What’s cozier than a slice of pumpkin coffee cake and your favorite steaming beverage? This coffee cake recipe pairs sprouted flour and warming spices with a streusel topping and vanilla icing for a nourishing treat!
Nothing says fall like warm spices and pumpkin!
This delicious pumpkin coffee cake is moist and flavorful and makes a great breakfast or afternoon treat. It incorporates cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree for a truly delightful autumn taste.
Table Of Contents
What Is Coffee Cake?
A traditional American treat, coffee cake does not actually contain coffee. It was named such because it pairs well with a warm cup of coffee.
Coffee cakes are buttery and dense and usually have some type of crumb or streusel topping. Many enjoy these delicious cakes as a breakfast food, but you will also find coffee cake eaten as a snack and served at celebrations such as showers, tea parties, and other special occasions.
Why Add Pumpkin?
Besides that fact that pumpkin adds a scrumptious fall flavor, it also brings a gorgeous color to this coffee cake which is reminiscent of the autumn season.
Pumpkin also helps bind the ingredients together and enables this recipe to be egg-free! Which comes in handy for those with egg sensitivities or allergies (but is also handy when you’ve run out of eggs!).
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe is a favorite for a few reasons:
Not too sweet. The pumpkin adds a natural sweetness to this recipe, meaning we can lessen the amount of added sugar. We also use maple syrup and coconut sugar, so there’s less refined sugar overall.
Warm spices. Fall is the perfect time for warming and comforting spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Eating this with a cup of coffee or another warm drink feels so cozy!
Sprouted flour. We recommend properly preparing grains, including flour, before eating to make them more nutritious and digestible. One way to do this is to use sprouted flour, like in sprouted scones, sprouted shortcake, sprouted biscuits, and this sprouted coffee cake! (Learn how to sprout grains and how long will sprouted grains last!)
Egg-free! Pumpkin puree takes the place of eggs in this recipe, keeping the coffee cake moist and delicious!
Fancy yet easy. With a beautiful deep-orange color, this cake feels a little fancy but is actually simple to make. It’s a great recipe for every day as well as special occasions.
The 3 Components Of Coffee Cake
Most coffee cakes have three essential parts: coffee cake, crumb topping, and icing/drizzle. The icing or drizzle is optional and not included in all coffee cake recipes, but we will include an option for a healthier icing in our recipe today.
Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about these three components:
1. Coffee Cake
This recipe is very easy to put together and uses basic ingredients you most likely have on hand. It incorporates oil, maple syrup, milk, and pumpkin puree to create a cake that is rich, dense, and moist.
Because pumpkin takes the place of egg, this recipe is egg-free. It can also be made vegan by replacing the milk with a dairy-free option, such as coconut milk or almond milk.
We also use sprouted wheat flour instead of regular all purpose flour. This helps improve the digestibility of the cake without the need for a soaking step. Here’s how to sprout your own grains to make sprouted flour!
The batter is quite thick, thicker than most cake batter, so don’t be surprised that it needs to spread out in the pan with a spatula.
2. Crumb Topping
In my opinion, coffee cake is not coffee cake without a crumb topping!
The crumb topping is made with butter, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and pecans (although other nuts could be used if desired). Use a fork or clean fingers to cut the cold butter into the ingredients until clumps form, then sprinkle over the batter and gently press down.
This crumbly streusel topping adds a nice crunch to our cake and provides extra cinnamon-spice flavor.
If you love crumb topping, then you might also enjoy our recipe for Grain-Free Apple Pie Shortbread Bars with Crumb Topping.
3. Vanilla Icing
Round out the sweetness of this pumpkin coffee cake with a drizzle of vanilla icing. This also adds a delightful visual element and is a pretty way to adorn the cake for serving.
Because we strive to make the healthiest version of all foods, we avoid the regular powdered sugar found in most icing recipes. Our vanilla icing combines maple syrup and coconut butter to create a delicious glaze that’s perfect for drizzling over cake!
If you still want to use powdered sugar, here’s a healthy alternative: powdered coconut sugar!
Ingredients
This pumpkin coffee cake uses basic pantry staples for the most part, although you will need to be sure to have pumpkin on hand.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important ingredients in this recipe:
- Sprouted flour allows for last-minute baking (I am prone to baking on a whim!). I chose to use sprouted flour in this recipe to make it easier to digest. I wanted to avoid the soaking step we often implement to make flours and grains more digestible.
- Pumpkin puree adds a delicious, sweet pumpkin flavor and rich color. It also helps bind the ingredients (which means we don’t need eggs!) and enables the coffee cake to be nice and moist.
- Maple syrup brings sweetness and adds a nice fall touch. It also pairs beautifully with pumpkin!
- Spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are the quintessential fall spices and add a warm, cozy flavor to this coffee cake. Pumpkin pie spice could be used in place of these in the cake portion of the recipe.
- Avocado oil has a mild flavor which does not overpower the other ingredients (as olive oil can sometimes do). Avocado oil is extremely heat stable and is high in beneficial monounsaturated fat. If you choose to use coconut oil instead of avocado oil, you will also be using a healthy, heat stable oil. Coconut oil is high in saturated fats which are especially great for the brain!
