This simple and delicious Berry Snack Cake is the perfect back-to-school paleo and gluten-free treat! Both kids and adults love this snack cake because you can eat it without utensils and no one will suspect that it’s free of grains and refined sugar!
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The best berry snack cake!
This berry snack cake has a tender crumb dotted with tangy berries and just the right amount of sweetness from maple or coconut sugar! Also, it passed the test with my picky gluten-eating in-laws, so you know this snacking cake is a winner!
It’s Paleo, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free!
I don’t make paleo desserts often, but when I do, I make sure they are worth all of the testing. This berry snack cake tastes amazing and the only flours used are almond flour and cassava flour. As I’ve told you in the past, I’m not a paleo baking expert, so I’m not sure if you can use an egg substitute or use another flour in place of the two used in this recipe. Please let me know in the comments section below if you have success with any ingredient substitutions!
Can you make a low carb snack cake?
Yes! I recently tested this cake out with allulose and it turned out great! Because allulose is not as sweet as maple sugar, you need to increase the amount of sweetener to 1 cup. Also, because allulose browns quickly, you should keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes and lightly place a piece of foil on top so it doesn’t get too dark before the center is fully cooked.
You can probably use mostly almond flour to decrease the carbs as well. However, I’m not sure of the exact proportions so if you do try it, please let folks know in the comments below how it turns out!
Can you use other fruit?
Definitely! You can substitute the berries with almost any other sliced up fruit. Peaches, nectarines, plums, mango, or canned pineapple work great! If you’re using a hard fruit, like an apple, slice it thin so it can cook in the time the batter sets up. Frozen fruit will also work but it will take longer to bake and the finished cake will be wetter.
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray or ghee
- Finely ground almond flour
- Cassava flour (I use Otto’s cassava flour)
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Ground cardamom
- Ghee or coconut oil, softened
- Maple sugar or coconut sugar or granulated allulose (for low carb)
- Large eggs
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Grated lime zest
- Lime juice
- Vanilla extract
- Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries
- keto confectioners sugar (optional)
How to make a gluten-free berry snack cake
Heat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of an 8-inch square metal baking pan with avocado oil or ghee. Make a sling out of parchment paper to line the bottom and hang over the sides.
In medium bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
Plop the softened ghee and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer).
Use the paddle attachment to blend the mixture on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until lighter in color and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, and vanilla.
Beat the mixture on medium speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Next, add half the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
Slowly add the rest of the flour and mix until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in any dry flour with a spatula. Pour in the berries…
…and carefully fold them in the thick batter.
Transfer the batter to the parchment-lined baking pan and smooth the top.
Pop the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut the cake into nine squares…
…and top with keto confectioner’s sugar if desired.
How to store leftovers
Store leftover cake in a sealed airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
But something tells me you won’t have very many leftovers!
More grab-and-go paleo dessert ideas!
If you’re looking for more portable paleo dessert recipes, here are some of my favorites:
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Berry Snack Cake (Paleo, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray or ghee
- 1 cup finely ground almond flour
- ¾ cup cassava flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup ghee softened (or coconut oil, softened)
- ⅔ cup maple sugar or coconut sugar or 1 cup granulated allulose (for low carb)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups mixed berries
- 1 tablespoon keto confectioners sugar optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of an 8-inch square metal baking pan with avocado oil or ghee. Make a sling out of parchment paper to line the bottom and hang over the sides.
- In medium bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
- Plop the softened ghee and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer). Use the paddle attachment to blend the mixture on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until lighter in color and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, and vanilla. Beat the mixture on medium speed for 30 seconds or until combined.
- Next, add half the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Slowly add the rest of the flour and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in any dry flour with a spatula.
- Carefully fold the berries into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the parchment-lined baking pan and smooth the top.
- Pop the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. (If you’re using allulose, you may need to cover the cake lightly with foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent it from browning too much.)
- Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut the cake into nine squares and serve as is or top with keto confectioners sugar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi
What can i subsitute for cassava flour?
Thanks
I haven’t tried other flours in this recipe! I think you can probably increase the almond flour and add some tapioca flour but I’m not sure of the exact proportions.
Can I sub regular gluten free flour for the Cassava flour?
I haven’t tried it but I bet it would work!
My glass pan is 8×8 but my metal pan is 9×9. Which do you recommend?
I have fresh strawberries, but only frozen wild blueberries. Will the frozen wild blueberries work?
I think they should work! Another Nomster says that she thaws and drains frozen fruit before using it in a recipe so it doesn’t release too much liquid. I normally just throw them in frozen and add extra cooking time if needed.
I have a citrus sensitivity. Would it be an issue to leave out the zest and lime? Sub anything?
You definitely leave out the lime zest and juice. Use 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar in place of the juice—it’s need to activate the baking soda.
What other flours can I use in this and other Paleo or Keto recipes. I am allergic to almonds and it seems most recipes use almond flour.
I’m not sure! I’m not a paleo or keto baking expert so I don’t know the best substitution for almond flour.
Will frozen mixed berries work for this recipe? Can’t wait to try this!
I think so! If you don’t defrost the berries, you may have to increase the cooking time. If you do defrost the berries, you may want to strain out any moisture before you cook them.
Can this be made as muffins?
Ooh! I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would work!
The recipe reads as adding a half a cup of Ghee in two locations. I’m assuming that’s a typo?
Where does it say to add 1/2 cup of ghee in two locations? You grease the pan with a small amount of avocado spray or a small amount of ghee if you don’t have any avocado spray. The 1/2 cup of ghee is only used when you cream it with the maple sugar in the mixing bowl.
How do you measure out your almond flour? I always seems to fail at paleo baked goods that don’t have weights for the flours. Thanks!
I always weigh the flours out! If you click on the recipe card, I have a metric button that will give the weights in grams.
Oh my gosh. How have I never noticed this?!?!?! Thank you so much for telling me something I should have realized.
This was one of the best paleo cakes I’ve made….light and wonderful! I wouldn’t change the flour proportions at all. I would love to make it into a carrot cake. Can you suggest the amount? Would it be the same as the cup and a half of fruit or would that be too heavy in comparison to the fruit measurement? Would love your ideas!
Ooh! I’m not sure! I’d have to do a bunch of testing first! But now I have an idea for a future recipe post!