Easy Gluten-Free Almond Flour Coffee Cake Recipe
This almond flour coffee cake recipe is proof that healthy recipes can still be utterly delicious! It's naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and dairy-free, yet it's still the most tender coffee cake, perfect for savoring with your morning coffee. Save this recipe for later - you'll need it!
Not only is this healthy coffee cake recipe absolutely delicious, it's also incredibly easy to make. Like this other gluten free coffee cake, you just need a handful of simple ingredients and a couple of mixing bowls. Bake until it's golden brown and the nutty, cinnamon scent wafts through the house. It'll be ready in about one hour, which is perfect for serving to last-minute company or for a cozy brunch! For another fast brunch recipe, check out these no yeast cinnamon rolls.
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Ingredients in Almond Flour Coffee Cake
For the coffee cake:
- Almond flour: Stick with regular blanched almond flour, not almond meal. The Nuts.com brand is my recommended brand of flour.
- Baking powder: This will add an extra rise for a soft, tender cake.
- Baking soda: Be sure to sift your baking soda to remove any sour-tasting clumps.
- Salt: Salt will react with the baking soda and highlight all the flavors in this paleo coffee cake.
- Eggs: Use large eggs and let them come to room temperature first.
- Maple syrup: Choose pure maple syrup to avoid any additives or thickeners.
- Pure vanilla extract: Look for certified gluten-free vanilla extract, as some versions may be contaminated during processing.
- Vegan sour cream: This keeps this recipe entirely non-dairy, but you can use regular sour cream if you prefer.
For the crumble:
- Coconut sugar: This looks and tastes similar to brown sugar but won't raise your blood sugar as much.
- Almond flour: This gives the crumble a bit more body and crunch.
- Ground cinnamon: The warm spices add that classic coffee cake flavor.
- Sea salt
- Vegetable oil: Use this instead of butter to bind the crumble topping ingredients together.
Measurements for each ingredient, along with instructions for making the coffee cake are in the recipe card below.
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Note about temperature
Make sure ingredients are at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
How To Make Almond Flour Coffee Cake
Step One: Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together.
Step Two: Make a well in the center and add eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir with a sturdy spoon, until completely combined.
Step Three: Add the vegan sour cream and fold into the batter using a rubber spatula. Set batter aside.
Step Four: Make the crumble: In a small bowl, add the coconut sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together.
Step Five: Add the vegetable oil and stir until completely combined.
Step Six: Assemble the coffee cake: In the prepared pan, add half the cake batter. Sprinkle with half the crumble mixture.
Step Seven: Repeat with the remaining cake batter and remaining crumble on top.
Step Eight: Bake cake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out batter-free when inserted into the middle of the cake.
Substitutions
- I would not recommend substituting the almond flour, although reference this article on almond flour to find out more about it.
- The eggs can be substituted with an egg substitute like JUST egg or use flax eggs or chia eggs. The texture will be a bit denser.
- The maple syrup may be substituted with honey.
- The vegan sour cream may be substituted with vegan buttermilk, regular buttermilk, vegan yogurt, or regular yogurt.
- The coconut sugar may be substituted with granulated sugar.
- The vegetable oil may be substituted with olive oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil.
Variations
- Keto coffee cake recipe: Replace the maple syrup with sugar-free maple syrup and use a brown sugar alternative for the brown sugar in the crumb topping.
- Adjust the extract: For an even stronger almond flavor, use almond extract.
- Add crunch: Fold mini chocolate chips or chopped pecans into the coffee cake batter for a little crunch.
- Make a glaze: Mix together a simple glaze, like the one for these blackberry scones, to add extra sweetness.
- Add citrus: Replace the vanilla extract with lemon extract and add the zest of 1-2 lemons for a bright, summery flavor.
Equipment & Tools
This is a pretty simple recipe, and you can make it with a few common kitchen supplies, including:
- One 9x9 square pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Rubber spatula
- Small bowl
Find these tools in my Amazon store.
Storing Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
This dairy-free sour cream coffee cake will stay fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 3-4 days. For longer storage, it can also be wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and then frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Top Tip
For best results, weigh out the ingredients using a digital scale whenever possible.
Food Safety Tips
- To bring the eggs to room temperature, leave them on the counter for no more than 2 hours before baking.
- Be sure to wash your hands well and sanitize your workstation after working with raw eggs.
Almond Flour Coffee Cake FAQs
Why is my almond flour coffee cake dry?
This coffee cake recipe should not be dry, especially because it uses four eggs and moisture-rich sour cream. If you find this cake is dry, make sure you are using large eggs and double-check that you're measuring the ingredients properly. Make sure you don't overbake it, too!
How do you make vegan almond flour coffee cake?
This sugar-free coffee cake is naturally dairy-free, so it's very easy to make it vegan! The only thing you need to do is replace the eggs with a flax egg or chia egg. Since the recipe calls for four eggs, make sure you add enough of the substitute to get the proper lift and texture.
Is almond flour coffee cake suitable for the keto diet?
That truly depends on the recipe. This version is made to fit a gluten-free and paleo diet. It uses pure maple syrup and coconut sugar for sweetness, which are not low carb. If you need a keto cake, look for a low-carb maple syrup or a sugar substitute to replace the coconut sugar.
More Almond Flour Recipes
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Recipe
Easy Almond Flour Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9"x9" baking pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together.
- Make a well in the center and add eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir with a sturdy spoon, until completely combined.
- Add the vegan sour cream and fold into the batter using a rubber spatula. Set batter aside.
- Make the crumble: In a small bowl, add the coconut sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together.
- Add the vegetable oil and stir until completely combined.
- Assemble the coffee cake: In the prepared pan, add half the cake batter. Sprinkle with half the crumble mixture.
- Repeat with the remaining cake batter and remaining crumble on top.
- Bake cake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out batter-free when inserted into the middle of the cake.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure ingredients are at room temperature.
- Measure by weight where weight is given.
- I would not recommend substituting the almond flour. The Nuts.com brand is my recommended brand of flour.
- The eggs can be substituted with an egg substitute like JUST egg or use flax eggs or chia eggs. The texture will be a bit denser.
- The maple syrup may be substituted with honey.
- The vegan sour cream may be substituted with vegan buttermilk, regular buttermilk, vegan yogurt, or regular yogurt.
- The coconut sugar may be substituted with granulated sugar.
- The vegetable oil may be substituted with olive oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil.
I'm confused, coffee cake with no coffee?
Hi Steve,
It can be confusing! A coffee cake doesn't necessarily have coffee as an ingredient. They are called that because they are typically served with coffee. I found more on that name here: https://www.ohdanishbakery.com/hygge-blog/dessert-guide/history-of-coffee-cake#:~:text=The%20true%20origin%20of%20coffee,kuchen%E2%80%9D%20were%20enjoyed%20with%20coffee.
Hope that helps!
Christine