This grain-free, refined sugar-free paleo coffee cake is a healthier alternative to classic coffee cake. Plus, it’s great for breakfast or brunch!
I started making this grain-free coffee cake out of a desperate need for a classic feel-good comforting treat without all the processed ingredients.
So, I swapped in coconut flour, arrowroot flour, and pure maple syrup, but still let that walnut topping sing. I may have silently done a little happy dance when I tasted it. Because this paleo coffee cake is actually good. Like, “I can’t believe this is healthy” good!
Whether you’re baking it for a weekend brunch, a cozy holiday morning, or as a random Tuesday pick-me-up, this Paleo Coffee Cake is the kind of treat that feels indulgent but leaves your body saying “thank you” instead of “why did I do that?”
Pair it with your favorite cup of coffee or tea, and you’ve officially nailed breakfast!
Ingredients for Paleo Coffee Cake
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to whip up this delectable paleo coffee cake. You’ll find most of the specialty flours in health food stores, but I find most large grocery stores have them too!
Coconut Flour: The base of our cake is coconut flour! It’s light, slightly sweet, and gives this coffee cake its tender, delicate crumb. Bonus – it’s naturally gluten-free and fiber-packed!
Arrowroot Flour or Tapioca Starch: Helps the texture stay tender and springy. Arrowroot flour helps generate a light and airy texture, similar to coffee shop coffee cake.
Eggs: The glue that holds everything together and keeps the crumb moist. Six might sound like a lot, but trust me, it’s the secret to that dreamy texture.
Coconut Milk: Adds richness and a hint of creamy flavor. Plus, it keeps the cake extra moist.
Pure Maple Syrup: My natural sweetener of choice. It adds warmth and depth, but just enough sweetness to feel like a treat.
Grass-Fed Butter or Coconut Oil: Because sometimes a little extra indulgence is necessary! Adds flavor depth and so much richness to every bite.
Vanilla Extract: A little splash for that cozy, bakery-style scent. Oh, and it enhances the rest of the flavors too!
Baking Powder: The behind-the-scenes hero that gives our cake lift and an airy texture.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The subtle acidic magic that helps the cake rise and stay fluffy.
Cinnamon: That comforting spice that gives coffee cake its signature flavor. Don’t be shy here, as cinnamon is the heart of this recipe (the more, the better!).
Sea Salt: Because every good bake needs a touch of salt to balance the sweetness and bring out the flavors.
Ingredients for the Crumb Topping
Walnuts: Crunchy, toasty, and perfectly nutty. They’re the backbone of that irresistible crumble.
Grass-Fed Butter, Ghee, or Coconut Oil: Melds your topping together and makes it taste nice and rich.
Maple Syrup: Brings a caramel-like sweetness to the topping. Add some coconut sugar or brown sugar too for added sweetness.
Cinnamon: Because double cinnamon = double happiness, right? Well, at least in my household!
Recipe Customizations
- Nut-free? Swap the walnuts for pumpkin or sunflower seeds. It’ll keep things crunchy but just have a slightly different flavor.
- If you’re feeling fancy, you can drizzle the cooled cake with a quick paleo icing made from coconut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk. Keto Chocolate Buttercream works too!
- Fancy a fruity twist? Fold chopped apples or blueberries right into the batter. Just make sure you like the flavor combo before you do.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for cozy holiday vibes.
- If you prefer olive oil or avocado oil over butter, feel free to make the swap.
- Prefer baking with almond flour over coconut flour? Make my Almond Flour Coffee Cake.
How to Make Paleo Coffee Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly oil or butter an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Mix your dry ingredients in a large bowl (that’s the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, and sea salt!).
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, milk, and butter until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until you have a thick, fluffy batter. Coconut flour soaks up liquid quickly, so that’s normal!
In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the walnut topping until it is well combined.
Spread half the cake batter into your prepared pan, sprinkle on half the crumble, then top with the remaining batter and finish with the rest of the crumble.
Pop it in the oven for 28 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before slicing (this is usually around 20 minutes). It firms up beautifully as it rests! Sprinkle or pour any toppings you like over the top as you see fit and enjoy.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze leftover coffee cake in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t overmix! Coconut flour thickens fast, so just stir until smooth and let it be. Overmixing may make your cake a little dense.
