When the leaves start turning, you know it’s officially baking season! Introducing the ideal treat for your autumn baking adventures: PUMPKIN coffee cake. This tender, fluffy, pumpkin-spiced treat is vegan, gluten-free, and SO delicious! Bonus? It’s made with just 10 ingredients in 1 bowl for easy cleanup.
You, this cake, and your favorite cup of coffee or tea…it’s happening! Start your kettle and let’s bake, friends!
This 1-bowl PUMPKIN coffee cake begins with using an electric mixer to combine the cane sugar and vegan butter, ensuring a light and fluffy result (a tricky task with pumpkin-based treats!). Next, we add pumpkin purée and vanilla, giving it fall flavor and color.
The mixture starts resembling a cake-like batter with the addition of all-purpose flour (we used our 1:1 gluten-free blend) and almond flour (for a tender crumb texture). Baking powder provides the leavening, pumpkin pie spice is a must for pumpkin-y treats, and sea salt enhances it all!
The batter goes into a baking dish in two layers separated by a brown sugar + pumpkin pie spice mixture to create a sweet, subtly spiced, cinnamon-y swirl in the final result!
The final coffee cake touch is a classic streusel topping with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. Pumpkin pie spice in every layer? It’s begging to be made this fall!
P.S. In case you’re waiting for the coffee IN the cake, there is none! You can learn about the origin of coffee cake and how it got its name here.
We hope you LOVE this pumpkin coffee cake! It’s:
Fluffy
Tender
Pumpkin-spiced
Irresistible
Vegan + gluten-free
& Perfect for fall!
It’s the ideal treat for weekend baking, sharing with friends and family, and celebrating pumpkin season! Pair with your favorite cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!
More Pumpkin Treats for Fall
- Fluffy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pillowy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (V + GF)
- Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Pumpkin Coffee Cake (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3/4 cup cane sugar* (ensure organic if vegan)
- 1/2 cup softened vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter works if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups MB 1:1 GF Blend (or DIY GF Flour Blend* // or all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 3/4 cup almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
SWIRL
- 1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar (ensure organic if vegan // or sub coconut sugar)
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup MB 1:1 GF Blend (or DIY GF Flour Blend* // or all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup softened vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter works if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (ensure organic if vegan // or sub coconut sugar)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- CAKE: To a medium mixing bowl, add the cane sugar and softened vegan butter. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. Next, add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract and beat until pale orange and fluffy.
- Add the gluten-free (or all-purpose) flour, almond flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt and mix until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thick — somewhere between cake batter and cookie dough. Spread half the batter on the bottom of your parchment-lined baking pan and sprinkle the top with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice (to make the SWIRL). Spread the remaining batter on top of the pumpkin pie spice and sugar, scraping the bowl clean.
- TOPPING: To the same (now empty) mixing bowl, add the gluten-free (or all-purpose) flour blend, vegan butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined. It should look crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the coffee cake. Bake for 38-42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean // with only a few crumbs remaining. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and cooling on a cooling rack for another 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. To freeze, place cake slices in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Allow to come to room temperature before enjoying.
Video
Notes
*We preferred our MB 1:1 GF Flour Blend in this recipe for a fluffier, lighter result, but our DIY GF Flour Blend also works. Results will vary with store-bought blends.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Sara says
I never write reviews – I think this is my first review ever lol but I haaaave to. I’ve been baking “healthified” recipes for years and I just made this and it’s one of my favorite recipes yet! I substituted the vegan butter with light butter and the gf flour with unbleached white flour. It is PERFECT. I can’t wait to have it with my coffee tomorrow morning. And I can’t wait for my family and friends to try it!!!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe so much, Sara. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! xo
DT says
Made this today and it’s VERY good. Nice, soft, fluffy cake texture and doesn’t taste too sweet. Would definitely do it again!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Donna says
This looks amazing! Any tips for high-altitude baking?
Hi Donna, we don’t have experience baking at high altitude, so we aren’t a great resource for that! Perhaps another reader will be able to chime in? Let us know if you try it!
Sam says
Hello!
Another increeible recipe. The original coffee cake recipe is still a go-to for me! This is perfect for fall 😋 I was wondering how to adjust timing if I were to make this in a muffin/cupcake version? Would be more convenient for how I need to serve it!
🧡
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy both recipes, Sam. We’d estimate about 27-32 minutes. Hope that helps!
Shannon says
Should we use unsalted or salted butter/butter substitute for this recipe? Does it matter?
Thanks!
Either will work, but we prefer salted!
Maz says
Hi,
I was wondering if a round or circular cake tin would work okay for baking this?
I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe out!
