Topped with a buttery pecan streusel and a maple vanilla glaze, this vegan pumpkin coffee cake is the ultimate fall dessert! It's moist, easy to make, and pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream for dessert!
The moment September hits, my mind immediately shifts to comfort food and fall baking. I mean come on, is there really anything better than vegan pumpkin recipes, a hearty bowl of chili or fall desserts?
This pumpkin coffee cake have become my family's favorite thing in the fall. There are 3 main components to this recipe: fluffy vegan pumpkin cake, the cinnamon sugar layer and the pecan streusel/crumb topping (which can be made nut-free if you're allergic). There's truly not a better sweet treat for pumpkin season!
This fluffy pumpkin cake is made without eggs or sour cream, is vegan, dairy-free, and can easily be made nut & gluten-free. Have no fear, nobody will be able to tell since it tastes exactly like a classic coffee cake!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- You can eat it for breakfast, dessert OR BOTH! Frankly, I feel like I shouldn't even have to list any other reasons as to why you'd love this.
- It's quick & easy to make! It only takes 10 minutes to prep and is ready to devour in under an hour.
- It's the perfect fall baked good. It's comforting, loaded with warming spices, has a layer of cinnamon sugar and a crunchy, buttery pecan streusel.
Equipment
You don't need anything special, just basic kitchen tools that you likely already have on hand:
- Parchment paper: to ensure the cake doesn't stick to the pan.
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Pastry Cutter: this makes it easier to make the pecan streusel topping
- 8x8 Square Cake Pan
- Kitchen scale: for the most accurate measurements of all ingredients
- Measuring cups & spoons: if you don't want to use/don't have a scale. If using measuring cups, be sure to use the spoon & level method for the flour.
Ingredients
- Flour: I used all purpose flour for this recipe but 1-to-1 gluten free flour would work perfectly!
- Leavening Agents: in order to get that classic cake-like texture, we'll be using both baking powder and baking soda.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: to give this coffee cake all the fall flavor! A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and all spice is used to create homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have all of those spices or don't want to buy them (spices are expensive, I get it!), feel free to simply use store bought pumpkin pie spice.
- Sugars: in order to sweeten up the cake and achieve a light caramel flavor, this recipe calls for both light brown sugar and granulated cane sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree: it wouldn't be pumpkin coffee cake without it! Make sure you're NOT using pumpkin pie filling, as it will give you a totally different result.
- Coconut Oil: this keeps the cake nice and moist, without making it too dense.
- Vegan Buttermilk: because this coffee cake is made without sour cream, we'll be using vegan buttermilk in it's place to achieve that classic tangy flavor. Aside from flavor, the buttermilk will enhance the texture and help make the cake rise. You can use any dairy-free milk you like. I typically use soy milk or oat milk, but almond milk or coconut milk works great too. Just make sure anything you choose is unflavored & unsweetened.
- Egg Replacer: for binding and moisture. You can use a flax egg, like I do here, or any egg replacement powder you like.
- Pecan Streusel: the streusel might just be my favorite part of any crumb or coffee cake. This streusel is the perfect topping made up of brown sugar, flour, melted butter, pumpkin spice and chopped pecans.
- Maple Vanilla Glaze: a simple glaze made up of pure maple syrup, confectioner's sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
I love this recipe so much as is, but there are definitely a few tweaks that can be successfully made if need/desired:
- Make this gluten-free pumpkin coffee cake by using 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. I recommend King Arthur's or Bob's Red Mill for best results. I would not recommend using oat flour or almond flour, as the ratio would be different.
- Turn these into pumpkin coffee cake muffins by dividing the batter across a lined muffin tin, filling each about ⅔ full, then topping with streusel. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes.
- Instead of vegan buttermilk, use vegan sour cream or plain dairy free greek yogurt. Either of these options will add the same moisture and slight tang that is essential in coffee cakes as the vegan buttermilk.
- Make this recipe entirely nut-free by simply leaving the pecans out of the streusel or replacing them with pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
- Use an equal amount of melted vegan butter, canola oil, or vegetable oil instead of melted coconut oil.
- Replace all of the spices with store-bought pumpkin spice blend. Pumpkin pie spice is easy to find and is easier on your wallet than ensuring you have all of the other spices needed.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
Start by combining flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl to make the vegan egg replacement. Also, combine non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup to make vegan buttermilk. Let both rest for at least 5 minutes.
