Moist, sweet, buttery apple coffee cake made entirely without grains, refined sugar, or dairy. This easy, approachable almond flour coffee cake recipe is perfect alongside your morning coffee or tea.
This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
Coffee shop coffee cake has always played a magical tune to my mind, body, soul strings. Sitting down with a huge hunk of cinnamony squish to go alongside my steamy morning Joe in amidst a bustling shop with the sound of milk frothers steaming, hurried chit chatter, and relaxed acoustic music playing in the background is my idea of the perfectly romantic morning.
Because coffee cake has been one of my go-tos since I was a small child, I {{humbly, not-so-humbly}} consider myself a bit of an aficionado. I like my coffee cake sweet, but not too sweet, rich in cinnamon flavor, thick but not overly dense, hot, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth-y. Within those specifications, there also needs to be a good salt balance to really tie all of the flavors together in heavenly matrimony.
Well, I {{humbly, not-so-humbly}} proclaim: By George, I think I’ve got it!
This coffee cake is what I consider to be perfection. It has a nice textural element from the apple-walnut topping, is healthful enough to eat for breakfast, yet tantalizing enough to enjoy for dessert. Plus, it’s grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly! How, oh how, is all of this possible, you ask? A fine balance between almond flour, eggs, coconut oil, and honey.
Oh, oh, oh, it’s magic!
Which brings me to my next topic of conversation:
Coffee cake componentry. Lettuce chat.
I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Almond Meal/Flour for this Apple Coffee Cake, along with coconut oil and honey. You’ll never believe how moist and dense-yet-airy this cake turns out – you’ll have to taste it to believe it! I fed this cake to my hooligan friends and the consensus was you couldn’t tell it was gluten-free, much less grain-free. Plus: the words, “addicting” and “perfect” were tossed about like a hacky sack.
The last Paleo Coffee Cake recipe I posted, I used tapioca flour to fluff it up and hold it together, but I found via this recipe that’s not necessary. In essence, this version holds together very well and still has a light texture without the use of tapioca flour. Fist bump, good talk.
To summarize: this warmly-scented and spiced breakfast cake is perfect for the chilly fall and winter months. It’s cozy, it’s approachable, it’s even super simple to prepare! If you’re super into coffee cakes like me, let this be your gateway to all of your coffee cake needs – you can easily morph it from apple to pear, blueberry, strawberry, etc, etc.
Tools I used to Prepare this Recipe:
To amplify your mornings…THIS!
Apple Coffee Cake (Paleo)
Grain-free apple coffee cake made with almond flour and pure maple syrup
Ingredients
Grain-Free Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill almond meal/flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups Granny Smith Apple peeled and finely chopped
Apple-Cinnamon Walnut Topping:
- ¼ cup coconut oil softened
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.
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Add all of the ingredients for the cake except for the apple to a blender or a food processor. Blend until well combined (note: the batter will be very thick). Stir in the apple. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer.
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Stir together the ingredients for the apple-cinnamon walnut topping in a bowl until well combined. Distribute the topping over the coffee cake, gently pressing the apples into the cake batter.
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Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn off the heat and keep the coffee cake in the oven an additional 15 minutes, until the center feels firm when poked. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
More apple treats:
- Grain-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Paleo)
- Spiced Apple Carrot Muffins
- Grain-Free Morning Glory Muffins
- Grain-Free Waffles with Spiced Apples and Caramel Sauce
- Baked Brie with Maple Spiced Apples
Coffee cake is always a winner! I only grew up with Entemann’s, but still 😉 At least now I know how to bake and can make a better one myself!
