Moist, decadent, and topped with a delicious cinnamon streusel, this eggless coffee cake makes the perfect healthy treat! A lightened-up version of the classic is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to prepare.
If you love cozy and wholesome bakes like this, you might also enjoy my protein cinnamon rolls, almond milk rice pudding, or applesauce brownies.
As the festive season rolls in, I naturally crave cozy bakes like coffee cake. While I believe it's perfectly fine to enjoy a rich treat now and then, I wanted to create a version light enough to enjoy any day of the week without feeling overly indulgent.
This is where this healthy coffee cake comes in! It is great for dessert, but I especially love having it as a mid-afternoon treat alongside other lighter treats such as chocolate chip chickpea cookies and vegan protein balls.
💚Why you will love eggless coffee cake
- Moist, rich, and infused with cozy cinnamon flavors
- Low-fat, lower-calorie, and healthier than the classic version
- Made without eggs or butter and can be made gluten-free
- Simple to prepare and great for serving a crowd
🍎What you will need
- Oat flour - Use certified gluten-free oat flour if needed. If you don't have any, blend some oats in a high-speed blender until finely ground to make homemade oat flour.
- Milk - Both regular and non-dairy milk would work. I am using almond milk.
- Applesauce - Works as an egg replacement while keeping the cake moist, so there's no need for added oil.
- Brown sugar (for cake and streusel) - I am using dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown sugar in place.
- Sugar (for streusel) - Help to balance out the richness of brown sugar. Can be substituted with more brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✨Variations and add-ins
- Drizzle with icing - Make a simple icing using sugar and milk, then drizzle in on for a sweeter cake.
- Chocolate chips - To make it even more decadent, add up to ½ cup of chocolate chips. Top with more chocolate chips if desired.
- Berries - For a fruity, refreshing twist, fold in 1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries, or chopped strawberries. You will need to increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Spices - For more warmth and depth of flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom.
- Bake it in a round cake pan - A 9-inch round cake pan can replace the square 8x8 pan. Bake time would be similar.
🔪How to make healthy coffee cake
Step 1: Make streusel topping by combining all ingredients needed.
Step 2: Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is well combined.
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Step 3: Fold in wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
Step 4: Pour batter into baking pan, then sprinkle on streusel. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow healthy coffee cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
✔Helpful tips
- Measure flour properly - Ideally, use a kitchen scale to weigh out ingredients. If using cups, follow the 'spoon and level' method.
- Material of your baking pan - Coffee cake will take longer to bake in a ceramic pan when compared to a metal or glass pan.
- Avoid overbaking - This low-fat coffee cake dries out easily when overbaked. Once a toothpick comes out clean (with a few moist crumbs clinging), your cake is done baking.
- Serving suggestion - As this name suggests, this recipe is commonly served with tea or coffee, like my soy milk latte. For a protein boost, serve it with my protein coffee or protein hot chocolate instead!
❄Storing suggestions
I recommend slicing the eggless coffee cake before storing, so you will only reheat what you need.
- Room temperature - up to 3 days in an airtight container
- Fridge - up to a week in an airtight container
- Freezer - Wrap individual slices in Saran Wrap, then store them in freezer bags or containers. They can be frozen for 2 months.
Reheating - Allow frozen coffee cake to thaw overnight in the fridge. If you prefer them warm, heat up in the microwave at 15-second bursts, or in an oven at 180C/350F for around 5 minutes.
❔Commonly asked questions
Coffee cake can either be served warm, at room temperature, or cold, depending on personal preference. However, warmed coffee cake is preferred, where the cake itself is moist, and the streusel is slightly melted and gooey.
You can easily turn coffee cake into muffins by baking the batter in a muffin tin. Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full, then top with streusel. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted down the middle.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Eggless Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For streusel
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ cup oat flour use gluten-free if needed*
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark
- 2 tablespoons white sugar (or substitute for more brown sugar)**
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
For coffee cake
- 1 ¼ cup oat flour use gluten-free if needed
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup almond milk or other dairy/plant-based milk
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened preferred
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Make streusel topping by combining all ingredients (pecans, oat flour, sugar and cinnamon powder). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in all dry ingredients. Stir until everything is well combined.1 ¼ cup oat flour, ½ cup almond flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder
- Add almond milk and applesauce into the bowl. Mix well until everything is well incorporated.½ cup almond milk, ½ cup applesauce
- Pour the batter into a 8x8 square baking pan that have been greased or lined with parchment paper. Using a spatula, smooth out the edges. Sprinkle streusel evenly on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bake it in a round cake pan - A 9-inch round cake pan can replace the square pan. Bake time would be similar.
- Measure flour properly - Ideally, use a kitchen scale to weigh out ingredients. If using cups, follow the 'spoon and level' method.
- Material of your baking pan - Coffee cake will take longer to bake in a ceramic pan when compared to a metal or glass pan.
- Avoid overbaking - This low-fat coffee cake dries out easily when overbaked. Once a toothpick comes out clean (with a few moist crumbs clinging), your cake is done baking.
- Room temperature - up to 3 days in an airtight container
- Fridge - up to a week in an airtight container
- Freezer - Wrap individual slices in Saran Wrap, then store them in freezer bags or containers. They can be frozen for 2 months.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Raquel says
Can I substitute the instant coffee powder for coffee liqueur? It's a liquid instead of powder, but it's only 1 tablespoon.
Meesha says
I have yet to try it out, but I think it will work.😊