This vegan coffee cake will knock your socks off! It's so delicious, with a perfect flavor and texture, you'll have no idea it's gluten free.
You seriously won't believe this coffee cake is gluten free and contains no dairy or eggs! It goes perfect on it's own or with a nice warm cup of coffee.
This post was sponsored by Rubbermaid but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.
While I am not usually a huge cake fan, this vegan coffee cake creation has quickly become one of my favorites. It may have even beaten my love for my vegan chocolate cake with hidden zucchini!
Ingredients
To make this coffee cake recipe vegan and gluten free we'll need to skip some of the classic ingredients and instead use whole food plant based ones!
For the cake itself you will need:
- Oat flour
- Fine grain almond flour
- Cane sugar
- Dairy free milk
- Unsweetened apple sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Vanilla extract
And gather these items to make the coffee cake topping:
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Melted butter or coconut oil
How to Make Coffee Cake
This vegan recipe is so easy to put together, here is what you need to do:
- Whisk together the flours, cane sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Pour in the coconut milk, apple sauce, vinegar, and vanilla and whisk again.
- Combine the coconut or brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl and set aside.
- Spread half the batter into a prepared square baking dish.
- Sprinkle half of the sugar and cinnamon streusel mix over the top.
- Cover the streusel mix with the remaining batter.
- Top with the rest of the dry streusel mix.
- Drizzle the melted butter all over.
- Bake and let it cool before cutting.
- Enjoy!
Hot tip! Bake this vegan coffee cake in Rubbermaid DuraLite™ Bakeware. The sleek modern design looks good so that you can serve it in the bakeware itself, and seal any leftovers in the same dish with the lid!
What to Serve with Coffee Cake
There's nothing wrong with enjoying a slice all on its own, this coffee crumb cake is that good! But you can also dress it up with toppings, or pair it with other food.
Try any of these toppings drizzled or spread on for a little extra flavor:
- Vegan Butter
- Coconut Butter
- Icing
- Healthy Homemade Vegan Chocolate Sauce
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Homemade Nutella
- Date Paste
This recipe can be served as a breakfast coffee cake, for a snack, or for a dessert! Pair it with any of the following foods or drinks:
- Coffee - duh!
- Protein Coffee Smoothie
- Homemade Vegan Eggnog
- Healthy Vegan Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Chocolate Milk
- Easy Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- Homemade Vegan Hash Browns
- Fruit Salad
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
- Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Flavor Variations
Some people like to get creative and stir in extra goodies to the coffee cake topping or the cake itself, you can too!
- Do not add more than ¼ cup of extra ingredients or it could affect the final results.
- Chunky mix ins like cubed apples, blueberries, or chopped nuts are fun, but you may need to reduce the liquid in the batter a bit so the mix isn't too moist.
- If you mix chopped nuts into the topping you do not need to adjust the recipe.
- Chocolate chips or dried fruit are also delicious and no adjustments need to be made.
- Add a teaspoon or two of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to the cake batter.
Preparation and Baking Tips
- This vegan coffee cake recipe was tested with many different sugars and cane sugar gave the best result for the main cake.
- You can use coconut sugar but it will give you darker color and slightly different flavor.
- Make this recipe oil and butter free by leaving them out fully, or try using a touch of coconut milk over the top instead.
- Without any butter, the top rises more like a traditional cake and doesn’t have that signature gooey cinnamon streusel like topping.
- For the best texture you need accuracy with the flours. Which is why I include precise weights. If you don’t have a scale, then you can purchase this fairly inexpensive one.
- If you prefer to measure, then measure the flours by scooping your measuring cup into the flour versus spooning it into it. This is how I measured when getting my weights.
- Use a square baking pan, either 8 inch for a thicker cake, or 9 inch for thinner.
- You can also double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch dish.
- Rubbermaid DuraLite™ Bakeware are available in multiple sizes so you're ready for any amount of people!
- Prepare the baking dish with butter or coconut oil
- If you are oil free make sure to use a non stick pan or parchment.
