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★★★★★55 Comments

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake {Gluten Free}

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by Lindsay Cotter Posted: June 24, 2019

Dairy-FreeGluten-FreeGrain-FreeLow-CarbNightshade-FreeVegetarian
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This Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake recipe makes a delicious low sugar, gluten free, and paleo-friendly treat! This lighter take on a classic dessert features fluffy almond flour cake studded with fresh blueberries and a cinnamon sugar crumb topping! Serve this cake at your next brunch; nobody will notice that it’s a healthier dessert because it tastes like the real deal!

Egg free and dairy free option included! 

squares of blueberry buckle cake on white plate.

Ya’ll, we’re half way through the year and I’ve already made 10 gluten free dessert recipes! Most with some sort of fruit topping and cake-like texture. And yet, here I am again making another. Naming this berry dessert was probably the hardest part. That’s a good thing, right? Because really, naming fruit desserts boggles my mind, ya’ll; there are just too many names for the same thing! I have memories of a similar problem naming my recipe for vegan hot fruit bake. To be honest, I’m indecisive about this one and I need your help.

The recipe is probably for a blueberry buckle, almost definitely for crumb cake, which also means it’s coffee cake! Oh, and technically, I think it may even fall into the category of a fruit crumble!

INFORMATION. OVERLOAD.

Allow me to explain and then you can decide for yourself what this dessert really is, mmmk? Actually, allow the Farmer’s Almanac to explain, because their article on the topic is very helpful.

Overhead view coffee cake in baking dish topped with blueberries and crumble.

What’s the difference between buckle, crumb cake, and coffee cake?

Blueberry Buckle

By definition, a buckle dessert is fluffy cake with fresh fruit throughout (almost always blueberries) and a streusel topping. The name, blueberry buckle, is appropriate because as it bakes, the cake buckles under the weight of the fruit.

Fluffy cake – CHECK. We have almond flour cake, with a tiny bit of coconut flour to help add structure and moisture.

3 squares of blueberry buckle cake stacked on top of each other

Fresh blueberries – CHECK. If you don’t have fresh berries, you can use frozen.

Streusel topping – CHECK. Streusel is a crumbly topping made with fat (butter), flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

Crumb Cake / Coffee Cake

Crumb cake is simply one type of coffee cake. So, this one is easy. It’s not one name or the other; it’s both.

Here’s where it can be a little confusing. The definition of a coffee cake is almost exactly what a buckle is, with one difference. Coffee cakes usually (but not always) have a ribbon of cinnamon running through them.

square of blueberry buckle cake on white plate with fork on it. Coffee on the side
squares of blueberry buckle cake on white plate.

Fruit Crumble

Crumbles are baked fruit desserts covered with streusel topping. It’s important to note that crumble topping does not have oats in it, and neither does the topping of my blueberry buckle.

For the record, a fruit dessert that has streusel topping made with oats is known as a crisp. They’re usually gluten free as well; like this coconut summer berry crisp.

7 simple ingredients you need to make this grain free blueberry cake-like dessert!

Ingredients for blueberry buckle coffee cake in small white bowls.
  1. Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  2. Grain Free Flours (Almond flour and coconut flour)
  3. Baking Powder
  4. Unrefined sugar
  5. Butter or coconut oil
  6. Egg (or Flax egg)
  7. Non Dairy milk

Print
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blueberry buckle dessert on a plate

Gluten Free Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake Recipe


★★★★★

4.7 from 21 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This blueberry buckle is a fluffy almond flour coffee cake studded with fresh blueberries. The streusel topping gives the cake just a little bit of sweet crunch. It’s perfect for brunch or dessert. Low sugar, low carb, gluten free, and paleo-friendly.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour (140 grams)
  • 4 Tablespoons coconut flour (28 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup sugar-free substitute (baking stevia, monk fruit, or xylitol) or raw sugar – See notes
  • ¼ cup softened unsalted butter or naturally refined coconut oil (solidified)
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature * see notes vegan substitute and tips
  • 4–5 ounces almond milk (more as needed)
  • 1 ½ cup blueberries (fresh works best)

