Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Get ready to enjoy a thick slice of Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake to kick off pumpkin season! Including a layer of pumpkin spice swirl and a cinnamon pecan topping, this pumpkin coffee cake recipe is warm and inviting, and the perfect addition to a fall or holiday breakfast or brunch.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

All of your baked pumpkin dessert dreams are coming true! An easy-to-bake coffee cake recipe filled with pumpkin, warm pumpkin spice, crunchy pecans, and a crumb topping to boot. A ribbon of buttery cinnamon and pecans swirls through the center of each piece of coffee cake giving every bite an extra soft, warm, and sweet taste. And don’t forget that nutty flavor mixed in right alongside the fluffy moist pumpkin. Those pecans add the perfect little crunch!

Fall Favorite Coffee Cake Recipe

We’ve been patiently waiting for the fall months so we can share all of our pumpkin baking! Fall and pumpkin baked goods scream out for warm cinnamon notes and earthy-sweet pumpkin flavors. If you’ve enjoyed our Paleo Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips or our Healthy Baked Pumpkin Donuts then you’re sure to love this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake. Served as a healthier-for-you dessert, part of a breakfast or brunch, or an afternoon snack, this is one pumpkin cake recipe you’ll want to put on the menu asap.

Ingredients for Gluten-free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

• Eggs – we always opt for farm fresh or organic eggs. Check out this article on how to choose quality eggs
• Sugar – cane sugar or coconut sugar will work great for this recipe
• Pumpkin puree – be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling to avoid any added sugar
• Milk – use your milk of choice. To keep this coffee cake dairy-free and vegetarian, use a milk alternative, such as coconut, almond, or oat milk
• Vanilla extract – opt for pure vanilla extract for the best flavor
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Pumpkin pie spice – we like this pumpkin pie spice from Thrive Market, or make your own blend with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves (see recipe notes below for the right measurements)
• Gluten-free flour – we like Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One Gluten-Free Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free Flour. You can also use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need or want coffee cake that is gluten free. We always recommend that you weigh your measurement of flour (to about 220-230 grams) since the scoop method may provide too much flour, which could result in dry coffee cake
• Sea salt
• Ground cinnamon – we like using this cinnamon from Thrive Market.
• Butter – use butter of your choice. For dairy-free, use a vegan or plant-based butter
• Pecans – chopped pecans work best for this recipe

How to Make this coffee cake recipe

To make the cinnamon swirl

1. In a small bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and chopped pecans.

To make the crumb topping

1. Whisk together the sugar, gluten-free flour, and cinnamon. Cut the cold butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter or two knives until a crumble forms.

For the Pumpkin coffee cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a round 9″ cake pan, set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk of choice. Whisk together.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together.
5. Pour half the coffee cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Using a spatula, evenly spread it out.
6. Next, add the cinnamon swirl. Spoon it onto the coffee cake batter and carefully spread it out evenly over the entire cake surface.
7. Pour the rest of the coffee cake batter over the cinnamon swirl and using the spatula carefully smooth it out to cover the cinnamon swirl.
8. Sprinkle the Crumb Topping evenly over the top of the coffee cake.
9. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven, let cool before cutting into 8 slices.

How to store pumpkin coffee cake

Store the baked pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can this pumpkin coffee cake recipe be frozen?

Yes, this pumpkin coffee cake recipe is freezer-friendly. After the coffee cake has cooled, place the entire cake or the sliced cake in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw the cake, place in the fridge the night before serving or let come to room temperature on the counter. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Can this pumpkin streusel coffee cake recipe be prepped ahead?

This pumpkin coffee cake can easily be made ahead of time to serve as a dessert, snack, or part of a done-for-you breakfast or brunch. Follow the directions to bake the cake, let it cool completely, then place in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out until ready for serving.

Is this pumpkin cake healthy?

We love a good fall baked good just like everyone else! Enjoying a slice for a special dessert or as part of a brunch sounds like the perfect way to soak up those scents and flavors of fall. Using healthier-for-you ingredients, we give this pumpkin coffee cake our Registered Dietitian thumbs-up.

• Pumpkin – full of vitamins and minerals, pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A (strengthens the immune system), antioxidants, iron, and folate, to name a few. It’s a nutrient-dense food that’s easy to incorporate into many dishes.
• Eggs – dubbed one of the most nutritious foods to consume, eggs provide a lot of good stuff. Eggs are high in choline (builds cell membranes), omega-3’s, protein, and can help elevate your HDL (good) cholesterol, which has been linked to lowered risk of several diseases
• Pecans – chock full of vitamins and minerals (fiber, copper, and zinc for example), these heart-healthy nuts are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which benefit not only heart health, but are good for brain function and to reduce inflammation.
• Cinnamon – loaded with antioxidants, cinnamon is a great spice to keep on hand. Sprinkling a little cinnamon on your breakfast oatmeal, in your coffee, or mixed into this coffee cake. With anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon may help reduce your risk of disease, fight off infections, repair tissue damage and has even been known to help lower blood sugar.

What kind of pan to use for this coffee cake recipe

Our Gluten-Free Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake makes a gorgeous round cake and we opted for a 9-inch spring-form cake pan. You can use any 9-inch round pan or you can also use a 9×9 square baking dish and simply follow the same baking instructions.

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