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Healthy Coffee Cake | With No Weird Preservatives!

Fresh cup of coffee in the morning with a sweet slice of cake? Can’t be beat! This post will show you how to make a delicious and healthy coffee cake. It’s fluffy, moist, and oh so satisfying!

Healthy Coffee Cake

Have y’all tried coffee cake? I will never forget the first time I tasted a homemade slice. It was at my friends house for an afternoon hangout when she served it up. To tell you the truth, I was pretty much raving about it the entire 3 hours we spent together! And I’m generally a little more conservative with my praise.

So I got the recipe and made a few healthy adjustments. The recipe you’ll be making turns out soft, moist and has a delicious buttery and vanilla flavor. It’s amaze!

If you’ve only ever tried store bought coffee cake…I’m SO excited for you to try this. It’s not overly sweet and contains no weird additives. None! Zero. Keep reading to learn all about coffee cake and how to make it!

Is Coffee Cake Unhealthy? 

Coffee cake is unhealthy if it’s store bought. These prepackaged cakes contain high amounts of sugar, transfat, and additives (like corn syrup, artificial flavoring and even some food coloring.) No thanks! We’re making a healthy coffee cake that couldn’t be more different. It’s made with just 7 ingredients and features a delicious homemade streusel topping with just 5 ingredients. Grab the coffee, let’s discover more!

Healthy coffee cake pairs best with healthy coffee! Try my Better Than Yesterday blend for an organic, fair-trade bean with a fabulous flavor profile.

Healthy Coffee Cake

Does It Really Contain Coffee?

Funny thing is, coffee cake doesn’t contain any coffee or caffeine. Like at all! Traditional American coffee cake is basically a sweet pound cake made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. The reason is has a name like this is because it wonderfully pairs with coffee (or a foamy latte). That’s what the Germans did! Which is where the cake originates.

When Is The Best Time To Eat Coffee Cake?

Coffee cake is, as my friends would say, a “brunch basic.” It’s not overly sweet, and dense enough to get you through the afternoon. But rules are made to be broken and there’s no set time to have coffee cake. It’s best when you say it’s best!

Midnight snack? OK! Personally, I like to eat my coffee cake in the morning with a hot cup of good quality coffee. Or in the afternoon with my second cup…

What Makes This Coffee Cake Recipe Healthy?

Unlike the usual coffee cake recipes I’ve tried in my lifetime, this one makes use of healthy ingredients that are optimized to keep you faithful to your clean-eating lifestyle! Here’s what we’re working with:

  1. Whole wheat pastry flour 

As y’all know I prefer to use whole wheat flour because it contains more fiber. Don’t believe me? check out my blog post on The 9 Best Flour Substitutes. Studies show that fiber is good for your body as it prevents constipation, helps moderate blood sugar levels, and aids in weight loss.

  1. Coconut sugar

Yeah, you can actually make sugar out of coconuts! Coconut sugar contains inulin, a type of fiber that slows glucose absorption. So, it has a lower glycemic index than highly processed sugar.

  1. Ground cinnamon

Big flavor with added health benefits right here! Who knew that this pantry staple has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties, too? Amazing. If you want more recipes with cinnamon, check out my classic Healthy Cinnamon Rolls!

  1. Coconut oil

Coconut oil has countless benefits such as boosted heart health. That’s why I incorporate it into recipes like my 5-ingredient coconut oil pie crush recipe and healthy banana chocolate chip muffins.

  1. Almond milk

Out of all plant-based milk, almond milk is my go-to because it is low in calories and high in vitamins E and D. Not to mention it is also dairy-free, lactose-free, and vegan.

Healthy Coffee Cake

How Do I Keep My Coffee Cake Moist? 

A fail-proof way to keep you coffee cake moist is to store it in an airtight container. It’ll be prime for two days at room temperature. Before you do this, just make sure that the cake has completely cooled.

Another technique does the opposite. You actually wrap it up in a layer of plastic and then a layer of foil when it’s still warm. Then pop it in the freezer overnight. The trapped warmth will moisten the cake overnight without getting soggy.