Topping

  • 2 –3 Tablespoons unsalted butter or plant based soy-free butter, chilled and sliced*
  • ⅓ cup fine blanched almond flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar free substitute or coconut sugar (See notes for other sugar free options.)
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 brownie/baking pan with parchment paper or grease well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Sift the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a bowl.
  3. Beat ¼ cup butter (or oil) and sugar with an electric mixer or stand mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Next, add the eggs and 4 ounces of milk, mix again until combined and batter is a bit fluffy.
  4. Working in batches, gently add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Note – When using coconut flour, the batter will be more coarse and/or thick. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 more ounces of milk and mix again.
  5. Fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into prepared pan. Set pan aside while you make the topping.
  6. Mix coconut sugar (or raw sugar), ⅓ cup almond flour, cinnamon, and chilled butter in a bowl and crumble with hands. Spread this evenly on top of cake batter, then lightly press topping into batter using fingertips.
  7. Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. For best results, cover with foil the last 5-10 minutes to prevent burning more than desired. If the middle is not cooked all the way, continue to cook covered for an additional 5 minutes or so.
  8. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until the cake comes to room temperature before serving. For easier slicing, place cooled cake pan in the fridge for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Sugar Tips – If using raw sugar or coconut sugar (versus a sugar substitute) you may want to increase the amount to ⅔ cups sugar. Sugar substitutes have a sweeter taste than regular sugar. Note that the sugar content will be higher than what the nutrition label states.
  • Egg free option/Vegan option – Replace egg with flax egg. Prepare your flax egg by whisking together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until a gel/egg-like texture forms. Fold this in with your batter when combining wet/dry ingredients. Baking times will vary. Check at 25-30 minutes for doneness. Let pan cool then place cake in the fridge to set for 20 minutes before slicing, this is to prevent crumbling. 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 145
  • Sugar: 8.5 g
  • Sodium: 24.3 mg
  • Fat: 7.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16.1 g
  • Fiber: 1.4 g
  • Protein: 2.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 45.3 mg

Keywords: blueberry buckle, crumb cake, coffee cake, fresh blueberries

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Now do you understand why I can’t decide on a name? I think I’ll stick with Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake and call it a delicious day.  

Favorite summer dessert?

Cheers,

LC

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Categories: Breakfasts, Dairy-Free, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Low-Carb, Nightshade-Free, Oven, Snacks and Appetizers, Vegetarian Tags: blueberries, brunch, cake, gluten free cakes, kid friendly, low sugar

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Carma

    11/15/2020 at 10:02 AM

    Yep, this is a good one. I used frozen blueberries, and the coconut oil and raw sugar version. I also baked it about five minutes longer after covering it with foil as suggested. Reeeeally delicious. Made me feel like I was eating something sinful.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      11/15/2020 at 5:54 PM

      Thanks for the feedback Carma! So glad you loved it!

      Reply
  2. Josiah G.

    09/28/2020 at 10:30 AM

    I made this for my family, and we all loved it

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      09/28/2020 at 4:37 PM

      I’m so glad! Thanks Josiah

      Reply
  3. Astrid

    09/05/2020 at 6:39 PM

    I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious. My family can’t tell that it’s low carb (I use Swerve as the sugar substitute). 🙂 Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      09/07/2020 at 11:42 AM

      That’s what I’ve used too. Love swerve!

      Reply
  4. NATALIE SCHRIER

    08/07/2020 at 7:40 PM

    Do you think palm shortening would work well in place of butter/coconut oil? I have some that I need to use up :).

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      08/08/2020 at 10:21 AM

      Worth a shot! If anything, you could make it a crumble if it doesn’t hold. 😉

      Reply
  5. Suzanne

    07/17/2020 at 9:43 AM

    I haven’t made this but the cranberry buckle on Home and Family just sounded so delicious that I knew I could find a keto version online. So I can’t really rate the recipe.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      07/17/2020 at 10:23 AM

      Let me know if you need any substitutes! Happy to help.

