Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake

This gluten-free apple coffee cake has three distinct layers: soft cake, tender sliced apples, and crisp cinnamon streusel. It's naturally dairy-free, can be made paleo, and includes a tested egg-free option.

Course Baking, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Gluten free apple cake, gluten free coffee cake, gluten free apple coffee cake, apple coffee cake, almond flour apple coffee cake, dairy free apple coffee cake, Paleo apple coffee cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 302kcal

Author Jamie Monkkonen

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!

Notes

See the blog post for ingredient notes and substitutions, step-by-step photos, expert tips, FAQs, and more.

Optional glaze: Add ¾ cup (75 grams) sifted confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together. Add more powdered sugar or milk to adjust to your desired consistency.

Apple Varieties: I tested this recipe with Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady apples. Slice the apples about ⅛ inch thick so they become tender while still keeping a distinct apple layer.

Egg-free option: For each egg, use 1 tablespoon potato starch + 3 tablespoons water. Mix the potato starch with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients. Let the finished cake cool completely before slicing so the starch has time to set.

Sugars: Coconut sugar gives the cake and streusel a deeper caramel flavor. Granulated white sugar also works—I used some in the streusel for the photographed batch when I ran out of coconut sugar—but I prefer the flavor of coconut sugar or brown sugar. Substitute sugars by weight for best results.

Storage: 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 an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 6 months.

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