Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Name: Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (* see note); 1 cup sugar or coconut sugar; 1/2 cup almond flour (* see note); 2 eggs; 1/4 cup butter (melted); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 cup almond milk (* see note); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/3 cup cold butter; 1 cup gluten free flour blend; 3/4 cup sugar or coconut sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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If you miss a moist and delicious crumb cake since going gluten free...you know the ones I mean with those thick yummy toppings, this Simple Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe is for you! This crumb cake is extra special because it is refined sugar-free!

a slice of gluten free crumb cake on a plate

Table of Contents

Why this recipe is so good:
Ingredient notes:
Healthy swaps:
Recipe step by step directions:
How to temper eggs:
How to make a gluten free crumb topping:
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More gluten free cake recipes:
Tools:
Recipe
Community

(*Note to make this cake refined sugar-free, this cake turned more golden because I used blond coconut sugar instead of regular sugar. You can use either sugar in this recipe!)

Grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea because you are going to want that on-hand for this new recipe.

Did your grandmother like to bake? I had one grandmother who rarely cooked, and another who loved to cook. She also made a pound cake that was incredible. This gluten free lemon pound cake is close to her recipe!

When I would visit my grandmother (the one who loved to bake) when I was a child, there was always a cake ready to be eaten :-). My grandmother's crumb cake was always my favorite. I would pick the sweet crumbs off the top every time. I can just taste that cinnamon crumble topping!

Her easy crumb cake was a New York Style Crumb Cake, with the thick crumble topping. It was easily the best crumb coffee cake I had ever tasted. If you prefer a regular pale-colored cake, try my gluten free coffee cake recipe!

the top view of a slice of crumb cake next to the cake pan

Why this recipe is so good:

This gluten free crumb cake recipe is worth making because it is light and fluffy and topped with a thick crumb topping. You can use regular sugar, or make this with coconut sugar to keep it lower glycemic and less guilt!

If you have been looking for a new delicious cake recipe with a thick crumb topping, this is the one you need to try!

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.
If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
Almond flour - I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cake grainy.
Butter - To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
Almond milk - Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.

Cakes are popular on the blog so don't miss some of my best gluten free cake recipes!

Healthy swaps:

To make this cake a little healthier (totally optional!) I made this cake gluten free refined sugar free. Don't forget that if you use blond coconut sugar as I did, the color of your crumb cake will be more golden.

You can totally use regular sugar if you want your cake a lighter gluten free crumble cake color. You can also add walnuts to the topping to add a little more protein!

Recipe step by step directions:

Dry ingredients in a bowl. The blond coconut sugar is golden colored on top.

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a bowl. See how golden the blond coconut sugar is? It is what gives this gluten free crumb cake its golden tone. As I mentioned earlier, you can use regular sugar if you prefer a lighter color.

Using a whisk to blend the dry ingredients in a large glass bowl.

Step 2: Use a whisk to blend the dry ingredients in the bowl. You want to make sure the dry ingredients are blended thoroughly.

two raw eggs and vanilla in a glass bowl.

How to temper eggs:

Step 3: Start adding the wet ingredients to a bowl. Here I have the eggs and vanilla added. To temper the mixture so the hot melted butter won't cook the eggs, I add a tiny bit of the hot butter while whisking quickly.

Continue to gradually whisk in the hot butter in small increments.

wet ingredients poured over the dry ingredients in a bowl

Step 4: The next step to making this delicious gluten free coffee cake is to pour the wet ingredients over 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.

pouring cake batter into an 8x8 baking pan

Step 5: Pour your batter into a greased 8x8 cake pan. I used coconut oil spray to prevent sticking. Spread out the batter and set the cake aside. It is time to make that thick crumbly topping :-).

Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350º F.

How to make a gluten free crumb topping:

Step 6: 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.

using a pastry blender to cut butter into the sugar ingredients

Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the crumb topping ingredients. 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. Now your cake is ready to bake. Bake at 350º F for 40-45 minutes until done.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

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.

How do you know when the crumb cake is done baking?

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.

How do you know the texture is right in your crumb topping?

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.

Can you make this gluten free crumb cake dairy-free?

To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.

Can you make this nut-free?

To make this recipe nut-free, omit the almond flour and substitute additional ¼ cup of gluten free flour blend.

More gluten free cake recipes:

Mr. Fearless Dining's family Gluten Free German Apple Cake recipe made also 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 really a delicious cake to serve.
These healthy Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes make a fun way to hide veggies.

Tools:

Blond coconut sugar. It is lighter colored than the brown coconut sugar and gives your baking a golden color.
One of these gluten free flour blends, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 or Authentic Foods Multiblend. If your blend doesn't contain Xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon.)

Recipe

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