Brunch lovers, REJOICE! We set out to make a coffee cake even your gluten-loving, dairy-obsessed friends would adore, and we think we’ve done it. This coffee cake is ultra FLUFFY, perfectly sweet, packed with cinnamon, undetectably gluten-free, and just SO delicious!
It’s the ideal cake to serve at brunch, with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, or really for any occasion. Made in just 1 bowl for easy cleanup, we have a feeling it’ll be your new go-to! Get your coffee brewing and let’s make some cake!
We’ve done gluten-free coffee cake before (exhibits A and B), but this time is different. It’s drop-your-mic, call-your-mom, scream-from-the-rooftops good. It’s we-should-retire-and-stop-posting-new-recipes-because-nothing’s-going-to-be-better good. Yes, that good (don’t worry, stop crying, we aren’t actually leaving you)!
Okay, enough teasing — shall we show you how to make it? This coffee cake begins with beating the sugar and vegan butter to start off on a super FLUFFY note.
Next we add eggs, which build on the fluffy texture while also ensuring it has the perfect amount of crumb without being crumbly! Then we round out the wet ingredients with dairy-free yogurt, which adds moisture without watering down the mixture.
In case you thought we were done with fluffiness, think again! Baking powder adds even more rise.
The final superheroes in this gluten-free coffee cake batter? A combination of our gluten-free flour blend and almond flour! While the gluten-free blend absorbs the liquids to keep the cake light and give each bite some chew, almond flour adds a beautifully crumbly texture and lightness to the cake.
The batter is separated by a brown sugar-cinnamon swirl, which adds both flavor and visual interest. We eat with our eyes first, after all!
The final touch is a cinnamon sugar crumble topping with just enough cinnamon to spice it slightly.
We’re SO excited for you to try this coffee cake! It’s:
FLUFFY
Tender
Light
Perfectly sweet
Cinnamon-infused
Undetectably gluten-free
& SO delicious!
It’s perfect for brunch, holiday breakfasts, alongside your morning coffee or afternoon tea, and to share with family and friends!
More Gluten-Free Brunch Favorites
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones
- Fluffy Millet Breakfast Cake with Stone Fruit
- The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes (GF)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
The BEST Gluten-Free Coffee Cake (1 Bowl!)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3/4 cup cane sugar* (ensure organic if vegan)
- 1/2 cup softened vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter works if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 2 large eggs (pasture-raised, organic when possible // if vegan, sub 6 Tbsp applesauce*)
- 2/3 cup dairy-free yogurt (plain, unsweetened // we like a thicker coconut yogurt like Culina // if not dairy-free, we suggest Greek yogurt)
- 1 ½ cups MB 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend*
- 3/4 cup almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
SWIRL
- 1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar (ensure organic if vegan)
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup MB 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend*
- 1/4 cup softened vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter works if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (ensure organic if vegan)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- CAKE BATTER: To a medium mixing bowl, add the cane sugar and softened vegan butter. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. Next, add eggs and beat until pale yellow and fluffy. Add dairy-free yogurt and mix again. Finally, add gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt and mix until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thick — somewhere between cake batter and cookie dough.
- Spread half of the batter on the bottom of your parchment-lined baking pan and sprinkle the top with 1 ½ Tbsp of brown sugar and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon. Spread the remaining batter on top of the cinnamon sugar, scraping the bowl clean.
- TOPPING: To the same (now empty) mixing bowl, add the gluten-free flour, vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined. It should look crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the coffee cake. Bake for 38-42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with only a few crumbs left on the toothpick. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and cooling for another 15. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. To freeze, place cake slices in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Let come to room temperature to defrost.
Video
Notes
*We tested with coconut sugar and while it works, we much preferred the cane sugar version. The cane sugar yielded a light, fluffy texture and a perfectly sweet flavor.
*Our DIY GF Flour Blend also works in this recipe, but it’s a little crumbly. Store-bought blends (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Baking Flour) would also likely work but will probably be a bit crumbly.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Brandy says
This was delicious!
I used dairy butter, Greek yogurt, and Bob’s 1-to-1 Baking flour, and Wellbee’s almond flour for this recipe and I couldn’t even tell it was gluten free! This brand of almond flour is very very fine and melds into the coffee cake so you don’t feel a difference in texture at all.
It is moist and fluffy, not crumbly or dry like recipes I have tried in the past. I honestly think this batter could be used for a white cake and frosted instead of topped with a crumble topping. I might try that!
Whoop! We’re so glad you loved the coffee cake, Brandy. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! And great idea to try it as a white cake! xo
Bryn says
Hi there! Longtime devotee of your recipes but this one proved challenging and I’m hoping you have some insight! I opted for the applesauce as I’m plant-based, and instantly felt like the 6 TB was too much moisture. My dough remained much moister than yours from the video, despite adding an extra 2 TB of flour. It also took an hour and 20 minutes to fully cook despite being in a 9×9 pan. Thankfully the taste & texture is intact, outside of the bottom being a tad singed, but I can’t help but feel that the recipe didn’t turn out quite as well as it should have. Can you share any thoughts?
