Sugar-Free Walnut Coffee Snack Cake (Dairy-Free)
Ground walnuts and espresso powder bake into a tender, nutty, coffee-scented snack cake sweetened with monk fruit. It takes about 10 minutes to mix, 28 minutes to bake, and needs no mixer or added sugar. A light coconut whipped topping with a pinch of espresso and some chopped walnuts finishes it off.
Good to know before you start
- Time: About 10 minutes to grind the walnuts and mix, 28 minutes to bake, plus cooling time before slicing.
- Pan: A 9×9-inch square baking pan, greased and lined with parchment paper so the cake lifts out easily. It cuts into 9 squares.
- Grind the walnuts first: 2 cups of walnut halves grind down to about 1 3/4 cups. Pulse them in short bursts so they turn into a coarse flour, not walnut butter.
- Sweetener: Use a monk fruit sweetener that measures cup-for-cup like sugar. Brands vary in sweetness, so check your package.
- Espresso powder, not coffee grounds: Instant espresso powder dissolves into the batter. Coffee grounds won’t.
- Don’t overbake: The center may still have a few moist crumbs at 28 minutes, and that’s ok. The cake keeps cooking as it cools, and baking it longer makes it dry.
This Sugar-Free Walnut Coffee Snack Cake is a cake version of my Walnut Coffee Muffin Tops. Same coffee-and-walnut flavor, but in a cake you can cut into squares for easy snacking. It’s made with ground walnuts, a little all-purpose flour, espresso powder, monk fruit sweetener, eggs, and oil.
This Walnut Coffee Snack Cake is:
- Sugar-free. Sweetened with monk fruit, with no added sugar.
- Dairy-free. Made with oil instead of butter, and no milk.
- Mostly walnuts. Ground walnuts make up most of the “flour,” with just 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour.
- Simple. Mix the wet, mix the dry, mix them together, and bake for 28 minutes.
The inspiration
This cake, like my Walnut Coffee Muffin Tops, was inspired by Nigella Lawson’s coffee walnut cake, which made an appearance as the technical bake in the first episode of The 2026 Great British Bake Off. Coffee and walnut is a classic pairing, and after that episode I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Instead of a layered cake, I went with a simple snack cake with a light coconut whipped topping. I swapped the sugar for monk fruit sweetener and the butter for oil, so this one is sugar-free and dairy-free.
What are the ingredients needed to make this Walnut Coffee Snack Cake?
You will need the following 9 ingredients:
- Walnuts. Ground in a blender or food processor into a coarse walnut flour.
- All-purpose flour. Just 1/2 cup helps hold the cake together.
- Monk fruit sweetener. This keeps the cake sugar-free.
- Espresso powder. Gives the cake its coffee flavor.
- Baking powder. Helps the cake rise.
- Salt. Brings out the coffee and walnut flavors.
- Eggs. Bind the batter and give the cake structure.
- Oil. A neutral oil, like vegetable or avocado oil, keeps the cake moist and dairy-free.
- Vanilla extract. Rounds out the coffee and walnut flavors.
How do you make this Walnut Coffee Snack Cake?
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Grind the walnuts. Pulse 2 cups of walnuts in a blender or food processor until they are a coarse, flour-like texture. You should have about 1 3/4 cups.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the ground walnuts, flour, monk fruit sweetener, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix both. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Bake for 28 minutes at 350°F. A toothpick inserted in the center might come out with a few crumbs, but that’s ok. This cake will cook a bit as it cools. I have baked this cake longer, and the result is a drier cake.
- Cool in the pan, then frost with a simple coconut whipped topping mixed with a pinch of espresso powder, and top with chopped walnuts. Cut into 9 squares.
(The full recipe card is below.)
A few notes
- Don’t over-grind the walnuts. Stop once they look like coarse flour. A few small chunks add nice texture.
- Don’t overmix. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until there are no dry streaks.
- Ovens vary. Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on the cake near the 28-minute mark.
- Check your sweetener. Monk fruit sweeteners vary by brand, so read the label. This is the brand I use.
How to serve it
Top the cooled cake with a simple coconut whipped topping mixed with a pinch of espresso powder, then sprinkle it with chopped walnuts. Serve it with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
If you are not trying to limit sugar, frost it with my dairy-free chocolate frosting instead. Or keep it simple and serve it with a dusting of powdered zero-calorie sweetener.
How to store it
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. It can also be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 3 months. Once it has the coconut whipped topping, keep it in the fridge.
Questions you might have
Can I use instant coffee instead of espresso powder?
Yes. Instant coffee is milder, so use a little more, about 7–8 teaspoons (the same ratio as my muffin tops), and make sure it’s finely ground so it dissolves.
Can I use store-bought walnut flour?
Yes. Use about 1 3/4 cups of walnut flour in place of the 2 cups of whole walnuts.
Can I make it gluten-free?
A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work in place of the all-purpose flour.
Can I bake it as muffin tops instead?
Yes. Try my Walnut Coffee Muffin Tops. They use the same flavors in a small batch of 4.
[Add photo: a slice of cake with coffee]
More walnut, coffee, and sugar-free bakes:
Walnut Coffee Muffin Tops (Sugar Free)
Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops
Mango Cake (Refined Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts ground to about 1 3/4 cups
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup monk fruit sweetener
- 4 tsp espresso powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup neutral oil (such as vegetable or avocado oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup coconut whipped topping
- 3/4 tsp espresso powder (add more for a stronger coffee flavor)
- 1 tbsp Monk fruit sweetener
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts (to top)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Pulse the walnuts in a blender or food processor until they are a coarse, flour-like texture. You should have about 1 3/4 cups.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, mix the ground walnuts, flour, monk fruit sweetener, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 28 minutes at 350°F. A toothpick inserted in the center might come out with a few crumbs, but that’s ok. The cake will cook a bit as it cools, and baking it longer makes it dry.
- Cool in the pan, then frost with coconut whipped topping mixed with a pinch of espresso powder, and top with chopped walnuts. Cut into 9 squares.
Notes
- Pulse the walnuts in short bursts so they don’t turn into walnut butter.
- Monk fruit sweeteners vary by brand. Use one that measures cup-for-cup like sugar.
- Instant coffee can replace the espresso powder. Use about 7–8 teaspoons.
- If you are not trying to limit sugar, frost it with dairy-free chocolate frosting instead, or serve it with a dusting of powdered zero-calorie sweetener.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Once topped with coconut whipped topping, keep it in the fridge.
Nutrition
If you make this walnut coffee snack cake, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin.
