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+ servings

Gluten Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe | Easy Recipe

This gluten-free coffee cake is soft, moist, and swirled with warm cinnamon spice, then topped with a buttery crumble topping that bakes up perfectly golden. It’s an easy crowd-pleasing recipe that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Serving Size 16

Ingredients

Crumble Topping

  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup salted butter cold and cubed

Coffee Cake Batter

  • 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour My go-to for gluten-free flours is Arrowhead Mills 1 to 1.
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup salted butter cold and cubed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Prepare the crumble topping:

  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, gluten-free flour, and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips to work the butter into the mixture until small pea-sized crumbs form. Be careful not to overwork it—you want a crumbly texture for the perfect streusel topping. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter to keep the butter cold.

Prepare the baking pan and oven:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.

Mix the dry ingredients:

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Cut in the butter:

  • Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand with no large pieces of butter remaining. This step helps create a tender, buttery crumb.

Mix the wet ingredients:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients:

  • Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of flour mixture in three increments, stirring gently after each addition until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as this helps keep the cake soft and fluffy.

Create the cinnamon swirl batter:

  • Scoop out 1 cup of the batter into a separate small bowl. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg until evenly mixed.

Assemble the coffee cake:

  • Spread the plain batter evenly into the prepared 8x8 pan. Spoon the spiced batter over the top in dollops. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the cinnamon batter throughout the cake, creating a marbled effect.

Add the crumb topping:

  • Remove the chilled crumble from the refrigerator and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the batter, covering the entire surface. Let the cake sit for 20 minutes to let the activators get moving!

Baking Time:

  • Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool and serve:

  • Let the coffee cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or a decadent . Store any leftovers in an airtight container!