We’re so sorry this one gave you trouble, Bryn! It’s not quite as light and fluffy with applesauce, but it does sound like yours was definitely too moist. We’re curious which flour you were using?
Bryn says
Amazingly it was still fluffy, just took ages to bake & caught on the bottom as mentioned. I used your flour blend recipe as listed as an option! It’s my go-to :)
Can you advise on any adjustments I could make in recreating it as flavour-wise it’s been a big hit!
Thank you for the additional info, Bryn! We assume you used our NEW 1:1 GF Blend, not our original DIY GF Blend? The new one is more absorbent and what we prefer in this recipe, especially if not using eggs. A couple ideas for next time would be to try just 4 Tbsp applesauce and letting the batter rest for 15 minutes before going in the oven to help the flour absorb moisture. Keep us posted how it goes next time!
Bryn says
I actually used the DIY one as it’s the only one I can tolerate with my allergens (I cannot do potato starch or white rice). I’m open to any adjustments of the blend if you have them though! I’ll absolutely try the less applesauce, as I already did rest the batter last time. Thanks for your caring responses & insights! :)
We’re always happy to help troubleshoot! Both of our GF blends contain potato starch, so perhaps you subbed something else for the potato starch? We find potato starch is really unique in the texture it provides in gluten-free baking. Corn starch is the next best option, but it’s just not quite the same. We unfortunately don’t have a great recommendation for replacing the potato starch!
prashanthi atluri says
I noticed that you did not put this as nut free in the filters. Just wanted to let you know.
Hi! This one has almond flour which is why it’s not labeled as nut-free :)
ujwal meka says
Hi I was wondering if this could be oil free and vegan.
Hi Ujwal, we’d suggest this recipe for an oil-free version. Hope that helps!
Kathy says
Delicious! I used the Bob’s Redmill Gf 1:1 flour and a vegan vanilla oat based yogurt that was already opened and in my fridge. Will definitely make it again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Kathy. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Zopi says
Just made this delicious crumble coffee cake for my partner’s birthday and we absolutely loved it. I used finely ground almonds instead of almond flour and it luckily worked. The texture is perfect and moist, with a lovely cinnamon sugar crumble layer on top. The cinnamon flavor is heavenly, and it pairs perfectly with a hot chocolate or a cup of tea. Highly recommend this lovely recipe. Thanks MinamilistBaker team for yet another fantastic recipe. I have made countless recipes from your website over the past few years and I ain’t stopping. Your website is my go to source for all kinds of recipes.
Aw, thank you so much for this sweet review, Zopi! We’re so happy you enjoy our recipes! xoxo
Alex says
Hi! Do you think sour cream would work in place of the yogurt? I have a bunch of it in the fridge that I’d like to use up!
Hi Alex, we think that would work well. Let us know if you try it!
Eryn says
I got SO many compliments on this recipe, all from gluten eaters! They couldn’t believe it was GF. It was so good, unfortunately I didn’t get any leftovers. An excuse to make this again!
YAY! We’re so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing, Eryn! xo
Meera Nanda says
Could i use whole wheat or white spelt flour instead of the gluten and almond flour?
Hi Meera, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! White spelt flour would probably work better than whole wheat flour. We think it would work 1-1 for the gluten-free flour blend. We would recommend keeping the almond flour for best results, but if you want to try replacing it, know that spelt flour is more absorbent so you won’t need as much of it. Hope that helps!
Meera Nanda says
Thanks for replying so quickly! I’ll give it a go with only spelt flour (only because I don’t have time to get the almond flour). Fingers crossed!
Let us know how it goes! xo
Meaghan says
Can I use something in place of the almond flour? I have a nut allergy
Hi Meaghan, possibly sunflower seed meal, but we haven’t tested it that way. It may be more dense and/or a different color. Let us know if you try it!
Kelly Hockaday says
We were having an employee event at work but there are usually very few to no offerings for gluten free and/or vegan employees so I decided to look for a recipe and happened upon this one. I already had the ingredients so it was easy to make (I do try to bake gluten free/vegan sometimes for our employees to be inclusive at get togethers). This was a very well received treat. I did use the apple sauce, avocado vegan butter and coconut yogurt. It was delicious and even those who didn’t “need” to eat it greatly enjoyed it and went back for seconds (some thirds and fourths!). I did make it in an 8×8 dish and originally cut it into 12 servings but ended up cutting those in half and they were still a good 2-3 bites per serving. I’d definitely make this recipe again.