Oh yes, can’t argue with the deliciousness of the Entemann’s 😉
I am 100% with Rebecca on this one. I also only grew up with Entemann’s but yours looks so appealing and is for sure WAY healthier haha
You said it! The coffee cake turns out soooo tasty and satisfying, you’d never know it was on the “healthy” end of the spectrum 😀
Coffee cake is my love language! And with a cup of steaming hot coffee or tea? Perfection. This sounds sooo good! I wish I had one right now! Along with some tea or coffee…. lol 🙂
Same here! I can’t think of anything better than fresh-from-the-oven coffee cake. Perhaps a cheese danish, but I’m thinking that’s a close second 😉
Coffee and apple cake are two of my favorite things, so mixing them together? Yes please!
Looks moist and delicious, and yes, more coffee!
Just whipped this up with my little kiddo – so quick and easy … I love a good blender recipe!
It is really delicious and you don’t miss the grain flour at all. I’ve already passed it along to a few friends/family that I know will love it too!
Thanks for a great Fall dessert recipe – it’s a keeper!
Yeah I’d definitely say this coffee cake is magical! It’s looks ridiculous!! I wish I could come share a cup of jo and slice with you and catch up on things. Why can’t I be moving to Reno?? 🙁
Mmmm….now this dessert just screams fall! So yummy.
So glad you like it, Kelly!
where is the coffee? did I miss that in the ingredients?
Hi Dani, There’s no coffee in the recipe. Coffee cake is typically a treat that you eat alongside coffee, but doesn’t actually have coffee in it. Let me know if you have any other questions, and I hope you enjoy the recipe! xo
I made this last week…fantastic!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Yaaaaaas! I’m so happy to hear it!! Thanks so much for letting me know! 😀
OMG…I am drooling. Has anyone made this with a granular “sugar” of some sort? I can’t have honey or syrup and was hoping for a replacement idea. Amazing looking cake! <3
Could this be doubled and baked in a 9X13 pan?
I made the cake today. And I was not thrilled with the taste of the almond flour dough. I cut the sweetener in half, cuz let’s face it we consume too much. And I barely tasted the apple, even though I added 1 whole apple. I think the cinnamon and walnuts need to be mixed into the dough, and it needs 2 apples. I’ll try it again with these modifications.
My guess is the cake would have tasted better had you not cut the sweetener in half.
I baked this cake this morning to serve at brunch with a gluten-free relative and two of his friends. So yummy!! I would make this recipe again.
I doubled the apple, fat, and sugar in the topping. And I tossed in a little ginger and nutmeg with the cinnamon.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you, Sheila!
Nutritional value please ?
Could this work with an egg replacer such as flax/chia or gelatin?
Hi Megan! I believe it would although I’ve never tested the recipe with an egg replacer. My guess is it would hold together marvelously but perhaps be less fluffy. I think it’s worth a shot! Let me know if you try it! xo
This is my new favorite breakfast! I threw in an extra egg ( I had 3 left in the carton ) and subbed in some tapioca flour for about 1/2 cup of the almond flour just because I have a lot of tapioca flour on hand. Came out fabulous! What a treat — paleo or not (though I appreciate that it is paleo/low carb). Healthy comfort food and also quite satisfying. I wasn’t hungry until lunch, and that’s rare. My son said it’s the best thing I’ve baked in a long time. Thanks Julia! This is helping me adjust to a low carb diet and I’m super grateful.
I’m so thrilled to hear you like it, Jennifer!! Thanks for letting me know your changes – it all sounds delicious! xo
I served this to my two favorite cousins in an experiment for weekend company with special dietary needs. It passed with flying colors! I doctored it a bit by adding more apples (1-1/2 and a softer apple), added maple syrup to the topping and doubled the fat. I was nervous, but it was really yummy. I baked it about 20 minutes longer though. Kind of like an apple dessert with a moist cakey bottom.
I’m so thrilled to hear it! I’ll try the recipe again using a longer bake time…thank you so much for relaying all of that information! xo
Hi! Could this be made into muffins?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Selina!
I’ve never tried it, but I bet it would turn out great! I would bake for 20 minutes and see if they’re finished at that point. Bake longer if necessary! Hope you enjoy! xoxo