This moist and delicious Apple Coffee Cake is filled with fresh apples, plenty of spice, and has the perfect spiced icing drizzle on top. If you’re looking for a new favorite apple recipe to make this season then you’ll love this coffee cake.
The Most Moist and Delicious Apple Coffee Cake
There are so many things to love about this Apple Coffee Cake!
- It’s packed with fresh apples – there’s nothing like a moist tender cake filled with plenty of tart yet juicy apples.
- It’s full of classic apple pie spice flavor – the combination of apple pie spice and cinnamon gives this coffee cake the perfect bold spiced flavor.
- It’s the perfect cozy fall dessert – when the weather starts to get cooler I’m constantly looking for cozy fall treats to bake just like this coffee cake. It’ll make your house smell incredible.
Apple Coffee Cake Ingredients
Butter: I like to use unsalted butter when baking.
Apple: For this recipe you’ll need both unsweetened applesauce and diced apples. I like to go with honey crisp or Granny Smith apples for this cake.
Greek Yogurt: whole milk Greek yogurt helps to keep the coffee cake moist.
Almond Milk: adds just a bit of extra moisture to the coffee cake.
Vanilla Extract: any apple baked good needs plenty of vanilla extract.
Eggs: you’ll need two large eggs to provide some stability to the cake.
Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar helps to give the coffee cake some sweetness and rich flavor.
All Purpose Flour: you’ll need two cups of regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. I’ve included notes on how to keep this recipe gluten free, if needed, below.
Apple Pie Spice: to really drive home that apple flavor we’re using a bit of apple pie spice in this coffee cake.
Cinnamon: this is added to both the cake, middle layer, and the streusel topping.
Baking Powder and Soda: these leavening agents help to give the coffee cake some lift.
Salt: it may seem counterintuitive to add salt to a sweet cake batter but it is very needed. A bit of salt helps to give all of your baked goods the best flavor.
Helpful Ingredient Substitutions You May Need
- Brown Sugar – you can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you prefer.
- Greek Yogurt – whole milk Greek yogurt can be swapped for sour cream.
- Flour – need to keep this recipe entirely gluten free? you can swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten free cup for cup flour instead. My favorite gluten free flour replacement to use is Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour. It always work well for me as a 1 to 1 swap for all-purpose flour. Please note, that you cannot substitute almond flour, coconut flour, or cassava flour 1:1 in this recipe.
Essential Kitchen Tools
How to Make This Apple Coffee Cake
Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8×8 square pan or line with parchment paper.
Step Two: Add the melted butter, brown sugar, all purpose flour, and cinnamon to a small mixing bowl. Stir together until well combined and a crumble forms. Set aside.
Step Three: Add the dark brown sugar, all purpose flour, and ground cinnamon to a small bowl and stir until well combined.
Step Four: Add the melted butter, Greek yogurt, applesauce, vanilla extract brown sugar, eggs, and almond milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
Step Five: To another mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined. Next, Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have a thick batter.
Step Six: Transfer half the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Next, sprinkle the cinnamon layer even over the batter. Next, pour the remaining half of the batter over the cinnamon layer and smooth into an even layer.
Step Seven: Bake the coffee cake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. If using a ceramic baking dish the cake may take a bit longer to bake.
Step Eight: Let the coffee cake cool for 20-30 minutes before drizzling the icing over the cake while warm. Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!
More Delicious Reader Favorite Apple Recipes
- Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp
- Apple Pie Crumb Bars
- Healthy Apple Pie Smoothie
I hope you give this Apple Coffee Cake a try! It’s easy to make and has the best flavor!! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know!
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Apple Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This moist and delicious Apple Coffee Cake is filled with fresh apples, plenty of spice, and has the perfect spiced icing drizzle on top. If you’re looking for a new favorite apple recipe to make this season then you’ll love this coffee cake.
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 medium honey crisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and small diced (roughly 1 1/2 – 2 cups)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or non-dairy milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8×8 square pan or line with parchment paper.
- Make the Streusel Topping: Add the melted butter, brown sugar, all purpose flour, and cinnamon to a small mixing bowl. Stir together until well combined and a crumble forms. Set aside.
- Make the Cinnamon Layer: Add the dark brown sugar, all purpose flour, and ground cinnamon to a small bowl and stir until well combined.
- Make the Coffee Cake Batter: Add the melted butter, Greek yogurt, applesauce, vanilla extract brown sugar, eggs, and almond milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
- To another mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have a thick batter.
- Assemble the Coffee Cake and Bake: Transfer half the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Next, sprinkle the cinnamon layer evenly over the batter. Next, pour the remaining half of the batter over the cinnamon layer and smooth into an even layer. Lastly, add the streusel in an even layer over the top of the cake.
- Bake the coffee cake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. If using a ceramic baking dish the cake may take a bit longer to bake.
- Make the Icing: Add the confectioner’s sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined and smooth.
- Let the coffee cake cool for 20-30 minutes before drizzling the icing over the cake while warm. Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!
Notes
How to Store and Reheat
Store: If you plan to eat the coffee cake within a few days, you can leave it wrapped tightly, or in an air-tight container on the counter for 2-3 days. If you would like the cake to last a bit longer, you can wrap it tightly and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: First, slice the cake into even slices and then wrap them individually in food safe plastic wrap. Then, transfer the cake slices to a freezer safe storage bag. Store the sliced cake for up to three months. If you are freezing, I recommend waiting to put any of the icing on the cake until after it is thawed.
Reheat: You can reheat a slice of the coffee cake from frozen in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. I like to wrap the cake in a bit of aluminum foil before placing in the oven to reheat. To reheat out of the fridge, you can place a slice in the microwave fro 15-30 seconds at a time until it is warmed through.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 25, 2023 and republished on October 17, 2025.
This was fantastic. Tried this at my nephews, took home the recipe, and in the oven now.
You might add, the instructions for adding the apples.
Otherwise follow exactly!!
The instructions still don’t say to add the streusel topping before baking.
Hi Annette! You add the streusel topping to the top of the cake. The instructions have been updated as well. I hope that helps!
I don’t see where to add the middle cinnamon layer. I assume to add half the batter to the pan, then the cinnamon layer, then the other half of the batter? Just confirming.
Hi Sonja! Yes that’s exactly right. The instructions have been updated for you!
In the directions you don’t state when/where to use the cinnamon layer.
Thanks for letting me know, Joy!