The BEST tender and rich Vegan Coffee Cake! This cinnamon coffee cake is easy to make and beloved by any crowd.

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This recipe was originally published on April 13, 2019. It was updated with new photos, blog post information, and a refined recipe on April 19, 2021.

Vegan coffee cake: a healthier plant-based coffee cake that's easy to make, buttery and sweet, and made with easy-to-find ingredients. Best of all, none of your friends will know this recipe is dairy-free and egg-free!

Classic coffee cake is a long-lost friend that I just reunited with and can’t stop spending a ton of time with. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with and memories of her, but somehow down the road life just got in the way and we lost touch. Work and careers, a few cross-country moves, busyness taking care of two insane dogs. It all got me tied up somehow.

But then, the other day when out for breakfast and so hungry from that morning’s run that I couldn’t think straight (or maybe, I was thinking the straightest that I’ve thought in a while…) I ordered vegan coffee cake while grabbing breakfast at my favorite neigbhorhood brunch spot.

“Would you like it before or with your meal?” My waitress asked.

“Before, please.” No hesitation.

When the coffee cake came out all the memories came flooding back. Of the time I made it for a party and the flaky crumb surprised us all. Of the weekend brunches that it filled in all the cracks from the night before. The reminder that something so unsuspecting can leave such a mark.

Satiated and lost in reverie, I didn’t have much appetite left to address my meal by the time it came out. But, by the time I was half-way home from breakfast, I had already planned out recreating a coffee cake at home. After all, I couldn’t let too much time pass before I saw it again.

This vegan cinnamon streusel coffee cake is...

• Rich
• Tender
• Fluffy
• Warmly spiced

If you're looking for a dairy-free coffee cake, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour - white whole wheat flour is best; traditional whole wheat flour also works
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Baking powder
• Granulated sugar
• Canola oil
• Nut milk - almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk or your other favorite unsweetened nut milk
• Pure vanilla extract - liquid or powder
• Flaxseed meal
• Apple cider vinegar
• Packed brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon

Substitutions:

• Oil - melted virgin coconut oil can work in place of the canola oil
• Sugar - coconut sugar can substitute for both the granulated sugar and the dark brown sugar
• Flaxseed meal - ground chia seeds can replace the flaxseed meal

How to make this vegan coffee cake recipe:

1. Preheat the oven and prepare a baking dish.
2. Whisk together the flaxseed meal, water, and apple cider vinegar together in a small dish. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the flax egg and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
5. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and canola oil in a small mixing bowl.
6. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
7. Repeat step six with the remaining batter and sugar mixture.
8. Bake the coffee cake for 36-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool the cake on a cooling rack and enjoy!

This Recipe pro-tips:

• Weigh or carefully measure your flour - the most accurate way to measure flour is by weighing it. Kitchen scales are only about $10 on Amazon, but if you don't have time to grab one, just gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top.
• Use fresh ingredients - in particular flax meal, flour, and oil. All of them can go rancid and can affect the flavor of the coffee cake. Check the dates of your flour and flax meal and smell the oil (it should smell neutral, not rancid) for freshness.
• Make the flax egg first - it needs to sit before whisking into the rest of the batter.
• Use coconut sugar if you prefer to not traditional granulated sugar or brown sugar.

Coffee Cake Variations:

Layer in one cup of any of the following in with the brown sugar mixture:

• Fresh or frozen blueberries
• Chopped apples
• Pecans or walnuts
• Dried cranberries
• Chocolate chips

How do you know when coffee cake is done?

This cinnamon coffee cake will be done when a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out with no smeary batter streaks on it, or when a thermometer reads 210 degrees.

How do you make a flax egg?

To make a flax egg, just whisk together the flaxseed, water, and apple cider vinegar until combined. Then let rest for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.

We will be making 3 flax eggs for this recipe so you will need to whisk together 4 tablespoons flaxseed meal, 5 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.

Recipe alterations:

• Gluten-free - though I have not personally made this coffee cake yet with gluten-free flour, I would predict that it could be made with the same amount (3 ⅔ cup or 440g) 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (like Bob's Red Mill).
• Traditional - this recipe can easily be made traditional. Just substitute dairy milk for the nut milk and 3 large eggs for the flaxseed meal and follow the rest of the recipe as directed

Storage tips:

• Storing - leftover coffee cake lasts covered at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.
• Freezing - coffee cake can freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. For most ease, freeze it with parchment paper between the slices.
• Defrosting - thaw the vegan crumb cake at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until softened throughout.

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Food scale
• 8 x 13-inch baking dish
• Spatula
• Wire cooling rack

More baking & brunch recipes:

• Date Brownies
• Vegan Blondies
• Whole Wheat Waffles
• Banana Waffles
• Oat Protein Breakfast Cookies
• Whole Wheat Naan
• Oatmeal Bread
• Lemon Blueberry Muffin Bread
• Whole Wheat Pancakes

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