This Keto Banana Swiss Roll Cake recipe is absolutely delicious and foolproof! Fill it with sugar-free cream cheese frosting, chocolate or peanut butter for the perfect breakfast treat. Only a couple of ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven, I promise you that this gluten-free and low carb Swiss roll will become your new favourite recipe!
Foolproof Keto Roll Cake
If you love keto Swiss roll cakes – then you’re going to love this spongy easy banana roll cake.
It’s a tender banana sponge cake that’s filled with any type of delicious filling and can also be covered in chocolate ganache. And while cake rolls look fancy, they’re actually very easy to make.
This cake was easily adapted from my super easy Keto Pumpkin Roll recipe and has quickly become one of the top recipes on Mr. Grumble's list!
What is a Swiss Roll Cake?
A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, cream roll, or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, likely Slovenia.
Why this Easy Banana Roll Cake Works?
There are so many reasons why a keto banana roll cake is great:
- it is the perfect way to use up the lonely single banana that has gotten too rip (banana bread requires at least 3-4 over-ripe bananas)
- it bakes in about 15 minutes (banana bread takes about 45-60 minutes)
- it is significantly lower in carbs than banana bread
- since it is a roll cake, every bite has a decadent layer or creamy filling
- you can use any type of filling and change the filling every time you make the cake
Why this is an EASY Keto Roll Cake
Because most of the time, they can result in a huge pile of cracked cake!
On top of the fact that they more often than not crack, most recipes have you invert the baked cake onto a large towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar.
Then you’re supposed to roll the cake up in the towel.
Honestly, this method has always been a dusty, powdered-sugary MESS for me. Not to mention that you end up with a sticky mess of a rag when it’s done.
However, my new method of making them has resulted in a tried and tested recipe that results in a nice and beautiful foolproof swill roll cake!
The trick is a combination of parchment paper as well as flipping the cake!
All you have to do to make this keto banana Swiss roll cake is to roll the cake up inside the parchment paper after flipping it.
Allow it to cool, then unroll it and spread it with any filling you desire and re-roll it...Easy peasy!
Keto Swiss Roll Cake Ingredients
- Eggs - You will need approximately 4 large eggs. I like to weigh my eggs for roll cakes as it seems like lately, the size of eggs seem to vary. You will want 200 grams of eggs and it is always better to go over then under when it comes to the quantity. Also, you will want your eggs at room temperature as they will whip much better which results in a very soft sponge.
- Sweetener - My all-time favourite sweetener for all my roll cake recipes is WholeEarth. This product contains a variety of sweeteners which seems to produce the best roll cake with the least amount of cracking. I do not suggest using only erythritol or allulose. Erythritol will be more likely to cause the keto banana Swiss roll cake to crack and allulose will cause the cake to brown too quickly.
- Banana - You will need only 1 small over-ripe banana for this recipe
- Almond flour and Whey protein powder - Make sure you use super-fine almond flour and either plain or vanilla protein powder. I have also had great success replacing the whey protein powder with egg white protein powder. My favourite brand to make this foolproof keto roll cake is by Naked Nutrition.
- Cinnamon, Baking Powder and Banana Extract - You can omit the banana extract but this will result in a much lower "banana flavour".
WHY DOES THIS RECIPE USE WHEY PROTEIN POWDER?
Since this recipe is gluten-free, the whey protein powder adds the necessary extra lift to produce a nice, airy cake.
If you want to eliminate this ingredient, you can try and replace it with more almond flour. I have not tried this yet so if you do and it works, let me know!
Aren't bananas to high in carbs for keto?
Bananas are high in carbs. In a single small banana (about 4 oz peeled) there are about 17 g of carbs of which 2 grams are fiber grams.
So the net carbs of a small banana come in at about 15 g of carbs.
If you cut this Banana Swiss Roll cake into 10 slices, that means that the banana adds about 1.5 g of carbs per slice.
When I put this recipe into My Fitness Pal, the cake itself (without any filling) comes in at only 114 calories, 4.5 g of fat and 4 g of total carbs and net carbs of 3 grams!
Add some type of keto filling and you should still be able to keep a slice of this cake at under 3-4 grams of carbs!
Easy Banana Roll Cake Instructions
Here are some pictures along with step-by-step instructions for making this foolproof keto roll cake.
Whip the eggs until they are light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes). Fold ⅓ of the ingredients into a bowl containing all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then, fold the "dry" ingredient bowl back into the eggs being careful not to deflate the eggs. Spread the batter over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when gently pressed. Remove the cake from the oven. Run an offset spatula under the cake to make sure that the cake has not stuck to the parchment paper.
Using a second piece of parchment paper set over a cooling rack, flip the cake over and peel the top piece of parchment paper off the top. Allow the cake to cool for about 3-5 minutes before using the parchment paper to tightly roll the cake up into a cylinder, starting from the shorter side.
While the cake cools at room temperature (this may take up to 4 hours), prepare the cream cheese filling (or other choice of filling). Set the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
Once cake has cooled, unroll the cake carefully and spread the filling evenly over the cake.
Roll the cake back up tightly and use the parchment paper to cover it and keep its shape. Please it in the fridge for at least 4 hours so that the filling can firm.
Right before serving, dust some powdered sweetener over the top of the cake, if desired.
How should you store this keto banana Swiss roll cake?
That depends on what you fill the banana roll with. If you use any type of cream cheese or whipped cream filling, you will need to refrigerate the cake. If you decide to use frosting instead, you can leave the cake at room temperature in an airtight container.
How do you keep this keto roll cake from cracking.