      Reply
  6. Niav Connor

    07/14/2020 at 6:51 PM

    I really wanted to love this buckle because of all the great reviews. Sadly, though, it didn’t work for me. It was way too sweet. I even thought 3/4 c sugar is A LOT of sugar (for my taste) when I was putting it in. I had the intuition to only put in 1/2 C. All I’m tasting right now is sugar, even though I used coconut sugar. This is a beautiful reminder to listen to my intuition.

    Also, it seems like it’s not cooked enough (it’s kind of soggy) even though I baked for more than 35 minutes. I used frozen blueberries, so I’m wondering if that created more moisture in the batter.

    I may try this recipe again with fresh blueberries and less sugar and see if it works.

    Thanks for creating it even though it didn’t turn out that great for my taste.

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      07/15/2020 at 10:12 AM

      oh I am so sorry to hear. Frozen blueberries don’t work well with this dish. Unfortunately. And I definitely understand the sugar content. Adjust as needed. I’ve had many say it’s perfectly sweet but it just depends on the person.

      If the middle is not cooked all the way, then I would cover the dish with foil a continue to bake an additional 5-10 minutes or so. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  7. Bonnie

    04/03/2020 at 7:15 PM

    I had some blueberries I needed to use up so I tried this recipe. I don’t follow a Paleo diet, but I do bake a lot with Almond flour. So I made changes – used gluten free flour instead of coconut flour; use granulated sugar instead of sugar substitute, and used brown sugar for the topping instead of sugar substitute. It came out great! Soft and yummy. Next time I think I will add a 1/2 tsp of Almond extract to bring out the almond flavor more. Thanks much!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      04/04/2020 at 11:11 AM

      I’m so glad those subs worked! Way to adjust with watcha got Bonnie!

      Reply
  8. Gwen

    04/02/2020 at 10:29 AM

    Looks amazing! One question – if using frozen wild blueberries, should I defrost them first before mixing into the batter? Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      04/02/2020 at 2:16 PM

      I would keep them frozens so they don’t bleed out. KEep me posted!

      Reply
  9. Julia

    03/17/2020 at 12:37 PM

    Hi there! I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I was wondering what kind of oil would work best for the topping; would coconut oil be ok, rather than butter as I am paleo?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      03/17/2020 at 6:46 PM

      SUre! I would try naturally refined coconut oil so it doesn’t taste like coconut and has higher heat index

      Reply
  10. Michelle

    03/16/2020 at 8:44 PM

    Is our new family favorite

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Anne

    02/21/2020 at 2:45 PM

    The recipe looks great! Have you ever made it the night before? Like, chill it in the fridge and baked it the next morning? I think I’ll try that but wanted to check that out.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      02/22/2020 at 11:39 AM

      I think that would work! I haven’t tried it but keep me posted.

      Reply
    • Ruth

      10/22/2022 at 8:37 AM

      you could bake it ahead, a day or so, and if you like to serve it warm..
      just bump it in the microwave for a few seconds.

      Reply
      • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

        10/23/2022 at 9:35 AM

        Thanks for tips Ruth!

        Reply
  12. Tee

    02/12/2020 at 12:13 AM

    I have calculated this at least 6 different ways including counting the carbs in every ingredient and i get far less carbs per serving. I used real eggs, swerve sweetener and everything else was the same. Am i counting it incorrectly? Your calculations are much higher. Help!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Tee

      02/12/2020 at 12:16 AM

      Also, it was sooo good. I even dropped dollops of ”cheesecake” on top before baking. And I added almond extract to the batter.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      02/12/2020 at 8:11 AM

      I used raw sugar, that’s probably why. But glad yours is lower! And that you liked it. hehe. 😉

      Reply
  13. S. Hoey

    02/09/2020 at 4:06 PM

    I followed this recipe (used rice milk instead of almond milk) as directed and was disappointed with the result. The buckle was too wet with almost a mushy consistency even after thoroughly baking it. Perhaps the 4-6 ounces of non dairy milk is too much in this recipe? I won’t be making this one again.

