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Coconut Cream Poke Cake

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 Creamy, dreamy and keto! Low carb coconut cream poke cake. This tender, delicious dessert is low carb and grain-free. Here’s to a healthy treat!

Low Carb Coconut Cream Poke Cake Recipe

This poke cake thing has cast a spell over me, I think. Heretofore, I didn’t care overly much for them and I didn’t really get the appeal. I suppose it’s because my first introduction to them was the kind that used icky sugar-free Jello and was an abnormal shade of pink on the inside. I’ve never been much of a Jello fan, even when I could eat the kind with sugar. I think I was served too many boxed gelatin desserts at the camps I used to attend every summer. Whenever I saw the wobbly blobs of brightly coloured, overly sweetened Jello coming my way, I sighed with disappointment. Offer me anything but Jello, please. Chocolate, cookies, pudding, ice cream, but please, no more Jello!

Coconut cream filling being poured over cooled coconut cake. Low Carb

But poke cakes are so much more than boxed white cake mix with strawberry Jello poured over them these days. Really creative versions started catching my eye on Pinterest, these amazingly moist cakes with mounds of creamy frosting. I’ve seen Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, Cannoli Poke Cake, Pina Colada Poke Cake, Triple Chocolate Poke Cake, Carrot Cake Poke Cake, Samoa Poke Cake, Apple Pie Poke Cake. Seriously, head to Pinterest and type “poke cake” into the search box and you will be aghast at all the amazing variations. Go on, I dare you. You won’t be able to tear your little eyes away. You may get lost in Poke Cake Land, gazing at all the delicious creations, forever. Well, there could be worse ways to go, I guess.

Healthy sugar-free coconut cream poke cake recipe

Many of these creations may indeed still be made with boxed mixes. Boxed cake mix, boxed pudding, boxed Jello, I don’t know. I don’t usually even click through to the recipe because none of these poke cakes are appropriate for a low carb or gluten-free diet. But I can still find plenty of inspiration for making creative and healthy poke cakes. I foresee a whole line of these, my dears. I don’t think I can help myself.

This lovely light cake is based on my low carb Coconut Cream Pie Recipe. Although I did top mine with whipped cream, you could make it completely dairy-free by topping it with some coconut whipped cream.

Grain Free Poke Cake recipe, low carb and gluten-free

Also be sure to check out this creamy Dairy-Free Coconut Custard from What the Fork. It should be easy to make low carb with your favourite sweetener and some xanthan gum.

4.89 from 17 votes
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Coconut Cream Poke Cake
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Creamy, dreamy coconut cream poke cake. This tender, delicious dessert is low carb and grain-free. Here's to a healthy treat!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut cream poke cake, keto coconut cake
Servings: 1 9x9 cake
Calories: 297 kcal
Ingredients
Cake:
Coconut Cream:
Topping:
Instructions
Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan (if using an 8x8 inch, the cake will need to bake a bit longer).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in coconut oil, egg whites, nut milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
  3. Spread batter in prepared baking pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes, then poke with a skewer at 1/2 inch intervals all over cake.
Coconut Cream:
  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk and sweetener and bring to just a simmer.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Slowly stir in about 1/3 of the hot coconut milk, whisking continuously. Then slowly whisk egg mixture back into hot coconut milk.
  3. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, whisking continuously, until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in coconut extract and vanilla extract. Sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk briskly to combine.
  4. Pour mixture evenly over cooled cake, shaking gently from side to side to get as much mixture into the poke holes as possible.
  5. Refrigerate 2 hours until completely cooled.
Topping:
  1. Whip cream with powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Spread over chilled cake and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
  2. *For a dairy-free version, you can make coconut whipped cream by refrigerating a can of coconut milk overnight and scooping out the thick cream from the top the next day. Whip with sweetener and vanilla extract until firm.
Nutrition Facts
Coconut Cream Poke Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/16th of cake)
Calories 297 Calories from Fat 248
% Daily Value*
Fat 27.6g42%
Carbohydrates 6.5g2%
Fiber 2.6g10%
Protein 7.7g15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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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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Comments

  1. Ok, I’ll be the idiot that asks…what is a poke cake? That looks tasty but I have no clue what kind of cake that is!

    Reply

  3. I am forever confused about the variety of coconut milk called for in recipes! Are you calling for the carton variety in both the cake & the coconut cream?

