Pumpkin Coffee Cake
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This healthy pumpkin coffee cake is soft, fluffy and topped with a cinnamon streusel that melts in your mouth. The perfect fall bake made with wholesome ingredients you’ll feel good about.
The minute pumpkin season rolls around I’m in full baking mode and this pumpkin coffee cake is always first on my list. It’s soft, perfectly spiced and covered with a sweet cinnamon streusel that makes the whole house smell amazing. I love that it feels a little indulgent but is still made with better-for-you ingredients like whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and coconut sugar.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this pumpkin coffee cake, but here are a few reasons it always makes an appearance in my kitchen once fall hits:
- It’s pure fall comfort – Every bite tastes like pumpkin spice season in the best way possible.
- The texture is perfect – It’s soft and tender in the center with a sweet, slightly crisp cinnamon streusel on top.
- It feels special but simple – You can make it on a weekday morning or serve it at brunch and everyone will think you went all out.
- Made with better-for-you ingredients – Greek yogurt keeps it moist without tons of oil, and whole wheat pastry flour adds a little extra nutrition.
Ingredients Needed
You don’t need anything fancy for this pumpkin coffee cake, just a few wholesome baking staples and fall favorites. Here’s what goes into the mix and why each ingredient matters:
- whole wheat pastry flour – a whole grain, nutrient-dense flour that results in a light and fluffy cake. My go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. Cake flour and all-purpose flour will also work.
- pumpkin pie spice – a must for this pumpkin coffee cake! Make your own pumpkin pie spice at home or use a store-bought blend.
- pumpkin puree – you can use canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree. If using store-bought, just make sure the ingredient list is only “pumpkin” – you don’t want to accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars.
- eggs – binds the ingredients together and provides structure for the cake.
- coconut sugar – adds natural sweetness and keeps the cake refined sugar-free. White or brown sugar also works in a pinch.
- Greek yogurt – keeps the cake moist without needing a lot of oil. I like plain whole milk (full fat) yogurt for the best results. For a dairy-free option, try a vegan yogurt instead.
- coconut oil – provides richness and helps with texture. Warm it slightly before measuring if it’s solid. Melted butter, ghee or avocado oil also work well.
- crumb topping – the best part of any coffee cake. A mix of whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and coconut oil makes a perfectly sweet, crumbly topping.
- icing – optional, but highly recommended! Just whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk and you’ll have a sweet icing to drizzle over your warm coffee cake.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
This healthy pumpkin coffee cake couldn’t be easier to whip up. You’ll mix, bake, drizzle, and be enjoying a warm slice in under an hour.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×9-inch pan. Make the crumb topping and set aside.
Step 2: In one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Step 3: In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until smooth.
Step 4: Combine the wet and dry mixtures, stirring just until blended.
Step 5: Pour into the pan, sprinkle with crumb topping, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 6: Let cool slightly, then whisk up a quick icing and drizzle over the warm cake.
Tips for Success
- Let it cool before icing: The cake should be warm, not hot, when you drizzle the icing. If it’s too hot, the icing will melt instead of setting into that pretty glaze.
- Mix gently for a tender crumb: Overmixing activates too much gluten, which can make your coffee cake dense or tough. Stir just until everything’s combined so it stays light and fluffy.
What to Serve with Coffee Cake
I am already dreaming up a fall brunch spread to pair with this pumpkin coffee cake. Here’s what I’m thinking:
- Coffee – Definitely have to serve coffee cake with some sort of coffee to sip on and this warm pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin cream cold brew would be delicious!
- Fruit – Have to have fruit on the table for brunch and this simple fruit salad would be perfect.
- Egg dish – I love having a savory and sweet option at brunch. This sweet potato kale frittata, baked egg muffins or spinach quiche would all be great options for an egg dish.
- Mimosas – If I were serving cocktails at my brunch my first choice would be these apple cider mimosas. I also have a regular mimosa recipe if that’s more your thing!
How to Store
Leftover pumpkin coffee cake will stay fresh for 2-3 days stored at room temperature. For longer storage, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If storing in the freezer, I recommend cutting the cake into individual servings before freezing. Then you can pull out one piece at a time as needed. Let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coffee cake received its name because it was a complimentary treat that people would usually enjoy with a cup of coffee. As it became more of a tradition, certain cakes started receiving the name coffee cake.
No, coffee cake typically doesn’t have any actual coffee in it. It’s typically eaten with a cup of coffee instead of having coffee in it. However, British coffee cake typically does include actual coffee in the recipe.
