Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Vegan pumpkin coffee cake with a thick cinnamon swirl, generous pecan crumble and optional maple icing. This cozy cake uses a whole cup of pumpkin puree and lots of warm spices. It’s perfect for breakfast or dessert, served with a hot cup of coffee or tea, just like my vegan coffee cake!
Ingredients to make pumpkin coffee cake
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes About the Ingredients
Granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar ensures the cake isn’t too dense whereas light brown sugar adds a cozy depth of flavor and notes of molasses.
Pure pumpkin puree. I’ve tested this recipe with Libby’s canned pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin puree and they both work wonderfully!
Dairy-free milk. I always prefer using unsweetened soy milk in baking as it adds depth of flavor and makes baked goods more tender. But any milk will work, such as oat milk or almond milk.
Baking powder AND soda to make sure the pumpkin cake bakes through and is fluffy!
Pumpkin pie spice, which is the epitome of Fall flavors! If you can’t or don’t want to buy pumpkin spice from the shops, you can make your own blend by mixing cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices (see the notes in the recipe card for the quantities I use).
Even though this cake is eggless, you don’t need a special egg replacer for structure and moisture! This cake isn’t meant to contain coffee, but is often enjoyed with a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert! If you want a cake with actual coffee, see my vegan espresso cake.
Prepare the Crumb Topping and Cinnamon Layer
To make the crumble, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until it is flaky. We’re using softened butter, as it’s soft enough to mix with just your fingers. The final mixture shouldn’t have any chunks of butter or flour.
And, to make the cinnamon swirl mixture, mix the brown sugar with cinnamon. Easy as that!
Preparing the Cake Batter
One of the best things about the cake batter is how it comes together in one large bowl. No electric mixer needed!
First, mix all the wet ingredients until combined. Then, add the dry ingredients and mix through. The batter will be a bit thick so it can support the crumble topping. Don’t worry, the pumpkin puree keeps the cake wonderfully moist!
For the best results, here are my top tips:
- Measure the ingredients accurately! Too much flour will result in a dry cake, whereas too little flour will make your cake too moist.
- If your flour has any lumps, sift the flour first. This helps minimize mixing and ensures the batter comes together efficiently.
- Make sure you avoid overmixing the batter. It’s okay if your batter is a little lumpy, as long as there aren’t lumps of dry flour.
Assembling the Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Spoon half the cake batter into your pan, then smooth the surface. Next, sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar – it might feel like a lot, but that’s what creates a thick gooey swirl!
Next, dollop the remaining batter around the pan, rather than just in the center. This prevents the cinnamon swirl from sinking right down in the middle! Then, smooth the surface of the batter in long continuous sweeps (I usually use 2-3 sweeps) to keep the cinnamon sugar intact. Don’t worry if a little mixes in – just do the best you can!
Finally, sprinkle your streusel topping on top!
Baking Tip!
The crumb topping has a lot of nuts and sugar, so it may brown quickly in your oven. At the 30-minute mark, if your crumb topping is starting to look too golden brown, tent your cake pan with aluminum foil
This traps in the heat and forces the middle of the cake to cook, rather than the outside.
Customizing this Coffee Cake Recipe
This cake will bake well in an 8-inch square cake pan or 9-inch round cake pan. Your cake will be thinner and will bake in less time. I suggest checking your cake at 40-50 minutes.
If you want to make a layer cake, check out my vegan pumpkin cake. For a pumpkin loaf, see my vegan pumpkin bread recipe. You can still use the cinnamon swirl layer and pecan streusel from this recipe but you’ll need to extend the bake time by around 5 minutes. Or for muffins, check out my vegan pumpkin muffins recipe.
Sweet potato has more starch than pumpkin so it won’t work as a direct swap. Instead, check out my sweet potato bread or sweet potato cake.
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. Many of my recipes work with King Arthur’s gluten-free measure for measure flour, but I just haven’t tested this one.
Yes, you can use coconut sugar in the cake itself, cinnamon layer and crumble topping. Keep in mind that it’ll make your cake drier and darker in color, and there’ll be less contrast between the cake and cinnamon layer.
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More Easy Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
Or check out my apple coffee cake!
Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Pecan Crumble
- ½ cup (50g) pecans, or walnuts, chopped (note 1 to make nut-free)
- ½ cup (65g) all-purpose plain flour
- ¼ cup (55g) vegan butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons (40g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sugar layer
- ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar, dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Cake
- 1 cup (200g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ⅔ cup (160g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (110g) neutral flavored oil
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour, spoon and leveled (note 2)
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, (note 3 for homemade blend)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) round springform pan or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper.