Can I Freeze a Coffee Cake?

You can absolutely freeze a coffee cake. Simply wrap it in plastic and store it in an airtight container. When stored like this, coffee cake can remain in the freezer up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, remove it from the freezer and place it on a baking sheet (lined with foil). The oven is not yet preheated. Set it to 250 degrees and as the oven warms, so will your cake! Bake it about 6-10 minutes, or until warm.

Healthy Coffee Cake

What Is The Best Way To Enjoy This Healthy Coffee Cake?

This best way to enjoy my healthy coffee cake recipe is with a tall cup of coffee, over some juicy gossip with a friend. But that’s just me! You can enjoy it with a latte or warm cup of tea. With friends or solo, cozied up with book. Wherever you find yourself with you coffee cake, I do hope you enjoy.

More Healthy Cakes

Cake can be healthy and I’m grateful for this fact every day. Here’s some of my other faves.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

5 from 1 vote
Healthy Coffee Cake
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

This is an extremely delicious, addiction, and no-fail easy coffee cake recipe I know you're gonna love.

Categories: Bread
Difficulty: Easy
Keyword: coffee cake recipe, coffee cake recipes, easy coffee cake recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 248 kcal
Author: Lacey Baier of A Sweet Pea Chef
Ingredients
For the Streusel:
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can sub whole wheat flour or spelt flour)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar divided
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil cold/hardened coconut oil that has been chopped into small pieces
For The Coffee Cake:
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can sub whole wheat flour or spelt flour)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix in the hardened chopped coconut oil, and then set aside (this will be the streusel that will go in the center and on top of the cake).

  3. Grease and lightly flour a 9-in cake pan (I use a spring-form pan).

  4. Combine the ingredients for the coffee cake in a large mixing bowl, Be careful not to over-stir, just stir until the flour is incorporated.

  5. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread to coat the bottom of the pan with a knife or spoon. Sprinkle about 1 cup of the streusel (coconut sugar mixture) over the cake layer. Spoon the rest of the cake batter over the streusel, spreading out if necessary to cover the entire layer. This can get a little messy and doesn’t need to be perfect.

  6. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top of the cake.
  7. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

  8. Remove from oven and place onto cooling rack until room temperature.

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Coffee Cake
Amount Per Serving (8 slices)
Calories 248 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 108mg5%
Potassium 280mg8%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 64IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 114mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Lacey Baier

Hey y’all, I’m Lacey Baier and I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a healthy lifestyle influencer and the creator of this clean-eating blog and YouTube channel, A Sweet Pea Chef. My recipes have been published on Food Network, Good Morning America, FoxNews, Tastemade, Fitness Magazine, and much more. I live in Dallas, Texas with my husband and four kiddos. Let’s get started!

12 thoughts on “Healthy Coffee Cake | With No Weird Preservatives!

  1. It looks good but what happened to the 5 tbs of cold butter? I just don’t see it in the recipe. Does it get cut with the cinnamon streusel mix?
    Thanks!

  2. I am a coffee cake addict, but I have yet to find the perfect recipe–simple to make, but delicious. This looks like the one! I’ve got it on my make-soon list, and I’ve pinned it for future reference, too. Thanks!

  3. Just wanted to say I finished making this cake about 20 minutes ago and my family already devoured post of it. Thanks so much for another delicious recipe. Your hoagie roll recipe is the best and only one I use anymore 🙂

    1. Ha! That happens when we make it in our house, too! So yummy. Thanks for sharing, Mia. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe and the hoagie roll recipe as well.

  4. Hi, this recipe looks gorgeous! I can’t wait to try it (gluten free for me though, which is never quite as good, but cake is cake!!).

    Discovered your site earlier today, when I made your green beams with garlic & Parmesan as part of dinner (grilled chicken, green beans, new potatoes and a poached egg – healthy & delicious!). Lots of ‘yum yum’ noises heard round the table in our house for the beans, so thank you so much! x

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