Vegan Gluten free Coffee Cake – Simple Fall Sweet Potato Pecan Crumb Cake with Pumpkin pie spices. Warm Cozy slice of cake. Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe.
After a couple of batches of the delicious Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake, I tried out this a gluten-free version. This Sweet potato version uses almond and rice flours, sweet potato puree and a similar pecan crumb liberally spiced with pumpkin pie spices and cardamom.
It is soft, moist, spiced, lightly sweet and perfect fall snack, dessert or breakfast! And you cannot tell that is it gluten-free! I also like the sweet potato version for a lovelier flavor profile and a break from all the pumpkin. It has a deeper caramelized kind of flavor and a beautiful crumb texture. Serve these warm cake bars topped with whipped coconut cream and sprinkle of pumpkin spice to everyone gf or not!
If you make to make this crumb cake with regular flour, use this Pumpkin Crumb Cake recipe which uses regular flour. Replace the pumpkin puree with sweet potato.
More fall baking
- One bowl Pumpkin Bread
- Sweet Potato Pie Bars.
- 1 bowl pumpkin cream cheese muffins
- Sweet Potato Blondies. GF
- Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Coffee Cake.
Mix the dry in a bowl. Mix in the wet ingredients in another. Mix the crumb ingredients in a small bowl with your hands until crumb like and set aside.
Mix the wet into the dry to make thick batter.
Spread into a parchment lined pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture all over and bake.
Smells heavenly! I use different spice combinations in the crumb. Just pumpkin pie spice, just cinnamon, cinnamon + cardamom, chai spice (that has cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper), pumpkin pie spice + cardamon. Use less or more to preference.
You can easily sub pumpkin puree for the sweet potato. I use sweet potato puree from a can which is a thinner puree compared to sweet potato mash that you might get after boiling or baking the sweet potato. Similarly pumpkin puree consistency also differs by brand. The consistency of the batter shouldn’t be too runny. Adjust with additional tbsp or more of rice flour or non dairy milk if needed.
The oil can be subbed by smooth and drippy almond butter or other nutbutter.
Do try this sweet potato crumb cake and let me know how it turned out! If you make it, please consider rating it and leaving a comment below. I love hearing from you and seeing your awesome remakes! Find me on Instagram and tag me @veganricha
Recipe Card
Vegan Gluten free Coffee Cake - Sweet Potato Pecan Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1/2 cup (79 g) white rice flour or brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup (40 g) potato starch
- 3/4 cup (84 g) almond flour
- 2 to 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice , or add or 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ to ⅓ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cloves
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp flax seed meal
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Wet:
- 3/4 cup (7.41 oz) Sweet potato puree (I use canned)
- ¼ cup (2.84 oz) maple syrup
- 2 to 3 tbsp (2 to 3 tbsp) sugar
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
Crumb:
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 3 tbsp oat flour or use other gluten-free flour
- 4 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tbsp coconut and 2 tbsp cane sugar)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- a few drops of vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cinnamon or chai spice or pumpkin pie spice
- 2.5 tbsp refined coconut oil or organic safflower oil
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk all the dry ingredients really well. In another bowl mix the wet ingredients and mix to combine well.
- Fold in the dry into the wet until mixed. Let the mixture sit to hydrate for 5 minutes. Meanwhile line the pan with parchment or grease. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Transfer the stiff batter into the prepared pan. Even it out using a spatula.
- Mix all the ingredients under crumb until the mixture sticks to form fat crumbs. Add more oil if needed. Spread the crumb mixture on top of the batter evenly.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick from the center comes out almost clean.
- Remove from pan after 5 minutes then let cool for another 15 mins before slicing. Serve as is or topped with whipped coconut cream or vegan ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Ady
I made these with canned pupmkin cause its what I had and it was So Good!!! The bars only lasted 3 days in my house (they were that yummy). I plan to make these again soon.
Vegan Richa Support
wow; thanks Ady
Darlene
Sooo good. I used canned pumpkin and subbed a mix of tapioca and arrowroot for the starch. I added dried cranberries and candied ginger. The bottom was moist and dense and the topping sweet and crunchy. I highly recommend the recipe! Thanks Richa.