- Ovens vary, start checking it at 35 minutes look for a toothpick to come out clean when the top is just getting firm.
- Because of the nature of the streusel it will look a little gooey on top but that’s ok. Focus on the toothpick and make sure it has crumbs instead of batter coming out.
- Let this cool in the pan, about an hour. If you cut it too early, then the inner streusel will be oozy. It still is delicious but won’t look as pretty!
Storage Tips
- This vegan coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Store right in the Rubbermaid DuraLite™ Bakeware you baked it in for easy oven to table to fridge!
- If you need to keep it fresh longer, place the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Coffee cake can also be frozen! Seal it well in an airtight freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
The Best Bakeware to Use
How often can your baking dish also be used to serve, and store?! I've yet to see it, until now.
In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, Rubbermaid DuraLite™ Bakeware are amazing for these reasons:
- They are extra lightweight which adds to the elegance, yet they're break and chip resistant! So never fear if you're a but of a clutz.
- The design allows them to nest easily while being stored, which saves precious space in kitchen cabinets, and they stack in the fridge too!
- They're safe for it all! Bake (at high heat none the less, safe up to 550°F!!), store in the fridge or freezer, reheat in the microwave, then wash in the dishwasher.
- Variety, for every single thing you need they've got it, all the was from ramekins to large casserole dishes.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Keep that sweet tooth satisfied with any of these delicious plant based recipes:
- Baked Vegan and Gluten Free Churros
- Healthy Vegan Apple Crisp
- Vegan Chickpea Vegan Blondies
- Peanut Butter Vegan Stuffed Dates
Vegan Coffee Cake Recipe (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups oat flour , gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup fine grain almond flour
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar , see note
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups dairy free milk
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Streusel toppings:
- ¾ cup brown sugar , or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter , or coconut oil (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 120 C.
- Put flours, cane sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to mix and break up any clumps.
- Make a little well in the middle and add in the milk, apple sauce, vinegar and vanilla.
- Whisk again to combine and get a smooth batter.
- Combine the coconut or brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
- Pour half the batter into a prepared square pan. You can use 8 or 9 inch, the 9 inch just gives you a thinner cake. I use some butter or coconut oil (whatever I use for the streusel topping) to prepare the pan. If you are oil free make sure to use a non stick pan or parchment.
- Sprinkle half of the dry streusel mix over the top of the batter.
- Pour the rest of the batter over the streusel mix.
- Top with the remaining dry streusel mix and then drizzle the melted butter (or whatever you use) over the top.
- Bake at 350 for 38-40 minutes. Depending on your oven, your baking time may vary by a minute or two. Start checking it at 35 minutes and take out when a toothpick comes out clean and the top is just getting firm. Because of the nature of the streusel it will look a little gooey on top but that’s ok. Focus on the toothpick and make sure it has crumbs instead of batter coming out.
- Let this cool in the pan, about an hour. If you cut it too early, then the inner streusel will be oozy. It still is delicious but won’t look as pretty!
- Once cooled, devour!
Notes
- I trialed these with many different sugars and cane sugar gave the best result for the main cake. You can use coconut sugar but it will give you darker color and slightly different flavor.
- If using brown sugar, the grams are calculated with it not measured packed but spooned into the measuring cup.
- If you want this oil and butter free, you can omit them fully or try using a touch of coconut milk over the top instead. The end result will be a little different but still delicious. Without any butter, the top rises more like a traditional cake and doesn’t have that signature gooey cinnamon streusel like topping.
- This makes a square pan.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
dottie
Can you substitute gluten free flour for the almond flour ( i can't do almonds).
Can this be made into cupcakes... such as a breakfast muffin?
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Dottie! Unfortunately I have not tested this with a general gluten free flour and because the flours would be different it would greatly affect the end result of the recipe. Almond flour gives whole food fat and moisture so you'd have to make that up if changing the flours. But using this recipe you can make it as muffins, just start checking for doneness earlier, I'd start around 20-25 minutes.