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 (224 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (93.75 g) Swerve Confectioners
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp 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.
Video
Notes
Boxed Mix Variation
To make this with keto boxed cake mix (Swerve or Good Dee’s), simply mix the cake mix with 1 egg and 1/2 cup melted butter. Then press the crust into the pan and follow the filling directions.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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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!
I like that idea!
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!!!
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.
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!
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
Actually, it very much depends on the sweetener you use. Swerve Confectioners is the same sweetness as Swerve Granular.
This is wonderful, love gooey butter cake. Do you have a chocolate version gooey butter cake?
Not at this time but sounds like a good idea!
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.
Flax seed meal is NOT a good replacement for almond flour…
Hi – this looks wonderful. Will it keep well in the fridge for a couple of days IF not gobbled up the first time around?
Absolutely! Good for about 5 days.
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!
Thanks!
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!
Well it’s very hard for me to say without trying it myself but I think that sounds about right.
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?
It should work out with just the one… that’s how I made it the first time. Less crust, more gooey filling!
I’m sorry, but it doesn’t taste good. I think it’s the sweetener.
So here’s the thing. It tastes good to the vast majority who try it but not all sweeteners appeal to everyone. If you are experiencing an aftertaste, definitely switch sweeteners!
I made it yesterday for the first time.All I have to say is thank you Carolyn for a wonderful recipe ! You are the best!
Is it still low carb if you eat the entire pan in 1.5 days? Man, this was so good. My fiance ate half the pan in one day, then proceeded to hog it the following day, needles to say he LOVED it. It tasted like an airy but a little dense (a bit of an oxymoron but that’s how it tasted lol) and delicious cheesecake of sorts with an awesome buttery crust. I have nothing to compare this to since I have never had ooey gooey cake, but that’s how I would describe it. I’ll be making it again real soon and am going to hide it because I got robbed this time around!
How do you think it would turn out with gentle sweet instead of swerve. But still using the swerve powered?
Don’t know, I really don’t like Gentle Sweet.
Should this be stored in the fridge or On the counter?
It can be on the counter for 2 or 3 days but should be in the fridge if it’s going to be around longer.
I’m not sure how to rate it since I managed to overcook mine a little. The recipe said 35-45 minutes so I thought it as fine setting my timer on 30 min but my oven must have been warmer and it was no longer jiggly in the center. It still tasted good but I’m not sure the texture is what it’s supposed to be according to the recipe. Gooey butter cake wasn’t something I’d ever heard of before this recipe so I have nothing to compare it to but it was easy to make and had a nice mild flavor. If I do this again I’ll keep a closer eye on it around 20-25 minutes.
It definitely should have been more jiggly so it sounds like your oven runs a bit hot.
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.
So glad to hear it!
Can I substitute liquid whey for the powdered whey? If so, in what quantity?
Thanks!
No you can’t. It would add far too much liquid to the recipe.