The best Vegan Coffee Cake ever, and it’s SO easy to make! Moist, fluffy, and layered with a sweet cinnamon streusel, it’s perfect for holiday celebrations or weekend breakfasts.
Want more vegan cake recipes? Try my Apple Upside Down Cake, my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake, and my 1 Bowl Vegan Carrot Cake next.
Put the coffee on because we’re making Vegan Coffee Cake! This is such an easy breakfast or dessert recipe with no fuss at all. Even better, it’s moist, fluffy, and full of cinnamon streusel goodness.
This is the BEST vegan coffee cake ever because it’s made with not one but two layers of cinnamon streusel (in the middle and on top), a sweet vanilla glaze, and the fluffiest cake. To me, there’s no better dessert or breakfast to pair with a hot cup of coffee.
Along with my 1 Hour Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and my Vegan French Toast Casserole, it should be at the top of your list to make for holiday mornings!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Made it a million times – incredibly delicious, a big hit with non-vegans, and tastes like the middle part of a cinnamon roll to me!” – Daria
Why you’ll love this coffee cake recipe
- Twice the cinnamon streusel – I wanted double the cinnamon streusel goodness here, so I layered it in the middle and on top of the coffee cake. Every slice tastes just like a cinnamon roll.
- Easy breakfast or dessert – It’s so easy to make! Whisk the batter, layer it with the cinnamon streusel, and bake.
- Serve with coffee or tea – The moist and fluffy cake and warm cinnamon spices make this the best treat to pair with a mug of coffee or tea. ☕
If you love this coffee cake, you should try my Pumpkin Coffee Cake or my Blueberry Coffee Cake next!
How to make vegan coffee cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Make the cake batter: Stir the milk and apple cider vinegar together. Set aside.
Next, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. To the same bowl, add the milk/vinegar mixture, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Make the cinnamon streusel: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
Sprinkle half of the streusel over the cake batter in the pan.
Pour the remaining batter over top, then top with the rest of the streusel.
To finish, drizzle melted vegan butter all over the top.
Bake the coffee cake: Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the vanilla glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, vegan cream/milk, and vanilla together until smooth.
Decorate and serve: Once the coffee cake is cool, drizzle the vanilla glaze all over the top.
Slice and serve the cake with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Despite its name, coffee cake surprisingly contains no coffee. It’s called coffee cake because the warm spices and sweet flavors go so well with a cup of coffee (or tea).
I haven’t tried it myself, but you should be okay to replace the all-purpose flour with a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
16 servings of cake is quite a lot, so if you don’t want that much, cut the ingredients in half and assemble the cake in an 8 x 8 inch pan instead.
Sure. Assemble the cake in the pan (without the melted butter on top) and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. Drizzle the butter on top before baking.
To keep it from drying out, store the leftover coffee cake on the kitchen counter (covered) for 2 to 3 days. The streusel won’t be as crisp after sitting, but the cake will still be moist and delicious.
Yes! Wrap the baked and cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil to prevent freezer burn, then freeze for up to 2 months.
Vegan Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup canola oil OR melted coconut or avocado oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For drizzling on top, before baking
- 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream or soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
- Combine the milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir a little, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar with a large spoon until well combined.
- To the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour in the milk/vinegar mixture, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Make the Cinnamon Streusel: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon streusel over the batter in the pan, then spoon on the rest of the cake batter, spreading it gently with a spoon. The batter may not reach the edges or cover all the streusel, and that is okay. Sprinkle with the rest of the streusel.
- Drizzle with the melted vegan butter, then place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The vegan butter may still look wet in places, but it will harden as it cools and add a nice crunch to the cake.
- Make the Optional Vanilla Glaze: Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar, vegan cream/milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled cake.
- Serve with a cup of coffee, if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- May substitute a different milk such as coconut, almond, cashew or oat milk.
- This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so feel free to cut the ingredients in half and make it in a 8 x 8 inch pan if you’d like.
- Oil free: I don’t think it tastes great with no oil at all, but if you must you could use all applesauce in place of the oil, and leave out the vegan butter drizzle on top.
