This crazy mixed up low carb cake is truly delicious stuff! Keto chocolate cake swirled together with sugar-free cheesecake, pecans, and coconut for a healthy take on the famous earthquake cake.
I know what’s going to happen here. Call me clairvoyant or something but I know that the minute I publish this recipe, I am going to be inundated with questions. Because I myself have the very same question that I bet about 50% of you are going to ask: why is this delicious low carb chocolate and cream cheese cake called “Earthquake Cake”??? So I am heading you all off at the pass right now and letting you know that I have no earthly idea why it is so named, but I have some pretty good guesses. And I bet you do too, upon closer inspection.
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I am going to go all f0rmer archaeologist on you and point out that soil and rock and all the good stuff is always in nice neat little layers. This is Geology 101, friends, so hark on back to your freshman year and remind yourself how the top layer of soil always sits neatly on top of clay or sandstone or granite layers. And under that there are other layers. Layers upon layers, all the way down to the molten core of the Earth. When you head off to amazing natural sites like the Grand Canyon, you actually get to see those perfect layers in cross-section, the mighty Colorado River having cut it prettily for your viewing pleasure. And, as a former archaeologist/physical anthropologist, I have spent many a day excavating down into those layers, making detailed notes on the strata and which artifacts are found in which layers.
But then an earthquake happens and all those neat layers get churned up and messed up, and some bits that used to be on top are now on the bottom. And some of the bottom layers come all the way to the top. So that when you cut down into it, you see a bit of one layer here and a bit of another layer there and it’s much more difficult to make sense of. Which is also exactly what happens with this crazy mixed up low carb cake…you pour everything into neat little layers and then you churn it all up so that it makes no sense. Some of the bottom layers of coconut and pecans comes to the top and some of the top layer of cream cheese sinks down to the middle or even the bottom.
So what you have, in the end, is a gorgeously imperfect low carb cake with chocolate, coconut, pecans, cream cheese, and chocolate chips, all mixed and muddled together. This keto cake makeover was at the request of a few readers who brought the conventional earthquake cake idea before me on separate occasions. Of course, the conventional version is made with boxed cake mix (ACK!) and we don’t go there. It’s really so easy to whip up a quick low carb chocolate cake batter, I see no need for any sort of boxed mix. Scratch baking at its finest!
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 14 tbsp butter melted, divided
- 1/2 cup cold coffee or water coffee helps boost chocolate flavor
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom with the shredded coconut and the pecans.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, 6 tbsp melted butter, coffee or water, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour over the coconut and pecans.
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In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tbsp melted butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener. Dollop this mixture over the cake mixture by the spoonful. Use a knife to swirl into the cake mixture, scraping all the way to the bottom in some places to mix up the coconut and pecans.
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Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake for about 45 minutes, until cake is mostly set through (will still be slightly soft and liquidy in the middle). Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
MORE GREAT LOW CARB CAKE RECIPES
Low Carb Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake
Low Carb Mini Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache Frosting
Low Carb Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake
AZ@...And A Dash of Cinnamon says
OOH I wasn’t sure what earthquake cake was, but it looks delicious! I love the coconut chocolate combo
Elizabeth Hayes says
Can you subthe whey protein with egg white powder as in some of your other recipes?
Tricia Hoff says
I tried substituting Erythritol and powdered Swerve in a coconut cake recipe and while everyone else loved it, I couldn’t eat it because it made my mouth burn. It’s expensive, but I’ve had great success using Monkfruit sweetener in recipes so I’m going to try this recipe using that.
Engela Viss says
Wow, this looks amazing! I’m pretty sure it will be a hit with everyone in the family. Plus, I love that it makes a full 9×13, rather than a smaller batch, without any crazy wild ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Stacy says
Just made this! AMAZING! Thank you Carolyn. We appreciate YOU!
Janai says
Does anyone else have a problem with the Swerve powdered sugar? It leaves such a weird after-taste that everything tastes sickenly sweet after I’ve eaten something with it in it. I can’t use it any more.
