This super moist Healthy Coffee Cake combines wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and cinnamon with fresh berries, maple syrup, and crunchy textures from the oats and walnuts.
We also love this blueberry coffee cake and healthy blueberry breakfast cake.
Table of Contents
This spectacular healthy coffee cake is a marriage of all the best things in a dessert. A moist flavorful cake, thanks to the applesauce.
A sweet, crisp topping of oats, nuts, and maple syrup. A luscious coconut milk drizzle that looks exactly like icing. Last, the sweet juicy berries add a burst of natural sweetness. All of this comes together in every mouthwatering bite.
It looks indulgent but no one will ever know how healthy it really is, or how easy it was to make.
This, along with my healthy carrot cake and almond flour cake, means cake for breakfast in my books!
I have tested this healthy coffee cake recipe with spelt and whole wheat flours, and both cakes turned out amazing. Haven’t tried with almond flour.
I used only 1/2 cup of maple syrup per entire recipe, so it’s not overly sweet. Frozen berries are a perfect way to naturally sweeten quick bread, cakes, and muffins, which is great because frozen berries are usually the most convenient.
I used a mix of frozen berries and local blueberries. Any frozen fruit would work but if you are making this healthy coffee cake recipe in summer, of course, go for fresh berries.
My family was all over it. It’s high in blood sugar balancing ingredients, so I was happy to give my boys a piece as an after-school snack every day!
Ingredients and Notes
For the cake
- Dry: Whole wheat or spelt flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt.
- Wet: Room temperature eggs, maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, softened coconut oil.
- Berries: Any fresh or frozen berries you prefer.
For the crumb topping
- Oats: You can use quick or regular rolled oats.
- Walnuts: Chop them coarsely for loads of crunchy texture.
- Cinnamon: Pairs well with the maple syrup to give it a sweet flavorful topping.
- Salt: Discretely brings out the flavours of everything else.
- Maple syrup: A natural way to add delicious maple sweetness.
- Coconut oil: Made with good fats, it’s the perfect choice to use in this crispy topping.
For the Drizzle
- Canned coconut milk: Full fat or light, will most likely only use the fat from the top.
- Maple syrup: Because what’s icing without it?!
How to Make Healthy Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven and grease an 8×8 square baking dish with coconut oil. This is where softened coconut oil comes in handy as well, it’s much easier to grease a dish with it.
- Make the crumb topping by stirring together the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil and mix to combine. Set it aside until later on.
- Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Just give it a gentle mix, no need for sifting.
- Mix wet ingredients in a separate large bowl starting with beating the eggs at high speed until fluffy. Then slowly add in the maple syrup. Follow this with the applesauce and then finally the coconut oil. When all liquids are fully combined, reduce the speed. Slowly add in the flour while still beating on low, but as soon as the batter is formed, turn off the mixer.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and lay the berries on top. Sprinkle with crumb topping you had set aside and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let healthy coffee cake cool on a wire rack before adding the drizzle. Otherwise, it’ll melt right through!
- Make icing: Whisk together the fat from the coconut milk and maple syrup and drizzle on top of cooled cake. Serve at room temperature and watch how quickly it disappears!
If serving for a decadent brunch, you might like it topped with healthy cream cheese frosting with Greek yogurt!
Tips for Slicing this Cake
The first time I cut the cake into 9 slices and found myself cutting a slice in half, which meant I could have cut them smaller in the first place. When I sliced 16 pieces, they were too small!
It really depends on who you’re serving. If you’re bringing it a potluck, I would say 16 pieces is great, because you know everyone will be having a bit of everything.
If you’re having it at home, then 9 pieces is the way to go. It is only 300 calories and 17 g of sugar per a giant piece. So, have your cake and eat it too!
How to Quickly Bring Eggs To Room Temperature?
Needing to bring eggs to room temperature quickly is a life hack that will save so much time and stress.
I know you’ve been in a position where you realize too late you were supposed to take your eggs out earlier, so you’re stuck with the decision as to whether you take the chance and use them cold, or hold off on making the recipe until later.
Here’s a little trick. Place eggs in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes. Seriously, that’s it!
How to Quickly Soften Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is pretty solidified in its natural state. Unless your house or kitchen is very hot and humid, you’ll notice your oil is solid. In a cold kitchen, it’s even more so!
To soften it without melting it, place the oil you need in a glass jar. Place that jar in a bowl with hot water for just a few minutes. It should be soft like butter.
FAQs
Definitely! You can make it up to 4 days before, as long as you keep it covered in the refrigerator.
I can see where this could get confusing! A coffee cake, here in North America anyway, is actually a cake that is traditionally served with coffee. It’s an umbrella term for all kinds of different types of cakes.
You can make this healthy coffee cake recipe to however suits you. Just keep in mind, the berries add immense flavor and a touch of sweetness, so it will change the taste of the cake.
You can! Using raw honey also has many health benefits and is a natural sweetener.
Nope!
Tips for Success
- A cake pan, angel food cake pan, or bundt cake pan will also work if you don’t have a proper-sized baking dish.
- Feel free to omit the drizzle completely if you don’t want it. You may like using the lemon glaze from healthy lemon poppy seed bread instead!
