This Gluten-free Apple coffee cake is sweet and crumbly with layers of gluten-free cake, fresh sliced apples, and a crumb topping. The first mouthwatering bite will whisk you away and plunge you into a sea of cinnamon apple bliss. Make this apple cake recipe to impress for a holiday or weekend breakfast or afternoon coffee treat. No one will know it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo!
This gluten-free apple coffee cake is perfect for fall when the apples are big and in season! It's also a great coffee cake recipe year-round since apples are always available. Try it with peaches, plums, or other seasonal fruits. With an extra drizzle of glaze, this gluten-free apple coffee cake goes from amazing to wow and works as an apple dessert too.
This recipe was inspired by my Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake, and pairs well with Dairy-Free Whipped Cream or Pumpkin Spice Coconut Whipped Cream in the Fall.
Serve it for brunch with a special coffee recipe like my Cold Brew Concentrate Recipe, a Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte, Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, or Iced Mocha. Or make espresso using my French Press Espresso or AeroPress Espresso recipes if you don't have a machine.
If you're deciding between different apple desserts, you can browse all of my gluten-free apple recipes here.
If you have celiac disease or are new to the gluten-free diet, be sure to check out our post on how to start eating gluten-free.
How to make it (with photos)
With just 11 ingredients and 6 steps, you can make a professional grade apple coffee cake with three distinct and delicious layers!
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This gluten-free apple coffee cake recipe needs only 11 ingredients. It's paleo and gluten-free as written, with substitutions using more common ingredients or to fit other dietary needs.
Apples
You can use most apple types in this recipe, but I will share a little more about the texture of each so you know what to expect.
Apples that are firm when baked include Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), and Northern Spy. Granny Smith apples are more tart than sweet so you may want to combine them with a sweeter variety or add more maple syrup.
Apples that are more likely to fall apart (think applesauce) include Red Delicious, McIntosh, Gala, and Fuji. These can still be used in this recipe, but the cake will be very moist and the apple layer will be more jammy. I personally prefer the firmer varieties.
Almond Flour
Almond flour enhances Fall flavors with richness and a little nuttiness. Use finely ground blanched almond flour for the best results. To keep the cake light and fluffy, I combine it with a lighter flour.
Cassava Flour or All Purpose GF Flour
To keep the cake light and fluffy, I use cassava flour (for paleo) or all purpose gluten-free flour. You can use either in equal amounts in this recipe. If you found this recipe and are not strictly gluten-free, you can also use regular all purpose gluten-free flour.
Sugar
For a paleo recipe, use coconut sugar. You can substitute any granulated sugar for coconut sugar in this recipe if not following the paleo diet. For any substitutions, measure by weight for best results.
Eggs
This recipe uses 2 eggs. As a substitute, you can use 1 tablespoon of potato starch plus 3 tablespoons water per egg. Mix the starch in with the dry ingredients and the water in with the wet ingredients before combining. Allow the egg-free version to cool completely before cutting, since the starch takes longer to set.
Milk
Full fat coconut milk is paleo, wholesome, and adds a nice richness to this recipe. You can substitute lite coconut milk, plant milks, or dairy milk.
Coconut Oil
You can use coconut oil, butter, or ghee in equal amounts. For both the cake and crumble topping, you want it melted but not hot.
Optional glaze
For the glaze, which is entirely optional but very delicious, you also need confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) and dairy-free milk or regular milk.
You also need ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Variation
You can make this fruit coffee cake recipe with many different fruits! Try a peach coffee cake, plum coffee cake, blueberry coffee cake, or follow my Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake for that specific variation.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make gluten-free apple coffee cake in six easy steps!
- Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add all the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix together well.
- Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Make the cake batter: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients in ½ cup increments, mixing as you go.
- Make the streusel topping: In a clean mixing bowl, add all ingredients for streusel topping and mix well with a fork.
- Layer: Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth to evenly cover the dish. Evenly distribute the apple slices across the top of the batter. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples, breaking up large clumps with your fingers.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is lightly crisp and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting in. Drizzle with the optional glaze for an extra special treat!
Hint: For optimum streusel crumb, use melted (but not hot) coconut oil. Mix the ingredients together with a fork then crumble it over the cake with your fingers. Break up any large chunks but still keep it chunky for crispy texture and variety!
Expert Tip
Make amazing gluten-free apple coffee cake on the first try with these expert tips!
Chop your apples like this.
Cut the apple into slices about ⅛ inch thick so they still have some bite after baking. This texture is much better than diced apples or apples cut too thinly. I see many recipes recommending super thin slices or dicing -- the apples cook down too much and you may as well use applesauce! Also check the ingredient notes above for my apple variety recommendations.
Use a flavorful sugar.
I don't recommend substituting white sugar for coconut sugar, but brown sugar works well in its place. It's important that the sugar adds a rich caramel-y flavor after baking for the best taste, and the darker sugars do this wonderfully!