Delaney says
I don’t use Swerve for the same reason, plus it’s expensive. I used half of what she called for in the dolloping part, and split that erythritol and Splenda. I tried it off the spatula and it was plenty sweet!
Amanda says
Be careful- If you are doing Keto, Splenda is not Keto and can still spike your insulin.
Aubree says
Yes! I am always shocked people use it so often in low carb recipes. It gives me a yucky aftertaste and I’m not usually sensitive to that sort of thing. I now use a great combo of stevia/erythritol I found on netrition.com. It’s cheaper and no aftertaste. I just use my vitamin to blend if a recipe calls for powdered sugar.
Carolyn says
Please remember that every palate is different. I use Swerve because it’s the only low carb sweetener that does NOT give me an aftertaste.
Marie says
us too. sometimes I buy generic eythritol on line also to save money
Allyson says
Same here, Swerve is all I use. But I always add a squirt of liquid stevia to anything I use Swerve in… it seems to balance out the sweetness perfectly!
Troyce Schreffler says
I learned to do this when I use Swerve also. Makes a world of difference in eliminating the cooling effect of Swerve.
Tricia says
I have found that Truvia works best for me. I have not found a powdered sweetener version of it though so frostings and stuff are harder to manage.
Carol McRee says
You can put trivia in a small food processor or coffee grinder to get a powdered version of trivia. For baking I prefer the trivia baking blends. The small amount of sugar in the blends means they bake and taste more like usual sugar laden baked goods. A definite plus imho. No aftertaste!
Chis says
What is the name of the sweetener you use?? I can’t stand swerve!!!
Carol McRee says
Try Truvia and Truvia baking blends.
Anne says
Note that Truvia Baking Blend has sugar as one of the ingredients.
Christa Back says
What do you use instead?
Pam says
Like you, we did not care for the aftertaste with Swerve. It’s really too bad, because the initial taste is good.
Now we use an erythritol/stevia granulated blend or Sukrin. If we need it to be a little sweeter, we add some liquid stevia. Omica Orange Blossom is the best stevia we have found. We order it from Amazon.
Marie says
we just use way less than recipe calls for. I guess we’ve lost some of our sweet toothe…
Lallie says
This happens to many people who eliminate sugar and cut down on the carbs in their diet. I tend to use half of the amount or even 1/3 rd the amount of sweetener called for in most recipes. I also like to use just plain erythritol sometimes because it has only 70% of the sweetness of sugar. This way I can reduce the sweetness without taking some of the bulk of the ingredients away.
Chris says
I used egg white powder, looks good, smells awesome….to hot to taste. I am loving the 9×13 size too. The ladies at quilt bee will be thrilled.
Delaney says
This was perfect to come out on Father’s Day! I made it while my husband is working and it’s cooling on the counter for a perfect evening surprise. It smells amazing. I put cacao bits on half and only used half the sweetener for the cream cheese dollops. Still tasted delicious! Thank you for an easy, chocolatey recipe!
Margaret Floeter says
Those of you complaining it’s too sweet, try cutting the amount of sweeteners down…I always use less Sweetener than called for, usually 2/3 to 1/2. I put in half, taste, and add more if needed. Since I started keto two years ago, I just don’t like things as sweet. That’s probably the issue with many of you. I can’t wait to try this. It pushes all my buttons!
janet says
You are so right Margaret! Everything seems sickening sweet to us anymore. So I always cut back the sweetener until I can taste it. I’d rather it was not sweet enough(in which case I just serve it with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream) than too sweet to start (in which case no one wants to eat it).
Linda says
I find letting baked goods sit a few days before eating really mellows the sweet overpowering taste. I started using xylitol for my sweetner and just love it. (We have no pets). Good luck.
Dea says
Any ideas for subbing the shredded coconut –Hubby does like coconut. I made your brownie cheesecake for Mothers Day and Fathers day the kids and grandkids really like it and could not believe it was sugar free and that Grandpa could eat it without raising his Blood Sugars . He was diagnosed with diabetes this past February and your meals and desserts have really helped us cope with the diet changes– Blood Sugar is down in normal ranges with just the change in diet, walking, losing weight and no med!! So Thanks for your recipes.