- Line your pan with parchment paper. Trust me, it makes removing the cake (and cleaning up) a breeze.
- Let your paleo coffee cake cool to room temperature before slicing. It sets as it cools, and your patience will be rewarded with perfect slices!
- Reheat before serving. A quick warm-up brings back that just-baked magic.
And that’s it! If you follow a paleo diet, or if you love a wholesome treat, this simple recipe is here to serve.
I just can’t get enough of the soft spice, crumbly topping, and fluffy texture. So, grab yourself a warm slice and enjoy it with your morning coffee!
If you love baking homemade cakes, also try out these gems!
More Cake Recipes:
- Kabocha Squash Spice Cake with Chai Caramel
- Grain‑Free Banana Cake with Cashew “Cream Cheese” Frosting
- Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Almond Flour Carrot Cake
- Paleo Vanilla Sheet Cake
Or if you are looking for coffee cake specifically, try out these other gluten-free coffee cake recipes.
More Healthy Coffee Cake Recipes:
- Paleo Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Chai-Spiced Paleo Coffee Cake
- Paleo Peach Coffee Cake
- Paleo Strawberry Coffee Cake
Paleo Coffee Cake for breakfast!
Paleo Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ¾ cup coconut flour sifted
- ¾ cup arrowroot flour*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup**
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk or melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup unsalted grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted
For the Walnut Topping:
- 1 cup raw walnuts chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup unsalted grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
Prepare the walnut topping:
- Combine all of the ingredients for the walnut topping in a small bowl. Stir well to combine and set aside.
Prepare the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter or oil a 8″ x 8″ baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, coconut milk, and butter. Pour this wet mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Note: The batter will be thick.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Spread half of the walnut topping over the batter. Repeat for the remaining cake batter and walnut topping.
- Bake on the center rack for 28 to 35 minutes or until cake tests clean when poked in the center (Note: mine took 32 minutes).
- Allow cake to sit 20 minutes before cutting large chunks and serving.
Notes
**Use up to 2/3 cup pure maple syrup for a sweeter cake
Nutrition
I originally shared this recipe on March 23, 2015. I updated the photos, added ingredient notes, helpful tips, and more detailed information to make preparing this recipe even easier on January 13, 2026.
Making for my niece for Christmas, as she can only eat Paleo & this is my first attempt at baking for her. My ? is can you freeze this coffee cake, if so for how long. when it defrost does it still taste the same. As I have never baked with these flours any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated! Many thanks!
Hi Nadine!
You can definitely freeze the coffee cake, no problem! What I do is allow the cake to cool to room temperature and then wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and seal it in a zip lock bag – this way you avoid freezer burn. It should be fine for up to 1 month in the freezer. Generally, I think baked goods are at their absolute best when fresh, but it will still be nice and fluffy after it has thawed. You can either thaw the whole coffee cake and then reheat it in the oven, or slice off pieces and microwave them for 45 – 60 seconds. Other than that, my only advice would be to pour the coconut flour into the measuring cup versus packing it, as coconut flour is very absorbent. So in essence, it’s a loose measurement rather than a packed measurement if that makes sense 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions!!
I made this with almond flour (instead of arrowroot), cut down the butter by 1/2 and added a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter. Came out very well, thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, Adelle! xo
Can you swap out coconut flour for fresh ground flax seed? the Paleo wheat bread is arrowroot and flax seed, it is a total ‘bread’ combo, would that be wrong for this type of ‘cake’?
Hi Holly,
I wouldn’t recommend swapping the coconut flour for anything since it’s such a finicky flour – it absorbs 4 times more liquid than any other flour, so you’d need to play with the measurements quite a bit. Sorry about that!
Hi! I tried your coffee cake and my family and I really enjoyed it! The texture kinda amazed me. Do you think I could tweak the recipe a bit and bake in a loaf pan to make bread? I would probably leave off the topping. How long do you think it would bake for?
Thanks a bunch!
