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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake

    Published: Oct 1, 2017 · Last modified: Apr 26, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake | Stress Baking
    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake | Stress Baking
    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake | Stress Baking
    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake | Stress Baking

    This tender cranberry coffee cake recipe is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. Try my paleo apple cinnamon coffee cake next.

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    Happy October, everyone! This is when it’s now socially acceptable for me to start decorating the house with pumpkins and apples, wear nothing but shades of beige and black, and watch my electric bill plummet while I cease using the AC.

    It’s the (second) most wonderful time of the year.

    I’ve been dying to start making all things cranberry for the holidays, and I’ve decided that I don’t have to wait for the holidays! With the weather cooling down, I start to crave things like casseroles and coffee cakes.

    I no longer want egg whites and a fruit salad for breakfast. I want waffles, and piles of pancakes, and coffee cake – hence, this cranberry coffee cake. 

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    This cranberry coffee cake is paleo, but not hard to make

    But here’s the thing about waffles and piles of pancakes and coffee cake – they’re loaded with gluten and dairy, and that’s a big no-no for a paleo diet. And since I’m stubborn as hell, I’m not giving up my fluffy breakfast confections.

    So that means I had to find a way to make them gluten free, dairy free, lower carb and refined sugar free. And guess what? I did it, and it’s beautiful. The smell alone kinda got me in the holiday spirit, which is good because I am desperately trying to get ahead on my recipes so that I have more time to drink and be merry once winter rolls around. 

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    Paleo baking with almond flour and coconut flour

    I’ve been spending a lot of time learning the ways to use almond flour and coconut flour, and it’s not as easy as swapping one for another. Almond flour can be mostly a 1:1 ratio for all purpose flour, but you have to use more baking powder to get more rise out of it.

    Coconut flour is sort of a pain in my ass – it’s much more absorbent, so you can’t just use it as a 1:1 ratio of all purpose flour. With that said, the right combination of the two can result in a perfectly puffy and tender cake when paired with the right amount of rising agent, egg and oil.

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    Using coconut sugar as a paleo sweetener

    And of course you need a little bit of sweetener, for which I used coconut sugar. Coconut sugar has been a real life saver, because using maple syrup or honey isn’t always the right option. I wanted this cake to have a tender crumb, but I didn’t want it to be heavy. Coconut sugar to the rescue, my friends. Outside of that, there’s nothing crazy about this recipe! 

    Storing cranberries to have on hand

    I always stock up on cranberries and freeze them – I’m basically never without at least two bags of cranberries at any given point and time. You can add them to the batter straight out of the freezer and the result is just as delicious as cranberries fresh out of the bog.

    They get all wrinkly and give the coffee cake those perfect little pockets of tart deliciousness. 

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    How many servings does this make?

    As for portion size, you can slice this into nine pieces or 16 – totally up to you. I like huge pieces of coffee cake, so of course I cut it into nine.

    But you should all be proud of me because I resisted the urge to make some sort of vanilla drizzle to just douse the thing.

    Mind you… there are still a few pieces waiting to fulfill their purpose. It’s not too late.

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake: Tender cake is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping. | stressbaking.com

    Paleo Cranberry Coffee Cake

    5 from 1 vote
    This tender cranberry coffee cake recipe is packed with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest, and loaded with slivered almonds and a sweet crumb topping.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 9 pieces

    Equipment

    • Square baking pan
    • Parchment paper
    • Mixing bowls
    • Whisk
    • Pastry cutter
    • Wooden spoon

    Ingredients
      

    Crumb topping:

    • ¼ cup almond flour
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar
    • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, solid (not melted)
    • 3 tablespoons slivered almonds

    Cake:

    • 2 ¾ cups almond flour
    • ¼ cup coconut flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup coconut oil, solid (not melted)
    • ½ cup coconut sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • ½ cup almond milk, or coconut milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
    • 2 cups cranberries, divided
    • Zest of 1 orange, divided

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350° and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut sugar and coconut oil. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the coconut oil until completely combined and crumbly. Set aside.
    • In another medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together coconut oil and coconut sugar until well combined.
    • Add eggs, almond milk and vanilla/almond extract and use a wooden spoon to combine.
    • Add dry mixture to wet mixture until combined. Add 1 ½ cups cranberries and ¾ of the orange zest and gently stir to combine.
    • Press batter into prepared pan. Top with crumb mixture, cranberries and orange zest.
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Let cool completely in pan. Cut into 9 pieces and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tayler

      November 09, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      Can I use all almond flour? No coconut flour??

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        November 12, 2020 at 9:15 am

        Coconut flour is extremely absorbent, so it’s not a 1:1 swap since you also need to adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe as well.