You’ll often see whole wheat pastry flour used here on EBF when I’m making lightened-up baked goods! The reason I like using whole wheat pastry flour is that it is a whole grain flour, which means more fiber + nutrients than regular all-purpose flour. And it’s more finely ground than regular whole wheat flour so it produces lighter, softer baked items. It also has less gluten than regular whole wheat flour.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil, not melted
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 teaspoons almond milk, plus more to thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 9×9-inch baking pan or line with parchment.
- Combine all of the crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, Greek yogurt, coconut oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
- Add cake batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle with the crumb topping.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
- Let cake cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
- While cake is cooling, make icing by whisking together powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk in a small bowl.
- Drizzle icing over warm cake. Cut into squares and serve!
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezer: If freezing, cut the cake into individual squares first so you can thaw one at a time. Let thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
absolutely fantastic!
I subbed whole wheat pastry flour with half oat flour & half regular whole wheat flour. it came out perfectly fluffy and not at all dense or chewy. I also baked in an 8×8 pan for 36 minutes.
thanks for this recipe! 😊
So glad this recipe was a hit, Lola! Love that your flour swap worked so well. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review.
This is so delicious! I whipped a little cream for the top and we had it for Thanksgiving breakfast. Will definitely make again! Thank you for all the yummy recipes!
So glad this recipe was a hit, Kristen! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it. 🙂
Just made this and it was delicious!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this pumpkin coffee cake, Barbara. Thanks for coming back to leave a review! 🙂
So yummy!! I skipped the glaze because I feel it didnt need it and it was perfectly sweet. I added pecans on top for a crunch 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jazmyne! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
HI Excited to make these, but I was wondering if I can sub almond flour in this recipe?
Hi Stacey – I wouldn’t recommend subbing almond flour in this recipe. You can substitute whole wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour or a mix of all-purpose and regular whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried this cake with a gluten-free alternative, but I bet a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour would work. Let me know if you give it a try!
I was a bit hesitant to try this coffee cake recipe when butter wasn’t an ingredient in the crumble topping, but I was so glad I made it! It was so tasty and it was the perfect coffee cake to make for my overnight Thanksgiving guests! I never get tired of trying a new pumpkin recipe and this one will be a favorite!
AHH YAY! This makes me so happy, Cindy, I am so glad you have this recipe a try and it turns you out fabulous for you. Thanks for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Do you think if I subbed dairy free yogurt for what you are calling for Greek Yogurt, it would still work out alright?
Hi Megan – Absolutely, a vegan yogurt should work just fine! Enjoy!
I made this pumpkin coffee cake as muffins and they turned out so well! The recipe makes enough batter for a little more than a dozen muffins but I just put the leftover batter in a small dish and baked as a mini cake. AMAZING!!!
Woo! I am so excited to hear that this recipe turned out for you, Beth. I love the idea of turning this batter into muffins, the perfect grab and go breakfast/ or afternoon treat. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
I have Celiac too (like another commenter)! I’ll try it with Pamela’s GF pancake/baking flour. Bet it will work just fine. Thanks for this recipe!
Definitely let me know how this cake turns out if you end up trying it!
Made this recipe twice in the past 2 weeks!!! YUMMY
Woo! That makes me so happy to hear, Tina. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!!
This recipe looks really good and I love anything pumpkin. I was wondering if this could be made gluten free. I am celiac, could I substitute the flour for cup-4-cup gluten free flour?
Thanks,
Mary
I bet using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour would work! Let me know if you end up trying it and what you think of it!
Made this in two loaf pans as I didn’t have a 9×9 available and increased crumb topping recipe by 50%…absolutely delicious! So moist and a nice crumb. Would never know the cake has only 1/2 cup fat due to moisture from pumpkin and yogurt. Freezing one loaf for later this fall.
Oh yay!! So excited to hear that this recipe turned out for you in two loaf pans! Thanks for making it and for coming back to share. So glad you loved it!
Okay WOW! This is my favorite coffee cake recipe ever. It was 90 some degrees out today and I embraced this pumpkiny goodness with enthusiasm. I planned on sharing the finished product with a friend but I’m not sure I want to share, ha!
Ahh yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Gwyn. I’m so glad you loved this cake. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Yay, another pumpkin recipe. I’ll definitely make this when we reach fall. I live in a warm climate, so it will feel like summer a bit longer.
I know, that’s how it is here! Can’t wait to hear what you think if you end up making it.