Crumb topping:
- Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until all the ingredients are well combined. There shouldn't be any pockets of butter or flour. Set aside.
Cinnamon sugar layer:
- In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the cake:
- Add the wet ingredients (pumpkin purée, dairy-free milk, oil, sugars, vinegar and vanilla) to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until just combined. It's okay for the batter to have some lumps, as long as they aren't lumps of dry ingredients.
Assemble the pumpkin coffee cake:
- Pour or scoop half of the pumpkin cake batter into your prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Pour the remaining batter into the cake pan and smooth the surface. When you smooth the final layer of cake batter, it will refuse to stick to the cinnamon sugar layer. Try to avoid lifting your spoon/spatula as much as possible, and just do what you can.
- Sprinkle the crumble on top of the cake (there'll be a lot of crumble).
- Bake the cake for 52-57 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, if the crumble is browning too quickly, tent your cake pan with aluminum foil. The cake is ready when you can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest in the cake pan for 15 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, dust the top with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze (see note 4 to make a maple glaze).
- The cake can be kept at room temperature for 2 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the cake for up to 1 month (cut up the cake and store in individual slices for the perfect quick snack). Note that the crumble topping will soften over time.
Notes
- To make the crumble nut-free, omit the pecans and use an extra 2 tablespoons (15g) of flour.
- To spoon and level your flour, fluff up the flour in its container, use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Using your measuring cup to scoop flour out of the container will pack in too much flour and result in a dense cake. Alternatively, use the gram measurements and an electric kitchen scale for the best results.
- To make your own pumpkin spice blend, use 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
- To make a maple icing, mix 1/2 cup (50g) of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup until smooth. For a vanilla icing, replace the maple syrup with with 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Mix in more sugar for a thicker glaze, or more liquid for a runnier glaze.
This recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated a few times since then with more helpful images.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
I made this for my family’s Thanksgiving and it was such a huge hit! One of the favorites of the night! I love how the recipe was also super easy to follow. I will definitely be making this again! I wish I had more leftovers.
Hi Avra, I’m so glad you and your family loved this cake and I’m honored that you chose to make this for Thanksgiving too! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback 🙂
Can you use gluten free or almond flour?
We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it may work with a high-quality blend such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Unfortunately, almond flour won’t work as a 1:1 replacement. You could try using half almond flour and half gluten-free all-purpose flour, though we haven’t tested this combination ourselves, so we can’t say for sure. Hope this helps, and we’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!
Hello Anthea,
thanks for your inspiring recipes.
I like to make my own pumpkin puree and have experience in doing so.
Have you tried different types of pumpkin yet?
Best regards from Germany
Pe
Hi! I have only tested this recipe with butternut pumpkin/squash and it was lovely! Butternut adds a little extra sweetness to the cake which I really enjoyed. I imagine other types of pumpkin will work similarly, in regards to consistency and rise. Hope that helps and thanks for your ongoing support!
Just did this, it was amazing! Thanks 🙂
Hi Karine, aw that’s amazing! Thanks so much 🙂
Hi (:
I made this cake yesterday and I love it. It was the first recipe for a pumpkin cake I have ever made. Though I do have one question. When I made the cake the cinnamon swirl in the middle kind of vanished or was at the bottom of the cake when I cut it. Do you have any idea what I might have done wrong? Or how I could prevent it from happening again?
Thanks though for this recipe, I’ll definitely will do it again <3
Hi Paula, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this cake, especially as it was the first time you baked a pumpkin cake! With the swirl, sometimes it can sink when you pour the second batter in just one spot. The uneven weight of the batter makes the swirl sink in areas. Instead, I like to dollop the batter on top of the cinnamon sugar then spread it. The swirl can disappear for a few reasons, but it can happen if you accidentally mix some of it into the top layer when you smooth it out. Hope that helps!
I made this today again. I used spelt flour, added 10 gms extra milk and baked for 54 minutes. The cake came out perfect. It was sooo good. I did use a kitchen scale for measuring ingredients which makes everything so much easier. Thank you for this wonderful recipe Anthea. I can’t believe I can make these delicious cakes at home.