The biggest trick to preventing your cake roll from cracking is to roll the cake up in the parchment paper while it is still somewhat warm. The warm cake will be soft and pliable and should roll up without cracking.
Can you make keto roll cakes ahead of time?
This Swiss Roll Cake can be prepared completely and refrigerated for 1-2 days ahead of time, before serving.
OR, you can bake the cake, roll it in the parchment paper to cool. Once cool, refrigerate it (rolled in the parchment paper) for up to one day. Just make sure that you allow the cake to come to room temperature before unrolling and frosting the cake. Once you have fully assembled your roll, you can also store it in the refrigerator for a few days before serving!
Can you free keto Swiss roll cakes?
Yes, you can freeze a prepared Banana roll for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
Tips for Foolproof Keto Roll Cakes
- Do NOT change any of the ingredients as this recipe has been tested exactly as written (you can replace the sweetener to suit your tastes or what you have on hand but see Notes for substitutions)
- Make sure that the ingredients are at room temperature
- I use eggs from Happy Egg Co. so if you use eggs from a local farm, make sure that you weigh your eggs so that the total amount of eggs is about 200g.
- start by setting your timer for 15 minutes and then check on the cake - it should bounce back when gently poked. If it does not bounce back, add an additional 2 minutes
- make sure you grease your parchment paper VERY well - I actually use my fingers and spread the cooking spray all over the paper to make sure the cake will not stick.
- Make sure that you beat the eggs for 5 minutes to really help the cake to rise
- Do NOT mistake baking soda for baking powder - this cake requires 1 whole tablespoon of baking POWDER
- Make sure the cake has fully cooled before trying to spread the cream cheese mixture
- For the sugar substitute, I used Whole Earth which is a combination of Stevia, Erythritol and Monk Fruit - you can use any sugar substitute or regular sugar but you may need to add additional sweetener since Whole Earth is sweeter than some other brands of sugar substitutes (to learn more about sugar substitutes, check out my Guide to Keto Sweeteners
- I used a Lakanto Powdered Sweetener for the cream cheese filling - feel free to use any sugar substitute but just realize that any substitution could result in a grainier texture
- Feel free to increase the amount of sweetener to suit your tastes
- If you are unsure if your cake has stuck or not, simply use an angled icing spatula and carefully run it under the cake
Keto Swiss Roll Cake Fillings
Here are some other keto Swiss roll cake filling ideas. In general, you will need a total of about 8 oz or 2 cups of filling for this roll cake. My favourite flavour combinations are chocolate and peanut butter or 8 oz of cream cheese mixed with ½ cup of caramel sauce!
More Easy Keto Swiss Roll Cake Recipes
These are my favourite keto Swiss roll cake recipes:
Easy Keto Banana Swiss Roll Cake
This Keto Banana Swiss Roll Cake recipe is absolutely delicious and foolproof! Fill it with sugar-free cream cheese frosting, chocolate or peanut butter for the perfect breakfast treat. Only a couple of ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven, I promise you that this gluten-free and low carb Swiss roll will become your new favourite recipe!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Ingredients
For the Roll Cake
- 4 large eggs (200 g total), room temperature
- ½ cup WholeEarth sweetener blend
- 4 oz over-ripe banana
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup plain egg white powder (or whey protein powder)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp baking powder
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½-1 cup powdered sweetener
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
Prepare the Roll Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper (making sure to have an overhang) and spray the parchment paper well with cooking spray. Set it aside. (Tip - Spray the baking sheet to help the parchment paper stick)
- Using a stand mixer, beat eggs for 5 minutes or until they are VERY light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add all the remaining roll cake ingredients and stir to incorporate them (don't worry if there is some dry batter and it the batter is not smooth). Add ¼-1/3 of the whipped eggs into the mixing bowl and stir to create a somewhat wet batter. Take the wet batter and carefully fold it back into the remaining whipped egg batter, trying to not deflate the eggs too much.
- Spread the batter into jelly roll pan to evenly coat the baking sheet.
- Carefully place pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top begins to brown and the sponge cake springs back when poked.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and using parchment paper overhang, carefully remove the roll cake and place it on a cooling rack or a cookie sheet. Take a thin icing spatula (offset spatula) and run the spatula under the cake to make sure it does not have any spots that are stuck to the parchment.
- Place a second piece of parchment paper over a cooling rack. Use the cooling rack to help flip the cake over onto the second piece of parchment paper. Carefully peel the top piece of parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool slightly, about 3-5 minutes.
- Taking the short end of the parchment paper, carefully roll the cake up, using the parchment paper to help you roll the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely with the seem on the bottom, at room temperature for up to 4 hours.
Prepare the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling:
-
Meanwhile, to make filling, by creaming together the softened cream cheese and sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the heavy cream and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. If stiff peaks do not form, place the bowl in the fridge for 30-60 minutes and whip it again.
- Set the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble the roll cake:
- Once cooled, carefully unroll the cake.
- Next, spread the whipped cream filling over the cake.
- Tightly roll the cake back up (use the parchment again to help) and place it in the fridge to cool completely for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
- allulose and Swerve will not crystalize when cooled so I suggest using either of these for the whipped cream filling
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Keto, low carb
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 2.6
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 0.5
- Protein: 6
Cat
OMG! I had the ingredient list properly written but had the recipe card wrong. The sour cream is suppose to be banana so there is 4 oz of over-ripe banana in this recipe. Thanks for catching that and I am SO SORRY for the confusion!
Candice
What makes this recipe banana? I can't seem to figure it out.
Val
First time making a Swiss roll cake and it turned out PERFECTLY! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Barbara
Thanks for a new banana recipe. Can't wait to try this, since we loved your pumpkin roll!