This Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee Cake is an incredibly delicious fall inspired dessert that can be enjoyed anytime! Sweet cinnamon apple coffee cake topped with a decadent yet healthy crumb topping and dairy free caramel sauce that makes it extra special and perfect for brunch and holidays.
Just like I said yesterday – apples are being delivered! Starting now with a perfectly decadent (yet still technically Paleo) Caramel Apple Coffee Cake. As far as Paleo friendly coffee cakes go, this one is a winner – and I am pretty picky about my coffee cakes.
And my caramel, as you probably know if you’ve been around for a while. And if you’re new here, I really, really, really hope you like caramel, since, it tends to pop up over here pretty frequently.
What Makes This the Best Coffee Cake Recipe
This healthy caramel apple coffee cake has so much to offer! It’s Paleo, grain free, topped with a crazy good streusel, and drizzled in a delicious dairy free caramel sauce! Does it get any better than that?!
Ingredients in Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
There are three components to this coffee cake – the cake, the crumb topping, and the caramel drizzle. For the cake you’ll need:
Eggs
Cashew butter
Shredded apple (squeeze the excess water out into a paper towel)
Coconut sugar
Almond flour & tapioca flour
Baking soda & sea salt
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Allspice
Tip: I recommend using a creamy cashew butter in this easy coffee cake recipe. The smooth texture is essential for keeping this coffee cake moist, but not too dense.
For the Crumb Topping you’ll need:
Coconut oil
Almond flour
Coconut sugar
Chopped pecans
Cinnamon & Nutmeg
How to Bake Coffee Cake
Although it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients in this Apple Coffee Cake recipe, there are really only a few simple steps for baking it.
- Wet ingredients: Whisk together the wet ingredients and the coconut sugar in a large bowl
- Dry ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl, then add them to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
- Add the apples into the batter, then pour it into a prepared baking dish.
- Crumb topping: Combine the ingredients for the crumb topping, then sprinkle it generously over the batter and bake.
- Caramel sauce: Make it on the stove while the coffee cake bakes, and drizzle it overtop when it’s done baking.
That’s it!
How to Make Paleo Caramel Sauce
As you probably already know, I love caramel sauce. I just can’t help myself – once I figured out how to make it in under 10 minutes with coconut milk, let’s just say it was over from there. Paleo-caramel-addict-4-life is now my middle name. Right after Beth.
Caramel hot chocolate, chocolate caramel cups, caramel banana bread, caramel brownies – I’m almost embarrassed that I’m not sick of caramel, like at all!
To make this Paleo caramel sauce, all you have to do is melt the coconut cream and coconut sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer until it reaches caramel syrup consistency. Remove the caramel from the heat, and stir in the vanilla and sea salt.
Drizzle the caramel all over the coffee cake and serve!
If you’re wondering if it’s worth it, while I can’t exactly offer you a “money back” guarantee, I can tell you this: This Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee cake is just as delicious as any coffee cake I’ve had – Paleo or not!
Plus, my very un-Paleo husband said it was one of his favorites and both the picky kiddos ate it. (Full disclosure – one of them picked out the nuts.) Plus, the refined coconut oil used in the topping ensures no coconut taste at all, which is sometimes a deal breaker for the littlest one.
Since I’m sure you’ve had enough of my selling and pleading, I will now leave you with the recipe – hopefully one that will become a favorite! Remember to post pictures and tag me on Instagram if you make it, or any of my recipes!
Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
- 1 med apple peeled and shredded, excess water squeezed out*
- 1/4 cup organic coconut palm sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
For the Crumb Topping
- 2.5 Tbsp solid organic refined coconut oil**
- 6 Tbsp blanched almond flour
- 3 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- dash nutmeg
For the Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut cream***
- 3 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 inch baking dish or cake pan with parchment paper
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cashew butter, 1/4 cup coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. In a smaller bowl, combine the 1/2 cup almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, 2 tsp cinnamon plus the nutmeg and allspice.
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Stir the shredded apples into the cake mixture and pour the batter into the parchment lined baking dish.
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To make the crumb topping, combine all ingredients except the pecans in a small bowl and blend with a fork or pastry blender until combined, then stir in the pecans.
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Top the unbaked coffee cake generously with all of the crumb topping, then bake in the preheated oven of 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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While the cake bakes, prepare the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the coconut cream and coconut sugar, stirring as it melts. Bring to a boil, stirring, then lower the heat if needed to a strong simmer (the mixture should continue to bubble) and continue to stir and cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, syrupy, and deep golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and sea salt.
