If you miss a moist and delicious crumb cake since going gluten free, this decadent Gluten Free Crumb Cake recipe is for you! It is topped with a thick brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. It has both refined sugar-free and regular crumb cake options!
Grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea because you are going to want that on hand for this new recipe. I am really excited about this recipe. This fluffy cake is topped with a delicious New York-style crumb topping. It is easily the best crumb coffee cake I have ever tasted.
If you love baking, you will want to try all my incredible gluten free cake recipes!
Why we love this gluten free crumb cake:
- Texture: The crumbly topping on a crumb cake provides a satisfying slight crunch that helps build the flavor of the fluffy cake base. I love crumb toppings because of the contrast in textures. If you love it too, try this Gluten Free Cranberry Coffee Cake recipe.
- Flavor: Crumb cakes typically have a buttery sweet flavor that is incredibly delicious. It is what makes crumb cakes so famous!
- Versatility: This gluten free crumb cake can be enjoyed as a breakfast pastry, afternoon snack, or dessert. It is also perfect for sharing and can be served at events, picnics, or other gatherings.
- Easy to Make: My crumb cake is easy to make. It tastes as if it came from a bakery. Nobody will know this cake is gluten free.
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work. I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add one teaspoon.
- Almond Flour – I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cake grainy. See the Substitutions section for a nut-free option.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free.
- Sugar – I used golden coconut sugar. If you use coconut sugar, it will make your crumb cake golden or brown like mine. You can also use regular sugar, keeping your cake a normal color. Use brown sugar or white sugar for the crumb topping.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter
- Eggs – Use size large
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla.
- Almond milk – You can also use regular milk, or other dairy-free milk types will also work
Note using a flour blend I haven’t tested may mean you need to tweak the moisture level of your cake batter. You can read more about the best gluten free flour blends to learn more.
Easy Substitutions:
- To make this cake nut-free, omit the almond flour and add ¼ cup of additional gluten free flour blend.
- To make this crumb cake recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter.
- Swap regular sugar for coconut sugar if you want your cake to be more like the traditional cake. (Note you still use brown sugar for the crumb topping.)
- Add blueberries or other berries if you want to change it up.
Tips For Success:
- When cutting the butter into the crumb topping, make sure your butter is VERY cold. I put my butter into the freezer for 20 minutes before adding it. This will keep the topping crumbly. You can also use a cheese grater to add frozen butter shreds.
- Do not use a stand mixer to make this cake. You want to be careful not to overmix your cake batter, or it will make it dense.
- Be sure the oven rack is in the middle of your oven. If your rack is too close to the top, it will melt your crumb topping.
I also have a great Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide if you want more tips for success!
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Use a whisk to blend the dry ingredients in the bowl, making sure they are blended thoroughly.
Step 3: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller
🔑 Sandi says: You want to be careful your melted butter doesn’t cook your eggs. If your butter gets hot, you can temper the eggs to protect them. How to temper eggs: Put the eggs in a small bowl. Add some of the hot butter and quickly whisk it in. Repeat, and then you can safely add the rest of the butter to the eggs.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Your cake batter will look like this. Again, if you use regular sugar, you will not have this golden-colored cake batter.
Step 5: Pour your batter into a prepared greased 8×8 cake pan. I use this baking spray because it is gluten free. You can also cut parchment paper to fit the cake pan. Use a large spoon to spread the batter and set the cake aside. It is time to make that thick, crumbly topping :-).
Step 6: Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350º F.
Step 7: Add the crumb topping ingredients to a bowl. I did use refined organic sugar for this. You can use coconut sugar if you want to stick with unrefined sugars, but it will not melt and crumble quite the same. Whisk to blend the ingredients.
Step 8: Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the crumb topping ingredients for best results.
Tip: I like to freeze the crumb topping for 15 minutes before sprinkling it on the cake, but this is optional.
Step 7: Spread the crumb topping over the cake batter. Bake the cake at 350º F for 35-45 minutes until done. The final baking time will vary depending on the size and depth of your cake pan.