Willow
Hi Willow,
I’m so happy to hear you like the coffee cake! I bet you could bake it in a loaf pan without any issues. My guess is it would take between 45 and 55 minutes to bake all the way through. I would set the timer for 40 and if it looks done, I’d turn the oven off and leave the loaf in the hot oven for another 5 – 10 minutes to be sure it’s baked through. Let me know if you end up trying it!! And thank you kindly for the feedback! xo
This was a delicious, lightly sweetened coffee cake that was light and fluffy. I will make it with 1/2 c maple syrup next time because I would have preferred it just a little sweeter. It had the perfect amount of sweetness for my husband though. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the coffee cake! My little secret when I’m in the mood for something sweeter, is I’ll sprinkle the coffee cake with coconut sugar or drizzle with pure maple syrup just before eating it 😉 Kind of defeats the purpose of adding less sugar in the first place, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, you know? 😉 Thanks so much for the feedback! xo
This is DELICIOUS! I made a few alterations: I only used 3 eggs, I substituted pecans for walnuts, I used 1/2 maple syrup in the batter and substituted coconut sugar for maple syrup in the topping. I’ve tried several paleo coffee cake recipes and this is, by far, the best! It seriously rivals a sugar-filled coffee cake. This is a keeper! Thank you!
I’m so happy you like the coffee cake, Jessa!! It’s definitely one of my favorite treats 😀 Your alterations sound great! I’ll have to try your version soon! xo
This turned out yummy with a little change of 1/2 cup ground almonds as I didnt have much arrowroot, a real winner, but am I missing something? I couldn’t find coffee in the recipe so it ended up a walnut cake (scrummy anyway)
Will try again with coffee in it just to experiment…
Hi Glynnis,
OH good, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Coffee cake typically doesn’t have coffee in it – it’s named “coffee cake” because it’s a traditional treat to serve with coffee. BUT I bet coffee would taste AMAZING in the cake nonetheless! Let me know if you try it!
I’M DAIRY FREE. WILL TRY USING EITHER COCONUT BUTTER OR DAIRY FREE SHORTINING. WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT.
Made this tonight, hubby & I totally enjoyed it with a cup of coffee. Used what I had on hand, subsitute coconut oil for butter, xylitol for the syrup & tapioca flour for arrowroot powder and alomonds for walnuts.
Thank you for a very delish dessert!
I’m so happy to hear it, Karen! I like the idea of using xylitol to make it sugar-free – I’ll have to do so soon!
I’m confused, is this a coffee cake or walnut cake as I can’t find how much coffee to go in the recipe. Thanks
Hi Ceri. Coffee cake is a type of cake that you enjoy with coffee…there usually isn’t any coffee in the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions! 😀
This is darned good, especially for Paleo cake,mwhich is difficult to do. I live in altitude and made some adjustments, but even hubby liked it! I did end up putting more maple syrup (as per your alternative instructiins above). Also, be careful not to overbake, watch carefully.
I just wanted to say a big thank you for this wonderful recipe, it’s so simple and just perfect. I tried it out and then also made a variation of it, which I have blogged about (and mentioned you) here: http://nourisheveryday.com/recipe/spiced-walnut-crumb-cake/
This looks fantastic. I’ve been looking at a lot of Paleo coffee cake recipes today, trying to decide which one to try. I’m a bit torn on this one. It looks so delicious, but the arrowroot makes me concerned about the glycemic load, especially with the addition of maple syrup. What’s your take on that? By the way, I’m not super low carb, but I do try to be careful to keep insulin from going out of whack.
The cake turned out delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! Drizzled with my salted carame itl is perfection ☺️
Hi, I just made your coffee cake today and it was a treat after a month of nothing at all like this. We threw some raspberries in the batter and that was really good, too. When I make it next time, a little extra sweetner will be nice… maybe some stevia, but not too much.
Thank you so much for posting this!
(oh, the instructions still say backing soda instead of powder)
I tried this recipe today using arrowroot. The topping was chopped fresh strawberries under the streusel, which I made with hazelnut meal because I am out of walnuts. No other changes. Everything looked great, but there is way too much baking soda in this recipe and not enough acidity to neutralize it, so the whole cake tasted bitter from it and was pretty much inedible. Did you mean baking powder by any chance? Next time I’ll try this with either 2 tsp baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda.
Hi Julie, my sincere apologies for the coffee cake not turning out! The measurement was supposed to be for baking powder, not baking soda. I made the change in the recipe – I’m so sorry again for the error!
No worries. At least my experience will prevent future issues. 🙂 And for the record, using hazelnut meal in the streusel worked out great… it was more wet than crumbly, and I just dolloped it strategically over the strawberries.