Keto Twinkies
Published March 13, 2021 • Updated March 10, 2026
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I make these in a two-twinkie batch because let's be honest - if I made a dozen, I'd eat a dozen. Just 1.9g net carbs each, and they taste like the real thing.
I started making these because I missed Twinkies. Not casually. In a ‘standing in the grocery store aisle staring at the box for too long’ way. This keto version has 1.9g net carbs per twinkie, and my kids cannot tell the difference.
The cake uses almond flour and coconut flour together. I tested a few ratios before landing on this one. Too much coconut flour and it turns dense and crumbly. Too much almond flour and it gets greasy. This combination gives you that light, springy crumb that actual Twinkies have. The coconut flour absorbs moisture so the cake isn’t oily, while the almond flour keeps it tender.
Sour cream is the ingredient nobody believes in until they taste it. Reader Beth, who has made these eight times now, put it perfectly: ‘there’s a slight tang that makes it taste like actual cake instead of just sweet almond flour.’ She’s right. It changes the texture in a way that butter alone cannot pull off. I almost left it out the first time because it felt strange adding sour cream to cake batter. Glad I didn’t, because it’s the difference between ‘almond flour thing’ and ‘actual cake.’
The filling is sugar-free marshmallows microwaved for exactly ten seconds, mixed with butter and whipped cream. I tested different timings and ten seconds is the window. At 15, they seize up. At 5, they’re still too firm to pipe. That ten-second mark gets you filling that tastes like the cream inside a real Twinkie.
I keep the yield at two on purpose. If you’ve ever baked a full tray of Rice Krispie treats and demolished half by midnight, you understand the problem. Two twinkies, two people, done. I’ve had readers ask me to write a scaled-up version, and I get it, but the small batch is part of what makes this work. For more nostalgic snack cakes, my Hostess cupcakes use a similar almond flour base with chocolate on top.
You don’t need a twinkie pan, but it helps get that classic oblong shape. I’ve used mine for eclairs and hot dog buns too. A mini muffin tin works if you don’t want another single-purpose pan in the cabinet. Check at 8 minutes instead of 15 since the cavities are shallower. Mini loaf pans need more time, around 18-20 minutes.
If you’re new to low carb baking, start with this one. Small batch means low stakes. The whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes, and if something goes sideways, you’re out a quarter cup of almond flour. For another beginner-friendly recipe, try the chocolate mug cake or strawberry shortcake.
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Keto Twinkie Cake Ingredients
1/4 cup almond flour -
1 teaspoon coconut flour
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1/4 teaspoon baking powder
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2 teaspoons monkfruit sweetener
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pinch salt
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon sour cream
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1/4 teaspoon vanilla
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twinkie pan
Cream Filling Ingredients
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2 sugar free marshmallows
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1/2 tablespoon butter
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1/4 cup sugar free canned whipped cream
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Whisk dry ingredients
Add almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder and salt to a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
Bake
Evenly pour batter into two twinkie mold cavities. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Make filling
In a small bowl, microwave sugar free marshmallows for 10 seconds. Stir in butter and whipped cream until smooth. Let set for a few minutes to thicken.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a larger batch and freeze them?
I double this recipe all the time when I know people are coming over. They freeze well for up to a month. I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight. The cake texture holds up, but the filling gets a little softer after thawing, so I sometimes pipe fresh filling into thawed ones.
What if I don't have a Twinkie pan?
I've tested both a mini muffin tin and a mini loaf pan. The mini muffin tin works great at 325 degrees, but check at 8 minutes since the cavities are shallower. Mini loaf pans need 18-20 minutes. Check at 16 with a toothpick and pull when it comes out clean. The shape won't be the classic twinkie look, but the taste is identical.
Can I make these dairy-free?
I've made these with coconut oil instead of butter and it works. The texture is slightly different (a touch drier), so I add an extra half teaspoon of coconut oil to compensate. Skip the sour cream and use a tablespoon of coconut cream instead. The filling is trickier dairy-free, but whipped coconut cream from a chilled can pipes well enough.
How do I pipe the filling without a piping bag?
I use a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off. Cut a small hole, about the size of a pencil tip, fill the bag with the marshmallow mixture, and pipe into the bottom of the twinkie in three spots about an inch apart. My first time I cut the hole too big and it all squirted out at once. Start small, you can always cut more.
Can I add chocolate to the batter?
