This is the BEST healthier pumpkin cake! The cake is super tender and packed with warm spices and big pumpkin flavor. The oat streusel is sweet and salty and adds texture and extra flavor to the cake. Then, it’s all finished with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. Best part. This cake is made with all wholesome, real ingredients, so you can feel goo about eating it!
Cake for breakfast, yes please!
Ah, an ode to coffee cake. Delicious, sweet, streusel topped beauty I get to indulge in with my cup of coffee first thing in the morning. How I love thee! I mean, what’s better than cake for breakfast?!
How about cake for breakfast, that’s still sweet and delicious, but also nutritious. Plus, your kids love it! Yep, breakfast dreams coming true today!
Let me introduce you to my pumpkin coffee cake. It’s the best healthier, fall inspired coffee cake! The pumpkin cake is perfectly moist and sweet, with the perfect hit of warm spices to balance it all out and make the pumpkin flavor sing. The oat streusel topping adds a sweet and salty crunch. Finally, that tangy sweet cream cheese glaze brings it all together for the perfect Fall treat.
This pumpkin coffee cake is made with all nutritious real ingredients, like oats, oat flour, coconut oil, and real pumpkin. I used a plant-based sweetener instead of real sugar (more on this below), so there’s zero added sugar. It’s also gluten-free and can be made dairy-free.
I also taste tested it on my son (a very picky eater; also willing to provide his real opinions on all matters 😂😅) and he loved it. Every day after school he asks me for more ‘pumkin’ cake! So I know this recipe is a winner!
Ingredients in this pumpkin coffee cake:
Here’s what you’ll need to make this pumpkin coffee cake:
The pumpkin coffee cake and topping:
- real pumpkin puree; not pumpkin pie filling but the real, fresh pumpkin in a can. Our favorite is Libby’s, which is actually a local company! Pumpkin is a quintessential Fall flavor which I adore. It also adds moisture to the cake, making it super tender and delicious!
- oat flour and oats; the cake is made with oat flour, which is simply oats ground until it resembles a flour like consistency. You can make your own or buy it at almost any grocery store. It’s gluten-free (if made from gluten-free oats) and packed with nutrients and fiber. I also used Old Fashioned oats in the streusel for texture and extra nutrients!
- Whole Earth Allulose Baking Blend; I’m obsessed with Whole Earth’s allulose 1:1 sweeteners. It’s a plant-based zero sugar sweetener that tastes, bakes, and measures just like sugar. You can swap it into any baked good to reduce the calories/sugar but still create a delicious treat. Now, they have a brown sugar allulose 1:1 baking blend and granulated. It gives this cake the perfect sweetness without any additional calories or carbs! Yes please!
- coconut oil, helps make this cake super moist and tender (but don’t worry, it doesn’t add any dedectible coconut flavor; the pumpkin is the shining star!).
- eggs, helps make a cohesive cake batter. I have not tried this recipe with flaxseed eggs to make it vegan, but I think it would most likely work (if you try it, let me know how it worked in the comments below!)
- vanilla, adds warm, natural sweetness.
- pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin is a mild flavor, so it needs spices to wake it up! I love using a pumpkin pie spice blend, as it allows you to purchase one spice instead of stocking up on several (which can get super pricey). Pumpkin pie spice blend has all those warm, fall spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, making this cake feel like a big, warm hug on a cool, crisp, summer morning!
The cream cheese glaze
- cream cheese, cream cheese frosting and pumpkin cake are like best buds! So, I topped this cake with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. You can totally use a dairy-free cream cheese for a dairy-free option!
- powdered sugar, gives the glaze it’s sweetness and smoothness. I used Whole Earth’s powdered Erythritol (which is coming soon and I am so excited for you guys to try it!). In the meantime, you can use regular powdered sugar.
- almond milk, helps thin out the glaze so it’s smooth and pourable. Any dairy-free milk (or regular milk) will work too!
Tips for making this pumpkin coffee cake:
- Use parchment paper: I line my 8×8 pan with parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake from the pan and cut it after it’s complete.
- Use a toothpick to check for doneness: The streusel topping can make it tricky to see if the cake is fully baked; so I like to poke it with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean to know it’s done.
- Use room temperature ingredients: this helps create a smooth, cohesive batter and ensures you do not overmix the batter, which can lead to a dense cake.
- Use real pumpkin puree: NOT pumpkin pie filling (which is already sweetened). The fresh pumpkin is actual real pumpkin that’s just pureed. It’s packed with nutrients and vitamins and also creates a moist, delicious cake, win win!
- Evenly spread the streusel: You want the streusel topping to cover the entire cake batter layer so you get that sweet, crunchy goodness in every bite.
More on Whole Earth Sweeteners
This pumpkin coffee cake is made with my favorite plant-based sweetener from Whole Earth Sweetener Co. – their amazing allulose baking blend. I adore Whole Earth Sweetener Co. as they create delicious, plant-based sweeteners while using natural ingredients that meet their specific natural standard.
Their allulose baking blend is a plant-based zero calorie sweetener that bakes and browns like sugar, plus has a sugar-like texture, keto friendly, zero net carbs, and measure like sugar. It’s a game change in the healthy baking game and makes this cake perfectly sweet without any actual sugar in the batter! They now have a brown 1:1 allulose baking blend too!
You can seamlessly swap Whole Earth’s allulose baking blend with regular sugar, 1:1, in all your fav baked goods. It truly is a fav of mine and I highly recommend it!
More treats using Whole Earth Sweetener
- The Best Healthier Carrot Cake
- Coconut Vanilla Cream Cold Brew
- Lemon Raspberry Donuts with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Enjoy!
This really is the best healthier pumpkin coffee cake! A delicious, tender, spice filled pumpkin cake with a crunchy sweet and salty oat streusel topping, and creamy, tangy glaze. With a glass of coffee, this makes for the perfect Fall morning!
If you make this healthy pumpkin coffee cake, please leave a comment below. I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, cuz sharing is caring!
The BEST Healthy Pumpkin Coffee Cake
The best healthier pumpkin cake with a super tender that's packed with warm spices and big pumpkin flavor and made with wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/3 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Whole Earth brown sugar 1:1 allulose blend regular browm sugar works too
- 1/3 cup Whole Earth 1:1 allulose granulated baking blend regular organic cane sugar works too
- ½ cup melted coconut oil cooled slightly
- 1 cup pumpkin puree I used Libby's
- 2 eggs room temp.
- 2 tablespoons almond milk room temp.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Streusel
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup Whole Earth brown sugar allulose blend regular brown sugar works too
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese room temp.
- 1-3 tablespoons almond milk room temp.
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
Instructions
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Greased and line with parchment paper an 8×8 baking pan.
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In a medium bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cooled, melted coconut oil and Whole Earth brown sugar allulose blend and Whole Earth allulose granulated baking blend until sugar substitutes are dissolved. Whisk in the pumpkin, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla until well-combined and smooth. Pour the dry mix into the wet mix and fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
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In the same medium bowl that you mixed the dry ingredients, add all the ingredients for the streusel. Using a fork or your hands, mix the ingredients until all combined and it resembles wet sand. Top the batter evenly with the streusel mix.
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Bake for 26-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
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While the cake cools, you can make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon almond milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. If too thick, add more almond milk, ½ tablespoon, at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Pour glaze over cooled cake.
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Slice, serve, and enjoy!
