Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

Sweet, cinnamony, light, fluffy, and super tender, this Gluten-Free Coffee Cake is certain to become a family favorite. Made with primarily pantry staples and boasting a tall layer of buttery rich cinnamon-flavored crumble, nobody would ever guess this easy homemade recipe for crumb cake is celiac-friendly.

This post was originally published on January 13, 2023. It was updated with new recipe information on February 5, 2024.

Ingredients

This yummy gluten-free sour cream coffee cake requires simple, easy-to-find, and mostly pantry ingredients. Here’s what to grab:

• Gluten-free 1-to-1 flour - I prefer using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but any cup-for-cup all-purpose GF flour blend that includes xanthan gum should work. If gluten isn’t an issue for you, you can easily swap in regular all-purpose flour instead.
• Cornstarch - Helps to get a light, fluffy, and fine crumb consistency.
• Salt - Use fine salt for this recipe.
• Baking soda & baking powder - You’ll need both types of leavening to get the light, tender crumb we’re after.
• Granulated sugar - Feel free to swap in organic cane sugar if you prefer, but note that the color will be slightly darker.
• Butter - Helps to give this breakfast cake a ton of moisture and flavor. You’re welcome to swap in plant-based butter if you prefer.
• Eggs - For binding the batter together. Let them come to room temp to make them easier to mix in.
• Milk - Although whole milk would add the most flavor, any percentage of dairy milk or unsweetened plain non-dairy milk will work well.
• Sour cream - The acidity helps to activate the leavening and also results in a more tender consistency. Feel free to use an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt or your favorite mayonnaise instead!
• Vanilla extract - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste works best.
• Ground cinnamon - A must-have spice for the best crumb cakes. Feel free to experiment with other warming spice blends like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
• Brown sugar - For giving the cinnamon filling and crumb topping hint of molasses flavor. Feel free to use either light or dark brown sugar.

What's the Best Gluten-Free Flour Blend?

If you’re new to gluten-free baking, I strongly recommend you start out with a store-bought gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. These products are specifically formulated with “cup-for-cup” or “measure-for-measure” ratios in mind. 

Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to, but King Arthur, Cup4Cup, or any other 1-to-1 blend should do the trick. The biggest thing to look for is that it includes xanthan gum, which emulates gluten proteins.

How To Make Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

This gluten-free crumb cake comes together with very little fuss. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Make the filling. Combine the ground cinnamon and brown sugar. Set it aside.

Step 2: Make the topping. Combine the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour using your hands or a pastry cutter. Set it aside.

Step 3: Mix dry ingredients & butter. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Add the softened vegan butter and work it into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.

Step 4: Mix wet ingredients & add to dry. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Step 5: Add milk. Stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once the batter comes together, continue mixing the batter for 2 more minutes. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.

Step 6: Prep. While the batter rests, preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C) and grease and line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Step 7: Assemble. Put ⅔ of the rested batter into the pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar filling in an even layer, and spread the remaining cake batter on top. Smooth the surface and add the crumble topping. 

Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. Let it cool completely before serving.

How to Make Gluten-Free Dairy-free Coffee Cake

To make this gluten-free cinnamon coffee cake dairy-free, you can substitute equal amounts of vegan butter for regular butter, unsweetened non-dairy milk for milk, and mayonnaise for sour cream/greek yogurt.

Mayo might sound like it would be really gross in a cake, but I promise it'll be delicious!

Expert Tips

• Don’t rush the resting step. GF flour needs time to properly hydrate. If you try popping the batter directly in the oven, it’ll end up having a grainy texture. Nobody wants that!
• Let the cake cool completely. Gluten-free cakes will continue to cook through as they cool, so don’t slice the cake open prematurely! If you do, you’ll find that the cake is mushy, and the moisture we worked so hard to create will steam away through the cuts and leave you with a dry cake.

FAQs

Storage Instructions

Storing: Baked coffee cake will last for up to 3 days in an airtight container on the countertop, but after that, it starts to get dry. 

Freezing: It can also be frozen for up to a month if it is well-wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap before being placed in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag. Defrost overnight in the fridge before serving.

More Gluten-Free Breakfast Favorites

• These gluten-free banana pancakes are so moist and delicious! Add chocolate chips to make your morning a little sweeter.
• Love muffins? My gluten-free banana muffins and cranberry orange muffins are both some of my favorite muffins to have with my morning cup of tea!
• If you're more of a quickbread person, my gluten-free banana bread, gluten-free pumpkin bread, and lemon poppy seed cake are all so delicious and easy to make!
• This gluten-free waffle recipe is so easy to make, and they have the most perfect crisp and fluffy texture!
• Gluten-free granola is perfect for anyone who loves a fuss-free easy breakfast. Make a big batch on the weekend and have it last throughout the week!
• If you need something sweet and impressive at brunch, make my gluten-free pineapple upside down cake!

I hope you love this fluffy gluten-free coffee cake recipe! For more tasty gluten-free recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook. You can also sign up for my email newsletter to get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox — I promise I won't spam you.