Recipe FAQ:
To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
You want your mixture to resemble small crumbs when you are done. It can take 5 minutes of using the pastry blender to achieve this.
Store this cake in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to four days. You can also freeze this crumb cake in a freezer bag. Be sure the cake is completely cooled before freezing it.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
- Mr. Fearless Dining’s family Gluten Free German Apple Cake recipe is also made to be refined sugar-free.
- This Gluten Free Devils Food Cake is for my chocolate cake fans.
- If you love lemon flavor, this Gluten Free Lemon Sour Cream Cake is a delicious cake to serve.
- This Gluten Free Honey Cake is full of delicious flavor!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Include which flour blend you used. This helps others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 cup sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup almond flour * see note
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond milk * see note
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- â…“ cup cold butter
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend
- ¾ cup sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
- In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the topping. Use a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the ingredients so that it makes crumbles.
- Pour the cake batter into a greased 8×8 baking pan.
- Pour the crumble mixture on top and lightly press into the batter.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until done. The final baking time will vary if you use a different pan size.
- Allow to cool then slice.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.
- Other dairy-free milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to be baked longer.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older October 2018 post with more recipe details.
If you add water to the canned coconut milk to thin it out will that be a possibility? The containers have so much extra stuff in them to react to….
I am not sure how to advise because I haven’t tried this. If you try it, strain the solids out.
Has anyone made this as muffin vs a cake? Please share baking temp and time.
You can easily make these muffins. Bake for 20 minutes and then do the toothpick test to see if they are finished baking.
Delicious with a cup of coffee! That crumb topping is perfect and I like the idea of adding walnuts.
Thank you so much Sandra 🙂
What can you replace the egg with?
Hi Parli, I haven’t tested any egg replacers in this recipe, so I am not sure how to advise.
I love that this GF! You had me at cinnamon!
Glad you like it Christina 🙂
A very simple recipe and I love the fact that it is gluten-free, so I will be able to please even those friends who are intolerant, and this crumble is definitely perfect!
Thank you for this idea
I am so glad Fiorenza, thank you :-).
This cake looks so moist and delicious! Love the crumb topping and you instructional photos are great!
Thank you so much Ginny 🙂
This is the PERFECT gluten free crumb cake! So yummy!
Thank you so much Jaclyn 🙂
This looks amazing! Just wondering, my daughter is severely allergic to nuts, could I just add more GF Flour instead of the Almond Flour?
Hi Deb, you can make this without the almond flour. Increase the gluten free flour blend to 1 3/4 cups and don’t use the almond flour.
Hi Rita, I honestly am not sure. I have never baked with Stevia. Possibly for the cake portion, but I am not sure if Stevia melts in the same way sugar and coconut sugar melt for the crumbly topping. If you do try it, and it works, please come back and let us know so others can know the answer. Have a nice weekend :-).
This looks like such a lovely coffee cake! I adore anything with cinnamon, and I’m sure this would be amazing with a coffee or tea.
Awww, thank you April. I love anything cinnamon too :-).
Love the look of the topping ! This is the perfect cake for tea time as well 🙂
I bet this crumb cake would be wonderful with tea :-).
Agreed that this type of baking is a bit unusual in Europe – but as an American living in Europe, I sure love to see it – that crumb coating looks to-die-for!! I’d cut a too-large piece to enjoy with an afternoon coffee – heaven!!
So glad this is tempting…I lived in Europe when I was in college doing an exchange program and I did miss many American treats.
Think your grandma would be proud of your version of her cake, love the crumb topping. Just sent my mother-in-law the link to this, as she is gluten intolerant and I’m sure she would love it.
Thank you so much Nicky…I hope she would be proud :-).
That looks glorious, that style of cake is very unusual in Europe, you do see it but very rarely, I love the crumb coating!
Thank you so much Brian…my grandmother always made the best crumb coating on her cakes and muffins 🙂
I love crumb cakes and this cinnamon version looks so homey and delicious. The texture of this cake seems incredible and so good! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thank you so much natalie…enjoy 🙂
Hi, can’t wait to try this recipe. I was wondering if I can substitute the coconut sugar with stevia? Thank you love your recipes.