This keto gingerbread is moist, fluffy, and flavorful. It's ready in less than an hour, including the time it needs to cool. Despite containing no molasses or brown sugar, it tastes just like the real thing, and the leftovers are excellent, too.
My Dutch Grandma used to bake an amazing Ontbijtkoek - a Dutch breakfast cake spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. This delightful gingerbread reminds me of Grandma's cake. I thought it would be difficult to recreate the traditional flavor without molasses, but happily, I was wrong. Just like my keto fruit cake, this keto gingerbread cake allows you to enjoy holiday flavors while sticking to your low-carb diet.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this cake. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Eggs: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, including this one.
- Whole milk: You can use heavy cream instead of milk.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter.
- Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can replace it with a sugar-free granulated sweetener.
- Aromatics and spices: Ground cinnamon, minced fresh ginger, and unsweetened cocoa powder. I also add a bit of salt.
- Almond flour: I use blanched, finely ground flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal in this recipe.
- Baking soda: You can replace it with baking powder.
Variations
- You can use a granulated sweetener instead of stevia. If the batter seems too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Add a pinch of cloves and/or nutmeg.
- Frost the cake with this keto cream cheese frosting.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this cake:
Mix together all the ingredients in one bowl. Make sure the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased square 8-inch pan.
Bake the cake in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes. Cool it before slicing and serving.
Look at this cake's beautiful crumb! It's so tender and moist.
Expert Tips
- This might be somewhat unusual, but I like to add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to this cake. The cocoa powder gives the cake a deeper color and an additional layer of rich flavor. This is useful because I don't use brown sugar or molasses.
- If using baking soda, it's best to use natural cacao powder (not treated with alkali). Its acidity will help activate the baking soda, ensuring a fluffy cake. If using baking powder, it's fine to use cocoa powder treated with alkali.
Recipe FAQs
I based this recipe on my trusted almond flour cake recipe. I omitted the honey, replacing it with stevia, milk, and butter. I also added spices - cinnamon and ginger.
Unfortunately, you cannot. These two flours behave very differently and are not interchangeable in baked goods.
A tablespoon of molasses contains around 15 grams of carbs. Whether this fits within your low-carb diet is up to you to decide. I find that this cake is marvelous even without molasses.
Serving Suggestions
This simple cake is perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert. It's wonderful all by itself, but if you serve it for dessert, you can add cream cheese frosting or keto whipped cream.
Storing Leftovers
Once completely cool, I wrap the cake in cling wrap, then in a layer of foil, and store it in the fridge. It keeps well for about 5 days.
You can also wrap it as mentioned above and freeze it or freeze individual slices in freezer bags.
More Holiday Treats
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Recipe Card
Simple Keto Gingerbread
Video
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter - for pan
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted
- 1.5 teaspoons stevia glycerite - equals ½ cup of sugar - see notes
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder - natural, unsweetened; see notes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups superfine almond flour - 6 ounces; it's best to measure by weight
- ½ teaspoon baking soda - see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease a square glass 8-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, stevia, cinnamon, cocoa powder, ginger, and salt.
- Whisk in the almond flour and baking soda.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then cut it into nine squares and serve.
Notes
- Occasionally, baking soda can cause a reaction in baked goods that results in an unpleasant ammonia smell. If you're concerned about it happening, use ½ tablespoon of fresh, non-expired baking powder (gluten-free if needed) instead of baking soda.
- You can use a granulated sweetener instead of stevia. If the batter seems too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- This might be somewhat unusual, but I like to add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to this cake. The cocoa powder gives the cake a deeper color and an additional layer of rich flavor. This is useful because I don't use brown sugar or molasses.
- If using baking soda, it's best to use natural cacao powder (not treated with alkali). Its acidity will help activate the baking soda, ensuring a fluffy cake. If using baking powder, it's fine to use cocoa powder treated with alkali.
- I like the cake unfrosted, but you can frost it with this keto cream cheese frosting.
- Once completely cool, you can wrap the cake in cling wrap, then in a layer of foil, and store it in the fridge. It keeps well for about 5 days. You can also wrap it as mentioned above and freeze it or freeze individual slices in freezer bags.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Tanya says
Delicious . But I used lankanto golden monkfruit as I prefer it to stevia . Thank you for this recipe
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Tanya! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Jen says
I will be making a keto lemon curd (if I can find a recipe for it) to go on top of this. Growing up my mom would make gingerbread cake with the lemon curd on it for Thanksgiving. so I'm hoping for the same nostalgic taste!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you like this cake, Jen! Good luck with finding a good recipe for keto lemon curd. Sounds delicious!
Mary says
I can’t believe how good this cake is! Next time, I’m doubling it and using a 9x13 dish.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Mary! Doubling the recipe is a great idea and should work.