Carolyn says
Just leave it out! Glad to hear he’s getting better.
Dea says
Sorry foe the error should read —-Hubby does not like coconut
Chris says
Use more pecans!!!!
Brenda Cash says
Carolyn, I can’t figure out what I did wrong, and it’s driving me nuts! My cake looks nothing like yours. The cream cheese layer did not sink and mix together, my cake batter was very think and appears to be darker than yours. Also the cake is a little dry. I’m sure it’s my error, just don’t know what I did–maybe mismeasured the cocoa powder?
Carolyn says
Without being in your kitchen with you, I honestly can’t say. But what cocoa powder did you use? If it was one of the super dark ones, maybe that’s an issue. Something went wrong, for sure because the cake batter should be quite liquid. Not quite pourable but definitely spreadable.
Shelby says
My batter was not liquid at all either, I think it could be the almond flour. My cream cheese dollops were fairly thick also. Not sure if that was supposed to be the case, but not sure how I could have messed that up if they weren’t supposed to be. lol We haven’t had a chance to taste it yet but I am positive it is going to taste delicious anyway! I will probably try it again and try using a little less almond flour. It may be possible that it is the brand I used which is different from yours (I used Trader Joe’s Super Fine Ground).
Carolyn says
I guess it’s the almond flour, then. It’s interesting, you are not the only one who’s had this problem. Low carb batters do tend to be thicker than regular, though!
Pam says
This cake looks good to a fault! Sorry – had to.
Paula says
Hi, is there a substitution for the whey powder?
Carolyn says
Egg white protein powder.
Tonya says
Can I get this in grocery stores?
Carolyn says
Whole foods definitely carries it.
Julie says
Would chocolate whey protein powder work as a sub?
Carolyn says
Sure.
Barbo says
We love things sweet so no problem for us. It reminds us of Rocky Road one of our
favorite HC ice creams .
Ally says
I just made these and they turned out awesome! I couldn’t find unsweetened coconut flakes at my local grocery store nor sugar-free chocolate chips, so I used just sweetened coconut flakes (in addition to all the other ingredients) and it was still the perfect amount of sweetness.
Sally says
I use less Swerve as recommended sometimes about 1/3 of the amount. No aftertaste or issues. I did the same thing when I used sugar -as it was too sweet also for me. I follow the same guidelines as when I baked with sugar. We found that our sweet tooth is not that sweet, if we eat cake with sugar- maybe a bite is all we can handle. That is a good thing! My husband is a diabetic and try to not use sugar or wheat products for hour health. Your recipes make our life with food more enjoyable.
Eileen says
Cake is an absolute bliss. So moist and with so many textures! Came out fab. THANK YOU Carolyn for constantly adding joy to my life!
Susan says
Delicious!
It is great we all can adjust ‘sweetener’ products according to our preferences. I am thankful for lots
Of choices these days!
Susan says
Do you really even need need the protein powder?
Carolyn says
If you want the best rise and texture, yes.
Pamela says
I baked this cake ahead of time for tomorrow. Smells wonderful. Can’t wait to try it. What’s the best way to store it? In or out of the refrigerator?
Carolyn says
Mine didn’t last more than a day but I would probably refrigerate leftovers.
Vickie says
The protein powder I have on hand is vanilla flavored. Will this make a big difference in the outcome of the cake?
Carolyn says
Just omit any vanilla and maybe cut back on the sweetener a little.
Delaney says
That’s what I used and it was delicious!
Tonya says
Vanilla is the only kind I have and I dont omit the vanilla or cut back on sweetner.
Kate says
Yet another indication that low carb is NOT hard with amazing sweets like this! Thank you so much for all your hard work…and sharing with us! I bought some espresso powder from my favorite spice store (myspicesage.com…and I don’t work for or get referral credits, I just LOVE it!). If I use that..use a tiny amount in…water to make up for the liquid? I’m a bit squicky about using too much, I don’t care for uber-strong coffee and don’t want it to take over…but I’d still like to use it,makes me all chefy n stuff :). Thanks so much, this is the first time in my life I’ve stuck with a new WOE, and its been a breeze because of stunning recipes like yours!
