Gluten Free Cranberry Cake

Here’s my top holiday tip for you today–before the last-minute running around and stress kicks into high gear, bake something for Christmas breakfast that you can stash in the freezer. That way, you aren’t scrambling on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning, you can be relaxing around the tree, enjoying time with the family.

And if you need a festive and freezer-friendly idea, I recommend this Gluten Free Cranberry Coffee Cake! This sweet little breakfast cake with bursts of tart pockets is so good that I’m amazed it makes it to the freezer before I just sit down with a fork and devour the entire pan.

Why This Cranberry Cake is the Perfect Holiday Breakfast

Here are just a few of the reasons to love this

• Holiday flavors you don’t expect. While gingerbread loaf and peppermint donuts usually get the starring role when it comes to seasonal flavors, the wonderful balance of fresh citrusy flavor and tart cranberries is so warm and inviting.
• Incredible texture. This breakfast cake is tender with a perfect crumb, especially considering it is gluten free. And that crumbly, nutty topping, is slightly buttery with just a bit of crunch.
• Easily made gluten free. While I often bake with a 1:1 gluten free flour, for this recipe, I truly love both the texture and flavor that comes from using a mixture of almond, oat, and coconut flour. But don’t worry about it being complicated–you can make this cranberry coffee cake recipe with just a food processor and a bowl.

Recipe Ingredients

• Almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour – certified gluten free versions of each are available. For the oat flour, you can also just place instant or old-fashioned oats (certified gluten free, if needed) in a food processor or blender and pulse until it forms a flour.
• Salt
• Spices – This recipe uses the cozy combo of ground cinnamon and ginger. A little nutmeg or cardamom would also be a great addition, but add with care so it doesn’t overwhelm.
• Light brown sugar
• Melted butter – I recommend unsalted so you can control the amount of salt
• Plain Greek yogurt – Everything from fat free to whole milk yogurt works fine, just make sure it is Greek yogurt, not regular yogurt, which is not as thick.
• Chopped pecans – You can substitute walnuts, if you prefer.
• Baking soda and powder – you’ll need both in this recipe.
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Orange zest and juice – Yes, fresh is best here, just be sure to zest your orange before squeezing it for the juice.
• Fresh cranberries – If you’ve been storing cranberries in the freezer, you can just pop them in while still frozen. No need to thaw.
• Powdered sugar – Optional for dusting. You can also mix powdered sugar with just enough milk to make it a glaze consistency, and drizzle it on the cake.

Tips for Success

• Line your pan. While you can just grease your baking pan, I recommend lining it with parchment paper. Then you’ll be able to lift the entire crumb cake out of the pan to cut it into nice slices.
• Read the instructions carefully. Most of the mixing is done in a food processor, so it is super simple, but you have to follow directions. You are going to start by making a dry mixture, then dividing it to use some for the batter and some for the topping.
• Dust lightly. I truly think a sprinkling of powdered sugar is essential for the perfect cranberry coffee cake, so I recommend you pick up this dusting wand. This wand gives a light, delicate dusting of powdered sugar over the entire cake to make it look so pretty.
• Try variations. I use the same base recipe and technique to make another seasonal favorites Eggnog Coffee Cake, as well as a rich Chocolate Hazelnut Crumb Cake and a fall favorite Almond Flour Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
• Store properly. Because this cranberry cake is so moist and contains yogurt, I recommend wrapping it tightly and storing it in the refrigerator so it will last for up to 4 days. It is also freezer-friendly. Just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer for up to two months!

Make it a Meal

Complete your gluten free holiday brunch with some of these festive breakfast recipes.

• Waldorf Fruit Salad
• Cheesy Cauliflower Hash Browns Casserole
• Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Parfaits
• Potato Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins
• Tomato Feta Spinach Frittata
• Gluten Free Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

More Recipes with Fresh Cranberries

• Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail
• Cranberry Garlic-Crusted Prime Rib
• Orange Cranberry Sauce