This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details. Advertisements displayed do not reflect endorsements or recommendations made by Veggie Inspired.
This Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake is light and fluffy, full of sweet fall flavors, and so delicious! Suitable for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

Save this Post!
I love making this Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake on Christmas morning. It’s easy to throw together and makes the house smell amazing as it bakes.
The warming spices, the crunchy, buttery streusel, the gooey icing glaze, It’s the perfect holiday breakfast to get the kids to the table before the chaos of the rest of the day begins.
Of course, you don’t need a holiday to make this sweet treat. Any lazy weekend morning will do. And the best part is that it keeps well, and can even be frozen, so you can eat leftovers the rest of the week!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
For the pumpkin coffee cake
- Flour ~ I have only tested this coffee cake recipe with all-purpose flour. Spelt flour would probably work as well. If you need a gluten-free option, I suggest trying a blend that is meant to replace wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio, but I cannot guarantee your results.
- Sugar ~ Granulated sugar is my sweetener of choice here.
- Pumpkin ~ Make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin purée. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Yogurt ~ Yogurt adds moisture and some fat and protein, all things a good cake needs for that perfect crumb. I have made this with both sweetened and unsweetened dairy-free yogurt and both work just fine. I suggest sticking to either plain or vanilla flavored yogurt, but other than that, use your favorite.
- Aquafaba ~ Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It is one of my go-to ingredients for replacing eggs in vegan baking. It adds structure to the cake and helps it to rise up light, soft, and fluffy.
*Save the chickpeas for another use, like these Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies, Roasted Cinnamon Sugar Chickpeas, or Sweet Pumpkin Hummus. - Spices ~ Cinnamon and a pinch of salt is all you need. If you want extra flavor, you can use pumpkin pie spice or any combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and/or cloves. Keep in mind that all of these spices have a strong taste and a little goes a long way.
For the cinnamon streusel
- Sugar ~ I like to use brown sugar in the streusel topping for its rich taste and moisture content. You could use half brown sugar and half granulated cane sugar. Or use all cane sugar if you prefer, but note the streusel will have an even more crumbly, sandy texture.
- Flour ~ All-purpose flour works best here. I haven’t tested this recipes with anything else, so proceed with caution if you want to substitute.
- Cinnamon ~ The more cinnamon, the better, if you ask me. There is cinnamon in the pumpkin coffee cake batter, too, so if you want to leave it out here, you can.
- Butter ~ You need vegan stick butter, not the kind that comes in a tub. Use it cold straight from the fridge and cut it into small slices. It’s hard for me to find unsalted vegan butter sticks around here so I don’t add any extra salt to the streusel. If you use unsalted butter, you can add a pinch (⅛ to ¼ teaspoon) of salt to the mixture to balance the sweetness.
Extras
- To really take this vegan pumpkin coffee cake recipe over the top, finish it off with a drizzle of sweet vanilla icing. This glaze is optional, of course, but highly recommended!
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
- Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a separate large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Step 3: Add the dry to the wet.
- Step 4: Stir until just combined. No white flour should remain, but do not over mix.
- Step 5: In a separate bowl, add the streusel ingredients.
- Step 6: Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean hands, mix the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few larger clumps.
- Step 7: Spread the batter into a prepared baking pan.
- Step 8: Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel mixture evenly over the top.
- Step 9: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Step 10: Allow the cake to cool before slicing into pieces. Drizzle the optional icing over the top, if using.
Serving suggestions
Coffee cakes don’t usually contain any coffee, but they are meant to be served with a cup of coffee. Might I suggest one of these tasty options with your cinnamon streusel pumpkin coffee cake:
- Harvest Oat Pumpkin Latte
- Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato
- Iced pumpkin Spice Latte
- Iced Caramel Macchiato
A bowl of fresh fruit would be a nice addition if you’re eating this for breakfast or brunch.
Storage and freezing
Make-ahead: Go ahead and make this cake the day before because it tastes just as indulgent the next day. Wait on the icing, however, and drizzle it on right before serving.
Fridge: Store leftovers of this vegan pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If possible, store glaze separately.
Freezer: You can also freeze this cake! Ensure it is cooled completely and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. You can freeze the whole cake, but I suggest wrapping and freezing individual slices so you can easily thaw just a slice or two at a time. It should keep well up to 3 months.
Thaw: From frozen, thaw the entire cake overnight in the fridge. Thaw individual slices on the countertop for an hour or two.
Reheat: While this cake can certainly be eaten room temperature or cold, I much prefer it warm. Reheat an entire cake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until warmed through. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until warm.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method. Gently fluff up the flour with a spoon. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it is overfilled. Use the back of a knife to scrape across the top of the measuring cup to level it off. Do not scoop directly into the flour and do not pack the flour down into the measuring cup…this will result in too much flour and a dense cake.
~ Do not over mix the batter. Mix just until no white flour remains.
~ Coffee cake batter is thicker than traditional cake batter. Resist the urge to add more liquid!
~ It may seem like not enough batter to fill a 9×13 baking dish, but I promise it is. It will rise up tall and fluffy and the ratio of cake to streusel will be perfect!
~ Allow the cake to cool before adding the optional powdered sugar glaze otherwise it will absorb into the cake rather than sit on top.
FAQs
Crumb cake has as thicker crumb topping, like my Orange Cranberry Cake, and the cake itself is typically more dense to stand up to all that crumble topping. Coffee cake is generally light and fluffier with a thinner streusel topping.
As with all streusel cakes, you’ll want to sprinkle the cinnamon streusel on this pumpkin coffee cake before you bake it. This ensures that the streusel bakes up buttery and crumbly with the perfect texture.
Nope! Coffee cake doesn’t usually contain coffee unless you are specifically making a coffee-flavored coffee cake, which sounds pretty good to me actually!
More seasonal vegan cake recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15 oz) 100% pure pumpkin purée
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup vegan plain or vanilla yogurt
- ½ cup aquafaba the liquid from a can of chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup cold vegan butter sliced into cubes
For the vanilla icing glaze, optional
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon(s) unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice optional
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper or gently spritz with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, aquafaba, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix!
- Spread out the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vegan butter. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean hands (my preferred method) combine the ingredients until it resembles coarse sand with a few larger clumps.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly all over the batter in the baking dish.
- Baked for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the baking dish to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut into slices.
For the vanilla icing glaze, optional
- Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice, if using, until smooth and pourable.
- One the cake is cooled, drizzle the icing over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Erin
Hi Jenn. Do you think the recipe would still work if I substituted apple sauce for the vegan yogurt?
Jenn S.
I think it will still work, although the texture will be different. Probably “stickier” or “spongier” – not that that’s a bad thing though! Let me know if you try it!
Jenn S.
I’m not a huge fan of sweets in the morning either (though I do love my sweets for dessert). But something about the holidays and all the cinnamon that totally make me crave this in the morning. Thanks, Sarah!
Jenn S.
Thank you, Rebecca!