This Cinnamon Swirl Gluten-Free Coffee Cake is perfect for breakfast or brunch! It's made with wholesome ingredients, is easy to put together and tastes amazing!
Sometimes you need something a little bit fancy for breakfast, don't you think? I'm usually a smoothie bowl girl, which takes me about 5 minutes and when I'm feeling extra, it might be pancakes.
But what about those times when you want something nice to serve to a crowd and you don't want to be stuck at the stove flipping pancake after pancake? This gluten-free coffee cake is your answer!
And to make it even better, we're adding a cinnamon swirl and a healthy streusel topping. This recipe is perfect for a holiday brunch, Mother's Day or just to have on a chill weekend afternoon when you're cravings something sweet!
Healthy Coffee Cake Ingredients
I've made a few coffee cakes on the blog before, so I stuck with a similar base, but changed a few things up.
I wanted to cut back on the oil, so I swapped in some mashed banana, which adds moisture as well as some extra sweetness. If you're allergic to bananas, unsweetened applesauce will totally work!
The next change I made was the flours. I've previously used a grain-based flour, but this time I wanted to try chickpea flour. What I love about chickpea flour is that it adds protein, but it also helps with structure and rise in baked goods.
And finally, our swirl. Some recipes call for butter in the filling, but I decided to keep it simple and just use a blend of cinnamon and sugar. Swirled around in the middle and it's just heavenly!
Gluten-Free Streusel Topping
The next part of the coffee cake is the topping. While not all coffee cake recipes call for a streusel/crumble topping, the ones I love always do. I'm a big fan of the crumble!
I've also made quite a few toppings like this on the blog before and it's a combo that works really well. To make our gluten-free streusel topping we're using:
Almond flour
Quinoa flour
Oats
Coconut sugar
Melted coconut oil
Blended all together and it yields a sweet – but not overly so – streusel that gets nice and crunchy as it bakes.
Fluffy & Light Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
When you look at the ingredient list, it might seem long (which it is), but that's the nature of the game when it comes to gluten-free baking. Unfortunately, unlike traditional baking, we can't just use one flour to get that perfect texture.
We have to blend them together to help give us moisture, while also not making it crumbly and helping the baked good rise. It can be a tricky feat!
This is my own tried and true combo that I use over and over again in my baking. You'll see it in everything from muffins to pancakes and it works every time. The almond flour helps make the cake moist, while the quinoa flour adds extra protein and structure. The tapioca helps to bind and lift, and the coconut is there to add some additional cakiness.
The only one I've tried swapping in and out is the chickpea; that can be swapped for any other gluten-free flour.
But here's my promise to you…once you get these flours into your pantry, your world of gluten-free baking will be huge!
You can try nearly every baked good on this site, have light and fluffy gluten-free pancakes, tender muffins and so much more. Trust me, the investment is 100% worth it!
For your convenience, I've linked some of my favorite baked goods for you below (plus a few other morning faves!).
More Gluten-Free Recipes to try:
- Chai Spiced Oat & Quinoa Flour Recipes
- Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins with Blueberry Icing
- Chocolate Peanut Quinoa Breakfast Parfaits
- Oil-Free Banana Bread Granola
- Healthy Hot Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
Ingredients
for the cake:
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour (or more quinoa flour)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 organic eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk
- 1/2 cup mashed banana or applesauce
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice (I like coconut or olive)
for the filling:
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
for the crumb topping:
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup quinoa flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a square 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine your eggs, milk, banana, and oil. Beat these into the dry ingredients until a very thick batter begins to form.
- Transfer half of the mixture into your baking pan. Whisk together the filling ingredients then sprinkle on top of the batter. Top with the rest of the batter and swirl together with a butter knife or toothpick.
- Prepare the crumb topping by combining all the ingredients into a small bowl and beat until you have a sandy texture. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the cake.
- Bake in the center of your warmed oven for 35 - 38 minutes. Test with a cake tester by placing it in the center of the cake. If there is nothing on the stick when you remove it, the cake is ready!
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