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    Home » Dessert Recipes

    Pistachio Poke Cake

    Published: Mar 10, 2014 Last updated: Mar 17, 2022 by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    A pistachio pudding cake made from scratch made with sugar free sweeteners, pistacho pudding mix, and sugar free cool whip topping.
    A slice of poke cake on a white plate.
    Pinnable image for Pistachio Poke Cake

    This Pistachio Pudding Poke Cake is a sugar-free made from scratch cake that is a retro recipe from the 70's. It is a birthday cake favorite and, because of the green color, it makes a great dessert to serve on St. Patrick's Day.

    Traditionally, this pistachio cake recipe is made with a white or yellow cake mix that is baked and cooled, then you poke holes all over the top of the cake before pouring the instant pudding over top. The cake holes fill with the pudding while a layer of pudding remains on top, then it is covered with cool whip for a deliciously moist cake the whole family will love.

    A slice of poke cake on a white plate.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love it
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🥄 Equipment
    • 🥫Storage
    • 📖 Variations
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • 🙋 FAQ's
    • 📚 Related Recipes
    • 🍽 Serve with...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why you'll love it

    • This sugar-free favorite is one of the easiest pistachio pudding recipes to make!
    • It is a delicious cake recipe serves 9, making it the perfect dessert for parties and family gatherings!
    • Pistachio pudding cake from scratch is made with a layer of luscious whipped cream, delicious sugar-free pistachio pudding, and spongy moist cake making it a delightfully satisfying sweet tooth favorite!

    🥘 Ingredients

    Flour

    Potato starch, I use this because I like the texture it gives the cake.

    Baking powder

    Salt

    Sugar free sweetener, I recommend using classic monk fruit.

    Coconut oil, chilled so it is not liquid

    Large eggs 

    Unsweetened almond milk

    Coconut extract, I like to use this for the flavor, but vanilla extract can be substituted.

    Sugar free instant pistachio pudding mix, I recommend this brand.

    1% milk

    Sugar free cool whip

    Spreading cool whip over top of the cake.

    🔪 Instructions

    For the cake

    1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 cake pan with cooking spray, set aside.
    2. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife and place the flour in a medium bowl. Add the potato starch, salt, and baking powder, stirring to combine with a whisk.
    3. In another mixing bowl, combine the sugar free sweetener and coconut oil, beating with an electric mixer at low speed until blended. Mixture will be like damp sand.
    4. Whisk the egg yolk to the sugar mixture and mix until throughly combined. Add the egg white, and mix until combined.
    5. Add the coconut extract into the measured almond milk.
    6. Combine the flour mixture and almond milk mixture alternately to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
    7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool completely on a wire rack.

    For the Topping

    1. Once cake has cooled, poke holes in cake about 1" apart using the handle of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
    2. Make the pistachio pudding mix per the package directions. When thickened but still pourable, pour the pudding mix over top of the cake, spreading it out to fill up the holes. Let sit in refrigerator for 2 hours until cold and pudding has set.
    3. Remove the cake from the fridge and spread with the sugar free cool whip topping.
    Up close image of one slice of pistachio pudding poke cake.

    🥄 Equipment

    Electric hand mixer

    Mixing bowls

    Rubber spatula

    8 x 8 baking dish

    Wooden spoon with rounded handle

    🥫Storage

    This pistachio cake recipe is best kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.

    📖 Variations

    • Bake the cake in a bundt pan and load the center with pistachio ice cream before adding the whipped topping for delicious homemade pistachio ice cream cake!
    • Change this poke cake up by using different pudding mixes, like chocolate or vanilla pudding!
    • Make this pistachio pudding favorite a layer cake by doubling the recipe and adding cream cheese frosting tinted with green coloring in between the cake layers!

    💭 Top Tips

    • Make sure you don't use unsweetened almond milk in place of the milk for the pistachio pudding mix. If you do, the pudding will not set.
    • A box mix can be used in place of the homemade cake mix in this pistachio poke cake recipe.

    🙋 FAQ's

    Do poke cakes need to be refrigerated?

    Yes, and because of the cool whip and pudding this poke cake shouldn't be left at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

    Why are holes poked into the cake?

    The holes allow pudding to disperse throughout the poke cake resulting in moist, pistachio flavor in every bite.

