Did You Know that Duncan Hines Makes Keto Cake Mix Cups?!
Keto dessert in just a minute?
There has been a lot of buzz about the new Duncan Hines Keto Cake Cups, so I had to try them to see if they’re worth the hype — and they did not disappoint! If you don’t have time to bake a low carb cake, then these new treats may be right up your alley as they are ready in just one minute!
We realize that many consider these desserts to be dirty keto, so please keep that in mind when deciding if these cups are something you want to add to your snack options.
Hip Tip: I’ve only been able to find Duncan Hines keto cakes in stock at Walmart stores and they are typically priced at $1.88 each.
The store locator on the Duncan Hines website shows no stores in my area that carry them, so don’t rely solely on that as it appears to be inaccurate.
So what’s in these “keto-friendly” cake mixes anyway?
I took a quick glance at the ingredients on each package and it seems that the Walnut Fudge Brownie Mix is the “cleanest” of the three varieties. It contains almond flour, allulose, cocoa powder, palm oil, coconut flour, dried egg whites, xantham gum, salt, stevia, leavening (cream of tartar and baking soda), and walnuts.
The Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Cake flavors both contain palm oil like the Brownie mix, but they also have maltitol which often causes blood sugar spikes. Ugh!
The nutritional information label on these cups is very confusing compared to most keto products on the market. I’m not sure why Duncan Hines decided to do it this way because even on their website there is a lot of confusion and chatter regarding the net carbs in their comments section.
If you calculate net carbs/macros the way you do with most keto products, then you take the total carbs and subtract dietary fiber and sugar alcohols to come up with the net carbs. However, the Duncan Hines keto cakes contain Allulose which is technically not considered a sugar alcohol.
Instead of including Allulose in the nutritional breakdown, as some products do with sweeteners such as Erythritol, they’ve opted to have it on the side of the label away from the other nutritional numbers.
The good thing about Allulose is that it doesn’t cause bloating or gas like many other alternative sweeteners. Plus, it has been shown to not raise blood sugar or insulin levels.
A quick look to the right of the nutritional information, you’ll see the “keto math” where you can actually figure out the net carbs, which comes in at 5g per cup.
On to the Duncan Hines keto cake taste test…
Each Duncan Hines Keto Cake Cup contains one individual serving. To make them, you simply add 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of melted butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Then, pop it into the microwave for a minute, wait a few minutes for the cake to cool, and then chow down!
Here’s what I thought about each Duncan Hines keto cake flavor…
Birthday Cake:
Duncan Hines Keto Birthday Cake Nutrition: Serving Size 1 Container | 300 Calories | 15g Fat | 33g Total Carb | 5g Dietary Fiber | 2g Sugar Alcohols | 21g Allulose | 5g Net Carbs | 9g Protein
At first, the Birthday Cake flavor is rather dry, but once you start chewing it seems to be a little better. It tastes like an actual Duncan Hines regular yellow cake, but not as moist! Luckily, there is no weird aftertaste.
Although this was my least favorite of the three, it was still delicious and didn’t taste like I was eating a low carb cake at all. It does have a little bit of grit to the texture, but it does not take away from the taste of it.
Double Chocolate Cake:
Duncan Hines Keto Double Chocolate Cake Nutrition: Serving Size 1 Container | 300 Calories | 14g Fat | 34g Total Carb | 6g Dietary Fiber | 2g Sugar Alcohols | 21g Allulose | 5g Net Carbs | 8g Protein
If you’re craving chocolate cake and don’t want to take the time to make (or get all the ingredients) for homemade keto chocolate cake, this Double Chocolate Cake cup will do the trick. It is a little dry and I used the exact measurements that the cup called for, so I’d suggest maybe just a tad more water and/or butter.
Walnut Fudge Brownie:
Duncan Hines Keto Walnut Fudge Brownie Nutrition: Serving Size 1 Container | 380 Calories | 23g Fat | 33g Total Carb | 6g Dietary Fiber | 0g Sugar Alcohols | 21g Allulose | 5g Net Carbs | 10g Protein
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! 😋 Out of the three Duncan Hines Keto-Friendly Cake Mixes, the Walnut Fudge Brownie is hands down my favorite. Granted, it did pretty much fall apart when I took it out of the cup to put on a plate, but let’s keep it real, 99.99% of the time I would eat it straight out of the cup.
The chocolate flavor is richer on this one compared to the Double Chocolate Cake. It is a little fudgier, but it’s not very dense at first, but if you let it sit for about five minutes it thickens up to be more brownie-like.