        I haven’t tried it personally with all almond flour, but in theory you should be able to substitute the 1/4 cup coconut flour with 1 cup almond flour and remove 1 egg. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    2. Jeanne

      December 05, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      Has anyone tried using coconut milk instead of almond? It’s all I have in the house.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 07, 2018 at 9:11 am

        It should work, texture wise, but you may have a slightly different taste due to the additional coconut flavor it will add.I haven’t tried it myself, but perhaps add a 1/2 teaspoon more of vanilla extract to balance it out. Good luck!

        Reply
    3. Jenna

      October 10, 2017 at 12:06 pm

      This looks so moist and would be perfect for a light breakfast on Christmas morning!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 11, 2017 at 2:03 pm

        It totally would!

        Reply
    4. kate

      October 08, 2017 at 11:25 pm

      This looks so good! I love cranberry in sweets.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 09, 2017 at 11:20 am

        Me too – they’re so underrated!

        Reply
    5. Amanda Mason

      October 08, 2017 at 8:53 pm

      This looks so good and I love that this is gluten free and paleo! I’m having a hard time finding cranberries at my store…there are no fresh and no frozen!! As soon as I can get my hand on some, I’ll be making this coffee cake!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 09, 2017 at 11:20 am

        Oh no, I hope you find some soon!

        Reply
    6. Lois. O

      October 08, 2017 at 7:04 pm

      Cranberry is my favorite holiday flavor as well. I can’t get my family to love it as much as I do though. Maybe this recipe will change their minds because it looks divine!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 09, 2017 at 11:21 am

        I hope so!

        Reply
    7. Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery

      October 08, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      Such a perfect cake flavor for fall! I can’t wait until the fresh cranberries come out again at the grocery store – so many delicious things to bake.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:23 pm

        One of my favorite things is walking into the store and seeing the piles of cranberries – it’s the kickoff to my favorite season!

        Reply
    8. neuroticbaker

      October 08, 2017 at 10:29 am

      I love cranberry coffee cake and this looks super yum.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:19 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Renee Gardner

      October 06, 2017 at 8:46 pm

      Such a pretty little cake for a fall day. Love the cranberry orange combination.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:19 pm

        Me too!

        Reply
    10. Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago

      October 06, 2017 at 7:30 pm

      I love cranberries! This looks like a great coffee cake!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:20 pm

        I might be partial, but it is pretty great! :)

        Reply
    11. Tina | The Worktop (@TheWorktop)

      October 06, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      Bring on the cranberries! I am looking forward using cranberries in all my recipes soon :)

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:20 pm

        They’re the best!

        Reply
    12. kate

      October 06, 2017 at 9:54 am

      What a perfect dish for the season! I love cranberry anything!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:20 pm

        Me too!

        Reply
    13. Tatiana

      October 06, 2017 at 7:13 am

      I first tried coconut sugar couple years ago and also fell in love with it! And I freeze a lot of cranberries every fall for the whole year too. Well, looks like I have everything on hand for your coffee cake, let’s bake!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:21 pm

        Yay, I hope you love it!

        Reply
    14. sugarlovespices

      October 04, 2017 at 6:45 pm

      I love baking with gluten free flours and I hear when you say that you just cannot use coconut flour the same way. It sucks so much moisture! But your coffee cake turned out spectacular, and the addition of almond flour gave a wonderful density and fluffiness. I have to start using cranberries more often!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 08, 2017 at 5:21 pm

        You really do, they’re just so good!

        Reply
    15. Dominique| Perchance to Cook

      October 03, 2017 at 7:27 pm

      UMMM Yes please!! I’m always on the lookout for new paleo coffee cake recipes, this looks so so so good!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 04, 2017 at 2:39 pm

        I don’t want to brag, but it TOTALLY is! ;)

        Reply
    16. Dustin

      October 02, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      Cranberry season is my favorite!! Love this!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 04, 2017 at 2:37 pm

        Me too! I’m glad I live in the state with a plethora of cranberries :)

        Reply
    17. Gloria Duggan

      October 02, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      Loving the sound of this rustic cake. Perfect for dessert, and as an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 04, 2017 at 2:36 pm

        It’s so good with a cup of coffee, just relaxing on a Sunday morning!

        Reply
    18. choosingchia

      October 02, 2017 at 9:52 am

      I love how healthy this cake is! You can even eat it for breakfast!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        October 04, 2017 at 2:35 pm

        I do, and have – every morning this week! :)

        Reply

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    Hi there! I'm Leslie. I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with easy to follow homemade recipes and a little humor. About Leslie ⟶

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