    What is the best tool for poking holes into the cake?

    A wooden spoon with a rounded handle works best. Use the tip of the rounded end to poke holes into the cake.

    📚 Related Recipes

    Chocolate Pistachio Bread

    Banana Pudding Poke Cake

    Pistachio-Charry No-Churn Ice Cream

    🍽 Serve with...

    Pistachio pudding poke cake pairs nicely with a side of homemade vanilla bean ice cream or Pistachio-Cherry No-Churn Ice Cream.


    Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

    When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

    If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

    📖 Recipe

    A slice of poke cake on a white plate.

    Pistachio Pudding Poke Cake

    Shelby Law Ruttan
    A pistachio pudding cake made from scratch made with sugar free sweeteners, pistacho pudding mix, and sugar free cool whip topping.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Desserts
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9
    Calories 158 kcal

    Equipment

    • Electric hand mixer
    • mixing bowls
    • rubber spatula
    • 8 x 8 baking dish
    • Wooden spoon with rounded handle

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup flour
    • 3 tablespoons potato starch
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 6 tablespoons classic monkfruit sweetener
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil , chilled so it is not liquid
    • 1 large egg , separated
    • ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk
    • ½ teaspoon coconut extract
    • 1 ounc sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
    • 2 cups 1% milk
    • 8 ounces sugar-free cool whip

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8x8 cake pan with cooking spray.
    • Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. Level with a knife. Combine flour, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk.
    • In another mixing bowl, combine the Splenda Sugar Blend and Coconut Oil, beating with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Mixture will be like damp sand.
    • Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in coconut extract to almond milk.
    • Add flour mixture and milk/extract mixture alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
    • Pour batter into cake pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 18-23 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool.
    • Once cake has cooled, poke holes in cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. I poked the holes about 1 inch apart all around the cake.
    • Make pudding mix per the package directions. When thickened but still pourable, pour the pudding mix over top of the cake, spreading it out to fill up the holes. Let sit in refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.
    • Prior to serving, remove cake from refrigerator and spread with cool whip. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.

    Notes

    Make sure you don't use unsweetened almond milk in place of the milk for the pistachio pudding mix. If you do, the pudding will not set.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 253mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Pistachio Cake Recipe, Pistachio Pudding Cake From Scratch, Pistachio Pudding Poke Cake
    Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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    About Shelby Law Ruttan

    Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanne DiPalo

      March 12, 2014 at 10:36 pm

      Hi Shelby, I don't know what happened to my comment, I love your recipe and I'm almost sure I left a comment yesterday. I liked the changes you made to the recipe to make it fit your new dietary changes. I have also been making changes this past year to many of my recipes also. Once you get the hang of it it's easy and the results are amazing. Thanks for sharing your recipe, and since I've never made a poke cake, I will definitely give this a try.

      Reply
    2. Trisha

      March 10, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      I love that you made your cake from scratch, I'm not too keen on boxed mixes either. The cake looks fantastic.

      Reply
      • honeyb

        March 11, 2014 at 12:25 am

        Thanks Trisha!

        Reply
    3. Renee P

      March 10, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      I love this idea. I've never made poke cake with pudding, but yours looks so decadent, yet it's not!

      Reply
      • honeyb

        March 11, 2014 at 12:25 am

        Renee, you really need to sometimes. 🙂 Mom used to make them all the time, they became popular when I was a teenager and I loved them. She also would make the frosting with cool whip and pudding like Meghan did for her recipe.

        Reply
    4. Lisa

      March 10, 2014 at 6:55 am

      How perfect for St. Patty's Day. That pistachio flavor must be simply lovely. BTW, I had your blog this month and made your scones, sooo good.

      Reply
      • honeyb

        March 11, 2014 at 12:26 am

        Lisa, I saw your post! I think you did an awesome job and I love the cranberry lime twist!

        Reply
    5. The Heritage Cook

      March 10, 2014 at 6:25 am

      I love the new look of your blog! And this cake looks like so much fun, just perfect for St. Patrick's Day! Great choice for the SRC!

      Reply
      • honeyb

        March 11, 2014 at 12:26 am

        Thank you Jane!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Shelby Law Ruttan, I'm a mom, grandmother, and cookbook author for HoneyB's Kitchen who started blogging family recipes in 2007 for.... 

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