Thanks
Hi Maz, we think an 8-inch round cake pan would work!
Alison Cundy says
Really delicious! My only issue is that is really sweet. For me too sweet so next time I would cut the amount of sugar. But still very delicious and will definitely make it again.
Thank you for the feedback, Alison! You could definitely try using less sugar, but we find it helps the structure, so keep in mind the texture may turn out different!
Shannon says
I’m not vegan or gluten-free but I made this recipe because it looked easy and I wanted to bake for my friend who has gluten and dairy allergies. Overall I followed the recipe as written and I think it came out pretty well. The taste is good, there’s lots of flavor. I found them to be a bit gritty and they fell apart somewhat when I tried to cut them. It wasn’t a significant issue, I was mostly able to cut them into squares as I wanted, they just seem really fragile. I guess there’s no binding agent in the recipe so perhaps that’s why. I’ve heard that sometimes gluten-free flours need to rest to absorb the liquid better maybe I’ll try resting the batter next time before baking. I’ll definitely make them again because it was really easy. For personal preference I’ll probably use straight cinnamon in place of some percentage of the pumpkin spice next time.
Hi Shannon, so sorry the texture wasn’t quite right! Would you mind sharing which gluten-free blend you were using? Grittiness can come from too much rice flour and sometimes other flours too, like coconut. It can also impact how well it holds together. Pumpkin serves as the egg substitute in this recipe!
Polly says
Your 1-bowl pumpkin muffins are SO forgiving! I have a community garden plot where a butternut plant tried to do the circumference &reached 24 feet before it began fading, giving me 8 squash! Last night I cooked a couple in InsraPot in 3 minutes! Smashed it up and subbed it for pumpkin. Using what I had, I used spelt flour, oat flour & whole wheat. I see now you wrote baking powder and my challenged eyes read baking soda! 🤪. It came together nicely! I served them at our monthly garden work party where we usually have no treats. Perfect! Butternut Squash Muffins 😃!
Wowza! Way to go butternut! We’re so glad they turned out well even with some substitutions. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Polly! xo
Nicole says
I would love to make this, but I don’t have an electric mixer. Can I use a food processor or just mix manually instead?
Hi Nicole, it won’t be quite as fluffy, but should work!
Dana C. says
This will become a regular part of my breakfast rotation! Coconut sugar was perfect for the swirl. I might try this sub for the topping too next time.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Dana. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jan says
So good! This was a super yummy coffee cake! I will be freezing some and enjoying the rest for the next couple of days. I added some pecans to the topping but that’s the only change I made. Thank you for yet another terrific recipe!
Thank you for another lovely review, Jan! Love your addition! xoxo
Jan says
You are very welcome❣️
Viviana says
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Hi Viviana, we haven’t tested it, but think it could work as long as you don’t mind a coconut oil taste. It might not be quite as fluffy either! Let us know if you try it!
Ocean says
This pumpkin coffee cake tastes phenomenal! It was so simple to whip together and yet it was jam packed with flavour. I loved the soft texture of the cake and the contrast of the crumble topping. The flavours melded together so well! I don’t usually LOVE any type of coffee cake, but this recipe truly is a WINNER!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Erin says
Everyone in my family loved this! Will be making many more times this season. I used regular butter and all purpose flour instead of gluten free. It was perfect!
Yay! We’re so happy it turned out well. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Erin! xo
Amber says
My cake came out like a thick grainy pudding. Still delicious but no cake.
Oh no! Sorry that happened, Amber. Did you make any modifications, especially to the flours?
Jenny says
I made this tonight and YUM! I subbed applesauce for the butter in the cake batter and forgot to whip til fluffy, but it still turned out great! I added walnuts to the crumble. Thx!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Jenny! xo
Rome says
MB has many great recipes but this one was disappointingly bland. Could have been operator error as we had to substitute the almond flour. Maybe adding items like chopped apples/pears/persimmons, or roasted walnuts, or some type of yummy chocolate would help? We appreciated the simplicity of the 1 bowl recipe.
Hi Rome, Almond flour is key in this recipe! What type of flour did you use instead?
Amanda says
This pumpkin coffee cake is so so good. A delicious fall inspired dessert my whole family loved and it was easy to make!
Aw, YAY! We’re so happy you and your family enjoyed it, Amanda. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sarah says
This was delicious. I didn’t have almond flour on hand, so I used the same amount of all-purpose flour instead. I didn’t see your comment that we should use less all-purpose flour since it’s more absorbent. It still came out great. I would be interested in trying the almond flour next time to see if it is a little fluffier.
Another thing I’d try next time around is doubling the crumb. Just because I love a good, thick crumb!
