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Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake {Paleo Friendly}

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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! 

coffee cake with blueberries on 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.

coffee cake in pan

close up of coffee cake with berries

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.

blueberry cake sliced in squares

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.

fork and coffee cake. Bite taken out of cake

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.

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 - blueberries, almond flour, sugar

  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

Cinnamon is optional, but oh so heavenly!

P.S. this blueberry cake pairs quite nicely with whipped coconut frosting/cream or yogurt. Just sayin…

cake in squares with yogurt on a plate and fork

 

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blueberry buckle dessert on a plate

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake (Paleo, Gluten Free)

★★★★★

4.7 from 21 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Print Recipe

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.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 c blanched almond flour
  • 4 tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt (kosher salt)
  • 1/2 c sugar-free substitute or raw sugar (baking stevia, monk fruit, or works great or xylitol) – See notes
  • 1/4 c softened butter or naturally refined coconut oil
  • 2 whole eggs at room temp (vegan option: Flaxseed egg 1 tbsp + 2.5 tbsp water) – see notes for egg and vegan egg baking tips
  • 3–5 ounces almond milk (as needed)
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 c blueberries (fresh works best)

Topping

  • 2 –3 tbsp butter or oil, chilled and sliced
  • 1/3 c almond flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar free substitute or coconut sugar (See notes for other sugar free options.)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
  • extra berries

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 your almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
  3. Beat 1/4 cup butter (or oil), sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer or stand mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Next, gently pour in the milk (start with 3 ounces) and mix/beat again until fluffy.
  4. Add the almond/coconut flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir again. Note – When using coconut flour, the batter will be more course and/or thick. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 more ounces of milk and mix again.
  5. Finally, fold in the blueberries and spread batter into prepared pan. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the batter or mix with blueberries before adding to the batter. This is optional.
  6. Set pan aside while you make the topping.
  7. Mix coconut sugar (or raw sugar), 1/3 cup almond flour, cinnamon, and chilled butter (or solid coconut oil) in a bowl and crumble with hands. Spread this on top of batter, then lightly press topping into batter using fingertips.
  8. Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 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.
  9. Let cool or place in fridge to chill before slicing.

Notes

  • Sugar free sugar substitutes – Baking Stevia, Monk Fruit Sweetener, or Xylitol. Just reduce to 1/2 c for main batter. You may use 1/2 c to 2/3 c raw sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar for this cake, however the sugar content will be higher than what the nutrition label says below (per slice).
  • Egg free option/Vegan option – Replace egg with flax egg. Prepare your flax egg by combining your ground flaxseed with 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 cool and then sit in fridge to set for 10 minutes before slicing.
  • For a softer crumble like cake use only one egg, versus two. It will be very soft when slicing, so best to wait and slice once cooled or chilled a bit in the fridge. Equally delicious!
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice

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

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. If you think it should be called something else, please leave me a comment. I need help! #bakingnerd 

Favorite summer dessert?

Cheers,

LC

 

Related Posts

Photo of Lindsay Cotter of Cotter CrunchHi, I’m Lindsay!  Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of Nourishing Superfood Bowls, and meal plan guru! I’d love to know you more! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and drop a comment below.

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  2. Liz says

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

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Lia says

    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

  8. Sam says

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

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  11. Suzy says

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

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  12. Deb says

    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

  14. Nicole says

    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

  15. S. Hoey says

    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

  16. Tee says

    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

  17. Anne says

    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

  19. Julia says

    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

  20. Gwen says

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

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  21. Bonnie says

    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

  22. Niav Connor says

    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

    • Lindsay Cotter says

      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

  23. Suzanne says

    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

  24. NATALIE SCHRIER says

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

    Reply

  25. Astrid says

    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

  27. Carma says

    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

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