Step 1: Make the streusel topping. Mix together the flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and melted vegan butter until chunky & crumbly. You can use your hands, a fork or a pastry cutter to do this.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Step 3: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg replacers, pumpkin purée, melted coconut, and vegan buttermilk.
Step 4: Combine the dry & wet ingredients. Using the whisk, carefully stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until all the flour streaks disappear. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
For the cinnamon layer, simply whisk together cinnamon and dark brown or coconut sugar in a separate bowl.
Step 5: Assemble. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and top with the cinnamon sugar.
Step 6: Finish assembly & bake. Spread the remaining cake batter over the cinnamon sugar and top with the pecan streusel. Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
OPTIONAL: While the coffee cake is cooling, make the maple vanilla glaze by whisking together confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Once the coffee cake cools to room temperature, drizzle it over top!
Expert Tips
- I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients, as gram measurements will result in the most success. If you don't have a kitchen scale, always spoon and level your dry ingredients (especially flour), rather than scoop!
- For the most uniform bake, using a metal baking dish. If you're using a glass or ceramic baking dish, add at least an additional 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Do not over mix! Over mixing will lead to a tough and dense cake. Stop mixing the second there are no more streaks of flour.
- Keep an eye on the crumb topping! Because the streusel is high in nuts and sugar it may brown quickly, before the inside of the cake fully cooks. If you notice this, simply cover with aluminum foil. This will stop the crumble from browning while trapping the heat to ensure the inside of the cake cooks.
- Get the batter in the oven as soon as possible! We make the streusel first then the coffee cake batter for a reason. Once the wet ingredients interact with the baking soda and baking powder, the chemical reaction starts and the coffee cake should be baked ASAP for optimal texture and rise.
- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature. If the wet ingredients (the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and egg replacer) are too cold, it will cause the melted coconut oil to harden. If that happens, don't worry! You can put your wet ingredients in the microwave and heat for 10 second increments until the coconut oil has melted again.
- Do not open the oven door while the pumpkin cake is baking. This can cause the structure to fall, leaving you with a sunken middle.
- Measure the coconut oil after melting and the pecans after chopping to ensure your have the most accurate measurement. The coconut oil is more than the pecans, as you need the moisture for your cake!
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store the vegan coffee cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can eat them chilled or pop them in the oven to warm them up.
Freezer: This pumpkin coffee cake is freezer-friendly! Allow the cake to cool completely first then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Room temperature: I don't typically recommending storing baked goods at room temperature, but you can successfully store this cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
FAQ
Yes, of course! If you double this recipe, use a 9x13 metal baking dish and increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
In America, coffee cakes typically do not have coffee in them BUT are typically enjoyed with coffee or tea at breakfast, hence the name.
Yes, a bundt pan will work but it will take a bit longer! Start with the original bake time of 35 minutes, then test it with a toothpick, then bake for another 5 minutes, and repeat until the toothpick comes out clean!
Honestly, just the amount of streusel. Crumb cake has much more!
I would not recommend it, as it's not an easy swap since sweet potato has more starch than pumpkin. The cake will not turn out quite the same!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
Ingredients
Pecan Streusel:
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (55 g) pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) 40g vegan butter melted
Cinnamon Sugar:
- 3 tablespoons (60 g) dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cinnamon
Pumpkin Cake:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon all spice
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (230 g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (100 g) coconut oil melted
- ½ cup (100 g) vegan buttermilk (½ cup (95g) non-dairy milk & 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar)
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax seed meal & 6 tablespoons water)
Maple Glaze:
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and lining an 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper or greasing it well with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
- Prepare the flax eggs by whisking together the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl. Prepare the vegan buttermilk by combining non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup. Let both rest for at least 5 minutes.½ cup vegan buttermilk, 2 flax eggs
- While the replacement eggs and buttermilk are resting, prepare the streusel by mixing together the flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, pumpkin spice and melted vegan butter using your hands, a fork or pastry cutter. Set aside.½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup pecans, chopped, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, 3 tablespoons 40g vegan butter
- For the cinnamon sugar layer, in a small bowl whisk together the cinnamon and dark brown sugar. Set aside.3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon all spice
- In a large bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, flax eggs, pumpkin purée, melted coconut oil, and vegan buttermilk.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup coconut oil, 2 flax eggs, ½ cup vegan buttermilk
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold to mix until just combined/you don't see any streaks of flour.