- Gluten free: I haven’t tried it, but I think a quality gluten free all purpose flour should work quite well. Simply subbing almond or coconut flour will not work.
This coffee cake was phenomenal. It was moist enough to enjoy without coffee. The top streusel layer added a crunch while the middle layer added a carmel-y vibe.
I’m so glad you loved the coffee cake! Thanks so much for your feedback and comments! 🙂
This coffee cake is one of the best I’ve ever had, vegan or not! The adjustments I made were baking it in an 8×8 pan (it took 30 minutes), mixing the butter into the streusel for more texture uniformity, and spreading all of the streusel on top instead of doing a middle layer. It turned out thick, fluffy, tasty, and pleasantly crunchy on the top. 🙂
Thank you, Nora, for making vegan recipes that are delicious and easy! Your website is my go-to and everything I’ve made from here has turned out great. ❤
I was wondering if I make it the night before, should I keep it out on the counter covered with parchment paper then microwave to warm or use the oven?
Keep it at room temperature, covered. You can reheat either individual pieces in the microwave before serving or pop the whole thing in the oven until warm. Enjoy!
There is no coffee in this coffee cake.
I looked specifically for one and this came up??
Coffee cake usually does not actually contain coffee, rather it’s a simple cake that it delicious alongside a cup of coffee. 🙂
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Yes, this cake freezes well.
Hey Nora, is there any way this recipe can be adapted as a bundt cake? I would really love to wow on the design! Thanks, love your recipes xx
I’ve never tried it, but yes, it probably could! That sounds wonderful! It may need a little extra baking time, around 50 minutes probably. Happy cooking!
Love this recipe! My father in law also really enjoyed it and asked if I could make some for his co-workers. I was wondering if I could make it in a loaf pan? I want to make individual ones for him to pass out. Should I use half the recipe for one loaf..would it come out the same?
Yes, I would halve the recipe for a loaf pan. I’m not sure how long it will take to bake, probably 45 minutes or so. Check it often with toothpick so you don’t overbake it. It should work well!
This recipe is amazing! I followed it to the T and I have made it twice. It is so so easy and quick to make and it comes out fluffy, moist, aromatic, and oh so good! Thanks, Nora! I make your recipes all the time and in fact 80-90% of everything we make at home is from your website.
Kat, thank you for your wonderful and inspiring words! I’m glad you loved the coffee cake! Thank you for using my recipes! I appreciate you taking time to share your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
This is so good. Super simple, huge hit every time I make it. Thanks, Nora!
I’m so glad you are loving the coffee cake, and so is everyone else you share it with! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
I’m making a half recipe but I only have a 9×9 square pan instead of an 8×8 that you recommend. Also, it’s a dark pan. Any suggestions for baking time, and will I need to adjust the oven temp? Thanks!
It will likely only need 25-30 minutes to bake, and a 9×9 should be fine still if you cut the recipe in half. Enjoy!
Nora, I made an 8×8 pan of this for breakfast, and my husband and I both loved it! I added a few chocolate chips to the middle brown sugar/ cinnamon layer because…well chocolate. Fluffy, light cake with the cinnamon / brown sugar crunch topping is perfect with coffee in the morning, or a treat after dinner. I’ll be making a full pan of this to take to community gatherings. Easy and beautiful looking! Thanks Nora for yet another winner recipe. ~ Julie
This is a duplicate as I forgot to star this recipe! Sorry!
Hi Julie! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and inspiring comments! I’m glad you guys are loving the coffee cake! This is also one of my favorites! Happy cooking!
I cannot remember even having a coffee cake this good pre or post being vegan. And the best part is that I can make it anytime because it requires no special ingredients. Everything is on hand. My family went crazy for this. The only addition I made was to toss in a handful of vegan chipits into the struesel. This is going to become a staple in my family.
Hi Sheryl! I’m glad your family loved the coffee cake! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful review and comments! I’m thrilled this recipe will one of your family’s rotation favorites!
So good!! Nora is my go to for recipes!
Thank you Nancy! I’m thrilled I am your go to for recipes! Thank you for sharing your review!
