|September 21, 2023

Keto Tres Leches Cake Recipe

By Jordan Pie
Reviewed for Scientific Accuracy

Keto Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Tantalize your taste buds with a Latin American treat that doesn’t have nearly the amount of sugar you’d expect from a decadent dessert. By swapping out some classic ingredients for healthier alternatives, this keto tres leches cake recipe keeps the carb count much lower than the traditional version.

Worried about not satisfying your sweet tooth? Although this may be a healthy tres leches, it still has the signature flavors and unmistakable mouthfeel of one made in abuela’s kitchen. Whether you savor a slice on its own or you make a Bulletproof Coffee to go along with this tasty treat, this is one of those keto recipes that will leave you speechless… yet signaling for a second slice.

Keto tres leches ingredients

What goes into a keto-friendly tres leches cake? In this case, a combination of blanched almond and coconut flours, along with a few other recognizable baking ingredients, like eggs, butter and baking soda, help form a low-carb cake base.

Of course, the star of the show is the keto version of tres leches, which translates to  “three milks” in Spanish. Coconut cream, Bulletproof Vanilla Bean Collagen Protein, monk fruit and vanilla extract form a sweet, silky, sin-free mixture that’s ready to be soaked up by the cake itself.†

And as long as you have Bulletproof French Vanilla Creamer on hand, all you’ll need is additional coconut cream and vanilla to create a whipped cream topping that’ll finish off this keto tres leches in style.

How to make a healthy tres leches cake

Tres leches cake is essentially a sponge cake that’s soaked in sweetened milk and topped with whipped cream. Because dairy (with the exception of grass-fed butter and ghee) isn’t Bulletproof-friendly, that makes the traditional version a less-than-ideal choice. Plus, a standard tres leches cake you might buy in a store contains far too much sugar for keto dieters.

Instead of going with a high-carb, high-sugar dessert that doesn’t support your macros, you can make a healthified tres leches cake that contains ingredients that provide better nutritional value. Controlling what goes into your body is key, so why not take baking into your own hands and create something from scratch that’s lower in sugar, higher in quality fats and contains collagen protein?

Print Recipe Print Recipe Icon

Keto Tres Leches Cake Recipe

A tasty, keto-friendly take on a time-tested Latin American dessert that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
bulletproof logo

https://www.bulletproof.com/recipes/keto-tres-leches-cake-recipe/

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
CourseDesserts
DietKeto
Servings14

Ingredients

Cake

  • cups blanched almond flour
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (or Bulletproof Grass-Fed Ghee)
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup monk fruit (brown)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Tres Leches (Homemade condensed coconut milk)

Coconut Whipped Cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • Mix all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl using a hand mixer.
  • Pour into an 8x8 greased, parchment-lined dish or a rectangle/slice tin.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
  • Meanwhile, make the tres leches by adding condensed milk, vanilla and sweetener into a medium-sized saucepan and bring the mix to a soft boil. Reduce for 30 minutes or until it's reduced by half and has thickened. Stir occasionally, especially toward the end to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom.
  • Once the cake is finished baking, allow it cool.
  • Once the homemade condensed coconut milk is ready and off the heat, add Vanilla Bean Energy Collagen Protein and whisk until combined.
  • Poke the top of the cake to make a lot of holes and pour the condensed coconut milk mixture over the top so the cake absorbs all that tasty goodness.
  • Place cake in the refrigerator to set. Place a heavy mixing bowl (or the bowl from your stand mixer) in the freezer to chill for the coconut whipped cream.
  • Add the solid coconut cream to the chilled mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip it. Add sweetener of choice and French Vanilla Creamer and continue whipping until the cream stiffens.
  • Spread the coconut whipped cream evenly over the cake and top with fresh berries. Once you dig into a slice of this keto tres leches cake recipe, you may never go back to the traditional version.

Nutritional Information

  • Calories: 634
  • Fat: 63 g
  • Protein: 12 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Sugar Alcohols: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
  • Net Carbs: 8 g
  • Sodium: 206 mg

Frequently asked recipe questions

Can the cake be frozen?

Yes. We recommend slicing the cake into portion-sized squares and freezing one packaged piece for easy access and thawing.

Is this recipe for tres leches low carb?

Absolutely. The recipe was actually developed as a keto adaptation, which means it is low in carbohydrates by default. One slice contains just 8 grams of net carbs.

Is this a total sugar free tres leches recipe?

While the recipe is free of refined sugar, there are naturally occurring sugars from specific ingredients.

Is this cake gluten free?

Yes, this cake is 100% gluten-free.

How long will the cake last in the fridge?

The cake should always be refrigerated; however, it is best if consumed within 48 hours. If you do not think you will finish or serve the cake within a two-day timeframe, we recommend freezing it.

Can the batter be mixed by hand? Or is a mixer required?

We recommend using a hand mixer for the finest batter results.

How “healthy” is this tres leches recipe?

“Healthy” is subjective based on your personal diet goals. However, we consider this keto tres leches to be a “healthier” version compared to the traditional recipe, because it contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar, whereas a standard potion of tres leches can contain up to 34 grams of carbs, only 1 gram of protein and 28 grams of sugar.

Let's Get Cookin'!

Subscribe to our Recipe Lab newsletter for delicious recipes delivered to your inbox weekly!