- Pour half of the pumpkin cake batter into the prepared baking dish and top with the cinnamon sugar. Gently pour and spread the remaining batter over top. Spread the pecan streusel over top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you notice the streusel getting very dark, feel free to tent the coffee cake with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- OPTIONAL: While the coffee cake is cooling, make the maple vanilla glaze by whisking together confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Drizzle the maple vanilla glaze over the cake then slice into 9 pieces and serve immediately. Enjoy alone, with coffee or tea, or ice cream!
Natasha says
Literally my FAVORITE dessert I have ever made. I am the only vegan in my family but served it to everyone for my granny’s 69th birthday and they ALL absolutely loved it! Thank you Lauren for this top-notch, easy-to-make delicacy! 🙂
Lauren Casolaro says
Natasha, I'm so so glad you and your family loved this!!! Thanks so much for your review and love on social media, too <3
Louise says
Followed step by step, had all ingredients listed and my goodness WOW! I usually wait for my wife’s first bite reaction to a new recipe I’ve made before I take my first bite, but the smell was so amazing that I went in for it. Amazing. I will absolutely make this again
Pinch of Parsley says
Ahh!!! Thank you!! So so happy you both loved it <3
Monica says
This was SO GOOD!
I used all regular ingredients, no vegan, and it turned out amazing! I’m making it again for the second time this week 🙂
Thank You!!!
Pinch of Parsley says
I'm so so happy to hear these turned out perfectly with regular ingredients! So glad this is as big as a hit for you as it is for me 🙂
Laurie Humiston says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I didn’t make any changes. I am not a vegan and had all the ingredients to prepare this. I made a double batch and brought this to my office and everyone enjoyed it and asked to take some home.
Pinch of Parsley says
Hi Laurie! Thanks so much for giving this a try, I'm soo glad making a double batch worked and that everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Victoria says
I made this for Thanksgiving. I did make a few changes, I used almond flour, and eggs. It was delicious. I used pumpkin seeds and pecans for the streusel. Yum.
Pinch of Parsley says
Ah!! Thank you so much Victoria! So happy to hear that turning this gluten free by using almond flour was a success! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Judy says
10/10 this was amazing. Perfect texture! I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin but you can't even really taste it, it just makes it so moist and fluffy.
Pinch of Parsley says
Ah! So glad you gave this recipe a try even though you're not the biggest pumpkin fan. Thanks so much for leaving a review, happy baking!
Bonnie says
This looks amazing! Is it possible to use regular eggs? Thank you very much!
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much Bonnie! Yes, you can successfully make this with 2 regular eggs. I hope you love it!
Krista says
I made this for a small party at my house (4ppl) and we DEVOURED nearly the entire thing that night. So super moist and delicious. Honestly can eat it for breakfast or dessert.
Pinch of Parsley says
Krista!!! Thank you so so much, so glad that everyone loved it 🙂
Barb says
Made this the other night for a family gathering and we were all so impressed! Really easy recipe to follow and tastes fantastic .
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much Barb!! So glad to hear it was a hit 🙂
Lauren says
This is actually the best coffee cake ever - have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert!! So yummy
Michelle says
Perfection
Pinch of Parsley says
So glad you enjoyed!
Kelsey says
I guess one of my wet ingredients wasn't at room temperature because my coconut oil harden up a bit but I just heated up the wet ingredients in the microwave for 10 seconds and it remelted. Came out perfect, 10/10!
Pinch of Parsley says
Hi Kelsey, thanks for you comment, I'm so happy this recipe worked out for you! The melted coconut oil can be TRICKY - that same scenario happened to me the first time I tested this recipe.
Elaina says
I used flax eggs and removed the pecans from the streusel and this recipe came out perfectly!! Such a perfect texture!
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much for you feedback Elaina! So glad you liked it 🙂
Mariann says
Shared this with my friends, I didn't tell anyone it was vegan. They were mind blown and we we all loved it so much!
Pinch of Parsley says
Awesome!! That's the goal 🙂 Thanks for your review and comment.
John says
The best coffee cake I've ever had! The pumpkin flavor was the perfect amount, maybe I'd even double the spices next time just to see
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much! Definitely let us know how you like it if you double the spices!
AJ says
This coffee cake is a dream! I’m not vegan but I’m always looking for alternative recipes to share with friends and this one is perfect! I’ll definitely be adding it to my roster. Thanks for sharing!!
Pinch of Parsley says
Thanks so much for your review and comment, Ashleigh!! Hope you and your friends enjoy 😊