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.
Absolutely loved this – followed the recipe exactly- great texture, cinnamon taste is perfect! You cannot tell this is paleo. Entire family loved it and they are picky! And it’s the perfect level of sweetness in my opinion and perfect with coffee or hot chocolate:)
Wahoo! That’s so great to hear, Vittoria! I’m obsessed with the coffee cake, myself. I just love how moist and cinnamony it is. Thanks for the sweet note! xo
Just wondering if I can substitute flax eggs for the 4 regular eggs? Can’t do eggs right now.
Hi Andrea! In my experience, flax eggs make baked recipes like this very dense. If you’re okay with that, feel free to proceed with flax eggs! As far as other egg alternatives go, I don’t have a huge experience with them, but I have found Bob’s Red Mill’s egg replacer to be pretty useful. Hope that helps!! xoxo
Okay well I made it today and decided not to make any high altitude adjustments and it’s absolutely perfect!! I’m in love, thank you thank you!! I got some blueberries but chickened out about baking them in but they’re delicious just mixed with the bites I take!
Hi Julia, the coffee cake is in the oven now and it smells wonderful. However I have a couple questions. 1)Why do the directions call for sifting the coconut flour which wasn’t lumpy, but not the tapioca flour which is lumpy?
2)My streusel topping was runny from the liquid of the melted butter and the syrup, so it just sunk into the batter. There is no streusel topping on top. I did use the correct amounts. How do you get yours to stay on top of the batter? Thanks so much. Great site and recipes!
Hi Stephanie,
You can absolutely sift the tapioca flour too…I just have never experienced lumpy tapioca flour. 😉 I’m not sure what happened with the streusel topping since you didn’t change anything in the recipe. It could be that the batter itself wasn’t thick enough to support the weight of the topping. I’m wondering if elevation or the brand of flours had something to do with it. What brand did you use? Hope the coffee cake turned out alright in spite of the issues!
Hi Julia! I really want to make this cake for my husband as a surprise, it looks AMAZING and right up my alley. I’m wondering about any high altitude modifications. We live in Colorado and sometimes I have a hard time getting things to turn out on the first attempt and I’m reeeeally wanting this to be as wonderful as everyone says!
Just wanted to say that this is a foolproof recipe, even with a whole gaggle of substitutions.
I didn’t have arrowroot flour or tapioca flour, so I used 1 whole cup of coconut flour instead of 3/4, and I used a bit of oat fiber, a bit of psyllium husk and a bit of golden flaxmeal to make up the difference in arrowroot flour. I didn’t have sugar free maple syrup, so I just used 2/3 cup erythritol and liquid sweetener for sweetness, and bumped up the cream to 2/3 cup. Used heavy cream to replace the coconut milk. Added some vanilla extract, and /attempted/ to whip the egg whites, which failed, ended up with egg white foam.
Folded everything together and hoped for the best. While my “batter” seemed a lot thicker than what I’d like, the end result is absolutely delicious. Moist, flavorful, beautiful texture and golden color. Definitely not as light as your version, but made a delicious pound coffee cake nonetheless.
Ooh la la!! All of that sounds amazing! I’m so happy to hear it turned out well, and thanks so much for letting me know the changes – I’ll have to try your version 😀 xo
Where is the coffee in the recipe.
Hi Jean,
Coffee cake doesn’t contain coffee. It is called coffee cake because it is traditionally consumed alongside coffee 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe! xo
This was actually very delicious! Didn’t taste like coconut either. I liked that it felt like a ‘real’ cake
I want to make a bigger portion for a party like a 9 x 13 pan. I’m horrible with math, and hoping for you guidance. And also do you thing flax protein milk by good karma would be good instead of coconut milk?
Can you use almond milk in place of the coconut milk?
Hi Beka,
I would stick with coconut milk because it provides fat, which is essential for the baking process. If you use almond milk, I worry the coffee cake won’t hold together as well and will potentially lack flavor and moisture. Hope this helps!! xo
Thank you the recipe! I made it yesterday, and it was so good! I was particularly impressed by the texture (not eggy and weird like most coconut flour cakes and breads). Definitely a keeper!
Can you sub the butter for coconut oil?
Hi Suz,
Yes, absolutely! Hope you enjoy! xo
Do you shake up the canned coconut milk or just use the creamy part, not liquid? Thanks!
Hi Kimberly,
You’ll want the coconut milk to be combined (not separated), so you can shake or stir it if the cream is separated from the water 😀
I am so confused… where is coffee in the recipe??
Hi Rukzana,
Coffee cake is only called coffee cake because it meant to be consumed with coffee 🙂 There is no actual coffee in coffee cake. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Think I could sub coconut oil for the butter? Thanks!
Hi Katie! I think coconut oil would work great! Let me know how you like it 😀
Hi! This is the healthy coffee cake recipe I have been searching for..I love baking with maple syrup in place of sugar too. Thank you for the recipe, can’t wait to try it.
I’m so happy to hear it, Trish! Hope you enjoy! xo