- Use any frozen fruit. Mango, figs, and pineapple would be great!
- I break the walnut halves into pieces with my hands, but you could also coarsely chop with a knife.
- If using full fat coconut milk do not shake the can. The thick cream at the top is what gives the drizzle its thicker texture. You can then use a Tbsp of any milk or water to create a thinner consistency perfect for drizzling.
- Some brands of coconut milk need to be in the fridge (Thai Kitchen, for example) for the cream to accumulate on top. Either that or place the amount of coconut milk you’re using in the fridge up to 15 minutes before using.
- Do not dilute light coconut milk. It’s thin enough, so placing it in the fridge for 15 minutes may help thicken it up.
How to Store and Freeze Healthy Coffee Cake
Store: Keep covered in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Freeze: This healthy blueberry coffee cake freezes very well! If you have leftovers, make sure it’s cooled completely before freezing for up to a few months.
More Healthy Cake Recipes
- Almond flour chocolate cake
- Healthy no bake cheesecake
- Healthy pumpkin cake
- Healthy strawberry cheesecake bars
- Healthy cupcakes recipe
You may also love this collection of healthy snack recipes!
Healthy Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1/4 cup coconut oil softened + 2 tsp for greasing, at room temperature
- 2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups any berries fresh or frozen
Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup quick or rolled oats
- 1/2 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk light or full fat
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 8 x 8 square baking dish with 2 tsp coconut oil. Cake pan, angel food cake pan or a bundt cake pan work as well. Set aside.
- Make crumb topping: Stir together oats, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Add maple syrup and coconut oil, and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with a mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Slowly add maple syrup, then applesauce and finally coconut oil, continuing to mix with a mixer. When all liquids are well combined, reduce speed to low and slowly add flour. Stop mixing as soon as batter forms.
- Pour batter into greased pan, lay berries on top, sprinkle with reserved crumb topping and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cake cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour (so drizzle doesn't melt).
- While cake is baking, in a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk and maple syrup. Drizzle on top of cooled cake otherwise drizzle will melt. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to a few months.
- To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes.
- To soften coconut oil, I place it in a glass jar, in a bowl with hot water for a few minutes. You don’t want coconut oil to melt, just to soften like butter.
- If using full fat coconut milk DO NOT shake the can. Use the cream on top and add a tbsp or two of any milk or water to make it easier to drizzle.
- Some brands of milk, like Thai Kitchen, need to be placed in the fridge overnight to have that cream accumulate on top. You can do that or place whatever amount you want to drizzle in a small bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to thicken before drizzling.
- If using light milk, do not dilute with extra milk or water and place in the fridge for 15 minutes before drizzling, it should thicken a bit.
Can this be made with gf flour? I general have decent success with cakes because of the moisture content. For white flour cakes, I sub with 1-to-1 flour; do you have a recommendation for subbing the wheat/spelt flour?
Hi Beth! The recipe has not been tested with GF flour so I hesitate saying it would work, you might want to try healthy blueberry breakfast cake which is gluten free with almond flour!
Thank you, Olena, for sharing this recipe!
Our family absolutely loves the cake!
I have a question about mixing wet ingredients. After beating eggs for 2-3 minutes, they turn into soft foamy state. The question is – is wet mix supposed to stay foamy after adding all other wet ingredients? In my case, it turned into a liquid.
That’s fine that it turns liquid, just the ingredients interacting with each other.
Hi! Can I substitute oat milk instead of coconut milk and how will it change the flavor?
I use Chobani plain, and it does have oil in it to add creaminess, so would I reduce anything in the recipe?
1 to 1 ratio?
I have a vegetable butter made with olive and other oils. Can I use that instead?
How about Extra Thick Rolled Oats?
Thanks for your help!
The milk is just for the drizzle – the only concern might be that the oat milk is not thick enough. The drizzle may just be a bit more watery but definitely give it a try and let us know the results. Thicker oats might not give it the desired crumb topping but if you try let us know!
Yes I’ve never cooked with such healthy ingredients thinking it wouldn’t be tasty, boy was I wrong, I served it to company and they insisted on the recipe! REALLY DEEElous!
Awesome, happy to hear!
Can you make this ahead of time and serve the next morning?
Yes, you should cover and refrigerate the coffee cake. It should last about 4 days.
Hi,
This is called a Healthy COFFEE cake, but weirdly, there’s no mention of coffee at all that I can see?
It goes with coffee. That’s what we call coffee cake in North America.
Hi Olena! I have a question, does the 340 kcal are from each slice or from the whole cake?
Each slice.
I made it with frozen raspberries and honey (because I didn’t have maple syrup) and the end result was amazing!!! Only thing is that even using the coconut fat only, the drizzle just melted into the cake. Maybe it was too warm?
Hi Cathy. Yes, too warm. Older recipe, I will add that tip. Glad you enjoyed it!
Can I omit berries from recipie?
Sure. It won’t be as flavorful, but you can give it a try!
Thanks for the great recipe! I ended up using a mix of spelt and wheat and didn’t add the glaze but otherwise as written. Turned out so delicious!