This No Bake Keto Dirt Cake recipe will blow your mind! It’s a decadent no-bake dessert with chocolate pudding, peanut butter cheesecake, and a chocolate cookie crust!
Dirt cake isn’t exactly the most attractive name for a dessert, is it? It sounds like something you might have made in the sandbox in kindergarten, or something the school bully might make you eat on the playground after school.
Thankfully, it is neither of those things. Instead, it consists of a creamy, no bake layered dessert made to look as if it contains dirt. Which surely appeals to the kid in all of us.
I first made this Keto Peanut Butter Dirt Cake back in 2014 and it became an instant hit. I decided to update it after not making it in years. The only question is, why did I wait so long? This dessert is amazing!
If you love creamy layered desserts, be sure to check out Keto Sex in a Pan and Keto Lemon Lush too!
You will love this low carb no bake dessert!
I have to admit, I had never even heard of dirt cake until a reader asked me to make a low carb version. She sent me a link to a high-carb recipe she wanted me to re-create.
I took one look and I knew I had to try it. Chocolate cookies, peanut butter AND chocolate pudding? Well that just jumped to the head of the to-make list!
This recipe brings together a few of my most popular keto desserts. It takes a batch of my Keto Peanut Butter Mousse and one recipe for Keto Chocolate Pudding. The crust is the same one I use for x. And the crumbly dirt topping can be made from scratch or you can just crumble up some keto brownie bites!
Reader Reviews
“This is one of the best desserts I’ve ever made! It’s so rich and creamy and feels naughty! ha ha I LOVE it! Thanks for sharing it!!!” — Holly
“This is my 3rd time making this dessert and I just want to say, it is superb! I honestly would never know that it was sugar free had I not prepared it myself!” — Tara
“Made this last night and here twenty four hours later and only two small pieces remain! This is one incredible recipe! Turned out just perfect!!” — Chris
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: The base of the crust is made with almond flour. For a nut-free option, you can use sunflower seed flour.
- Cocoa powder: For a rich chocolate flavor, use Dutch process cocoa powder.
- Sweetener: Use powdered sweetener for both fillings, as it will provide a smoother consistency without any grittiness. I like to use a little allulose in the pudding to keep it glossy and soft.
- Whipping cream: You need this for both the peanut butter layer and the chocolate pudding layer.
- Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese properly before beating it. You should be able to poke it lightly with a finger and leave a good dent in it.
- Peanut butter: Choose a sugar-free peanut butter to keep the carb count low. Natural peanut butter has a tendency to separate, so mix well well before mixing it with the cream cheese. Some of my readers have used almond butter instead.
- Low carb milk: I usually use unsweetened almond milk but any low carb milk will be fine. This helps give the pudding layer a lighter consistency.
- Egg yolks: You need one egg and two egg yolks for the chocolate pudding layer. Save the egg whites to make recipes like Keto Coconut Cake.
- Glucomannan: This helps thicken the chocolate pudding and helps it set. You can also use xanthan gum.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure to choose chocolate that is 100% cacao, with no sweeteners at all. It is lower in carbs and also helps the fudge thicken and set properly.
- Chocolate cookie crumbs: I used some crumbled HighKey brownie bites for the topping. If you don’t have that, you can make a little extra of the crust mixture.
- Pantry staples: Butter, vanilla extract, salt
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. Prepare the peanut butter cheesecake: In a large bowl, whip half a cup of the whipping cream until it holds stiff peaks. In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese for a minute or two, until extra creamy. Add the peanut butter, sweetener, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the remaining two tablespoons of heavy cream and beat in to thin out the mixture.
3. Fold together: Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until no streaks remains. Spread carefully over crust. Refrigerate while preparing pudding layer.
4. Simmer the cream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and hemp milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the sweetener.
5. Temper the eggs: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks together until smooth. Slowly add half a cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously. Slowly whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan of hot cream mixture.
6. Cook the pudding: Stir in the cocoa powder and return the mixture to medium low heat. Continue to whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the surface with glucomannan and whisk vigorously to combine. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Let cool about 15 minutes and then spread evenly over peanut butter layer.
