5 from 2 votes

Vegan coffee cake, great to indulge yourself! It is so easy to make, absolutely delightful, and made with ingredients you have on hand.

You're going to fall in love with this fluffy vegan coffee cake. It is such an easy recipe that you'll want to enjoy it every week! Perfect to have as a snack, dessert, or a weekend breakfast or brunch.

It's so fantastically moist, sweet, and heavenly cinnamon-flavored. Feel free to serve it with your comforting morning cup of coffee. I love its soft texture and wonderful flavor!

Start your day off right with a delectable vegan breakfast featuring mouthwatering options like vegan blueberry muffins, vegan banana bread, and vegan pancakes. These plant-based delights are sure to make your mornings extra special.

What is coffee cake?

Coffee cake is a cake meant to be served as a dessert or snack with coffee or tea and a streusel topping.

Photo of the ingredients needed to make this recipe

Ingredient notes

Brown sugar: feel free to use other types of sugar, like granulated, cane, or coconut sugar. Make sure the sugar you’re using is vegan.
Vegan butter: I strongly suggest you make your own vegan butter at home, but feel free to use it store-bought.
Unsweetened plant milk: any type of unsweetened non-dairy milk will work, but soy milk is my favorite one for baking.
Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
Vanilla extract: I always use homemade vanilla extract as it’s more affordable and extremely easy to make, but store-bought is also a good choice.

Dietary variations

Make it gluten-free: I’ve only made this recipe using all-purpose flour, but you could probably use a different type of flour, such as whole wheat flour. Feel free to use a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free coffee cake!
Make it soy-free: lots of store-bought kinds of vegan butter contain soy, so use soy-free vegan butter if needed. Know that our homemade vegan butter is soy-free! You can also use oil instead.

Step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe

How to make vegan coffee cake

For the cinnamon layer:

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

For the streusel:

Add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk together then add the vegan butter.
Use your clean fingers to press and crumble the butter into the dry mixture. Set aside.

For the batter:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC and lightly grease a 9x13 inch cake pan (about 23×33 cm).
Mix the plant milk and vinegar in a jar or bowl until well combined. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.
In the meantime, add the vegan butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. You could also use a regular large bowl and a hand mixer, but the electric mixer is the easiest and most convenient and you will save time and effort.
Add the milk and vinegar mixture and beat again until combined.
Incorporate all the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Sprinkle the cinnamon layer over the batter in the pan, then pour the rest of the cake batter on top.
Finally, top with the cinnamon streusel and bake for about 50-55 minutes.
Allow it to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting.
Serve your vegan coffee cake immediately.

How to store

Fridge: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Freezer: keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Transfer from the freezer to the fridge one day before decorating/serving.

Does coffee cake have coffee in it?

No, this dessert does not contain coffee among its ingredients. It is called coffee cake because it tends to be paired with a cup of coffee.

Close-up photo of a slice of vegan coffee cake

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Vegan Coffee Cake