Hi Amy, aw that’s wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know how the recipe worked for you. I agree that scales are definitely easier! I hope you enjoy any other cakes that you get to bake, and thanks so much for your lovely feedback 🙂
How come I discovered this cake so late!
Its so quick to make, and is delicious <3
Thank you Anthea for another brilliant recipe that I’ll be using regularly.
Hi Agata, I’m so happy that you loved this cake and that the recipe will be a keeper for you!! Thanks so much for your lovely review 🙂
Lovely recipe! Would it work with gluten free all purpose flour?
Hi Rebecca! I haven’t tested it with gluten-free all-purpose flour so I’m not 100% sure. However, many readers have success using King Arthur’s measure for measure flour with my recipes. Hope that helps!
Hello! I made this today and everyone loved it! its so moist an delicious that is incredible that is vegan! Just one question, how can I replace it to make it Gluten Free?
Hi Barbara, I’m so happy that you and everyone else loved this cake! I haven’t tested it with gluten-free flour, but I’ve had a few readers successfully make my other pumpkin cake recipes with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour. I hope that helps!
Hi Anthea
We have anaphylactic allergy in our house. I would love to try & make this cake as this would work for us. I’m in Australia (in a small country town) & can’t buy canned pumpkin. Should I steam pumpkin & let excess moisture drain away or bake pumpkin? How much weight is in a can? Appreciate your help!
Hi Donna! No worries at all! A can of pumpkin is 425g. I love the flavour of baked pumpkin but honestly, steaming works just as well. Whichever method you use, definitely strain or cook away the excess moisture, as you mentioned! I’ve tested this with steamed pumpkin puree and it works well, as long as the puree is relatively thick. I hope that helps :).
I made this cake using the grams and it was the best pumpkin cake I’ve ever eaten! I used canned pumpkin puree. The cake was fluffy, not too sweet and I loved the crumb topping. Thanks so much!
Oh I’m so happy that you loved this cake! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I made this (using coconut oil & homemade purée) and it came out really heavy and dense. Thought it maybe wasn’t cooked so put it in for longer than the time… ended up with hard outside & still not ‘cake’ textured inside. No idea what I did wrong! Loved the idea, enjoyed making it & house smells nice though!
Hi Kate, oh no! I find that a dense cake is often due to pumpkin puree that’s too runny, older baking powder or if the flour was under or overmeasured. It can even be the result of overmixing! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you this time but thanks for your feedback!
Made this recipe as soon as I saw it! It comes together quickly and easily and the results are delicious. I made the recipe into muffins so I could share with friends and family- everyone loved them (even the non-vegans!) keep this recipe in your arsenal for breakfast, a baked gift or just a cozy morning at home!
Aw I’m so happy that you all loved this recipe Jessica. It’s music to my ears when non-vegans enjoy vegan cakes! Thanks so much for your support and wonderful feedback! x
Amazing cake, tried only one time but it’s going to reach definitely the top of the list of our favourite cakes. Just will try with a smaller pot to make it come taller. It makes me wanna always keep a pumpkin in my food storage!
What a compliment, I’m so happy this is one of your favourite cakes! And I agree about the pumpkin hahaha. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Excellent cake. We made this wonderful dessert tonight and enjoyed it very much. We made it with the coconut oil and it turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
Aw that’s so wonderful to hear Kathleen and glad you enjoyed it with coconut oil! Thanks so much for your review!!
My two year old and I made this recipe and turned it into mid size muffins! They are soft and fluffy. Not dense. Such an easy recipe to follow – it’s basically easier than any box mix. We baked them for 15 minutes and left them in the greased muffin tin to cool for 10 minutes or so. The crumble topping was delectable and (obviously) my kid’s favorite part. These make my house smell like Fall. Definitely adding these to my regular rotation! ps: read the notes and details, super helpful pointers!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this as muffins and they were easy enough to bake with a 2 year old! The crumble topping is my favorite part as well :). It’s good to know they only take 15 minutes to bake. Thanks so much for your positive feedback!
Hi,
I really want to try this cake but I am going sugar less these days. Please can you let me know how I can make this a healthy sugar free cake, please?
thank!
Hi! It depends what you mean by sugarless. This cake will work with unrefined coconut sugar and maybe granulated monk fruit sweetener or a granulated stevia blend, though the texture and colour of the final cake will be different. I hope that helps!
Can I use a 9” spring form pan for this cake?
Yes that’s fine! The cake will just bake in less time (check it at maybe 40 minutes).