That’s so thoughtful of you, Kelly! We’re so glad you made the recipe and enjoyed it. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Dafi says
Hi i wanna make this. Could I sub butter with coconut oil?
Hi Dafi, hmm! We don’t think it would be as fluffy and may have a slight coconut flavor. Let us know if you try it out!
Beth says
So yummy! We used Bob’s gf 1-1, Silk plain almond milk yogurt, and vegan butter sticks. The cake baked up nice and fluffy. Saved on Pinterest to make again!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the coffee cake, Beth. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Marina says
I can’t wait to try this! Could we add apple like in the apple coffee cake recipe or this cake would be to moist with apple?
Hi Marina! We haven’t tried it, but it might work! It will make the cake slightly more dense and moist. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Sarah Guay-Tremblay says
Ceci est le meilleur coffee cake recipe we have tried so far! Thank you so, so much minimalist baker ! Already done it 6 times since December. The crumbly texture is perfect with the almond flour. This is a new MUST in our home. In here we say : C’est bon dans la bouche! … Merci!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Sarah! We’re so glad you are enjoying it. xo
Diane Reinich says
I’m really excited to try this! Does the texture and rise of the cake change when using applesauce?
Hi Diane! It’s not quite as light and fluffy with applesauce, but still very delicious!
Clementine says
If I were to make these into muffins instead, would you recommend changing the baking time/temperature?
The temperature can stay the same, but we would recommend baking for 20 minutes to start and then checking them for doneness every 5 minutes after that.
Penny says
I don’t buy greek yogurt just whole milk version. Would that work or would it be too moist?
Hi Penny! Regular yogurt might have a bit too much moisture. We would suggest a thicker version that looks something like the consistency of the yogurt in the video.
Myriam says
I definitely want to make this! I am allergic to almonds (and hazelnuts) though, what could I use instead? Thanks!! :)
Hi Myriam, can you have cashew flour? That would be the next best option!
Myriam says
Yes That would work I guess! Thanks!
Julia says
This is the best coffee cake I have EVER eaten. I will never be able to order coffee cake out, knowing this exists. I made for the first time on Christmas and again on New Years, and my family cannot shut up about it. We are not vegan, so I used: real unsalted butter, whole greek yogurt, and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The flour swap did not make it crumbly at all, it was perfectly cakey. For the topping, I added a dash of clove, nutmeg and cardamom in addition to the cinnamon. Stop what you are doing and go make this coffee cake RIGHT NOW and today will become the best day of your life.
Wow! We are so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Julia! Thank you SO much for the lovely review. xo
Cindy E says
I made this recipe for Christmas breakfast. It was amazingly delicious. I also made a regular coffee cake, but his gluten free recipe was better hands down. The only thing I did different was to add 1-1/2tsp packed lemon zest instead of the 1tsp in the recipe. It added a better lemony flavor but not too much. I’m sure either way would be perfect.
We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Cindy! Thank you for sharing! xo
Justine says
I made this on Christmas Day and it 100% delivered!!! It was universally enjoyed even by my skeptical gluten-and-dairy lovers! I made it exactly as written and it turned out absolutely perfect. To save time on Christmas morning I prepped three different bowls the night before (vegan butter and sugar, dry ingredients, vegan butter for the topping) so dishes-wise there was quite a bit more than one bowl, but it made it easy in the morning and we had warm coffee cake to go with our presents.
I am looking forward to trying this flour blend for other recipes too. This was impressively undetectably gluten free.
Whoop! We’re so glad it was a hit, Justine! And we love your creative way of making it easy for Christmas morning. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Devon says
This is a delicious, moist cake. Good luck spreading on a second layer with a batter so thick. Next time I’ll just evenly plop the second half of the batter all over the first.
We’re glad you enjoyed the cake, Devon! Sorry to hear it was too thick to spread. Would you mind sharing what type of flour you were using?
Devon says
Bob’s 1:1 You do mention that it’s very think in your recipe.
Thanks for getting back to us! We haven’t tested that blend, but it should work well. Was your batter thicker than the video/photos?
Nina says
Just made this for Christmas Eve and yummmm. The texture is even better than regular gluten/wheat cake! I can do dairy so I used regular butter and dairy sour cream instead of yogurt. Moist, light, fluffy, comforting.
We’re so glad you loved it, Nina! Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Dota says
Can I use all purpose flour instead of GF flour and almond flour?
Hi Dota, we haven’t tested it that way, but possibly! For best results, we’d suggest keeping the almond flour and replacing the GF flour blend 1-1 with all purpose. That should work beautifully! If subbing out the almond flour too, you’ll want to use less all purpose flour because it’s more absorbent than almond flour. Let us know how it goes!
Tracey Spaven says
If you’re not vegan do you just substitute with dairy ingredients?
Thanks
Yes, that would work!