannine Moore says
I made this but it seem like more crust then filling I had to use flaxmeal instead of Almond cause hubs cant have almonds even though he has yet to try it UGH I made PB balls and he opted for those instead I made this for him cause he loves Gooey Butter cake. I like it as did my mom but does not taste like Gooey butter cake. Tatse like cheese cake.
Carolyn says
Flax seed meal is NOT a good replacement for almond flour…
Melanie P Mattox says
Hi – this looks wonderful. Will it keep well in the fridge for a couple of days IF not gobbled up the first time around?
Carolyn says
Absolutely! Good for about 5 days.
Theresa says
Really good recipe, I’ve made it several times, my 86 year old Kentucky Grandma even liked it. I did switch out the Sweve for Brown Sugar Swerve on the cake layer the second time I made it, and I liked it even better. Thanks for a wonderful bite!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Barbara says
I have a Mrs Keto vanilla cake mix (I’m in UK). It says add 3 eggs. 80g (2/3 cup) butter and 1/4 cup of water to the mix. Would I be right in just adding one egg, more butter and leave out the water? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Well it’s very hard for me to say without trying it myself but I think that sounds about right.
Veronica says
I’ve made Paula Deen’s gooey butter cakes (pumpkin & banana), so I’m thankful to have found this! I do have the swerve cake mix, but it’s less than the typical cake box mix used in Paula Deen’s. Should I double on the Swerve box?
Carolyn says
It should work out with just the one… that’s how I made it the first time. Less crust, more gooey filling!