Richa
Awesome
Rachna
Hi
The only starch I have is tapioca starch. Can I use that instead of potato starch?
Thanks.
Richa
Yes
Patricia Aguilar
Can you use white, or wheat, or spelt flour?
Richa
Use this recipe https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-pumpkin-coffee-cake-with-pecan-crumb/
Use sweet potato purée in it. Direct subs between Glutenfree and regular flours don’t always work so I usually have separate regular flour and Glutenfree flour recipes .
Jennie
What can I sub for potato starch?
Vegan Richa Support
a half half mix of any other starches will work. for eg corn + tapioca
Danielle
Can I sub GF oat flour or GF all purpose flour in place of the rice flour??
Richa
Yes
Danielle
Thanks for your quick response!
lisa Gee
Made it. Loved it. Used tapioca and arrowroot instead of potato starch. Will make again. Thank you ❤️
Richa
Thanks!
Iga
I made it yesterday and it’s amazing! Tastes better today. I used arrowroot flour instead of rice flour and fresh pumpkin (previously baked) – great results!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Richa
awesome!
candace
I baked this- apparently a full year later- and it was awesome!!! i added cardamom & grated fresh nutmeg since i was out of pumpkin pie spice. I also used half millet/half rice for the grain flour. Was a really successful result. Thank you for posting!
Richa
yum
Stephanie
Delicious! Just pulled this out of the oven, and it’s perfect! Per Richa’s suggestion, I substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour for the rice flour, potato starch, almond flour mix, using 1 1/2 cups Bob’s, and 1/2 cup almond flour. Also added a big sprinkle of cardamom to the dry ingredients and to the topping.
Thanks for the recipe 😊
Richa
Awesome! cardamom always makes everything tastier!
WannaBeBakerMama
So if we use Bobs or another gf all purpose floyr blend then do we not need potato starch at all? Sorry I just wanted to confirm so I don’t mess it up. Thanks much!
Carol
Mmmm yummy. I have made this twice. Since I don’t use extra oil in my cooking, I subbed creamy raw almond butter in both the wet and the crumb topping, as I do with all your recipes that call for oil. It’s so rich and good. I cut into squares and freeze. Then just take out a couple each night for dessert or over a cup of tea in the morning..’ so delicious like all your recipes. I make em all! Thank you again for sharing your wonderful self!
Gassho
Richa
Awesome! Thanks for the details about using almond butter!
WannaBeBakerMama
I made the mistake of using a 8×8 round pan, I think a square would be better. I also used all purpose gf flour instead of rice flour. Mine didn’t rise like it should have but was still tasty. Hopefully will turn out better at my next attempt.
Marion
This was sooooooooo delicious!! I’ve made it twice! I am having an issue with the rise. I have fresh baking powder so I know that’s not the problem. It rises a little around the edges but not at all throughout the rest of the cake. Any ideas on what might be cause in this?
Richa
hmm, maybe the cake is rising during the baking and settling towards the end? Check 5-10 minutes before to see how it is rising during baking. gluten-free cakes rise less than regular cakes, but it seems like yours is rising on the edges. If it is rising in the middle during baking and then settling down afterwards, it might have some extra moisture and you might need a bit of extra flour, or add a 1/2 tsp xanthan gum in the dry mix for extra hold.
Marion
I’ll try that out, thanks!
Donna
Sounds great cant wait to make it, I have almost everything but ??? What can I use instead of apple cider vinegar, lemon? or Can I just leave it out?
Can I use coconut butter instead of oil??
Vegan Richa Support
regular vinegar is fine – not lemon. and (melted) coco butter will be fine
Ella
Yum! Great recipe.
I substituted tapioca for the potato starch, and rice syrup for the maple syrup. I used a freshly baked sweet potato (baked whole with the skin on at 200*C).
It turned out great! I don’t think it should be called a coffee cake though.. It’s perfect with a masala chai!
Richa
yay! lol yes its definitely a chai cake. so good with a hot cup of masala chai.
