A traditional haupia recipe includes cornstarch as the thickening agent, but I tested two keto friendly thickening agents to find out the best one.
Haupia can be found at every party in Hawaii! Whether it is at a baby luau, wedding, birthday party, or ohana gathering, haupia will most likely be served. It’s just one of those things that everyone loves and knows. Since turning keto, I have often found myself brainstorming on how I can modify the food I love and recreate it into Hawaiian keto recipes. During one of my brainstorming sessions, I realized that haupia could be keto by finding a keto friendly thickening agent.
However, before I get into the recipe, let me first explain what haupia is. Haupia is a coconut pudding that sets similar to jello and is served in small squares (similar to how one would cut a brownie). A traditional haupia recipe includes cornstarch as the thickening agent, but I tested two keto friendly thickening agents to find out the best one.
I will be taking you behind the scenes of creating a recipe in this blog as I had a surplus of coconut milk in my pantry and thought it would be a great experiment. I am always learning to cook with these keto alternatives so it’s mostly trial and error. Learn from my mistakes! I am proud and excited to share the results because this is such a great keto Hawaiian dessert recipe that can be passed down through generations.
I am learning to cook with these keto alternatives so it’s mostly trial and error. Learn from my mistakes!
XANTHAN GUM
The first keto haupia recipe I tested included xanthan gum. This recipe did not turn out well. Dax (my husband) said it tasted (both in taste and texture) like “old gum.” It also did not hold its shape. After cutting the haupia into squares, it immediately started to lose its square shape. I often wonder if I may have used too much xanthan gum. I will try again in the near future to see if less xanthan gum will make a significant difference or not. The xanthan gum ultimately hid the coconut flavor, so this was definitely a failed attempt.
KNOX GELATIN & XANTHAN GUM
The next keto haupia recipe included a combination of both xanthan gum and knox gelatin together. This recipe held its form, but created air bubbles throughout the haupia, which made the haupia have a sponge like appearance. The coconut flavor was apparent but it is very light. So once again, it seemed like the xanthan gum hid the coconut flavor again, also deeming it a failed attempt.
KNOX GELATIN
Knox gelatin was the clear cut winner. It held its shape and allowed the coconut flavor to come through. Whereas the recipes that included xanthan gum did not. This was a fun experiment and I have made this for the ohana many times since then. My ohana is not keto, but could not tell the difference! Win! Recipe testing is a labor of love and a work of art!
Keto Sweetener
I used two sweeteners for these recipes! I used allulose and erythritol. I prefer allulose, but if you are new to keto, I suggest trying both to find out which one you like best. Here are the brands that I have tried:
Allulose
Erythritol
Here is the winning Keto Haupia recipe:
Keto Haupia Recipe – A Delicious Hawaiian Dessert
Equipment
- 9.5 Pie Dish or 8X11 Pan
Ingredients
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 3/4 cups water
- 3 tbsp erythritol (Use the sweetener of your choice)
- 3 packets Knox gelatin
Instructions
- Mix Knox gelatin into cold water, set aside
- Heat the coconut milk, water, and sweetener together over the stove, then add the gelatin mixture while stirring continuously
- Pour into a dish and set in the fridge until firm
- Enjoy!