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This gluten-free apple cake makes an excellent breakfast bake or dessert! It's topped with a cinnamon oat crumble, and packed with warm spices and sweet apples. A super easy apple cake recipe, that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It is also a healthier dessert option, with only 4 grams of added sugar per serving!
Apple crumble cakes are one of my favorite desserts! They're seasonal and juicy, and I can't get enough of that crumbly, crisp, spiced oat topping. Traditionally they're pretty rich and high in sugar so I created this twist on the traditional apple crumble with all of the flavors of the original recipe, but slightly lightened up and free of refined sugar.
This delicious gluten-free apple cake recipe is made with a gluten-free flour blend and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar. This dish is cozy, comforting, and one of the best healthy desserts I've ever had. The whole family will love it and the apples and raisins deliver plenty of natural sweetness.
The sweet apple flavor works so well with the spiced warmth of the cinnamon and the crisp oat topping is so satisfying. It's a great holiday dessert option or treat to enjoy with your morning coffee or tea. At just 236 calories per serving, you can enjoy a slice guilt-free too!
👩🍳 Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Refined Sugar-Free: This gluten-free apple recipe is lower in sugar than many apple cake or crisp recipes because it is refined sugar-free and does not use apple pie filling. Fresh crisp and tart apples provide natural sweetness along with coconut sugar.
- Simple Ingredients: Easy gluten-free apple cake comes together quickly with pantry staples and needs just a few apples, so you can make this cake whenever you need a quick and simple cake.
- Moist: Almond milk, eggs, and fresh apples give this cake moisture while still being gluten-free. I love how the apples bake together with the cake layer and the streusel gives just the right crunch for a light apple cake that doesn't fall apart but still melts in your mouth.
- Great Holiday Dessert: Gluten-free apple pie cakeis versatile and wonderful for any holiday. Serve for Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, baby showers, or a family gathering.
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🥘 Ingredients
This gluten-free apple spice cake calls for basic ingredients easily found at most grocery stores or in your pantry! See the recipe card below for detailed instructions and nutrition information.
Cake Batter Ingredients
- Apples: The best apples to use for this gluten free spiced apple cake are honey crisp, fuji, granny smith, braeburn, or pink lady apples. Peeled, cored, and sliced.
- Flour: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that has xanthan gum added, such as Bob's Red Mill, for texture that mimics all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder: Gives lift to this simple gluten-free apple cake.
- Coconut Sugar: An unrefined sugar that is less processed than cane sugar, or brown sugar. Use for both the egg mixture and the apple mixture.
- Eggs: Eggs create a very fluffy texture, and make this moist cake almost like a breakfast bake!
- Almond Milk: Unsweetened almond milk offers a neutral taste and adds moisture and creaminess to the egg mixture.
- Vanilla Extract: High-quality vanilla extract gives warm vanilla notes that blend deliciously with apples.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the best flavor to this gluten free apple tea cake.
- Raisins: Added sweetness and texture that pairs well with apples.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: For classic apple pie taste.
- Melted Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness to the apples as they cook and helps the cake batter have a smooth texture that melts in your mouth.
Streusel Topping Ingredients
- Coconut Sugar & Cinnamon: For sweetness & a warm spice flavor, and beautiful rich caramel color.
- Gluten-Free Oats: Oats are the perfect ingredient for a crumbly topping on this easy recipe.
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar if preferred and will give this gluten free apple cider donut cake a deeper flavor with richer molasses notes.
- Milk: Use your favorite dairy milk or non-dairy milk in place of almond milk.
- Flour: If you don't need to make this gluten-free, you can use whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour. You can also try oat flour instead of gluten free 1:1 baking flour, but your gluten free apple cinnamon cake might be a little more dense.
- Apple Pie Spice: Use apple pie or pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon and nutmeg.