Recipe FAQ's
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store this Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake in an airtight container or covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. Or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, cut into individual servings and freeze in a refrigerator-friendly airtight container for up to 6 months.
Coffee cake and crumb cake are the same thing. Both names refer to a cake with a streusel topping, sometimes called a crumb topping.
Coffee cakes do not have any coffee in the ingredients. They are called coffee cakes because they are often enjoyed with a cup of coffee.
Coffee cake is the American/English version of the German Kaffee Kuchen. They are called coffee cakes because they are often enjoyed with an afternoon coffee. There is no coffee in the cake ingredients - it is named for how it is enjoyed rather than what is in it.
Coffee cakes can be eaten with your afternoon coffee, for brunch, as an after-school/work treat, or as a dessert. They are also commonly brought to afternoon potlucks. As their name suggests, the most traditional time to eat a coffee cake is with a cup of coffee.
More apple dessert recipes
Each of these apple desserts work well for different occasions, from holidays to casual treats.
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie - classic holiday dessert
- Apple Crumble Recipe (without oats) - quicker, cozier dessert option
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices - simple, unfussy option
- Gluten-Free Apple Fritters - weekend treat
- Pie Iron Apple Pie - camping dessert
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup coconut oil , melted but not hot, (115 ml)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar (115 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk (235 ml)
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup almond flour (100 grams)
- 1 cup cassava flour or all purpose gluten-free flour (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Fruit and Streusel
- 1 ½ pounds whole apples , peeled and sliced in ⅛ inch (¼ cm) wedges (700 grams)
- 1 cup cassava flour or all purpose gluten-free flour (125 grams)
- 1 cup coconut sugar (150 grams)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (75 ml)
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add all the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix together well.
- Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Make the cake batter: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients in ½ cup increments, mixing as you go.
- Make the streusel topping: In a clean mixing bowl, add all ingredients for streusel topping and mix well with a fork.
- Layer: Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth to evenly cover the dish. Evenly distribute the apple slices across the top of the batter. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples, breaking up large clumps with your fingers.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is lightly crisp and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting in. Drizzle with the optional glaze for an extra special treat!
Julie Krakoski says
Delicious recipe, thank you for sharing! I used coconut flour in lieu of almond flour, I added chopped walnuts into crumble topping and mixed with the apples so only had 2 layers, also added vanilla into glaze (as I always do)-thank you again! Perfect Fall morning treat!
Jenn says
OMG THIS IS AMAZING!!
Jamie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Jenn! This comment made my morning 🙂
Rutheda Lehman says
Have you ever tried all cassava flour? My husband is sensitive to the almond flour.
Jamie says
Hi Rutheda! I have not tried all cassava flour so I can't say for sure, but I think it would work. The cake recipe is pretty forgiving because the apples add extra moisture.
Here's how I would go about trying this variation:
If measuring by weight, I would use just a little less (90 grams) of cassava flour in place of the 100 grams of almond flour. If measuring in cups, this would be about 2/3 cup of cassava flour. Try the substitution, then check the consistency of the batter with the pictures. It should be similar in consistency to a muffin batter. From there I would add a little extra cassava flour or a tablespoon or two of water to match the consistency.
The baking time should be about the same, but I would check it on the earlier side with a toothpick inserted into the center to make sure it isn't still gooey.
Christina says
I’m allergic to almonds - any suggestions for a substitute flour?
Jamie says
In most cases, you can substitute almond flour for gluten-free all purpose flour as long as it is done by weight (grams or ounces). But I haven't tried it myself yet.
Nicole says
So I tried this and I'm not sure what I did wrong but none of my steps looked the way the pictures do. In the picture it says "coconut oil" but the recipes says "coconut butter" which is what I used. My batter was extremely crumbly and sticky - not like typical cake batter. My streusel was very dry and seemed like it needed another wet ingredient. Am I missing something?
Jamie says
Hi Nicole -- my apologies for the confusion. It seems that the listed ingredients were combined when I had an assistant update this post. It should have said coconut oil or vegan butter. The image is correct, and the recipe does use coconut oil. Coconut oil is softer than coconut butter, and would add a significant amount of moisture to the recipe. I'm reaching out via email to see if I can make this up to you. If you don't see it, please reach out to me at [email protected]
Michaela R. says
Showstopper is right! This is so delicious! I'm glad I tried it before Thanksgiving. It's THAT good. I'm going to make it for my holiday dessert. Hopefully they'll be leftovers! Thanks, Jamie!
Jamie says
Wow thank you so much for the kind review Michaela! I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Katelan says
Have you tried to prepare this the night before and bake in the morning? I am wondering if it will be okay to refrigerate uncooked overnight!
Jamie says
Hi Katelan! I have not tried preparing this the night before. I think it would work great though! The only potential issue I can see is if the crumb topping absorbs some of the liquid from the apples, making it a little less crisp. You could add just the crumb layer in the morning to avoid this. Let me know how it goes!
Shelley says
I have trouble describing how tasty this recipe is!!! I made a batch and couldn't stop eating it.