About two weeks after I was born, my parents decided to attempt their first bring-the-baby-to-a-restaurant experience before my grandma flew back home that weekend. Armed with the world’s largest diaper bag and my extra soft blankie, they drove to the next town over to eat breakfast at their favorite brunch place.
In the span of about 15 minutes, they dashed into the restaurant, ordered their favorite dishes, shoveled food into their mouths, and paid the check—all before I could utter a peep. They were terrified that I’d howl louder than a banshee and annoy the other diners!
But since I stayed on my best behavior, they’ve taken me back more times than I can count. Mostly because the restaurant’s famous blueberry coffee cake is just SO darn good! It’s about 3-4 inches high, incredibly moist and tender, studded with the juiciest berries, and finished with a thick cinnamon sugar crumb topping. With a little melted butter on top, it’s absolutely heavenly.
However, nearly every time we go, the servers politely inquire whether we’d like to try their seasonal flavors: peach walnut in the summer, cranberry in December, and many other choices during the rest of the year. Although sometimes Dad rebels and agrees, Mom and I (and my grandparents too!) are total purists. Their other varieties just aren’t quite as good!
But… If they offered a purely pumpkin coffee cake, without any nuts, this is exactly what it should be. Tall, moist, rich… And covered in the thickest streusel imaginable!
If you haven’t guessed, this Healthy Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake is Part 3 in my Slow Cooker Week series! On Sunday, we devoured sticky pecan buns (ohmygoodness please make those NOW!); on Monday, we ate gingerbread apple crumble (perfect for the holiday season); and today, we’re moving on to cake! Breakfast cake… Because birthday desserts aren’t the only occasion you should enjoy it!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY PUMPKIN STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE
The cake itself is fairly straightforward: flour, spices, and lots of pumpkin. Plus one secret ingredient… Lemon juice! I know it sounds strange. Citrus in a pumpkin cake? But you only need 1 itty bitty teaspoon, and the acidity in that reacts with the baking soda to make the cake rise taller and turn out with a more tender texture. If you don’t have any lemon juice, regular vinegar will work too.
Before spreading the batter into the slow cooker, line it with foil. We need to be able to remove the cake after it finishes baking, but we can’t exactly invert the pot like with sticky buns or chocolate cake. All of the streusel would fall right off! By lining it with foil, you can life that out easily (and you don’t have to wash the slow cooker either!).
For the streusel topping, I mixed melted butter into the oats and cinnamon. I’m lazy, and it’s a lot easier (and faster) than cutting in cold butter! Because of the maple syrup, the streusel will be a little moister than your typical recipe, and it might stick to your fingers as your sprinkle it over the batter. (But that just means you can lick it off afterward, right?) Just make sure you gently press the streusel into the cake batter so it doesn’t fall off when you slice the coffee cake to serve!
Curled up with a warm mug of tea and my fuzzy slippers, a slice or two of this Healthy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake is pure cozy breakfast bliss! And an afternoon snack… And dessert after dinner…
No wonder it’s already gone!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy slow cooker pumpkin streusel coffee cake!
| Healthy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake | | Print |
- for the crumb topping
- ¾ cup (75g) old-fashioned rolled oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- for the cake
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup (80mL) pure maple syrup
- Line the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with foil, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. If any lands on the rim where the lid rests, wipe clean with a paper towel.
- To prepare the crumble, whisk together the oats, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add in the maple syrup and butter, mixing until completely incorporated and no dry bits remain.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg white, and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin purée. Add in the lemon juice and maple syrup, stirring until fully incorporated. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker, and sprinkle the crumb topping over the top. Gently press the crumb topping into the cake batter. Cover and bake on “Low” for 2 hours 15 minutes. Turn off the slow cooker, and let the coffee cake cool in the pot for 10 minutes before pulling it out by gripping the edges of the foil. Place on a wire rack, slide the foil out from underneath, and let the coffee cake cool completely to room temperature before serving.
Instant oats (also called quick cooking or one-minute oats, and gluten-free if necessary) may be substituted for the old-fashioned oats.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
Coconut oil may be substituted for the unsalted butter.
The coffee cake batter isn’t too sweet because it’s meant as a breakfast cake. If you prefer a sweeter taste, increase the maple syrup to ½ cup instead.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: For the streusel topping, use certified gluten-free oats, and any gluten-free flour will work except for coconut flour. Do not substitute coconut flour; it makes the topping much too dry. For the cake, use the following gluten-free flour blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.
DAIRY-FREE, EGG-FREE + VEGAN VERSION: Substitute stick-style vegan butter (this is my favorite!) or coconut oil in place of the unsalted butter, and add an additional 3 tablespoons of pumpkin purée to the cake in place of the egg white.