*Please note: I purchased these Duncan Hines Keto Cake Cups on my own and this review is not a sponsored post or a paid ad. I’m just sharing my own personal feedback on these convenient and delicious keto desserts!
Yuck. Was not good.
I actually really like BirchBenders keto cup desserts, especially the browie. They’re moist and no malitol!
Thanks for the recommendation, Alli!
I really liked the one with walnuts.
YUM! Thanks for sharing which one you have enjoyed!
I tried the Duncan Hines, threw them in the trash. I just tried the Birch Benders brownie and blueberry muffin cups and they are both wonderful.
Thanks, Karen! I’m going to have to check those ones out!
Same!! I tried it and threw mine right in the trash. I was so excited to find sweets. Very disappointed 😩
Oh darn! SO sorry to hear that. Thanks so much for the honest feedback.
Price is wrong at Walmart they are almost 3.00 who price is right bought them at 3 different Walmart
Love these and the Birch Bender ones. I add a 2g carb dollop of whipped cream on top of my birthday cake and 2tbsp of peanut butter in the chocolate one!!
Hi Cynthianne! That sounds fantastic! Thank you for sharing❤
Carb manager app is showing these rated as F and that the net carbs are crazy high?
If you read through the post, we do explain it. It may not be for those who do strict keto, but it can fit into other keto lifestyles.
Yes but does that mean I add the nutritional info for both the keto cup and add 2 tablespoons of butter since the cake only mentions 14 grams of fat?
Hi Cooper! The added ingredients are included in the nutritional info on the cup. Hope this helps❤
I topped the chocolate cake cup with a scoop of Rebel Girl’s triple chocolate keto ice cream and oh my goodness, so good. Sweets are my downfall- so not only will this help with my diet, it will help with the upkeep since now when I get a sweet tooth I’ve found something just as satisfying!
Sweets are my downfall, too! I think it’s great that you have found something keto to help with your sweet tooth, Ashley! Keep up the great work.
I love these! The brownie was bomb! With the birthday cake I did strawberries and whipped cream and another time ChocZero milk chocolate chips and chopped pecans… both were so good! I’ll have to try the birch Benders cups too
That sounds yummy, Katie! Thanks for sharing with us!
I just tried the birthday cake and used coconut oil instead of butter bc I’m out. It tasted both dry and oily at the same time. And I’m confused as to whether the nutrition label is just the mix or includes the use of butter. Not a satisfying dessert for the calories vs macros.
Darn! Thanks for the honest review. It appears that the nutrition label lists “brownie mix”. Hoping you might enjoy it with the butter option if you decide to try it again.
how is this low carb no way you jump from 34 carbs to 5 net carbs if your fiber is only 6 grms! LOL
Hi there! You’ll also subtract the sugar alcohol / Allulose. Hope this helps!
I tried Duncan Hines Keto double chocolate cake mix and rated it as F The taste was ok but one of the ingredients makes it so gritty I had difficulty swallowing it.
Oh bummer! Thanks for letting us know what you thought of it.
Allulose can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. It does that to me. So I don’t agree with your comment.
Darn! Sorry to hear this, Judy. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
I ate one of the cakes today and experienced diarrhea… wish I had seen your post before I ate it
I really enjoyed the Double Chocolate one!
So glad you enjoyed that one, Stephanie! Thanks for commenting!
Not bad – BUT – Not good either. It has a coconut flavor with a cornbread texture.
Thanks for letting us know what you thought of it!
Will these cups take me out of ketosis?
Thanks
Hi Tim! These are considered “dirty keto”. They may be a great keto friendly choice. Be sure to choose the items that work best with your plan. 🤗
https://hip2keto.com/tips/what-are-the-differences-between-dirty-keto-clean-keto/
Hoping this is helpful!
I tried the boxed Muffin and Brownie mixes. I found the blueberry muffin mix to be very dry. Flavor was not too bad, but SO DRY!!! The brownies were soft but fall apart in your hand. Kind of had a yucky fake sugar aftertaste. I did not try the “cups” as noted here, so I can’t speak to those. But the boxes still leave a lot to be desired. IMHO! If I have to choose going without v’s eating these. I will go without!
Bummer! Sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of these mixes, Pam. We sure appreciate you trying them out and taking a moment to share your honest opinion on the flavor of them. ❤️
I just found these cups in Food Lion and I absolutely love them. I love added black walnuts, 1net carb and they fill me up and take care of the wanting some cake craving. I’m on Atkins and on my way to buy the rest they have in the store. They have a close out and I need them.
Glad you found these cake cups near you to try out, Carlette! Adding black walnuts sounds like a delicious add-in. Happy snacking and best wishes on your Atkins journey! ❤️