Easy dairy-free coffee cake is a moist crumb cake with a delicious cinnamon and sugar streusel topping. This recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients, but without milk or butter. Perfect for a cozy morning treat!
Easy dairy-free coffee cake brings all the warm, comforting flavors of a classic bakery crumb cake to your kitchen with basic pantry ingredients, no dairy, and minimal effort.
This recipe uses oil, so there is no milk, no butter, and no margarine in the ingredients.
And you can customize the amount of streusel. Use minimal or pile it higher.
It’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for a cozy morning snack or as a comforting treat at the end of a long, busy day.
Plus, it’s terrific to serve to guests, to welcome a new neighbor, or to bring along for dessert to a potluck with friends.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for dairy-free coffee cake
Can I freeze this coffee cake?
Yes, this coffee cake freezes exceptionally well. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave before serving.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain maximum moisture.
Can I use plant-based milk instead of water?
Yes, you should be able to substitute any unflavored, unsweetened plant-based milk (such as oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk) for the liquid in the batter to add an even richer texture. If you use coconut milk, note that it will likely add a coconutty flavor to the cake.
Can I make this coffee cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the coffee cake a day in advance. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly to lock in moisture, and store it at room temperature until you are ready to slice and serve.
What kind of oil works best in this recipe?
Neutral oils like vegetable oil or canola oil work best because they keep the crumb cake exceptionally moist without altering the classic vanilla and cinnamon flavors. You can also try avocado oil.
Can I add nuts to the streusel topping?
Yes, you can easily fold in coarsely ground walnuts or pecans into the cinnamon streusel mixture for extra texture and a nutty crunch.
Why is my coffee cake dry?
A dry coffee cake is usually caused by over-baking or measuring too much flour. Be sure to spoon and level your flour rather than scooping directly with the measuring cup, and check for doneness a few minutes before the baking time ends.
General FAQs and information about baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you’re completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice—once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it’s not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don’t ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter “creams” better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼, and from margarine or butter to oil, the ratio is typically 1 to ¾.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide. I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it’s not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Equipment for convenient general baking
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and sometimes for whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren’t dough, and I don’t want to mix manually)
- a kitchen scale
- different sizes and shapes of baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls—I have plastic, glass, and metal)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisks
- rubber spatulas (really good for when you don’t want to leave anything in the bowl)
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
Ingredients to have on hand to be able to bake a variety of goods on short notice.
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark—I usually keep dark)
- confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
- a variety of toppings
Love easy-to-make cakes?
Try these:
Pumpkin Loaf Cake
Honey Loaf Cake
Cranberry-Orange Loaf Cake
Chocolate Banana Loaf Cake
Easy Dairy-Free Coffee Cake Recipe
Easy and delicious, dairy free crumb cake cake, made without milk or butter.
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2/3 cup water
- Streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup oil
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add oil, vanilla, and water, and mix well so there are no lumps.
- Pour into a greased 8" x 8" baking pan or similar.
- Cover generously wiwth streusel (see preparation instructions below)
- Place in oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake comes out without batter on it.
- Remove from oven and place aside to cool.
Streusel *
- Pour flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix.
- Add oil and gently mix with a fork until clusters have formed.
Notes
* Make more if you love lots of streusel.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g