When I bake any desert (or make anything vegan let’s be honest) I go to Nora first. Her recipes are spot on, and this is no exception. It is SO DELICIOUS. Just make it! I actually don’t have a 9×13 pan, so I put it in an 8×8 and it still turned out perfect, nice and thick, but perfect! Thanks for this recipe!!
Thanks for the love! I appreciate you taking your time to share your review and comments! Thank you for using my recipes! Glad you love the coffee cake!
Yet another full proof recipe from you! This was a hit in my meat eating family! Thank you for sharing another amazing recipe!
Thank you for your wonderful review – I’m glad the cake was a hit! I appreciate your kind words!
Fantastic recipe! I made for my whole family for Mother’s Day, and they were shocked when I told them it was vegan. Definitely a keeper!
I’m thrilled the cake was a hit! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
This is delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your review! Glad you love the cake!
A+ recipe, regardless of being vegan. (It just makes it that much more impressive!)
This is my third time making this recipe and it’s come out beautifully each time, to my amazement- since I somehow usually find a way to undermine a perfectly good recipe.?
Each time I’ve made it, everyone has loved it and someone always asks for the recipe- They want it like right then and there on the spot!
Ok- here it goes..? the only change I made to the recipe was in the sugar. I don’t like sweet desserts, so I always tamper with the sugar. I used a half cup of sugar in the batter, and I thought it was perfect. You don’t really miss it since it’s filled, and topped, with the streusel. Also, I wouldn’t say I could “pour” my batter into the pan. My batter was more on the thick side, and fluffy, so I used a spatula and helped it along. Then I gently spread it with the spatula into the four corners and evened out the center, finally I shimmied the pan back and forth on the counter, for good measure. (Same thing with the top layer, but ever so much more carefully.) Mine always seems to be done after baking for 30 minutes (toothpick comes out clean), but I always let it cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, since the recipe says to. It always comes out fine and I think the extra time helps caramelize the streusel and gives the edges that delicious crunch.? Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe!❤️
I’ve made this coffee cake twice this week because it’s that good! It’s literally so easy to make and comes out so fluffy and delicious. I might use less sugar next time because it is a little sweet, but that’s only because I don’t like really sweet things. I added peach slices in between the two layers of batter and it came out incredible! I’m gonna try the same with other fruits as well. It worked totally fine with mashed banana instead of applesauce (I was out) :). Also I only used half the sugar cinnamon mixture and I think that amount was fine. Amazing recipe!!
Your fruit ideas sound delicious! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi! I was wondering if a type of brown sugar works best with the recipe. Light or dark?
I’ve used both and either works well. Thanks!
First let me be clear, I’m not a vegan. But my daughter and her husband are. They were visiting from out of state and were to have breakfast with us. I made your recipe pretty much as it’s written. I did use coconut oil instead of canola and I used Miyoka’s plant butter for the drizzle. This is a VERY good recipe! The cake was moist and flavorful. It’s as good as, perhaps better than many “regular” coffee cakes I’ve ever had. Thank you for providing it.
Thank you for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad you guys loved the coffee cake!
I should have reviewed this recipe long time ago. Tonight was the fifth time I have made this amazing coffee cake. I follow the recipe exactly. What a delicious, soft , crunchy crowd-pleaser! I really appreciate this recipe and have been proud to share it with all the omnis!
I’m so glad to hear that, thanks!
This coffee cake is to die for. My parents said it was the best coffee cake they have ever had. I agree- the texture is perfect, and the flavor delicious! Another amazing recipe from Nora.
I’m so glad you all loved the coffee cake! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Great recipe!! I made this for a weekend breakfast, and my family loved it! Reminds me of the traditional “sock it to me coffee cake” recipe I used to make, but this one has no eggs or sour cream.????
Hi Aliesha! I’m glad everyone loved the coffee cake! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Could you make these into muffins? If so, how long would you bake them?
Yes, I think you could. Just divide the batter and ingredients into muffins pans and bake for less time, probably 15-25 minutes.
Delicious!!!!!!! The vegan butter adds a crunch and flavor. So yummy and easy to make. I didn’t have applesauce so used suggestion of a banana!
Glad you loved the cake, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your review!