    Reply

    • In the cake, it doesn’t matter. But in the coconut cream, you need the full fat canned variety (which is why I specified full fat and linked to an example). The carton variety is usually quite low fat. I will amend the recipe to say “canned” in the coconut cream.

      Reply

  4. This looks good! Though, I have never seen a poke cake made with Jello- thank goodness! Our family just came back from a trip to Disney. This will be perfect to make to help me come down from my sugar high!!!

    BTW, I kept receiving an error when trying to access the link from my iPhone and iPad. I had to just go directly to your site. Must love your site to take the extra step!!!

    Reply

  6. This looks delicious!!! I love coconut!! I wonder if this cake base would work for a low carb strawberry rhubarb dump cake as well….? Can’t wait to try this coconut cake!! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

      • Here is the recipe in its original form. I would be over the moon excited if there would be hope for a healthy version of this cake! 🙂 Thank you for making healthy so yummy!!!

        Rhubarb Dump Cake (print recipe)

        What you need:
        4 c. fresh rhubarb
        1/2 c. sugar
        1- 3oz. package strawberry jello
        1 box white cake mix
        1 c. water
        1/3 c. butter, melted

        Directions:
        Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rhubarb in a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with sugar and dry gelatin mix. Beat cake mix, water, and butter with a whisk until well blended. Pour over rhubarb and spread to completely cover rhubarb. Bake for 45 minutes or until browned. Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream!

        Reply

        • This rhubarb dump cake used to be my favorite dessert. Since going gluten free, I have swapped the cake mix for a gluten free cake mix just fine, and we also use a sugar free strawberry jello mix and a sugar free sweetener (like Swerve) instead of sugar. So-now I am wondering about subbing a low carb and gluten free “cake mix” and how would it turn out….

          Reply

  7. OOoooooh I can’t wait to try this one!! I love me some poke cakes! I’ve never seen them made with regular Jell-O gelatin but I’ve made many with the pudding mix. Make all the poke cakes you want!!! I’ll be a very happy girl 🙂

    Reply

  8. Thank you soooooo much for this recipe. Coconut cake is my favorite. A friend of mine made a Coconut poke cake some years back and it was incredible!!! That was before I knew I was diabetic. It was possibly the best thing I’d ever eaten!!! So happy to have this recipe to be able to enjoy such a super moist favorite again. Can’t wait to make it. YOU ROCK, CAROLYN!

    Reply

  9. I use canned coconut cream from Trader Joes quite a bit and wonder if it could simplify this recipe some. Certainly for making the coconut whipped cream, but potentially for the coconut cream in the cake. Solid but spreadable when chilled, and even at moderate room temperature, I could see using the canned coconut cream with sweetener and extracts blended into the cream, warmed to pourable being put on the cake with out the egg or xanthan gum. I use this coconut cream as a butter replacement on LC bread with jam. It is both cheap, at about $1.79/can, and good.

    Reply

  10. OMG – this looks delicious! Can I use coconut flavored Stevia extract in place of the coconut extract? (I know it will be sweeter) Thank you!

    Reply

  11. Carolyn, I made the lemon poke cake for my son’s birthday but all the lemon gelatin pooled on top and did not get in the holes. I think it was because the cake hadn’t been totally cold yet (time crunch). Do you think that was the reason? It was really great otherwise but I want to try again and do it right.

    Reply

    • No, they would not, actually. They are quite a good size. It’s simply cutting the cake into 4 in each direction which is pretty standard for cakes in a square pan. It works out to a square of cake that is a little more than 2 inches by 2 inches.

      Reply

  14. This is chilling in the ‘frig. Can’t wait to try it with a cuppa Joe, decaf Joe that is tonight!

    Now to decide what to do with the leftover full fat canned coconut milk. Have you ever
    tried freezing it?

    I will also be looking forward to more poke cakes.

    Reply

  16. Can you use egg whites from a carton in this recipe? Sounds good so I will be making this soon. Hubby’s B’day coming up.

