Ground walnuts and espresso powder bake into a tender, nutty, coffee-scented snack cake sweetened with monk fruit and finished with a light coconut whipped topping. Sugar-free, dairy-free, and baked in 28 minutes.
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 9x9-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
Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg
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