Cindy
Looks delish! I am going to try this one out this weekend! Such lovely photos of your recipes, it is a shame you don’t include them on the “print” pdf. Please consider adding them for those of us that like a photo of the item on the recipe we save. 🙂
Keep up the lovely work. I love the Vegan Richa cookbook I received!!
Richa
oh, thats odd, i thought i had added that option with the print. Maybe something got reset on the widget. Let me add that back.
Richa
fixed! thanks for letting me know. Sometimes things just go to default setting with certain backend updates. Let me know whenever things on the website behave differently or if you need a change. its usually just a setting here and there.
Emily
I used canned sweet potato and they came out perfectly! Love the cardamom in there. It adds a deeper newer fall flavor.
Louise Mitchell
What cardamom? Didn’t see that in the recipe. Did you add to the cake or the crumble? And how much. Really like this recipe, so want to get it perfect and serve at Thanksgiving! And that sounds like a great addition!
Emily
I used chai spice in the crumb. that has cardamom. Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Added a good pinch more of cinnamon. I think you can use pumpkin spice and add some cardamom for a similar flavor.
Louise Mitchell
I made this yesterday. It was very tasty. I used fresh sweet potato mash (microwaved it). The resulting dish was tasty but a little dry and I think that was from the sweet potatoes, which were likely not as moist as the canned sweet potatoes. I am going to try again but will add a little applesauce to the sweet potato mash to loosen it up a bit. I think it will be perfect then!
Richa
Yes, apple sauce or some non dairy milk to get more of puree and then add the dry. You can drizzle some a sweet potato caramel or some icing to add moisture when serving
Kaye
Can I use regular flour in this recipe?
Richa
Use this recipe which uses regular flour. It is a similar crumb cake. Use sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin https://www.veganricha.com/2017/09/vegan-pumpkin-coffee-cake-with-pecan-crumb.html
Kate Whorton
Thanks for the speedy response☺
Patricia
Can you buy potato starch. I have never heard of it.
Richa
yes you can. online or in some stores. https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Potato-24-ounce/dp/B004VLVCGU/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1508777355&sr=1-4&keywords=potato+starch
Louise Mitchell
Hey Richa,
Where are the pecans in the recipe?? I just added about 2/3 chopped into the crumb topping. Did I miss something?
Richa
oops yes, it got missed. They are in the crumb 1/2 cup or more. Updated. Hope it turned out well!
Carol
Where do the pecans come in?
Richa
oops. added then. 1/2 cup or more in the crumb
Liz
any substitutions for potato starch?
Richa
a half half mix of any other starches will work. for eg corn + tapioca
Liz
would arrowroot starch work?
Richa
I would do a half half mix of starches if not potato starch. so arrowroot + corn or tapioca.
Cassie Autumn Tran
A sweet potato coffee cake…that’s VEGAN?! Oh my, this is too perfect!
Kathleen Houlihan
Any possible sub for potato starch? Nightshade sensitivity.
Richa
a half half mix of any other starches will work. for eg corn + tapioca
Kathleen Houlihan
Thank you! Looking forward to trying it!
Lindsay
Looks delicious!! Thoughts on subbing Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour for the rice flour, potato starch, almond flour mix?
Richa
I wouldnt substitute out all of the almond flour as it helps hold the cake top. So maybe a 1/2 cup almond flour and rest bobs 1:1
Lindsay
Thank you for the quick response!
Laura
drool, Any other possible sub for almond flour? Sensitivity to almond only – no other nuts in the family…..
Richa
cashew flour? just blend up cashews in a blender with 1 to 2 tbsp starch until it is a fine meal
Laura
Can you explain “1 to 2 starch”. I am sorry I don’t understand.
Richa
1 to 2 tbsp starch
Laura
Thank you SO SO much. I am so excited about this fall recipe as I love pumpkin and miss baked goods doing whole foods.
Bridget
Hi Richa,
May I sub pumpkin puree for the sweet potato, (equal amount)?
Thank you.
Richa
yes you can. I will add a note for that. It might take additional few minutes depending on the pumpkin puree consistency as some purees are more moist/liquid than others.
Bridget
Okay, I’ll bear that in mind. Thankyou for your prompt response.????