Kate says
Ugh, how I missed the “coffee or water” instructions…silly me, nevermind 🙂 I did email you with a small novel asking a simple question, smh. No rush, just another stupid human trick I tried dealing with on WordPress. Thanks!
Carolyn says
You can use just water in the same amount with a little of the espresso powder and I don’t think you will need extra liquid.
jill says
I usually make 1/2 recipes as there is just two of us. When there are three eggs do I need to divide an egg or would two eggs make a big difference. I run into this pretty often. I could also use one egg and one white or yolk.. Saving half an egg it usually does not get used.
Carolyn says
This is what I usually do: 1 egg plus one egg white and then just hold back on 1 tbsp water, unless the batter is very thick.
Debbie says
what size pan would you recommend if i wanted to halve the recipe for 2 people?? Thanks I love all your recipes!
Carolyn says
You can try an 8×8…it will be thicker (deeper) so may take longer to cook through.
Brendw says
Carolyn I just want to check and see if you have any idea of how much THM baking blend I would use in place of the almond flour If I do is there any other adjustments you could recommend. I know you have baked a bit with-it in the past so I thought I would ask because I just made with almond flour and loved it. I just have so much baking blend on hand I’d like to use it .
Carolyn says
I would use the same amount but then I would add an extra egg and a little extra butter. Because baking blend is MUCH drier than almond flour alone.
Diane Downing says
This question is not particularly tied to this recipe but why do you not use more THM baking blends (flour or sugar) in your recipes? I love her erythritol, xylitol, Stevia sugar blend. It has no cooling or aftertaste with it. Always been curious. 🙂
Carolyn says
Because I don’t follow THM, only low carb. And I find they DO have an aftertaste and for me, Swerve does not. Every palate is different. I also don’t use xylitol because it does raise blood sugar quite a bit compared to erythritol.
Karen June Miller says
My mom and I made a carby version of this cake in California. Our understanding was that it was called Earthquake Cake because baking it caused cream cheese faults on the surface of the cake — at least with the high carb version.
Karen in Idaho
Susan says
Just following up to say, I warmed individual slices up in the micro and put them on top of a dollop of whipped cream.
So, so, so tasty.
Melissa says
Carolyn I’m a little confused on the divided Swerve amounts. Is the first 1/2 cup for the cake and the second full cup for the cream cheese dollop? TIA…
Carolyn says
Granular for the cake, powdered for the cream cheese. So two different ingredients.
Debbie says
Anyone know if this freezes well? Would love to be Able t pull out A serving once A week as A treat
Carolyn says
it should freeze just fine.
Jeanette McGlothin says
I love your recipes and am looking forward to making some show stopping desserts for the 4th… Can you please explain the carbs listed in the nutrition info… is that for the whole pan? I am sorry, but I simply don’t understand, thank you
Carolyn says
The total servings are 20, which it states at the top of the recipe. The nutritional counts are always per serving so it’s 7.54g total carbs per serving with 3.4g fiber. Which means it’s 4.44g NET CARBS per serving.
Rose says
I personally love Swerve. I also just wanted to say thank you. No complaints just a thank you for still having amazing desserts on this wol. I appreciate your time and dedication.
Shirley Kerkhove says
I made this cake yesterday and it’s terribly dry, almost crumbly. I think I need a scoop of ice cream to moisten it up. I would like to try this again but hate to waste ingredients. Followed recipe exact, but did cut back on the swerve sweetener. Help!
Carolyn says
I really don’t know. A few other people said the same but most people say it’s perfect. Could be your oven or perhaps your almond flour or cocoa powder.
Karyn says
Wow, just made this and it’s amazingly delicious. This is the first keto chocolate cake that I’ve made that really turned out well. We love it! Moist, flavorful, lots of nice texture and contrast. SO good. Thank you!
