Paleo
Dairy Free
Apple Coffee Cake is a delicious grain free snack cake made with almond flour, apple cider vinegar, fresh apples, and warm spices. It is a healthier cake, almost like an apple crumble, perfect for fall, and it’s actually refined sugar free! Plus, it’s easy to make and is delicious a la mode.
Can we make Monday’s confession days? Just say yes. Because today I have a confession… or two, or, three.
Confession number ONE:
I cannot, for the life of me, slice apple properly. But hey, we all have our faults. Today you get a semi chopped, semi sliced apple for topping this apple cake.
Confession number TWO:
Speaking of faults, I’m so used to paying attention to other people’s health/nutritional needs, that I totally forget about mine. And I now I’m paying EXTRA attention to it. Talk the talk, walk the walk.
Stress got to me. I’m aware of it.
Stress baking happened. Right HERE. With CAKE. This cake!
But hey, at least I was able to sneak some apple cider vinegar into a paleoish dessert. Right?
Confession number THREE:
If not for my health issues, I wouldn’t have never gotten in the kitchen to experiment with grain free baking and properly preparing grains, including super grains! In fact, it has made me get more creative in the kitchen and forced me to shift perspective. In a good way! It has also made me realize how important it is to not focus SOLELY on diet to keep you healthy. Honestly, stress and negative thinking can do more damage. Ha, was that even a confession? I think so.
Now that’s off my chest. Today’s Spiced Almond Flour Apple Coffee Cake recipe has gut health benefits combined with healthy comfort food. See, stress baking at it’s finest! It’s good for the soul!
Single Serving Coffee Cakes vs. Traditional Apple Coffee Cake
I made a single serve apple cider cake recipe (oldie but goodie photo) similar to this apple coffee cake years ago, and I couldn’t wait to bring it back alive. But in a whole new way.
As a one pan coffee cake! So yes, this apple cake still works great baked and served in 6 ounce ramekins (single serve style), but when you bake the cake in a larger brownie or bread pan, you get more slices! Well, the more the merrier, yes?
What I mean is, you can make 6 single serving coffee cakes, using 6 oz. ramekins, OR you can bake all of the batter together in an 8-inch square pan. The choice is yours, just watch baking times. Mmmk ?
Speaking of…
Is the baking time the same?
If you make individually sized coffee cakes, the baking time will be a couple of minutes less than if you make a larger cake. Just a couple of minutes… nothing major.
For individual cakes, the baking time will be about 25 minutes, and an entire cake in an 8-inch square cake pan will take about 32 minutes.
The key is making sure you don’t overmix the batter! Gently fold in the apples and apple cider vinegar.
Apple Coffee Cake Recipe with ACV
The recipe below is new and improved but one very IMPORTANT ingredient in the original recipe still remains… APPLE CIDER VINEGAR –> like WHOA!
Can Apple cider vinegar be used for baking?
Yes, we can! I love using apple cider vinegar in coffee cakes and because it helps give it that tangy yet sweet taste. It also helps pancakes and other baked goods rise and a bit of fluff without adding eggs. The acids in the vinegar help activate baking powder and baking soda, which add the “fluff.” Hence why my vegan cakes and muffins always contain vinegar!
Supplementing with Apple Cider Vinegar
Are there Benefits?
Apple cider vinegar is a fermented product made from crushed and aged apples, and it’s a lifesaver when it comes to gut health and immunity.
Here are some reasons to like and use apple cider vinegar. Actually, these are some reasons why you should drink it. You may not like it at all, but you should still drink it!
- The healthiest versions contain “the mother” (kind of like a kombucha mother scoby) which has a colony of beneficial bacteria.
- Helps fight Candida
- Helps ease heartburn and acid reflux.
- Aids in digestion by increasing stomach acid. A daily consumption of ACV can help! Which is why I have this Pineapple ACV DETOX cocktail.
Confession number 4! -Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to a cake does not make it a superfood health food (haha), but you get my point. Sometimes we just need to have our cake and eat it too, then wash it down with ACV (apple cider vinegar) the next morning. Kidding.