    ★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      02/09/2020 at 4:21 PM

      Hmm that’s odd. That’s shouldnt have happened. Did you chill it after? So sorryx I’m happy to retest with rice milk.

      Reply
  14. Nicole

    08/01/2019 at 6:51 PM

    Hey Lindsay –
    I stumbled across your site and this is the first recipe I tried. Wow! It’s so good. 🙂 Love the softness of the cake and the crumble just takes it to another level. I’ll definitely be back and excited to try some more of your recipes!
    Nicole

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      08/02/2019 at 9:24 AM

      Oh I am so glad! Isn’t it like a cloud of cakey goodness? Haha! Keep me posted on if you try other recipes. <3

      Reply
  15. gun mayhem

    07/30/2019 at 5:28 AM

    Yummy! I can’t wait to try it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Deb

    07/17/2019 at 11:33 AM

    I just now picked a bag of fresh gorgeous blues that are going into this recipe for dessert! I’ll also make coconut cream whipped cream for it,
    I’ll let you know how it turns out

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      07/17/2019 at 6:57 PM

      Woohoo! That’s what I like to hear. Keep me posted Deb!

      Reply
  17. Suzy

    06/26/2019 at 8:22 PM

    I love that this is made with almond flour! Just perfect and it goes so well with the blueberries!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/27/2019 at 9:06 AM

      I seriously love the combo! Perfect for summer 😉

      Reply
  18. Sommer

    06/26/2019 at 11:02 AM

    Love that this fits into my diet! So tasty too!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/26/2019 at 12:41 PM

      Woohoo! ? Enjoy:)

      Reply
  19. Natalie

    06/25/2019 at 11:37 PM

    Looks so delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee . Can’t wait to try this cake soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/26/2019 at 12:38 PM

      Keep me posted Natalie! And yes…SO good with a nice cup o joe 😉

      Reply
  20. Sam

    06/25/2019 at 12:17 PM

    Ahhhh just the recipe I need to use up all the blueberries we picked last week. Thanks for such a great recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:06 PM

      Woohoo! Keep me posted on how it goes

      Reply
  21. Tanya Schroeder

    06/25/2019 at 6:34 AM

    This is really the best way to use up fresh berries! So good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:07 PM

      It’s so perfect for this time of year for sure!

      Reply
  22. Toni

    06/25/2019 at 5:32 AM

    Anything with coffee sounds perfect to me!! This is really amazing!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:07 PM

      Amen to that friend;) thank ya!

      Reply
  23. Lia

    06/24/2019 at 11:30 PM

    Hi! I just made this and it’s super tasty!! Thank you so much.

    One thing though, I think the salt is missing from the ingredients list. I just eyeballed what I thought was a good amount.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 12:45 PM

      thank you! Just updated it!

      Reply
  24. Katie

    06/24/2019 at 10:07 PM

    This coffee cake was SO good! I loved the blueberries and that topping made it just right!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:12 PM

      I’m so glad you liked it Katie! Crumble topping for the win! ??

      Reply
  25. Julie

    06/24/2019 at 9:04 PM

    This looks amazing! I love a good coffee cake! Can’t wait to try it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:12 PM

      Same here! Good for any (and all) meals 😉

      Reply
  26. Liz

    06/24/2019 at 2:57 PM

    I haven’t made a blueberry buckle in over a decade! Your beautiful recipe has motivated me to make one ASAP!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/25/2019 at 6:13 PM

      Whattttt! Glad to hear it, keep me posted 😉

      Reply
  27. Liz S

    06/24/2019 at 4:05 AM

    Yep, it looks like a scrumptious blueberry coffee cake to me!?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Avatar photoLindsay Cotter

      06/24/2019 at 10:21 AM

      Think I have the blueberry muffin quest bars beat? Haha.

      Reply

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Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten-Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

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