    Reply

  17. Mmm…reminds me of the Pepperidge Farm boxed coconut cake, minus the carb overload! Thank you, Carolyn!

    Reply

  19. Oh my goodness, I was up till 1.30 this morning making this cake. Boy was it worth it!! It looks so good, I had a difficult time waiting till after lunch to try it. Perfect! My husband told me “You nailed this”. I told him it was your recipe, you nailed it! And you’re right, it makes 16 good size servings, with the coconut cream and the topping, it filled my whole 9 in square pan. You just might make an excellent low carb baker out of me yet, Carolyn! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  20. i will be making this for my sister’s BD celebration this Saturday!

    Being from the South, this is right up my alley. At least I consider Texas as part of the South!!

    Thank you, Carolyn’

    Reply

  21. i will be making this for my sister’s BD celebration this Saturday!

    Being from the South, this is right up my alley. At least I consider Texas as part of the South!!

    Thank you, Carolyn’

    Reply

    • So sorry for the double post.

      Carolyn, do you think this could be made on Friday evening for serving Saturday afternoon or is it best to make and serve same day?

      Many thanks,
      Alice B.

      Reply

      • I think it will be fine on the second day. Ours lasted several days and I noticed no difference from the first day.

        Reply

  22. Do you think you could use the THM baking blend or at least use half almond flour and half baking blend?

    Reply

    • I would do half and half in this. I haven’t tested the Baking blend fully yet but I’ve found that it’s drier and and so a direct replacement here might not get you the texture you want.

      Reply

  24. Has anyone tried this with butter instead of coconut oil? I thought it might make a tasty version?

    Reply

    • I did, I substituted using 1/2 cup of kerrygold for the coconut oil and it turned really good. I don’t like the taste of coconut oil in dessert recipes but I did liberally spray my pan with coconut oil spray.

      Reply

    • Egg white protein powder is a good sub. You really need some sort of dry protein to help it rise properly.

      Reply

  26. I made this cake as planned today for my sis’ birthday party. It was a huge hit!!! Sis immediately called it awesome and I heard numerous “umm’s” coming from everyone around me!!

    I will definitely be making this again!

    Thank you, Carolyn!

    Reply

  27. Just finished to make mine today. Mhhhh delish. Foodgasmic! Don’t remember when i last had such a good cake.
    even if my cream split a bit and the coconut whip part didn’t work out as i wanted. still unbelivably good.
    I got 20 out of that recipe. I had one, my bunny the other and the rest is waiting in the freezer for whenever i feel like it. *bigsmirk*
    Thanks sooo much for sharing!

    Reply

  28. This dessert was fantastic. Even though I messed up the ingredients in the cake by using canned full fat coconut milk. I think the coconut cream would have soaked into the pokes better. But it was great! I also served it with a couple of strawberries and a dab of whipped cream on top a couple of times and blueberries another.

    Thank you Caroline for the wonderful low carb recipes. My diabetic husband loves you!

    Reply

  29. I made this today and WOW. This recipe is FANTASTIC. I substituted the 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the cake with 1/2 cup kerrygold. I personally don’t like coconut oil in my deserts. Other then that, made as the recipe suggested and it’s hard to believe it’s low carb.

    Reply

  30. The coconut cream did not turn out. It was too thick! I’m not sure what happened. Did you continue cooking it on medium once you placed the egg mixture into the milk?

    Reply

    • Sounds like it got overcooked. You do continue to cook it for a bit but only until it just begins to thicken. You have to watch it carefully.

      Reply

  31. I finally made this cake last night and Oh Boy! I could just eat the cake w/o all the other good stuff! I only have an 8″ square pan; so, the cake was dense and sturdy – yum. I loved the coconut cream filling so much, that I used the rest of my coconut milk and a couple of the leftover egg yolks to make a coconut custard as another treat option. However, the cake might be my “go to” cake base. I’m thinking a Tres Leches inspired cake might be on the horizon next! This one gets 2 thumbs up (6 if you include my daughters)! I am looking forward to creating my upcoming birthday cake using this recipe!
    Thank you for your recipes and your wonderful website! You make low carb living so much easier. Truly appreciated…

    Reply

  32. HELP I accidentally added the canned coconut milk to the cake ingredients and am wondering if this can be salvaged. Just sick about all the ingredients that may have to go to waste. Thanks

    Reply

  33. Are you supposed to beat the egg whites and then fold them in? This makes a very sturdy cake and it could be lighter.

