I built this sugar free chocolate graveyard cake for Halloween because my kids wanted a project, not just dessert. The almond and coconut flour base bakes up rich and fudgy with only 2.4g net carbs per slice.
Every October my kids start asking about this cake. Not because I tell them it's sugar free (they don't care about that), but because they get to build a graveyard on top of it. Tombstones, gummy worms crawling out of chocolate dirt, the whole scene. It's the one keto baking project where the decorating is half the fun.
The base is a rich chocolate cake made with almond flour and coconut flour together. I've made plenty of keto chocolate cakes with almond flour alone, and they tend to go flat and dense. Adding coconut flour changes the crumb completely. You get something more substantial, closer to a traditional cake texture, with that deep cocoa flavor running through every bite. If you want a simpler everyday version, my easy keto chocolate cake uses a similar base without the Halloween theatrics.
The frosting is a sugar free chocolate buttercream that I strongly recommend doubling. I know that sounds excessive, but once you start building the graveyard scene you'll use more than you think, and a thick layer of frosting is what makes the "dirt" topping stick. For the dirt effect, I crush keto rice krispie treats or sugar free chocolate cookies into fine crumbs and press them into the frosting. It looks like freshly turned earth and tastes like chocolate crunch.
The tombstones are the part my kids fight over. I use keto rice krispie treat tombstones cut into rectangles and write "RIP" with melted sugar free chocolate. You can also use thin pieces of low carb chocolate bark if you want something faster. Scatter some sugar free candy corn around the edges and it looks like a legitimate Halloween display.
I brought this to a neighborhood Halloween party last year and the adults were more into it than the kids. One friend who always has something to say about "healthy" desserts went quiet after the first slice. That cocoa base is rich enough that nobody's thinking about what's not in it. The cake holds up well too. I've had it sitting on the counter for three days and the crumb stays moist, which means you can build it a day or two before your party without worrying about it drying out.
If you're looking for more keto Halloween ideas, my keto ghost bundt cakes are another crowd favorite that's fun to make with kids.
Each slice is a fluffy chocolate cake under a thick layer of chocolate buttercream.
Let the cake cool completely, then spread the chocolate buttercream over the top.
Sugar Free Candy for the Graveyard Scene
When I photographed this cake, I used seasonal sugar free chocolate pumpkins and ghosts. You can also make your own by melting sugar free chocolate and pouring it into Halloween silicone candy molds. A few candy eyeballs on top add a creepy surprise. If you would rather not melt chocolate, more buttercream frosting works for writing R.I.P. on the rice krispie tombstones.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Graveyard Cake
Pan size matters here. I use a 9x13 baking dish, which gives you the most surface area for decorating. An 8x8 works too but the cake will be thicker and you'll need to add 5-7 minutes to the bake time. I don't recommend a round pan for this one because you lose graveyard real estate.
Bake time varies more than you'd expect. I start checking at 28 minutes because my oven runs a little hot. The recipe says 27-30, but some ovens need a full 32 minutes to get the center set. Insert a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out with wet batter, give it another 2-3 minutes. A few moist crumbs are fine.
Double the frosting. I'm not suggesting it, I'm telling you. The graveyard decorations eat up frosting fast, and a thin layer underneath won't hold the crumb topping. My keto chocolate cake uses a similar buttercream if you want to compare ratios. Let the cake cool completely before frosting or the buttercream will slide right off.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
2
Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3
Mix the butter & sweetener
Cream together butter and sweetener until fluffy (2-3 minutes) in a large bowl then mix in eggs and heavy cream.
4
Add the dry ingredients
Slowly add in the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
5
Pour the batter
Pour chocolate cake batter into baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 27 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting the cake.
6
Make the buttercream frosting
To make the sugar-free chocolate buttercream frosting, whip the butter until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes) in a medium bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and continue to whip until creamy and smooth.
7
Apply the frosting
Spread chocolate frosting on the cake. Decorate with sugar-free chocolates and gummy worms.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 slice
Calories
377
Fat
39.6g
Protein
4.5g
Total carbs
6.5g
Net carbs
2.4g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make the tombstone decorations?
I make mine from keto rice krispie treats cut into small rectangles (about 2x3 inches). Once they're firm, I pipe "RIP" on the front with melted sugar free chocolate using a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off. My kids do this part and it keeps them busy for a solid 20 minutes. You can also use thin slabs of sugar free chocolate bark if you want something quicker. Press the tombstones into the frosting at a slight angle so they look like they're sinking into the ground.
Can I make this graveyard cake ahead of time?
I've made this a full two days before a party and it held up perfectly. The almond and coconut flour combination keeps the crumb moist in a way that almond-only cakes don't. One of my readers confirmed hers stayed moist for three days on the counter. I'd frost and decorate the day before your event, then store it covered at room temperature. The tombstones hold their shape overnight.
How do I store leftover sugar free graveyard cake?
I cover mine tightly with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that I move it to the fridge, where it lasts another 3-4 days. The frosting firms up in the fridge but softens again in about 15 minutes at room temp. I actually prefer the texture slightly chilled because the chocolate buttercream gets almost truffle-like.
Can I freeze this keto chocolate cake?
I freeze the cake without frosting all the time. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and it'll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting. I wouldn't freeze it fully assembled because the decorations (tombstones, gummy worms) get soggy when they thaw. My move is to bake the cake ahead, freeze it, then frost and decorate the day of.
What size baking pan should I use?
I use a 9x13 pan because it gives you the most flat surface for building your graveyard scene. An 8x8 square pan works if you're making a smaller version, but the cake will be thicker and I've needed an extra 5-7 minutes of bake time with that size. I wouldn't use a round pan for this recipe because you lose too much decorating space.
