Hello, Fall! We gladly welcome your cool, crisp autumn air and anticipate all of the wonderful holidays ahead that make it especially fun to put on our aprons, preheat our ovens, and enjoy some delicious Fall baking adventures!
This scrumptious Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake is definitely a classic fall favorite perfect for teatime, brunch, dessert, or just because! There’s nothing like the aroma (and tantilizing taste) of cinnamon to entice friends and family to linger around the table just a bit longer (which is always a blessing).
Of course, baking-up tasty treats can be a challenge when some of your loved ones are living with dietary restrictions, while others are not. The good news is finding easy-to-make recipes that will work for everyone – that actually taste AMAZING! – is my mission and passion here!
When I began my gluten-free, grain-free journey as a means of finding relief and healing from my chronic autoimmune conditions, I became passionate about finding delicious and healthy ways to transform those familiar favorite comfort foods from our past into delightful wholesome creations that everyone can enjoy – whether or not they’re living gluten-free or grain-free!
That’s why I created Everyday Grain-Free Baking – my first published cookbook that centers on rediscovering the joys of baking.
With more than 100 irresistible recipes, this beautiful, helpful book teaches you how easy it is to create grain-free, starch-free and dairy-free versions of all your favorite classic baked goods.
And the recipes are not only delicious, they’re also simple and easy – like this scrumptious Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake! It’s one of my family’s favorite examples of how easy it is to transform a classic favorite into a healthy treat everyone loves. In fact, you have my promise that no one will even know it’s grain-free, unless of course, you tell them! Happy fall baking!
Recipe courtesy of Everyday Grain-Free Baking
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (or palm shortening)
- 1/2 cup pure coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 large eggs, plus 2 egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 315°F. Lightly oil a 9x9-inch baking dish; set aside.
- For the Topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the butter (or coconut oil), honey, and cinnamon until well blended. Add the finely chopped walnuts and toss well to combine. Set aside.
- For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the butter (or coconut oil), honey, and cinnamon until well blended. Set aside.
- For the Cake: In a food processor, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the eggs and egg whites to the top of the dry ingredients in the order given. Cover and pulse a few times to combine. Then process until the batter is smooth and creamy (about 20–25 seconds).
- Add the eggs and egg whites. Cover and pulse a few times to combine. Then process just enough to blend the eggs into the batter (about 10–15 seconds). Use a thin spatula as needed to scrape down the sides.
- Carefully spoon half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the top.
- Drizzle with the cinnamon swirl across the top of the batter. Then carefully spoon the remaining cake batter on top. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the batter. Next, starting at the edges of the cake, crumble the topping evenly across the cake. Use your fingers to gently press the topping into the batter a bit.
- Bake the cake for 45–55 minutes until light golden brown along edges and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool about 5-10 minutes. Then serve warm with your favorite coffee or tea.
Can’t get enough of that gorgeous cinnamon swirl – beautiful!
Thank you so much, Heather! I’m excited to take a look at your blog! Appreciate you taking the time to say hello and leave a kind note! 🙂
I am so happy I found your website. So excited to try this cake as I am going grain free and having so much trouble finding tasty recipes. I will let you know how it turns out.
Wonderful! So glad you discovered this site! Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note! 🙂
It says 315 degree oven, is that correct?
Yes, I know it’s odd, but 325 will cause it to brown too quickly. If you can’t set your oven precisely, then move the dial between 300 and 325. 🙂 Nut flours are finicky and burn easily. 🙂
Hi Kelly,
We are working around a nut allergy as well as going grain-free. What do you suggest as a substitute for the almond flour?
Hi, Diana. Sorry to hear you’re having to deal with food allergies, I know how hard that is! What you’ll need to do is find a recipe using a flour you are able to tolerate, as substituting the almond flour for another flour isn’t going to work since almond flour has different egg and liquid requirements than other grain-free flours. If you can do coconut flour, you may want to find a good coconut flour cake recipe instead (google search and you’ll find some) and use my cinnamon swirl and topping with it. I hope this helps! With blessings, Kelly
I want to make this for company that is staying overnight. What is the best way to keep fresh?.
Hi, Diane. If you cover it, you can leave it on the counter at room temp for 24 hours and it keeps just fine. After a day, I recommend placing it in the fridge and it will keep well for 2-3 days. You can then, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temp before serving if you don’t want a cold cake. The one drawback to almond flour is that it does get moister the longer it sits, so I generally recommend enjoying it within 3 days. 🙂 Hope you and your company love it as much as we do!
I made this beautiful cake over the weekend. It was yummy and satisfying! One serving kept me full until lunch.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed this yummy cake too! It’s one of our favorites! 🙂
I’m so excited to try this! I finished my first whole 30 two weeks ago and whenever I try to reintroduce dairy I break out Haven’t even tried to go back to gluten yet. Do you think ghee would work well instead of the butter or coconut oil?
Yes, ghee would be wonderful! And congrats on finishing your Whole30. That is wonderful! Sounds like it has helped you to discover that you have an issue with dairy! I love the Whole30 and provide a bunch of resources here, if you decide to maintain a whole30-ish lifestyle. Blessins to you, Kelly 🙂
I’m so excited to try this!! I’ve started looking for a treat to serve on Christmas morning… one that tastes awesome, but still helps me feel good. Almond flour is perfect for coffee cake. Thanks for sharing this one! Congrats on your cookbook 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words, Katie! I love family traditions and am honored that this recipe is one you plan to serve to your family on such a special day as Christmas. I’m going to pop over and check out your blog! Have a wonderful holiday season! With blessings, Kelly 🙂
Is using apple cider vinegar necessary for this cake? Does it help it rise or do something chemically to help with the cake. Not a huge fan of smell or taste in baked goods. Thanks in advance
Hi, Candice. Great question that I’m sure other readers have wondered about too. Yes, acidity helps activate the baking soda which helps improve rise of baked goods, especially when it comes to grain-free baking. I can promise you that with this little amount, you won’t taste it in the finished baked cake. However, if you have any concern that you might, you could easily substitute with lemon juice. Hope this helps clarify. Enjoy! With blessings, Kelly 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m always wondering, though, unless I soak and dehydrate the almonds and then grind them into flour myself, is regular almond flour any better in terms of the phytate content than normal, un-soaked/-soured wheat flour? My understanding is just that nuts, too, should be soaked before you eat them because of the phytates?
Just looking to learn more about healthy food preparation and eating!
Thanks! 🙂
Hi, Hannah. Thanks for your kind words about this recipe, it’s one of the most popular recipes in my cookbook and a personal favorite of mine. 🙂 With regard to your question about phytates in nuts, it’s important to note that the bulk of phytates are found within the bran/skin of a nut, so blanched almond flour (which has had the skins removed) contains far less phytates than almond meal, which leaves the skins intact. It’s also important to note that baking with blanched almond flour offers many nutritional benefits for individuals who are living gluten-free or grain-free because it’s a lower carb, higher nutrient value option compared to starch-based GF flours.
Still, each person must explore the right options for their unique health concerns and goals. If phytates are a major issue or concern, it may be best to limit almond flour and opt for coconut flour instead. Of course, the bulk of any diet should come from foods highest in nutritional value and benefit for the body. Using grain-free flours for baking enables those of us who are gluten-free and grain-free the opportunity to enjoy delicious baked goods on occasion that we would miss otherwise. But again, these should be an occasional healthy treat, and not make-up a significant portion of a healthy diet. I hope this helps to clarify. With blessings, Kelly