The BEST Gluten-Free Coffee Cake (1 Bowl!)

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Plate with a slice of gluten-free dairy-free cinnamon swirl coffee cake

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!

Brown sugar, cane sugar, gluten-free flour blend, eggs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vegan butter, and almond flour

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.

Whipping cane sugar and vegan butter in a mixing bowl

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.

Whipping coffee cake batter in a glass bowl

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!

Spreading batter over a cinnamon sugar swirl layer

The final touch is a cinnamon sugar crumble topping with just enough cinnamon to spice it slightly.

Sprinkling a crumble topping over the coffee cake batter

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

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!

Mugs of coffee next to slices of gluten-free coffee cake

The BEST Gluten-Free Coffee Cake (1 Bowl!)

The BEST gluten-free, dairy-free coffee cake is here! Perfectly sweet, fluffy, packed with cinnamon, and SO delicious. Just 1 bowl required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Plate with a slice of gluten-free coffee cake
4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 16 (Slices)
Course Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

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

*For a vegan version, check out our 1-Bowl Vegan Coffee Cake (GF, Oil-Free).
*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.

Nutrition (1 of 16 servings)

Serving: 1 slice Calories: 221 Carbohydrates: 26.3 g Protein: 2.4 g Fat: 12.5 g Saturated Fat: 7.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 23 mg Sodium: 273 mg Potassium: 95 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Sugar: 14.3 g Vitamin A: 38 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 65 mg Iron: 0.9 mg

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  1. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!

  2. 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!

  3. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!

  4. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Diane! It’s not quite as light and fluffy with applesauce, but still very delicious!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  5. Myriam says

    I definitely want to make this! I am allergic to almonds (and hazelnuts) though, what could I use instead? Thanks!! :)

  6. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Wow! We are so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Julia! Thank you SO much for the lovely review. xo

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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

  9. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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?

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        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?

  10. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you loved it, Nina! Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!