Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake with a nutty streusel topping is a lovely decadent breakfast or snack! Gluten-free with dairy-free and refined sugar-free options, this moist and fluffy coffee cake is so dreamy!
Coffee cake lovers, behold!
A moist, light, fluffy blueberry coffee cake recipe made gluten-free with options for dairy-free and refined sugar-free as well!
Little pops of berry joy are woven throughout this coffee cake recipe to make it even more enticing.
The end result is a cross between blueberry muffins and a classic coffee cake recipe, bringing you all the cozy vibes of your favorite coffee shop or bakery.
And let’s face it: the crumb topping is what makes coffee cake so irresistible, am I right??
Coffee cake is similar to a crumb cake in the sense that some crumbling is totally normal. It’s tender and light, yet moist and dense. Basically a miracle cake.
Coffee cake is so named because it is a treat traditionally served alongside coffee for a morning or midday snack (or breakfast). Coffee cake does not actually have coffee in it (I get this question a lot). So fire up the coffee pot, get some brew going, and bake up coffee’s best friend!
Let’s get into the simple ingredients.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake:
Coconut Oil or Butter: The fat portion of the recipe. Use melted coconut oil or melted butter depending on your preference. Both result in a moist, mouth-watering treat!
Eggs: A couple of eggs help fluff up the gluten-free coffee cake into a lovely texture.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A nice warm essence added to your treat to remind you just how beautiful life can taste. While vanilla extract makes any baked good taste amazing, it isn’t mandatory so you can skip it if you don’t have it on hand. Almond extract is a delicious addition as well if you have it. 1/2 teaspoon goes a long way.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: In keeping this coffee cake recipe gluten-free, we use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I use Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but King Arthur and Pamela’s will work just as well.
If you follow a grain-free diet, feel free to check out my Paleo Coffee Cake recipe, or any of my other coffee cake recipes (linked at the end of this post), as there are many, many options!
Granulated Sweetener of Choice: Use can sugar, brown sugar, sugar-free sweetener, maple sugar, or coconut sugar to sweeten this coffee cake. Pick your favorite for baking!
Baking Powder: The leavening agent that is responsible for an even rise and bake. Make sure the baking powder you use isn’t expired.
Sea Salt: Salt levels up the flavor of each individual ingredient and makes the cake taste rich and well-balanced. Don’t skip it!
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries add something extra special to this coffee cake recipe. You’re getting a tasty blueberry muffin experience combined with a classic crumb cake for all the coffee shop vibes.
For the Topping: Melted coconut oil, raw pecans or walnuts, ground cinnamon, and your sweetener of choice is all we need for the buttery streusel cinnamon mixture. This combination makes for a crunchy, nutty cinnamony streusel swirl and topping that we all know and love in coffee cake.
If you love a classic powdered sugar simple glaze, you can easily whip up a simple sweet vanilla glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and half of a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Simply stir until creamy, drizzle, and enjoy! A cream cheese frosting would be amazing on this blueberry streusel coffee cake recipe as well.
Here’s how we bake blueberry coffee cake!
How to Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8” x 8” square baking pan with parchment paper. Note: you can also use a springform pan or a smaller bundt pan if you’d like.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the ingredients for the nutty streusel topping until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Whisk together the melted coconut oil, eggs, and pure vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy (wet ingredients)
In a separate medium bowl, stir together the gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt (dry ingredients).
Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until completely combined and a thick, oily dough forms.
Gently stir in the blueberries.
Transfer half of the coffee cake batter to the parchment lined pan and gently press it into an even layer (I use a fork or my hands for this step).
Sprinkle half of the nutty streusel topping over the batter.
Transfer the remaining cake batter on top and press it into an even layer (I find this is easiest to do with my hands).
Similarly, sprinkle the rest of the remaining streusel topping on top.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the coffee cake from the oven, cover it in foil, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake feels firm when gently poked and tests clean.
Remove the coffee cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Note: slicing the cake before it cools will guarantee a lot of crumbling.
How to Store Coffee Cake:
Store the coffee cake covered in plastic wrap on the counter top for up to 3 days (unless you live in a very humid area where food gets moldy easily).
You can also store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This coffee cake freezes very well. Simply slice it into individual chunks and freeze in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months. Wrapping the coffee cake in plastic wrap before placing it in a zip lock will make it keep for longer.
That’s it! A great recipe for coffee cake with juicy blueberries with the most amazing crumble topping that tastes even better the next day!
More Amazing Coffee Cake Recipes:
- Paleo Apple Coffee Cake
- Dairy-Free Keto Coffee Cake
- Paleo Strawberry Coffee Cake
- Chai-Spiced Paleo Coffee Cake
- Paleo Peach Coffee Cake
Enjoy this fluffy, moist treat alongside your favorite mug of steamy coffee!
Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Blueberry Coffee Cake:
- 2/3 cup coconut oil or butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated cane sugar*
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
- 1 cup raw pecans or walnuts
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 2 Tbsp granulated cane sugar*
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8” x 8” square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the ingredients for the nutty streusel topping until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil, eggs, and pure vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy (wet ingredients).
- In a separate medium bowl, stir together the gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt (dry ingredients).
- Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until completely combined and a thick, oily dough forms.
- Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Transfer half of the coffee cake batter to the parchment lined pan and gently press it into an even layer (I use a fork or my hands for this step).
- Sprinkle half of the nutty streusel topping over the batter.
- Transfer the remaining cake batter on top and press it into an even layer (I find this is easiest to do with my hands). Similarly, sprinkle the rest of the remaining streusel topping on top.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the coffee cake from the oven, cover it in foil, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake feels firm when gently poked and tests clean.
- Remove the coffee cake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Note: slicing the cake before it cools will guarantee a lot of crumbling.
Notes
Nutrition
I have made this recipe 3 times……and love it!!
Thanks so much for a not-to-sweet, but delicious coffee cake.
I’m so happy to hear it, Mary!! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your feedback – much appreciated! xo
It was easy to make! The baked cake looked beautiful. I used King Arthur’s gluten-free one to one flour. I let the batter rest for 20 minutes: A tip I read for gluten-free baking to ensure the batter is fully moistened. My cake was very gritty, I don’t know why. Any suggestions to reduce the gritty texture? Thanks!
Hi Susan!
It sounds like the batter needed some more liquid or fat. I have noticed King Arthur’s flour to be a bit more absorbent than Bob’s Red Mill, so that could be the culprit. I’ll have to retest the recipe using King Arthur’s and report back. In the meantime, if you decide to make it again, I would add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of milk (either dairy or non-dairy) to moisten the batter more.
What about the measurements. ex. how much salt, how much flour etc. 🙂
@Breanna, Nevermind I found it after scrolling 4 or 5 times lol. yay!! now i shall bake!!
Happy to hear you found it! xo
Yum, this came out great! Very moist, nutty, not overly sweet. Great way to use up extra blueberries!
I thought so too! So happy you enjoy the coffee cake, Jennifer! xo