- Coconut sugar or Sucanat are both healthier than the typical brown sugar or white sugar found in coffee cake recipes. Sourced from coconut palm blossoms, coconut sugar has a lower Glycemic Index than cane sugar. Sucanat is a whole, unrefined cane sugar which contains more minerals and nutrients than refined sugar options.
- Coconut butter, found in the vanilla icing, allows us to create a dairy-free icing that is flavorful and a ice drizzling consistency.
Substitutions
There are a variety of substitutions that can be used to create a cake that is suitable to you. Here are a few options:
- To make a gluten-free coffee cake, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the sprouted flour.
- Make it dairy-free by replacing milk with a dairy-free milk option such as coconut milk or almond milk.
- Replace spices in cake with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
- Substitute pecans in the crumb topping with walnuts or slivered almonds.
- Use melted coconut oil in place of avocado oil.
How To Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Making pumpkin coffee cake is very similar to preparing muffins, cakes, and sweet breads.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
2. Make the crumb topping. In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, and pecans.
3. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and mixture begins to clump. Use fingers to crumble the topping together, if desired. Set aside.
4. Make the cake. Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
5. Place the pumpkin, coconut sugar, oil, maple syrup, and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix. (And remember, as mentioned above, the batter will be thick!)
7. Pour batter into greased baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
8. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter and gently press the crumbs down into the batter (this helps them adhere during baking and not fall off the cake afterwards!)
9. Bake cake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick insert into cake comes out clean.
10. Make the vanilla icing. While the cake is baking, gently warm the coconut butter until it reaches a smooth consistency.
11. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and stir to combine.
12. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Set aside.
13. Once cake is baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before drizzling the icing over the top.
14. Serve warm or cold.
Tips And Tricks
While this recipe is fairly straightforward, there are a few minor tips you’ll want to keep in mind to get the best results from your pumpkin coffee cake.
- Be sure to gently press the crumb topping into the batter. This is an important step to help the topping adhere to the cake and not slide off after baking.
- When making the icing, add the milk slowly in order to achieve the desired consistency, You can always make it more runny, but it’s difficult to thicken up once you’ve added too much milk.
- Store cake in an airtight container once it has completely cooled to room temperature. Proper storage will prevent it from drying out too quickly.
- I prefer to use canned pumpkin puree in this recipe for a reliable consistency. If you choose to use homemade pumpkin puree, be sure it is not too watery as this will greatly alter the outcome of the recipe.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Soaked Pumpkin Bread
- Soaked Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
- Overnight Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
- Cultured Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Paleo Sugar Cookies with Pumpkin Glaze
- Sprouted Spelt Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
- Sprouted Apple Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
- Instant Pot Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 32 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes (from Breakfast to Dessert)
Have you used sprouted flour before? Did you try this recipe? We’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook!
Sprouted Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe
What’s cozier than a slice of pumpkin coffee cake and your favorite steaming beverage? This coffee cake recipe pairs sprouted flour and warming spices with a streusel topping and vanilla icing for a nourishing treat!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
-
2
cups
sprouted wheat flour -
1
teaspoon
baking soda -
1/2
teaspoon
baking powder -
1/2
teaspoon
sea salt -
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon -
1/4
teaspoon
ground nutmeg -
1/8
teaspoon
ground cloves -
1
cup
pumpkin puree -
1/2
cup
coconut sugar
or Sucanat -
1/2
cup
avocado oil
or melted coconut oil -
1/4
cup
maple syrup -
1/4
cup
raw whole milk
or full-fat dairy-free milk of choice, such as coconut milk or almond milk
Crumb Topping
-
1/2
cup
sprouted wheat flour -
1/4
cup
grass-fed butter
melted -
1/2
cup
coconut sugar -
1
pinch
sea salt -
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon -
1
cup
crispy pecans
Vanilla Icing
-
1/2
cup
coconut butter -
1/4
cup
maple syrup -
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
2 to 4
tablespoons
raw whole milk
to thin to desired consistency
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
Crumb Topping
-
In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, and pecans.
-
Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and mixture begins to clump. Use fingers to crumble the topping together, if desired. Set aside.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
-
Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
-
Place the pumpkin, coconut sugar, oil, maple syrup, and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.
-
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix. (And remember, as mentioned above, the batter will be thick!)
-
Pour batter into greased baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
-
Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter and gently press the crumbs down into the batter.
-
Bake cake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Vanilla Icing
-
While the cake is baking, gently warm the coconut butter until a smooth consistency.
-
Add the maple syrup and vanilla and stir to combine.
-
Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Set aside.
Assemble
-
Once cake is baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before drizzling the icing over the top.
-
Serve warm or cold.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to gently press the crumb topping into the batter. This is an important step to help the topping adhere to the cake and not slide off after baking.
- When making the icing, add the milk slowly in order to achieve the desired consistency, You can always make it more runny, but it’s difficult to thicken up once you’ve added too much milk.
- Store cake in an airtight container once it has completely cooled to room temperature. Proper storage will prevent it from drying out too quickly.
- I prefer to use canned pumpkin puree in this recipe for a reliable consistency. If you choose to use homemade pumpkin puree, be sure it is not too watery as this will greatly alter the outcome of the recipe.
Calories from Fat 198