Now that you know why it’s so good for you, let’s put a fork in it and give this recipe a whirl. 😉
Spiced Apple Coffee Cake recipe.
Ingredients needed:
- Almond Flour or GF flour
- Eggs
- Non Dairy Milk
- Apples
- Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg FOR SURE
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Applesauce or Yogurt
- Sugar of Choice (xylitol works well for lower sugar option)
- Naturally refined coconut oil or clarified butter
Other Tasty Coffee Cake Recipes to Try:
If you love this healthy apple coffee cake recipe, I bet you will love these other coffee cake recipes, too.
Spiced Apple Coffee Cake {gluten free}
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Spiced Apple Coffee Cake is a delicious grain free snack cake made with almond flour, apple cider vinegar, fresh apples, and warm spices! This recipe is also gluten free, dairy free friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup Almond flour (See notes for substitutes)
- 3 – 4 tbsp Tapioca flour or oat flour
- 1/2 cup Coconut sugar or raw sugar
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (Use 1/2 cup if you are using all-purpose gluten free flour)
- 1/4 cup applesauce or plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup chopped apple plus extra apple for topping
Topping:
- optional apple slices or 1/2 c chopped apple
- 2 –3 tbsp melted clarified butter or naturally refined coconut oil
- 4 tbsp raw sugar for topping
- 4 tbsp almond flour or gluten free flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking pan (8×8 or 9×9) with parchment paper. See notes for baking in ramekins.
- In a large bowl, sift the flours together and then mix in the sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and milk then gently mix the egg-milk mixture in with the dry mixture. Stir until smooth or use a hand mixer to blend until batter is consistent texture.
- Add the yogurt or applesauce, apple cider vinegar, spices to the bowl, and mix together.
- Fold in the chopped/diced apple. If batter is too dry, add more milk.
- Pour batter into lined baking dish. Optional thinly sliced apples on top. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix melted butter and sugar. Add flour and stir until combined, making a crumble like texture. Spread over apple cake mix in pan. This will not cover the whole pan so feel free to double if desired.
- Place in oven for 28 to 35 minutes (cover with foil after 20 minutes to prevent edges from browning). Bake until top is browned and flour is baked in center.
- Once cooked, place on a towel in fridge for 20 minutes; this just helps it set. You can reheat again before serving, if desired. Or serve with yogurt or ice cream after it’s cooled.
- Keep in refrigerator for 5-7 days or freeze in airtight container or ziplock for up to 3 months.
Notes
TIPS and SUBSTITUTIONS!
- 1 and 1/3 -1/2 c All purpose GF flour or 1:1 GF flour may be used if don’t have almond flour. Texture will vary and so will baking times. Check at 20 minutes for doneness.
- Coconut flour may be used in place of tapioca flour IF you are combining with almond flour. Texture and baking time with vary.
- Don’t have baking dish? You can use a individual 6 ounce ramekins placed on baking sheet. Pour batter into each, about 2/3 way full. Cooking time will vary. Check at 20 minutes..
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Keywords: apple coffee cake, grain free, paleo-friendly, gluten free cake
This thick cakey crumble is of course gluten-free with a paleo/grain free option. A tart yet buttery spiced taste that screams fall dessert. You really can’t go wrong with this one.
And if you want to make the Spiced Apple Coffee Cake a tad more indulgent, just serve with whipped cream, or whipped coconut cream. Because life with a little indulgence is good for you! That’s my justification, always!
Do you use Apple Cider Vinegar? I know most either love it or hate it! Haha!Favorite Apple dessert?
Cheers,
LC
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
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Looks like a delicious winner to me!
I am all for making confessions, especially if you can learn and grow from them, which it seems that’s exactly what you are doing.
My fav apple dessert is not that creative, I have always had a love affair with apple crisp, which is why I know I will love this recipe.
I can relate to your confessions in the sense that when I’m not working toward a training goal it feels strange to focus on my own health! I transfer is to my kids, I guess our personalities are comfortable taking care of people!
