Tender and decadent Vegan Coffee Cake, made in a few simple steps with everyday ingredients, is a staple in any vegan brunch recipe rotation. Serve it with coffee, fruit salad, and dairy-free yogurt for a celebratory, yet light morning meal.
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.
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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.
Table of contents
- This vegan cinnamon streusel coffee cake is...
- Ingredients:
- Substitutions:
- How to make this vegan coffee cake recipe:
- This Recipe pro-tips:
- Coffee Cake Variations:
- How do you know when coffee cake is done?
- Recipe alterations:
- Storage tips:
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Other easy & tasty baking and dessert recipes:
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!
Looking for traditional coffee cake recipes? Check out my Blueberry Coffee Cake and Raspberry Coffee Cake.
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:
- Preheat the oven and prepare a baking dish.
- Whisk together the flaxseed meal, water, and apple cider vinegar together in a small dish. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the flax egg and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and canola oil in a small mixing bowl.
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Repeat step six with the remaining batter and sugar mixture.
- 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.
Save this Recipe for Later on Pinterest:
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
Vegan Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Flax eggs
- 4 tablespoons flaxseed meal or ground chia seeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Dry ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup 160g whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 ⅓ cup 280g all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 ¾ cup + 2` tablespoons unsweetened nut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Streusel
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 x 13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flax egg ingredients. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients and the flax egg to the dry ingredients. Whisk the mixture together until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the streusel ingredients until combined.
- Pour half of the wet batter into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mix over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the cinnamon mixture and lightly spread it into the pan. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake the cake for 36-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Move the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool until at room temperature, or your desired serving temperature.
