Almond Flour Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Autumn! My favorite season! I love the crisp weather, the sound of wind rustling through dried leaves, and the smell of all things pumpkin baking in the oven. For this pumpkin coffee cake, I put a cozy pumpkin spice spin on this gluten-free coffee cake recipe from Erin at Good Life Eats, which she makes with a combination of almond, oat, and coconut flours.

The result is the perfect gluten-free fall breakfast (or dessert) that also doubles as a snack. Every bite is swirled with pumpkin cream cheese filling, baked beneath a crunchy pecan crumble topping. I couldn’t resist drizzling some maple icing for the occasion. Pour a cup of coffee or tea, cut yourself a piece, and enjoy the perfect bite of fall!

Why I Love This Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake Recipe

• Easy to make. This pumpkin crumb cake is quick enough to make on a weekend morning. It all comes together in about 20 minutes in a food processor, and the dry mixture is the base for both the cake and crumb topping. It’s warm from the oven about 40 minutes later, and the leftovers keep well if you’d prefer to make it ahead.
• Uses gluten-free flours. Most of my gluten free baking centers on using a 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour, but here I do something a little different. Almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour come together to make it both hearty and nice and tender, while the slightly nutty flavors round out the spices in the cake perfectly.
• Topped off right. Finally, I top this pumpkin coffee cake with a maple cream cheese drizzle. It’s the best blend of everything I love about autumn in one moist, tender slice.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake Ingredients

You’ll find the printable ingredients list with the full amounts in the recipe card after the post. In the meantime, here’s a short overview along with some ingredient notes.

For the Pumpkin Swirl

• Pumpkin puree – Make sure you’re using 100% pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
• Cream cheese – Softened to room temperature. You can use regular or light cream cheese.
• Egg yolk – Just one yolk, for extra richness.
• Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works, too, and gives a deeper flavor.
• Vanilla – For the best flavor, be sure to use real vanilla extract or an equal amount of vanilla paste.
• Spices – Use homemade pumpkin pie spice or store-bought. You can also substitute this spice blend with cinnamon, or any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.

For the Coffee Cake

• Gluten-free flour – This recipe uses almond flour for structure and flavor, coconut flour to absorb moisture, and oat flour for texture. You can buy oat flour from the store or make your own by grinding certified gluten-free oats in a food processor until you reach a fine powder.
• Brown sugar
• Canola oil – You can also use another vegetable oil, avocado oil, or otherwise neutral-flavored oil.
• Plain Greek yogurt – This can be nonfat, low-fat, or whole milk yogurt. Regular plain yogurt also works if you don’t have Greek.
• Chopped pecans – You can substitute pecans with walnuts if needed.
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Baking soda and baking powder – You’ll need both. Check the dates on the packages to make sure the leavening hasn’t expired.
• Eggs – At room temperature.
• Vanilla
• Milk – Any dairy or nondairy milk can be used.

For the Icing (Optional)

• Cream cheese – Again, make sure it is soft so it doesn’t clump and you have a nice, smooth drizzle.
• Maple syrup – Real pure maple syrup gives the glaze a better flavor than artificial pancake syrup.

Tips for Success

• Remember to follow the steps. You’ll mix the dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the oil and Greek yogurt. Once that’s combined, use a spatula to transfer most of the mixture to a bowl to finish the batter, leaving about 1/2 cup behind to make the streusel.
• Use the flours indicated. I know this doesn’t align with most of my recipes that try to stick to a single flour blend, but this is the perfect balance of flavor, moisture, and texture.
• Don’t let your cake get stuck. You can just spray the square baking pan well with nonstick cooking spray. But I prefer to line it with parchment paper to ensure it comes out nicely. This also allows you to lift out the entire cake to cut even squares.
• Be careful not to overbake. While you want a toothpick to come out clean, don’t be fooled by seeing a little of the pumpkin swirl mixture on the toothpick. Once it is done, it should be mostly clean, and the cake won’t jiggle in the center anymore.
• Tips for the glaze. I like to refrigerate the glaze for a short time to thicken it up a bit before using it. Also, if your cream cheese isn’t softened enough and you don’t end up with a smooth glaze, you can press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve several times.
• Change it up. You can also use this same base recipe and technique to make eggnog coffee cake and cranberry orange coffee cake.

How to Store Almond Flour Pumpkin Cake

• At room temperature. Keep this gluten-free pumpkin crumb cake wrapped tightly on the counter for a day or two. It’s certainly a treat that you can make the day before a holiday brunch!
• In the fridge. To extend this cake’s shelf life, I recommend refrigerating it. Pumpkin coffee cake lasts about 4 days in the fridge when it’s stored airtight.
• Freeze. Wrap slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap. You can place the wrapped cake in a plastic freezer storage bag for extra protection from freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or pop the cake in the microwave.