This vegan coffee cake is a tender, maple-sweetened cake with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar through the middle and a thick, crunchy cinnamon-walnut crumble on top. It bakes in one 9x9 pan, needs no eggs or dairy, and is just as welcome with morning coffee as it is as an easy vegan dessert.
This recipe has been on VegKitchen for a long time, and we've given it a careful update. The cake itself is still the simple apple juice and maple syrup batter that made the original a favorite, but the topping is now a proper crumble, with flour, brown sugar and vegan butter holding the walnuts together in crisp, golden clumps. We've also added a layer of cinnamon sugar in the center, so every square has that classic coffee cake swirl.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour. Unbleached all-purpose flour gives the lightest, most tender crumb. The original recipe used whole wheat pastry flour, and it still works cup for cup if you'd like a slightly nuttier, more wholesome cake. Avoid regular whole wheat flour here; it makes the cake dense.
- Apple juice. It adds gentle fruity sweetness and moisture in place of milk. Unsweetened plant milk (oat, soy or almond) can be swapped in one for one; the cake will be a little less sweet.
- Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup sweetens the batter and gives it a warm, rounded flavor. Agave nectar works too, though you'll lose some of the maple character.
- Neutral oil. Safflower oil keeps the cake moist without adding flavor. Sunflower, canola or light olive oil are all fine substitutes.
- Brown sugar and cinnamon. These do double duty, forming the cinnamon swirl in the middle and the sweet, spiced base of the crumble. Coconut sugar can replace the brown sugar for a deeper, less sweet result.
- Vegan butter. Melted vegan butter is what turns the crumble into real clumps instead of loose crumbs. Refined coconut oil, melted, is a good dairy-free alternative and won't taste of coconut.
- Walnuts. Coarsely chopped walnuts give the topping its crunch and toasty flavor. Pecans are a natural swap. For a nut-free cake, use rolled oats in the crumble instead.
Helpful Tips
Use a 9x9-inch metal pan. This recipe is sized for a 9x9 pan, which gives you a cake about an inch and a half tall with plenty of room for the topping. A light-colored aluminum square pan bakes most evenly. A dark nonstick pan browns faster, so start checking at 30 minutes, and a glass dish needs a slightly lower oven (325°F) and a few extra minutes.
Make the crumble first and chill it. Stir the crumble together before you start the batter and pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes. The vegan butter firms up slightly, which keeps the clumps chunky instead of melting into the batter as the cake bakes.
Don't overmix the batter. Once the wet ingredients go in, stir only until you no longer see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and gives you a tough, rubbery coffee cake.
Layer gently. After sprinkling the cinnamon swirl over the first half of the batter, drop the rest of the batter on in spoonfuls and spread it gently from the edges. Dragging it too hard pulls the cinnamon sugar up to the surface. It doesn't need to be perfectly covered, since the crumble hides everything.
Let it set before slicing. Give the cake at least 20 minutes in the pan before cutting. Warm crumble is fragile, and the cake slices far more cleanly into neat squares once it has firmed up a little.
Variations
- Apple cinnamon coffee cake. Fold 1 cup of finely diced apple into the batter. For more apple flavor in a different style of cake, try our Fresh Chunky Applesauce Cake.
- Blueberry crumble cake. Scatter 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries over the cinnamon layer before adding the rest of the batter.
- Pecan crumble. Swap the walnuts for chopped pecans and add a pinch of nutmeg to the topping.
- Pumpkin spice coffee cake. Replace the cinnamon in the batter with pumpkin pie spice for a cozy fall version.
- Glazed coffee cake. Once cool, drizzle with a simple glaze of powdered sugar thinned with a little plant milk.
- Bundt-style. If you love a hidden cinnamon layer, our Cinnamon-Crunch-Stuffed Bundt Cake takes the idea to a whole new level.
Serving Ideas
Coffee cake is made for slow mornings. Serve a warm square with a mug of coffee or a homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte, or set it out on a weekend brunch table alongside Vegan Banana Oat Pancakes, fresh fruit and a bowl of plant-based yogurt.
It also makes an easy vegan dessert. Warm a square for a few seconds and top it with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream, or pack squares into lunchboxes and picnic baskets, since the cake holds up well at room temperature.
Storing & Freezing
Once completely cool, cover the pan tightly or move the squares to an airtight container. The coffee cake keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The crumble softens a little over time; a few minutes in a 300°F oven brings back its crunch.
This vegan cake freezes beautifully. Wrap individual squares in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour, or warm a frozen square in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds for an almost-fresh-baked breakfast treat.
More Vegan Cakes and Baked Treats
If you loved this vegan coffee cake, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Cinnamon-Crunch-Stuffed Bundt Cake
- Vegan Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
- Oat Flour Banana Bread
- Gingery Vegan Peach Muffins
Explore more of VegKitchen's Easy Vegan Cakes and Pies.
Recipe
Vegan Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Crumble
Equipment
- 9x9-inch baking pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cinnamon-walnut crumble
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter melted, or refined coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
For the cinnamon swirl
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup apple juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 9x9-inch metal baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on two sides so you can lift the cake out later.
- Make the crumble: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted vegan butter and vanilla and stir with a fork, then pinch with your fingertips until the mixture forms moist clumps. Stir in the chopped walnuts and set aside (chill it while you make the batter for chunkier clumps).
- Make the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the apple juice, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain; a few small lumps are fine. Don't overmix.
- Spread about half of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over it. Drop the remaining batter over the top in spoonfuls and gently spread it to cover the cinnamon layer as well as you can.
- Scatter the crumble evenly over the batter, breaking up any very large clumps, and press it down lightly so it sticks.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes so it can set, then cut into 9 squares (3 rows by 3). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Merry Tillman says
We love this recipe... Baking another cake now...added oatmeal, brown sugar, and Earth Balance to the walnut crumb mixture. Thank you for sharing the healthy recipes...blessings!