REGULAR OVEN METHOD: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 9″-square baking pan with foil. Coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes. The cake may need more time to finish baking, but it's done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached and the center feels barely firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes; then lift the cake out by the foil and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
{gluten-free, dairy-free option, egg-free option, vegan option, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
My slow cooker is only 3.5 quarts. Do you have any suggestions for making changes to the recipe? Thanks
I wouldn’t suggest making this recipe in your slow cooker since the middle won’t cook all the way through by the time the top, bottom, and sides are done. Instead, I’d suggest baking it in a regular oven at 350°F in a 9″-square baking pan coated with baking spray. (You can also line the pan with foil like the recipe says to do with the slow cooker, if you prefer.) I’m not entirely sure when it should be done, but try checking around 35-45 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center feels barely firm to the touch, it should be done. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it Janet!
I don’t know what I did wrong but my cake came out dry! Sad day!!! It seemed like such a good recipe, I wonder if my slow cooker was too hot?
Oh no! That sounds disappointing Naomi. Did you “bake” the coffee cake on low? And how did you measure the flour? We’ll figure out what happened so your next coffee cake turns out perfectly tender! 🙂
It was disappointing but it’s better with coffee and I microwaved it to try and make it softer. I cooked it on low and measured the flour with a measuring cup. I think the slow cooker just runs hot so if I ever made it again I would try the oven I think. I’ve tried many of your other pumpkin recipes and they are awesome!
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my pumpkin recipes Naomi — that means a lot to me! It does sound like your slow cooker runs hot. Just to be safe, I’d recommend using a very light hand when you spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup. (I actually prefer to use a fork and gently shake it back and forth over the measuring cup. It acts like a sifter and prevents you from adding too much! 🙂 ) Hopefully those two things help for your next coffee cake!
Can I mix the Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake batter up and leave in the crockpot in the fridge over night? That way I can just turn it on in the morning.
thanks.
I hadn’t thought to try that before Jen! I think that could work. The coffee cake may not rise quite as high and may require a little extra time to bake, but the flavor and texture should be fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how that turns out!
A slice of this delicious coffee cake is only 6 weight watchers smartpoints.. Totally worth it!
I’m so glad you loved the coffee cake Nancy! That means a lot to me! 🙂
I need to watch sugars. Any ideas/substitutions for lowering the grams of carbs/per serving?
Do you have a preferred sugar substitute Paula? I’d be happy to try to provide a better suggestion once I know the sweetener you intend to use! 🙂
I’ve been using Equal and like it, but don’t know if they make brown sugar, or if they package in quantities larger than tiny packets.
I just checked Equal’s website, and it looks like they have a product called Equal Spoonful here that measures cup-for-cup like granulated sugar! If you purchase that product, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of Equal Spoonful + 1 tablespoon of milk (make sure it’s at room temperature!) to replace the maple syrup in the streusel, and you’ll need 1/3 cup of Equal Spoonful + 3 tablespoons of milk to replace the maple syrup in the cake batter. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the coffee cake Paula!
Thanks so much. I am anxious to try it.
My pleasure, Paula! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the coffee cake!
Hi Amy,
I plan to make this for xmas breakfast, and would like to sub out the syrup also. Would the substitution for Splenda for Baking be the same as Equal Spoonful?
Thanks!
I’m honored that you’d like to make this for your Christmas breakfast Natalie! I’ve found granulated Splenda doesn’t add as much volume, so I’d recommend 2 tablespoons of granulated Splenda + 4-5 teaspoons of milk (make sure it’s at room temperature!) to replace the maple syrup in the streusel, and 1/3 cup of granulated Splenda + 5-6 tablespoons of milk to replace the maple syrup in the cake batter. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you and your loved ones think of this coffee cake!
Hi! I was excited to try this recipe, but I just took the cake out of the slow cooker, and it was raw batter. What should I do?
I had this in the slow cooker for over FOUR HOURS, and it still was completely raw. I eventually gave up and dumped it in a cake pan to bake in the oven. The taste was good, but the texture was like play-doh.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Tess, and that result sounds really disappointing. The coffee cake should be moist and tender, not like play-doh. That strange texture was probably a result of over-mixing (did you use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, by chance) and/or transferring the batter between the slow cooker and loaf pan after letting it sit in the slow cooker for so long. What slow cooker did you use? It sounds like its settings are different than the one I used (I linked to it in the recipe, if you’d like to compare!). Did you use the “Low” setting on your slow cooker, rather than the “Warm” or “Keep Warm” setting? If you used the “Warm” setting, that would be why the batter was still raw after four hours. Otherwise, let me know your slow cooker make and model, and we’ll see if it needs a different setting. 🙂
This looks great, Amy, and perfect for Thanksgiving weekend! If we want to add nuts (chopped pecans?) to the batter, how much do you recommend? 1/3 c? And I presume that white whole wheat flour should work in place of the pastry flour (it’s not mentioned in the notes or other comments 😉 )? Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving!
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipe! Yes to both questions! 1/3 cup should be fine, and whole wheat pastry flour and white whole wheat flour are always interchangeable in my recipes. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this coffee cake! Happy Thanksgiving!
HI! I noticed your claim that this recipe is vegan…not if it contains egg whites and butter. Perhaps it was an oversight?
I actually added a vegan version in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pumpkin coffee cake Nadia!