Also agree negative thinking is killer, and I battle with that all the time.
On a happy note, this recipe, and the photos, look perfect and I want this for breakfast now!
it’s the nurture side of us. But at least we have each other to remind us to nurture our own health! <3 right?
Noted Lindsay, and always good to be reminded of the fact to “not focus SOLELY on diet to keep you healthy. Honestly, stress and negative thinking can do more damage.” ::-)
And these Apple Cider Crumble Bakes just look so amazing. Stewed a load of apples last Saturday and made a crumble too. Think I prefer yours though 😉
★★★★★
well I think I’d prefer your stewed apples!
Yes! This has my name written all over it! BONUS that it’s single-serve. Too much of it would probably be dangerous to having sitting around the kitchen. 🙂
ya, one big crumble is DANGEROUS!
I love ACV. I put it in my oats, all of my baking, and so on. But what I want to say is that I’m glad you are taking some time to concentrate on “me” as well as “we” and not just “him” or “them.” About damn time!
haha i love you. thanks for always being blunt with me. <3 I mean, supportive
Confession: I am seriously impressed by the amount of creative recipes you are posting each week.
haha well… i do like feeding people. Come visit!
I can imagine what a shift it has been for you these last months. It’s easy to overlook our own health and make something else the priority. I sure do know that but it’s important to take care of ourselves first and foremost. Cheers to taking care of you friend! Now hand me a spoon so I can devour this!
pinch me im dreaming! this is actually heaven!
pinch pinch, wake up! xxoo
ohmygoodness, I need this in my life!! We have so many apples in our house. I’m going to make this this weekend!
let me know what flour you use! i think oat flour would too!
Yay for taking care of YOU. <3 Then you can proceed (and thrive at) taking care of others because you know you've taken care of yourself too 🙂
And I seriously love this recipe. I want to have a party just so I can serve these cute little dishes to everyone. (Your cable sweater ramekins! LOVE. I'm a little over-observant sometimes, maybe…) 😉
haha you are so observant and i love it!
We use ACV a good deal in our household. So I’m always up for new ways to use it, especially if it’s a fantastically yummy looking dessert!
for sure! now we just need cooler weather, right? gah
You seem like a very caring person, and I can see how that means taking care of others usually comes first 🙂 I’m learning that I need not only think of my clients wellbeings but my own. If I jam-pack my schedule without downtime or me-time, I don’t perform as well as I would if I was more balanced 🙂
And also, this looks so so good. I love apple recipes in the fall and winter!
This sounds heavenly! I am a big fan of apples in the fall. I love almost all things apple, but I’ve been craving homemade apple sauce for days!
Sooooo much easier to just tell other people what to do, right? Meh.
I’d eat this no matter what though. And you KNOW I love the ACV. We just for to Florida and we’ve planned a grocery trip to buy some. Silly TSA doesn’t like me to cary it on. 😉
i totally thought of you with this post! ACV lovers! i mean lover. ;p
This looks so good. I want to eat all of it now that the temperatures are dropping in Chicago. There’s a freeze warning tonight!
that’s crazy because it’s 95F here now .. melting
As always, this recipe looks amazing – and so do your photos! I love apple crisps and crumbles so much this time of year. And good for you for taking care of yourself!
I used to drink ACV all the time in grad school to keep my immunity up (teaching college students and sharing a small office with 20 grad students=oh so many germs). I need to start that habit back up, so thank you for the reminder!
oh man, i bet you needed all the immunity you could get! Drink up! haha.
Cannot wait to try this! Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous!
well you are kind and for that i will save you one! haha
Perfect warm-me up for cool Fall-like day 🙂
What a fantastic recipe on the day I decided to drop by. And my favorite kind…apple crumble. Yes, mindset and attitude play a huge role achieving success in any area of life 🙂
you just made my day! Miss you! love you! thank you
Girl you are killing it in the kitchen! These look amazing! If only I had enough time to make all the things my heart desires… These would be so perfect as I need comfort food right now. It’s cold (37 right now here) and we have had two hard days of memorials and another tomorrow and if my mom had everything here at her house to make these I would stay up tonight and make them.