7. Chill until set: Sprinkle the top of the cake with crushed brownie bites. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 3 hours. To serve, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and remove sides. Run the knife under hot water to cut nice even slices.
Tips for Success
Make sure you give the pudding time to set properly, especially if you are using some allulose as the sweetener. It can take longer to set if you do but I think the results are a little better. It’s less likely to re-crystallize.
You can use any powdered sweetener in the peanut butter mousse layer, as it doesn’t rely on it for structure. Even liquid stevia works here. I think the crust works best with Swerve, but it doesn’t need to be crisp so you can use what sweeteners you like best.
If you don’t have the HighKey Brownie Bites, you can make a little bit of extra crust for the dirt topping. Simply whisk 2 tablespoons of almond flour (or sunflower seed flour for nut-free), 1 tablespoon of powdered sweetener, 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder, and 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter. Once it begins to clump together, sprinkle it over the cake.
This is a really rich dessert and very satisfying. Although it says it serves 16, you could easily cut it into 18 or 20 slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dirt cake is a fun layered dessert that includes cookie crumbs, pudding, and no bake cheesecake. This Keto Dirt Cake has a creamy peanut butter layer topped with sugar free chocolate pudding and low carb brownie bites.
This keto chocolate peanut butter dirt cake recipe has 6.5g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.7g net carbs per slice. But it’s a really rich dessert so you may want to cut the cake into 18 or 20 slices!
Store the cake in the fridge, covered up, for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for several months. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn.
More keto peanut butter recipes
Keto Dirt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Swerve Confectioners
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whipping cream, divided
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioners
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, or any low carb milk
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Confectioners
- 3 tablespoons granular allulose, (or more Swerve)
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp glucomannan
- 3 tbsp butter in 3 pieces
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 2.25 ounces HighKey brownie bites, crushed, see Tips for alternatives
Instructions
Crust
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Peanut Butter Layer
- In a large bowl, whip half a cup of the whipping cream until it holds stiff peaks.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese for a minute or two, until extra creamy. Add the peanut butter, sweetener, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the remaining two tablespoons of heavy cream and beat in to lighten.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until no streaks remain. Spread carefully over crust. Refrigerate while preparing pudding layer.
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and hemp milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the sweetener.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks together until smooth. Slowly add half a cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously. Slowly whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan of hot cream mixture.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and return the mixture to medium low heat. Continue to whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the surface with glucomannan and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Let cool about 15 minutes and then spread evenly over peanut butter layer.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with crushed brownie bites. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 3 hours.
- To serve, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and remove sides. Run the knife under hot water to cut nice even slices.
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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I love this pie and so did my husband and granddaughter. It really is wonderful as written. The recipe looks complicated but it really is very easy.
I tried to calculate the carbs and fat to input in my fitness pal. I came up with a much higher carb count than you. I didn’t substitute anything but by my calculations the carbs are 8% not 8 which means there are 24 per slice minus the 3 grams of fiber. Did I miss calculate something? I had eaten this as an S on THM but it looks like it should be a crossover.
Nope, it’s that you are counting in the carbs from erythritol. They should be discounted, on THM. I don’t even bother adding them into my carb count because they have little to no effect on blood sugar.
Oh! Sorry I didn’t realize that they don’t count. Thank you! We really do love it. My husband just had his third piece today and said “I can’t believe that this is healthy!”
No worries! It’s a pretty common mistake and if not for my glucose meter, I would hardly believe it myself. But I test often and things with erythritol just don’t move the needle on my blood sugar.
I am a totally inexperienced with gluten-free/low-carb ingredients… I need to make a low-carb dessert & was wondering if it is possible to use gelatine instead of xanthan or guar gum to set the chocolate layer..? I don’t think I would be able to find either of those where I live but gelatine would be easy to get.
Yes, you can do that although it may have a slightly more jelly like consistency. Someone else said they did it.
Hubby and I made this tonight. We made a couple of subs because we were missing some ingredients (gelatin instead of xantham gum, chocolate unsweetened almond milk instead of plain). SO delicious! I am going to make a pie for the 4th of July out of the crust and PB later with ganache drizzled over. Can’t wait! Thank you so much!
So glad you liked it!