    Reply

    • Nope, you should be following the instructions as written. Mine was just the right texture. Did you use almond meal instead of almond flour?

      Reply

  34. I made this cake as my Birthday Cake yesterday. I did put a ‘glaze’ of strawberry jam on top of the cake once the entire thing had cooled.. and then the whipping cream on top. It will forever be known as ‘Birthday Cake’ in our home from this day forward. :). Thanks so much Carolyn!

    Reply

  35. This is amazing! I made this for my husband’s birthday cake this past week, and he absolutely loved it — we all did! He really misses tres leches cakes, and he also loves coconut, so this really hit the spot. He was expecting a mug cake, so this was a nice surprise. Thank you so much for this recipe! Love your website. We have your skillet cookies in the oven now 😉

    Reply

  36. Can I say that this is truly an awesome recipe? This is the first poke cake I’ve tried and it was moist and perfectly composed. Even my friend who hates coconut was won over! I confess I put more toasted coconut shavings over the top of the cake and it looked really pretty!

    Reply

  38. I made this cake yesterday and it is very yummy. My only issue was the coconut cream was very thick like a custard and I couldn’t get it to soak into the holes, most of it just sat on top. I left out the xanthan gun and still found it to be too thick. Not sure what I did wrong but I will modify the recipe the next time I make it so the cream doesn’t get so thick. Otherwise, the recipe is a keeper!

    Reply

    • Sounds to me like it got overcooked and the eggs made it too thick. Maybe try thinning it out with a bit of extra liquid next time?

      Reply

  39. i don’t have whey protein or egg white powder….are there any other subs??

    Would love to make this tonight for Easter:) I looks amazing!

    Thanks!!!

    Reply

  40. I was looking for a low carb recipe to make a cake for my husband’s birthday. Came across this coconut poke cake on the internet. What a success it was. My husband loved it. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  41. Hi Carolyn, could I sub 1 cup of coconut flour for the shredded coconut? Thinking of using this recipe to make a tiramisu poke cake.

    Reply

    • No, you can’t, because that would be an awful mess. Coconut flour is very dense and absorbs huge amounts of moisture and you’d end up with a hockey puck. Just leave out the shredded coconut or add a little more almond flour.

      Reply

  42. The cake turned out nicely but needed extra time baking. I also used the end of wooden spoon to make the poke holes so I could get plenty of the custard into them which worked a treat and the custard set nicely. I then decided to turn the extra yolks into lemon curd, then split the cake into 2 layers (custard was set by that stage so stayed put through the slicing) and sandwiched them together with the lemon curd and then added the whipped cream topping. Wowzer!!!….yummo!!!

    Reply

      • Thanks ? . Just a lil addition to an already fab recipe. Oh, and in case anyone else reads my comments and was wondering…yes, I made no-sugar-added lemon curd (i used Natvia, which is an erythritol stevia blend)

        Reply

  44. Does this cake do well refrigerated over night. I wanted to make the cake tonight to be eaten for Thanksgiving for tomorrow.

    Reply

      • Thank you so much, Caroyln! My family and I LOVE your recipes. It has been so helpful for me as both my parents have diabetes (each with sweet tooth). Thank you for all your recipes! I hope you have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!

        Reply

  46. Can anything else be used in place of the protein powder and egg white powder?
    I really wanted to make today!!!!
    Thank you! Love your recipes and this cake and carrot cake are the bomb!!!

    Reply

  48. Thank you. I am thinking that I will freeze it without the whipped cream on top. I’m not sure how well that part would freeze.

    Reply

  49. 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!

    Reply

  51. Can you please help me find this recipe and the directions, I can’t fine it anywhere and my husband loves coconut. Thank you

    Reply

  52. 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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  54. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  55. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  56. 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 !

    Reply

  57. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  63. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  69. 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.

    Reply

  70. 4 stars
    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!

    Reply

  71. 5 stars
    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!!

    Reply

  72. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  73. 5 stars
    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?

    Reply

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