Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

It can be challenging to find plant-based baked goods that taste like classic sweet treats, but sans the dairy and eggs that often makes such sweet treats taste as good as they do. Those who have made the switch to a vegan lifestyle will be happy to hear that it can be done — and done well. This vegan blueberry coffee cake features wholesome ingredients and delivers a golden, buttery cinnamon crumb topping and a fluffy interior with fresh, juicy blueberries. It makes the perfect breakfast with coffee, afternoon snack, or after dinner dessert.

"Blueberries are my favorite fruit and I love incorporating them into my daily regime," wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn says. "I'm using enough blueberries in this recipe so that you get some in every bite." Not only is this recipe proof that vegan baked goods can be just as good as their dairy- and egg-filled counterparts, but it also allows wholesome berries to be the star of the show.

To make this recipe, you'll need quite a few baking basics like brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla paste or vanilla extract.

Stop by the produce department for a lemon and some fresh blueberries. Frozen blueberries don't work well here as they add too much moisture, so stick to fresh. Then you'll need vegan butter, coconut oil, soy milk, and dairy-free yogurt.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Make the crumb topping by combining the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

Add ½ cup flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil and powdered sugar.

To the bowl with the oil and sugar, add the soy milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir to combine.

Fold in the blueberries.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.

Top the batter with the crumb topping and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, testing to see if a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

There are several substitutions that can be made in this recipe, so you can use what you have on hand or use ingredients you prefer. Although vegan butter is preferred, you can substitute more coconut oil or use olive oil. Instead of brown sugar, coconut sugar is a good substitute and will add a slight caramel-like flavor. You can also substitute in maple syrup or agave, but you'll want to increase the baking time by 5 minutes to accommodate for the extra moisture.

For the flour, instead of all-purpose flour, try whole wheat flour to add some extra fiber. If you are looking for gluten-free options, try quinoa flour, millet flour, or any type of gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour.

You can also make some changes to the dairy-free items we're using. Instead of soy milk, you can use almond milk, oat milk, flax milk, or cashew milk. Any type of dairy-free yogurt can be used like coconut, almond, or cashew yogurt. Or, in place of yogurt you can use mashed bananas, silken tofu, or applesauce.

Like all baked goods, there are some tips to make sure you end up with the perfect end result. If your coconut oil has solidified, as it often does, you can warm it to make it liquid, but make sure it has cooled to room temperature before combining it with the powdered sugar. The butter, on the other hand, should be chilled and firm to create that crumbly texture.

Baking soda and baking powder are both very important to make the coffee cake rise. Both of these last for about six months once opened, and if you use either past that point, you run the risk of the coffee cake not rising to its full capacity. An easy way to tell if your baking soda is still active is to put ¼ teaspoon into a bowl and pour a little vinegar or lemon juice over it. If it fizzes up, it's still active and good to use. For baking powder, a similar test can be done using ½ teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup hot water. If it bubbles up, the baking powder is still good to use.

It's also important not to overmix the batter which can cause the cake to become too dense. You'll also want to be very gentle when folding in the blueberries, so they stay intact as much as possible. Finally, since all ovens are different, it's helpful to use the toothpick trick by inserting a toothpick near the end of the cooking time to see if comes out clean indicating it's done.