🔪 How To Make Gluten-Free Apple Cake
Here's how to make this gluten-free apple dessert:
Preheat and Peel: Preheat the oven to 356 degrees F / 180 C. Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk Egg Mixture: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, 4 tbsp coconut sugar, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
Cook The Apples: Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the apple slices, lemon juice, raisins, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ¼ cup coconut sugar, and butter. Stir until the butter and sugar have melted and started to bubble. Continue to stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Prep the Baking Dish: Spray a 10-inch x 7-inch baking dish, cake pan, or springform pan with cooking spray. Add the apple mixture to the prepared pan and spread evenly over the base of the baking dish. Top with the egg mixture to create a cake batter.
Make Streusel Topping: In a separate mixing bowl, mix all of the streusel topping ingredients. Evenly sprinkle over the top of the cake.
Bake this gluten free apple cider cake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with additional toppings, if desired.
- Make Ahead And Freeze: This sliced apple cake is great baked ahead of time, is easily frozen, and defrosts well. Ideal for busy holidays!
- Bake In A Fun Pan: A springform or bundt cake pan will make this recipe for gluten-free apple cake even more beautiful to serve. Make sure to grease your pan well with non-stick cooking spray or butter .
- Use An Apple Slicer Or Corer: An apple slicer or corer will make preparing the apples quick and easy. These tools are inexpensive and save time anytime you need sliced or cored apples.
- Layer Ingredients: For best results, resist the temptation to stir the layers together in this cake, instead layer the ingredients in the baking pan as listed: apples, cake, then streusel topping. This will make for the best gluten free apple cake with a crisp and sweet oat and coconut sugar crunch on top.
- Lower Sugar: For an even lower-sugar cake, cut the amount of coconut sugar and raisins used in half.
- Vanilla Almond: Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the cake batter and ½ cup of slivered almond to the streusel topping mixture for vanilla almond apple cake.
- Chocolate Apple Cake: While this apple chunk cake is still warm, sprinkle the top with ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, shreds of your favorite white chocolate bar, or drizzle with warm vegan nutella.
This gluten-free apple spiced cake is great served plain but is delicious topped with unsweetened whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce or maple syrup. If you decide to go the whipped cream route, top the cake while it's still slightly warm so that some of the whipped cream melts into the cake - yum!
I love serving gf apple cake with a small glass of hot apple cider or a cup of coffee, especially during cooler weather. It is also the perfect sweet treat for warmer months when paired with frozen yogurt, ice cream, or a dollop of coconut yogurt.
- Dairy-Free Option: For a gluten-free dairy-free apple cake, use vegan butter.
- Nut-Free: To make this recipe nut-free, substitute the almond milk with soy milk, low-fat, or whole milk.
- Vegan: To make gluten-free vegan apple cake use a vegan egg replacement and vegan butter.
- Storing: Leftover apple cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cut this gluten free apple coffee cake into individual-sized pieces, wrap each one in aluminum foil, and place in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To enjoy from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight, then heat in the microwave or the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.
❓Recipe FAQs
Do apples have gluten?
Apples are naturally gluten-free, making them a delicious choice to include in a cake or other gluten-free dessert. Fruits like apples provide natural sweetness, texture, and lots of flavor to gluten-free or vegan dishes.
Can celiacs eat gluten-free cake?
This gluten free apple crumble cake is suitable for those with celiac. When preparing and serving gluten-free cake to anyone with celiac or a serious food allergy, be careful that there is no cross-contamination and that all bowls, spoons, measuring cups, and serving utensils are used for only gluten-free baking. It can be helpful to have gluten-free cooking items stored in a designated drawer or cabinet and use a designated color for these items.
Why is gluten-free cake chewy?
A gluten-free cake could develop a chewy or gummy texture when certain flours are used, the batter is undermixed, or the cake is overbaked. Unlike traditional baking, many gluten-free cake batters need additional mixing time to develop structure.
Additionally, some flours used in gluten-free baking need additional time to absorb the wet ingredients by either mixing or resting after mixing. This moist gluten free apple cake recipe is written to be made gluten-free so it's been created and tested to have excellent texture.
How do you add moisture to a gluten-free cake?
For moist gluten-free cake, look for a recipe that includes non-dairy milk, eggs and fruit. Fruit in particular offers moisture, flavor, and natural sweetness. Gluten-free flours may need a bit of extra stirring to fully absorb the wet ingredients.