Ellen K Stehouwer says
Made this for the Fourth of July celebration. Very yummy – none of our non-LC guests knew! 🙂
Cameron says
Could you use chocolate whey protein powder? I was thinking then cut back a little on the sweetener and cocoa….
Carolyn says
Sure, I guess that would work.
Susan Pelter says
I made this recently and unfortunately, overbaked it! I cooked it in a glass baking dish for about 39 minutes, which was too long. Obviously, it was too dry, although the taste was tantalizing and I will try again. Another issue I encountered was that it was actually too sweet for me; very rare with your recipes. …And after being in the fridge, the Swerve really crystallized in the remaining cake. Good news, my significant other LOVED it, adores the sweetness, doesn’t mind the crystals, and finds it absolutely fabulous with the whipped cream I made to compensate for the dryness. So overall, a win! Next time: less (and mixed) sweeteners and less baking time. I can tell that when I get it right it is going to be amazing!
Iamse7en says
Holy moly, this was awesome. Definitely a keeper. I had the Trader Joe’s vanilla whey, did not decrease sweetener or omitted vanilla, and it was awesome. My only suggestion to others is: more nuts. I did 3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup nuts and it still wasn’t enough IMO. There is enough cake and cheesecake filling to justify quite a bit more nuts. You could do chopped walnuts or mixture of both. This was heavenly and everyone in my extended family on the SAD diet could not believe it was healthy/low carb.
Linda says
This is SO GOOD! It has a definite German Chocolate Cake flavor. It is also quick & easy, and “carbers” love it too!
Those who commented that it is dry, when baking with almond flour, you have to get acclimated to the “done” consistency. Better to underbake than overbake. If it was too dry, then try again & bake less. My finished product was moist & divine!
Laura Fynn says
I am baking this right now. It takes amazing off the spoon, so I can’t wait until its ready. I used a Stevia/Erythritol blend called native (in Australia) and only used half the amount mentioned.
Carolyn, I have only stumbled across your page and have already favourited it. You have so many Keto recipes that look absolutely amazing. I am new to this lifestyle, but am already seeing the benefits.
Carolyn says
Thank you, Laura!
Desiree says
This looks delicious! I realize it’s a keto recipe but it this Trim Healthy Mama compatible? If so, could you tell me what fuel setting it would fall under?
Carolyn says
Yes, it is and it’s an S Recipe.
Barbara says
This was so good however it was dry because I got distracted and baked it too long. No problem just served with vanilla ice cream. I will make it again and make sure I don’t overbake. Since there are only two of us I froze half the cake.
Last night I made a trifle out of the frozen cake. I layered vanilla sf pudding, whipped cream, strawberries, and raspberry liquor with the cake. Everyone loved it.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Carolyn says
Sounds delicious!
Holly White says
Another delicious recipe loved by all!!! Thanks for all your hard work! I can’t wait to get my copy of your book from amazon!!
Linda Ramsey says
Someone please tell me what I did wrong! I’m guessing that the cake part is suppose to be runny like a box cake mix? Mine was a clump – I added 2 more cups of water and still extremely thick! I’m a good cook and baker but I’m missing something somewhere – please help me!
Carolyn says
Did you by chance use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Linda says
Yes I did
Carolyn says
Well, that would be your problem, then. These two flours are not interchangeable in the least.
Linda Ramsey says
Yes I did
Sherry says
This looks fantastic, but I do not like coconut. Do you think I can just leave it out, or would I need to replace it with something? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Can totally leave it out!
Becky says
Um…this. was. awesome. First recipe of yours that I have tried, and thank you. It’s awesome. I used half the sugar and I used heavy whipping cream in place of the coffee/water, and it’s pretty much heavenly. I think that those who left comments that theirs turned out too dry is because they cooked it too long. My batter was also very thick but my cake was very moist and lovely, but I only baked for 35 minutes. Oven temps do vary. 🙂
JL Richardson says
I made this for my birthday and it is delicious!!! My bf thought it was amazing that I made it and it was LC. Thank you very much:-)
Carolyn says
Belated Happy Birthday!