Thanks for another tasty recipe.
Thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Sarah! xoxo
Tess says
I just put the coffee cake in the oven and am SO excited to take that first bite…the one substitute I made was coconut oil (instead of butter) for the topping. I would’ve used butter but ran out. When you said that the batter is pretty dense, somewhere between a cake batter and cookie dough – wow – you weren’t kidding! It is THICK. The one step that had me a little concerned with the consistency was step 1: mixing the cane sugar and butter. I thought it would be really light and fluffy but it was kind of dense. I might have done something wrong like let the mixer mix too long but, just wanted to note that.
Ok so I just took that first bite and it’s delicious!! It’s super light, fluffy, and moist. Also has a very good, buttery flavor. Even the end pieces are good. It’s tender…my boyfriend doesn’t like anything pumpkin and he said it was really tasty. Yay!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Tess! We’re so happy it turned out well! xoxo
Jen says
I just made this delicious cake! I followed the recipe pretty exact. Used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1. Added some chocolate chunks and walnuts. It is verrry sweet and there’s a lot of sugar, so it’s definitely a treat and not something i’d eat for a “healthy breakfast.” I am wondering how I can reduce the sugar next time since it seems like the sugar isn’t just for taste, but also for texture and consistency? Please advise how to make this healthier/less sugary?
Hi Jen, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! Chocolate will make it sweeter so maybe try with just walnuts. Otherwise, we aren’t sure how to make it less sweet without compromising texture as cane sugar contributes to the structure. If you’re okay with it being more dense, you could try less cane sugar.
Meghan says
Wow! Really enjoyed this coffee cake, a slightly denser texture, as to be expected with the pumpkin purée. Really nice flavour, a nice bite with pumpkin pie spice (I used the MB DIY pumpkin pie spice, including the optional cardamom and pepper!). Highly recommend enjoying it warmed with a cup of chai tea! Yum!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Meghan! Love that idea to pair with chai :) Thank you for the lovely review! xo
susan amrita says
Is it possible to substitute the almond flour with something different?
Hi Susan, we think cashew flour would work. If nut-free, you could try sunflower seed meal. Hope that helps!
LA Robbins says
Your recipes make it easy for me to be close to vegan. Delicious nutritious light… thank you.
Today I learned of the Pumpkin Coffee Cake. I would love to make this… all the spice of autumn. Could one substitute cane sugar for Stevia and or date syrup?
With thanks.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so happy you enjoy our recipes. The cane sugar is important for texture in this recipe. We think it would turn out more dense with stevia or date syrup, but let us know if you try it!
Kelly Law says
Can i just use all all-purpose flour instead of GF and almond flour?
Hi Kelly, you can definitely use it in place of the 1:1 GF Blend, but we’d recommend keeping the almond flour for best results. If you decide to also replace the almond flour, keep in mind all-purpose flour is more absorbent so you won’t need as much of it. Hope that helps!
jacquie says
This looks wonderful and i can’t wait to try it. Any suggestions for the rest of the can of pumpkin? thanks.
Yay! Excited to hear what you think, Jacquie! We like to either freeze it in an ice cube tray to add to smoothies, pumpkin spice lattes, or defrost for future baking, or you can search by ingredient “pumpkin” using the recipe filters in our recipe index. A few ideas that are close to using the precise amount left: 1, 2, and 3 (double batch). Hope that helps!
Blake says
If I don’t have dairy free butter, is there any other DF alternative?
Hi Blake, possibly coconut oil, but we haven’t tested it!
Wendy says
Has anyone used oatmeal flour with this recipe?
Hi Wendy, we don’t think so! We think it would make it too gummy.
Sonya says
Could I use cooked pumpkin instead of pumpkin puree. I have half a pumpkin I need to use up.
thanks
That should work! We’d recommend blending in a blender or food processor for best texture. We have a tutorial for that here. Hope that helps!
Bari Bucknam says
What can I substitute for almond flour and can I use baking stevia instead of cane sugar
Thanks
Bari
Hi Bari, you could try cashew flour in place of almond flour. Cane sugar is important for texture in this recipe. If you wanted to try stevia, we’d recommend using a brand/product that’s intended as a 1-1 replacement for best success!
Kelly says
Hello! Is is necessary to use the almond-flour for this recipe? My son is allergic to almonds (along with dairy/wheat and numerous others), but I would love to make this for him!
Hi Kelly, it will be more dense without the almond flour. If he can have cashew flour, that would be the next best option!
Amit M says
I don’t see any coffee in this 🤔 is this something I can use espresso in?
There’s none! Coffee cake is typically enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee. You can learn about the origin of coffee cake and how it got its name here.