OH and yes I’m an apple cider vinegar fan! Actually I was going to make my own but didn’t have the screens and went to get them and questioned the peels when I got back so I didn’t but my dad has some going he made and we are going to test it tomorrow!
oh friend, i am here for you! You are one amazing wife, mom, and daughter. know that!
Love that you’re taking care of you, because YOU deserve it <3 I definitely know how difficult it can be to shift more of our focus on ourselves, though — I struggle with the same kind of thing.
I rather enjoy Friday confession posts and I think factoring in you and your own nutritional needs into your recipes is a welcome and refreshing sight. It’s super important to put yourself first because if you don’t have your stuff together, it’s awful hard to take care of someone else.
I’ve also found over the years in relationships, one person tends to be strong for the other. When that other person gets their strength, the person propping them up tends to suddenly suffer because it’s their turn to be nurtured as opposed to the one doing the nurturing. It’s a weird cosmic balance thing in relationships. At least that’s my take on it.
thanks friend, i know you get this. and i so love your honesty and encouragement.
It’s so true! Diet and nutrition plays an ENORMOUS part in our overall well-being, but I definitely feel the healthiest when I’m getting enough sleep and am not stressed.
Also – love ACV. It’s got great probiotics benefits AND the health benefits of vinegar, so win/win!
I have apple cider vinegar and it has been sitting there unopened because I didn’t know where to start with it. This looks so good!
Apple cider is amazing! We used to eat it all the time and use it recipes, but I took it out due to my battle with candida and eczema. Not sure if or when I will try it again, but these sure look good! xoxo Michelle
at you can still drink Kombucha, right? glad michelle is healing so well too! <3
This reminds me of the apple crumble pie I made last week, but even better. I’m not a fan of making pastry/crust so this seems like a much easier and individual-sized is great for portion control.
confession: I rarely cook with apple cider vinegar or use it but you have convinced me I need to! This sounds delish and I loooove apples and an apple ‘bake’ sounds perfect. Much love my friend, always in my prayers.
i like convincing you to do stuff! haha. <3
Yay for apple spice and ACV for anti-inflammatory health!! Seriously how crazy is it how much stress and worrying can do to your system. All the more reason to eat apple cider crumble. I’ll be making this for Dave, he’s been struggling lately with his gut health again, he’s been having major bloating and indigestion with foods that weren’t causing problems before. Needless to say some ACV and spices will certainly be making their way into his diet! Thanks for always reminding me of the power of food and positive thinking 🙂
OH man,i’m sorry! tell Dave I can relate! Is he on digestive enzymes?
I agree in 100%. You have put it all together.
★★★★★
Coffee cake is my absolute favorite! This looks incredible. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Lauren!
I love the use of yogurt in this recipe. It adds so much moisture! This crumble is so tasty!
★★★★★
Thank you, Katie!
I love how you worked apple cider vinegar into this delicious tart! It is so, so good!
★★★★★
Thank you!
I love baking with almond flour! These look amazing!
★★★★★
Me too! Thanks, Laura!
Everyone at my house really loved this! so good!
★★★★★
Thanks, Toni!
I was looking for a gluten free recipe to help use up apples that we got when we went apple picking! This turned out so good! Loved it!
★★★★★
Yaayy! So glad to hear this Suzy! Thanks for your feedback!
I am a huge fan of apple cakes and baked goods made with almond flour. This cake was so SO good. Definitely adding into the rotation. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yaayy! Glad to hear that Sam! You’re welcome!
What can be used as a substitute for coconut sugar? Stevia? Erithritol?
Yep! Totally! Ive used xylitol before too.
This recipe was SO delicious. I used yogurt, coconut flour instead of tapioca and coconut oil instead of butter for the crumble. It’s so tasty, easy and looks/tastes a lot more indulgent than it truly is.
So glad to hear you loved it Dina!