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Once cake is done, remove and transfer carefully to a wire rack by holding both ends of parchment paper. Allow both the cake and caramel sauce to cool completely before drizzling caramel over the top to serve. Store leftover caramel in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Just squeeze between paper towel to drain, I wound up with about 1/2 cup shredded apple after draining
**Chill in the fridge prior to making the topping
***I used the thick part of a chilled can of full fat coconut milk or you can purchase canned coconut cream
What I Used To Make My Paleo Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Want more Paleo coffee cake recipes? Try one of these!
Banana Almond Coffee Cake Muffins
Have you tried refined coconut oil for baking?
What’s one thing you should be sick of but probably never will be?
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lately I am sick of all of my favorite foods lol. although most of the time, I rarely get sick of apples or peanut butter. and i never get tired of chocolate cake. this looks delicious!
I am so sick of my routine meals/foods that I have been eating on repeat for years!! I roam the aisles and nothing interests me! Even in restaurants, everything sounds the same old, same old. I wish I had the enthusiasm and patience to cook like you!! I would love to be a benefactor of living in your house. This looks Devine and the photos are so professional!
Such a pretty cake & sounds delish too! Coffee cake always reminds me of my Grandma. She would make it all the time & it always brings back fond memories of her.
The fruit is already being switched out in the store and the GLORIOUS apples are back!! No more teeny tiny sad dregs! Apples are one of my favorite foods <3 Sweet perfection!
That looks so tempting … it is getting made ASAP!
I should be sick of most of what I eat since I eat on repeat so much haha. I always use refined coconut oil since I have picky family/taste testers who would prefer I left the coconut flavor out of many things 🙂 That crumb topping is gorgeous!
Chocolate, bananas, oats, dates, and almond butter – I will love them forever. But that caramel would probably be on the list too if I had it. Hi, yum. Also, this coffee cake looks amazing. I never would have guessed it’s Paleo!
I’m fairly new to Paleo and am new to your site, which, by the way, has given me several new recipes to try. Two questions: 1. Is there a difference between coconut palm sugar and coconut sugar? 2. Does the caramel sauce taste like coconut since the main ingredient is coconut cream? I’m not a fan of coconut, not even the smell of it, so making a recipe with all of the coconut based ingredients has me quite apprehensive.
Brilliant! I love this combo idea. Do you think the cake would freeze well without toppings? Looking for some things to make while my parents are here for the weekend.
I haven’t frozen this but I would think it should be fine – there’s a decent amount of nut butter and coconut oil which in my experience seems to freeze alright. If you wind up doing it let me know!
I would absolutely love to make this. I know that your coffee cakes are good from experience!
Michele, this looks beyond amazing and I want to legit drink the caramel sauce. 😀
TGFA. Thank Goodness For Apples.
Yup, good for drinking lol 🙂 Thanks!
This looks delicious! Planning to make it tomorrow for some guests. Just one question, would I be able to substitute the Cashew nut butter with either macadamia nut butter or Almond nut butter?
Thank you!
Yup, I think almond would be best. hope you like it!
Hello Michele,
These look really yummy! I want to make them but I can’t really use cashew now (health issues). Can I use sunflower butter?
Thank you
Yup that’s fine 🙂
Okay, thank you!
Is it okay to use a 7″ cake pan, too?
I am going to make this for my sister’s birthday this week. This will be very new and different for her (she is unfamiliar with the world of paleo cakes) but I’m sure she’s gonna love it! 🙂
The recipe Ingredients for the coffee cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
1 med apple peeled and shredded, excess water squeezed out*
Is 1 med apple a typo or do you only use 1 apple? Thanks vk
Just wanted to let you know this came out great! We are making it for Thanksgiving. I couldn’t get the caramel sauce to brown, but it still tastes AMAZING! Also had some trouble getting it done in the middle, but I may have not pressed the liquid out of the apple well enough. Thanks for an amazing recipe that suited our allergy needs!
Already, the apples are making their triumphant return to the shop, where they have been absent for octodle quite some time. No more of those forlorn, teeny-tiny dregs! Apples are one of the meals that I look forward to eating the most. Simply amazing in every way!
I also had trouble getting it done in the middle, but that might be because I didn’t press the apple well enough to get the juice out.