Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake

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.

1. Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a separate large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

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.

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