What can I use instead of sugar-free gummy worms?
If you can't find sugar free gummy worms, I've used chopped keto Halloween cookies crumbled on top, or small pieces of sugar free chocolate shaped like bones. My kids also like adding crushed keto cereal for extra crunch in the "dirt" layer. The worms are fun but the cake looks just as creepy without them.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested the cake layer with coconut oil instead of butter and it works well. The crumb is slightly denser but still good. For the frosting, I use refined coconut oil (no coconut taste) and swap heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream. The texture is a little different but it pipes and spreads fine. If you go this route, keep the assembled cake in the fridge because coconut oil frosting softens faster at room temperature. It's a solid low carb option for anyone avoiding dairy.
I took the first bite and it stopped me. There was a chocolate cake that showed up at church potlucks when I was a kid, dense and fudgy in a way I never found again once I went keto, and this one has that same quality. I think it’s the heavy cream in the batter, not just the frosting. Four years keto and I didn’t expect to feel something about a cake.
Almond-only cakes always trip me up on the toothpick test, they stay soft in the center even when done. But this one uses coconut flour too, which soaks up more liquid. Not sure if the same cues apply. Do you go by the toothpick here, or is the edges-pulling-away sign more reliable?
Hi Renee, I still go by the toothpick here, but I pull it when there are moist crumbs clinging instead of waiting for a clean stick. The coconut flour firms up the center enough that it reads honest around 28 minutes. I’ve found the edges pull away too late to be useful. By then mine is already drying out.
Nothing I’ve made on keto has come out with this much weight to it. I wrote off real chocolate cake early on. Figured the texture gap was unbridgeable. Heavy cream closes it. Dense and moist out of the pan, not spongy, not grainy. I made this on a regular Wednesday in July with no particular reason. You know it got there when you stop saving it for an occasion.
Nina, the no-occasion Wednesday is the actual test. I won’t cut the heavy cream in this one. Without it the crumb goes dry and it starts tasting like keto cake again.
2.4 net carbs checks out, I tracked it. Portioned it Monday, ate through the week with no complaints. Ten servings is optimistic though. Slices come out small for how dense this is.
Ten servings works if you cut like brownies, not cake slices. I score mine in a grid before it even comes out of the pan – the richness of the almond and coconut flour makes the smaller pieces feel like a full dessert.
You can skip the whole graveyard part, Jake. It’s a 9×13 chocolate cake with buttercream on its own, and I’d rather you make it that way than not make it.
The bake time really does matter here, mine needed the full 30 and came out with this just-set, fudgy center that’s the whole point. Watch the frosting though. It can get too sweet without enough cocoa (I added a teaspoon more). Cake is worth it regardless.
Frosting balance is so sweetener-dependent. I’ve gone extra cocoa too, but a pinch of espresso powder is another way to cut the sweet without pushing the chocolate flavor too far. Fudgy center at the full 30 is exactly right.
Batch four is convincing data. Dutch process cuts the bitterness and the color goes so much deeper, and in a batter this rich with butter and cream it actually shows.
Adults always get there first with anything chocolate. Mine needed to build the tombstones before they’d commit to eating it. Year two they’ll be first in line, Stephanie.
Found out that creaming butter and sweetener closer to the full 3 minutes, not stopping at 2, makes the batter go almost glossy. Made it three times. Third batch was noticeably fudgier through the center, and I think that was the difference. If yours is coming out dense, try this before adjusting anything else.
I’ve noticed the glossy stage but never timed it that closely. Monk fruit just takes longer than sugar to aerate. Makes sense the third batch was fudgier.
Slice it up Sunday and it’s good all week, no weird texture changes. Coconut flour is oddly stable for something this fudgy. 2.4g net carbs a slice, so I just keep it in the fridge and stop stressing about dessert.
I’ve been wanting to try keto baking for a while and this is where I’m starting, mostly because it promises fudgy results and I’m really picky about dry chocolate cake. The part I keep rereading is the flour situation. It calls for one cup of almond flour plus a quarter cup of coconut flour, and I don’t get what each one is doing or why you need both. I only have almond flour right now, and coconut flour means a separate grocery run. Would using more almond flour to compensate hold up, or would something go wrong with the bake? I’d really rather figure this out before I start.
Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid than almond flour, which is what keeps this one fudgy instead of greasy. Without it you’d also need to pull back on the heavy cream or the batter goes too wet. I’d just grab the coconut flour – you’ll use it again.
My son grabbed a fork and just started eating before I even plated it. He turns down every keto thing I make, so watching him go through a slice of this almond flour chocolate cake without one complaint was kind of freaking shocking.
My son kept asking why it tasted ‘like real cake’ and I had no idea how to explain almond and coconut flour to an eight-year-old. Told him it was a special recipe. He bought it.
Never baked with almond flour before and I was nervous the whole time. The batter came together faster than I thought, and it actually came out fudgy and rich. First keto dessert I’ve made that I’m genuinely proud of.
I’ve tried two other keto chocolate cakes and both came out gummy in the middle, which I kept blaming on myself until now. This one bakes up actually fudgy, not gummy. Big difference. I think it’s the coconut flour doing something the all-almond-flour versions don’t. Was skeptical when I saw both flours in the same batter but the texture really is different. Might be the first keto dessert I’d serve without having to explain what’s in it.
Made a batch Sunday to have something sweet ready for the week and by Wednesday I was already plotting when I could justify making another one. Did not expect the almond flour base to stay that moist three days in but it absolutely did.