I've done this with 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder added to the dry ingredients. It turns these into something closer to a chocolate cake in twinkie form. The batter gets thicker with cocoa, so I add an extra teaspoon of sour cream to keep it moist. Still pipes the filling just fine.
What sweetener works best besides monkfruit?
I've tested erythritol and allulose in this recipe. Erythritol works but can have a slight cooling aftertaste that I notice more in small-batch recipes like this. Allulose is my second choice after monkfruit because it browns like real sugar and keeps the cake moist. Stevia works too, but I cut the amount in half since it's much sweeter.
How should I store leftover twinkies?
In my house, there are no leftover twinkies. But if you manage to show restraint, I keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cake firms up a little when cold, which I actually prefer. Let them sit on the counter for 5 minutes before eating if you like them softer.
Why does the filling taste so much like the real thing?
I think it's the combination of melted marshmallow, butter, and whipped cream together. The butter adds richness that plain marshmallow doesn't have, and the whipped cream lightens everything. When I first tested it, I used marshmallow alone and it was too dense. Adding the butter and cream turned it into something that actually pipes and sets like real twinkie filling. My vanilla birthday cake uses a similar butter-cream ratio in the frosting.
Wasn't sure a two-ingredient flour mix could pull off a twinkie shape, but the batter came together fast and held up in the pan better than I expected. That marshmallow filling is what got me. 1.9 net carbs and it actually tastes like the real thing.
Made these last weekend and my daughter, who ignores every keto thing I make, grabbed the second one before I even sat down. She doesn't know they're keto, and I'm not saying a word. The marshmallow filling is what sells it, that texture is dead-on. My one note is the tops stayed pale at 325, so I'm bumping to 330 next time for some color, which is the only reason this isn't getting five stars.
I've made this probably eight times now and the small batch setup is what keeps me sane. No self control with dessert, and knowing there are exactly two sitting on the counter is the only reason I haven't completely derailed. The marshmallow filling was the thing I was most skeptical about the first time (microwaved marshmallows felt like a shortcut that wouldn't work) but it actually sets up like the real cream inside, that soft pillowy thing I remembered. I learned to let them cool completely before piping the filling in, which sounds obvious but batch two was a melted mess before I figured that out. The sour cream in the batter is doing more than I expected too, there's a slight tang that makes it taste like actual cake instead of just sweet almond flour. Going to keep making these until I get tired of them, and based on eight batches that's not happening anytime soon.
Yeah, those marshmallows look wrong every time. Eight batches and I still do a double take. Batch two is the cooling lesson.
Brought these to a spring potluck and two people spent the whole night interrogating me about the filling because they couldn't figure out what made them taste so Twinkie-y. I kept saying 'sour cream in the batter' and they kept not believing me.
Ha. The sour cream sounds made up even while you're adding it to the batter. Worth the interrogation.
My son grabbed one before I could explain what it was. He came back asking why I only made two. I gave him mine. Four stars because I'm the one who didn't get a Twinkie.
Ha, the two-twinkie batch has betrayed me too. Make a double batch next time and hide one.
I don't bake. I've never baked. I bought a twinkie pan two years ago on impulse and it sat in my cabinet doing absolutely nothing, and then I saw this recipe and thought fine, let's just see what happens. The marshmallow filling is borderline upsetting because it actually tastes like the real thing and now I can't claim ignorance. Already looking up what else I can make in that pan.
'Borderline upsetting' is exactly how I'd describe testing the filling the first time. The hostess cupcakes are next if you're keeping the pan out.
I don't have a twinkie pan (had no idea those were a thing) and wondering if a mini muffin tin would work. Would the bake time change much at 325, or is the shape just aesthetic? Trying to avoid ordering a whole new pan if I don't have to.
Mini muffin tin works. Shallower than the twinkie mold so check at 8 minutes, they'll go faster. Shape is mostly aesthetic, the filling is just a little trickier to pipe into a round cup.
Making these tonight and realized I don't have a twinkie pan (no idea where mine went). Could I use a mini loaf pan instead or would that mess with the baking time too much? The cavities look about the same size but not sure if the depth matters.
Mini loaf will work but yeah the depth matters. They'll need longer, maybe 18-20 minutes instead of the 12-14 in the twinkie pan. Check at 16 with a toothpick, pull when it comes out clean. Shape won't be the classic twinkie look but the texture should be spot on.
I made this and the hostess and they where so delicious! ?
Making the hostess version too?? Both in one batch is the move... wait, I said I'd never use that phrase. Both at once is smart. The twinkie-to-hostess ratio in my house is never equal.