Dirt Cake, in the words of my family, is the “Bomb Diggity”! However, THIS version with peanut butter? Holy Cow, I MUST try!! I wonder, though, how I would replace the stevia, sweetener and xanthan gum? Can you advise me?
Thanks!
We loved the cake the first time. planning on making it again for Easter. Thanks so much for all your hard work.
My second time making this because I’m literally addicted!! The custard is so luscious and creamy not like anything I’ve had in a while. The peanut butter is a completely different texture, more solid (but light because of the whipped cream) so it pairs perfectly with the custard. Then the crust…the only thing that comes to mind it Oreo. Just awesome.
I am wondering if I can leave out the Xanthum Gum. I’ve got everything else but that. ??
Your pudding layer could end up pretty thin and runny. Do you have any gelatin? If so, mix about 1 tsp (if it’s the grassfed gelatin in a can…if it’s Knox in envelopes, use only half a packet) with some water, then mix into the warm pudding. It might gel a little too much but at least you won’t have a runny layer of pudding that goes everywhere when you take the sides of the pan off.
do you think i could use store bought pudding? at what point would i pour it on the cake?
I think you would pour it on right after you’d made the pudding, and then make sure to let it set properly.
hee hee. that one I did NOT leave out, clearly.
LOL! I think I need to try that, next time! 😉
wow wow wow! Made this yesterday and still enjoying it tonight. Really really good! Not a simple recipe but I enjoy cooking so that’s fine with me. Came out perfectly. The peanut butter layer is especially luscious. I halved the recipe (because I’m an oinker with no self control) and used Splenda (because I can’t take the Swerve “cooling effect”). I also reduced the xanax to a pinch because it gives me the heebie jeebies. It might not even be needed– lots of traditional custards get firm with egg yolk alone. This was A++++ ! Even the dubious hubbie liked it. I’m so impressed with all the work that must have gone into getting the right sweeteners and the right proportions of everything… Thanks!!
Maybe not xanax. haha 🙂
I made just the pudding today, no other layers. FINALLY, a pudding recipe without corn starch! It turned out very well. I do think, though, that if you don’t need the pudding to “stand up” as a layer you can ditch the xanthan gum. I find it often makes things slightly lumpy, no matter how wildly I whisk. If you reheat the egg/milk mixture to about 170 (I used a meat thermometer, worked fine) it sets up beautifully to a pudding consistency, and I don’t think the xanthan added anything to it. Next time I make this (just as pudding) I’ll sift the cocoa pwder, and probably also strain it before putting it in little cups, to get out the chalazae. This may make it smoother. It makes about 500 ml total, or 6 containers at 80 ml or 1/3 cup each.
Yes, I agree, you probably wouldn’t need the xanthan if you weren’t putting it into a cake that needs cutting!
I was wondering if the swerve in the chocolate pudding is going to re-crystalize? That seems to happen with my recipes when I use swerve.
I did not find that it did in this recipe at all.
Carolyn,
This looks great. I did notice that swerve has a tendency to re-crystalize after baking, making a crunchy like product. Does this happen with the chocolate pudding in this recipe? The low carb products are very expensive and I hate when the food does not turn out correctly. Thanks so much!
My chocolate pudding never set! When I took off the outside of my springform pan, the pudding just oozed all over. Tasted fantastic, though! Can you think of what might have gone wrong? I followed the recipe exactly. 🙁
I really don’t know, if you followed everything as is. I suspect it didn’t cook quite long enough to get the egg yolks to thicken. That’s all I can think.
I just made this last night and I had the same problem with the runny pudding. It still tasted great but I wasn’t sure what I did wrong. How thick should it be when you take it off the heat?
BTW Carolyn, as a Canadian and diabetic I appreciate and love all the work you put into this site. I freaked out a bit yesterday when I found the Pumpkin Cream Cheese recipe had been “updated” but then I read your blog post and calmed down. They were perfect.
It should be pretty thick…but not curdled.
love the pie, but my daughter has tree nut allergy, can i use coconut flower ??
In this application no. But you can use sunflower seed flour, it should work very well.
Can we use THM baking blend instead of the almond flour in this do you think and what would the ration be ?? Thanks Shelly
It’s drier so you may need more melted butter.
This looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!