Vickie S says
Instead of Swerve could u use THM gentle sweet and how much?
Carolyn says
yes, probably. Swerve measures like sugar so base it on Gentle Sweet and sugar conversions.
Kelly says
Do you think this will turn out okay without coconut. My family is not a fan.
Carolyn says
Yes, it should be fine.
Carey says
Is the whey protein powder a necessary ingredient, or can I leave it out?
Carolyn says
Some protein powder is necessary but you can use egg white protein.
Denisse says
Hi, I’m new to making low carb desserts and I never had to use whey protein powder or any protein powder. I read someone’s comment asking if the whey powder can be susbstituted by something else and you said egg white protein powder. My question is, do I have to use any protein powder at all?
Carolyn says
Yes, you do. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.
Charlene says
I made this this week and did half without the coconut and pecans on the bottom because I have a daughter who doesn’t like them. I refrigerated the leftovers, and I just have to say, I feel like the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets! I actually wasn’t sure I was going to like this cake when it was still warm (after letting it cool). But when I ate it the next day straight from the refrigerator – without heating it up – I wanted to eat the whole thing! I’m having to make myself just cut one square each day! I think I will freeze the remaining cake, cut into squares, so I won’t overeat! 😉
Sara Borders says
I made this last night and this may be my new favorite dessert. I followed other’s advice and reduced the 10x sweetener to my liking. While it’s not as pretty as yours, it tastes amazing. I love the layers and the combo of ingredients. It came together rather easily. Mine took less time to bake, and next time I may bake it even less. Your recipes never disappoint, thank you for giving us a wonderful keto dessert!
Amanda says
Is it possible to use powdered goat milk in place of the whey protein powder? I know that’s an odd substitution, but it’s the closest thing I’ve got and your cake looks just too delicious! I need to make it now! Lol
Carolyn says
I can’t say it would work for sure but it’s worth a try!
Amanda says
I have just one thing to say… OH. EM. GEE!!! I just totally burned my tongue on this! Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe this cake/heaven in a muffin pan. I used my powdered goat milk and pyure sweetener( in half increments), and I omitted the pecans and coconut since I’m not a huge fan of either. I will try them next time tho☺ the cupcakes came out moist and perfect! I cooked them about 25 minutes.
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried, but it will not be the last! Thank you so much!
Heather says
Excellent cake!! I made it with the coffee, added one extra egg since mine were medium, vanilla whey protein powder but didn’t omit vanilla. It is soooo tasty! It did not turn out like the photo, all the cream cheese part sunk in so it is a bit lumpy bumpy but still delish! thanks Carolyn!
Dona says
Hello there! Is it possible to use a combination of collagen peptides/grass fed beef gelatin in lieu of the whey protein? TIA!
Carolyn says
Nope. Makes it way too gummy. I’ve tried that before. You can leave out the whey if you need to but it does help the cake rise.
Ginny says
This is in the oven now and I can’t wait to try!
jenny bowman says
Total hit with the fam, I used sugar free white choc chips I made because thats what I had on hand.
Myra says
This is absolutely devine. Never would have combined choco cake with cream cheese, but it works wonders. And i dont drink coffee but a shot of espresso indeed did the trick.
Jennifer says
What is an approximate size for 1 serving??
Thank you so much for this!!!
P.s. monkfruit sweetner is the best!😉❤
Carolyn says
1/20th of the cake is the serving size. That’s as accurate as it gets…you have to eyeball it in your pan and cut into 20 squares.
Maggie says
Any chance I can use collagen powder instead of whey powder? Or chocolate ketologie? Or chocolate casein powder??
Carolyn says
Don’t use the collagen, it makes things gummy. The other two might work but I can’t say for sure.
Marla O`Steen says
Hi Carolyn,
I love your recipes and want to try this one but can’t afford the whey powder. Can I ask what it is for? Or why you use it? Is there something else I can use instead?
Marla O`Steen says
Carolyn,
I finally got through all of the comments and noticed that you answered the question about using the whey powder!