Growing up, babka was a regular fixture in our kitchen. My chef-mother would spend hours rolling out cold, rising yeast dough — layering it with melted chocolate, meringue, and a cinnamon-nut mixture before baking it to perfection. It was a labor of love, reserved for special occasions. As I got older and started paying more attention to what I was putting on the table, I began experimenting with something a little lighter. That's how this gluten-free coffee cake with honey came to be.
What sets it apart is that it actually contains coffee — not just served alongside it. The coffee deepens the flavor and gives the cake a beautiful, even browning that most coffee cakes only get from a heavy crumble topping. And in place of refined sugar, we use Coffee Blossom Honey — a limited-edition raw honey with a smooth, caramel-like sweetness that pairs beautifully with warm spices and roasted notes. It's collected from coffee plant blossoms, so it doesn't taste like a cup of coffee — it's more subtle and layered than that. Learn more about what makes it unique here.
Why Coffee Blossom Honey Makes This Cake
You can use any of our Eastern Shore honey varietals in this gluten-free coffee cake recipe, and we genuinely encourage you to experiment — our Wildflower Honey adds a floral note, and our Raw Blueberry Blossom Honey leans right into the berries already in the batter. That said, Coffee Blossom Honey is a natural fit here. Its caramel-like undertones deepen when baked, and minimally filtered raw honey adds a richness that granulated sugar simply can't replicate. Our bees collect nectar from coffee plant blossoms here at Chesterhaven Beach Farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore — so the connection between your honey and your coffee is a little more literal than you might expect.
If you're curious about other ways to use Coffee Blossom Honey, we love it stirred into a morning honey iced latte or swirled into a pumpkin spice whipped coffee. And if you're in a baking mood beyond cake, our Paleo Crumb Cake is another honey-sweetened option worth trying.
How to Make Gluten-Free Coffee Cake with Honey
Mix Your Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Sift the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the ground coffee and shredded coconut, then set the bowl aside.
Combine the Honey and Coffee Mixture
In a separate bowl, mix the honey, warm coffee, and melted coconut oil together until the honey is fully dissolved. This is important — let the mixture cool completely before moving on. Adding it warm will start to cook the eggs before they ever make it into the batter.
Build the Wet Ingredients
Whisk your eggs in another bowl, then add the plant milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Once the honey mixture has come down to room temperature, pour it into the egg mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.
Bring the Batter Together
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined — resist the urge to overmix. Then gently fold in the fresh blueberries. For evenly distributed fruit, fold them in at the very end rather than stirring from the start. Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with coconut oil, fill it with the batter, and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the Candied Pecan Topping
While the cake is in the oven, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil and the pecan pieces, stirring to coat. When the nuts start to brown, add the honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and stir until everything is well combined. Pull the skillet off the heat. When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the candied pecan mixture over the top and let it cool before slicing into 9 squares.
Make This Honey Coffee Cake Your Own
This recipe is a starting point, not a rulebook. Swap the pecans for sliced almonds, walnuts, or pistachios. Leave the nut topping off entirely — this cake holds up beautifully on its own. Pull the blueberries and substitute raspberries, or skip the fruit altogether. Whatever direction you take it, the honey is what holds everything together.
Serve it with an iced honey latte for the full coffee moment, or light our Double Espresso Soy Candle while it bakes — the kitchen will smell like a very good morning.
At Chesterhaven Beach Farm, the bees are at the center of everything we do. We set aside a large portion of the farmland specifically to support the hives, and the apiary is where so much of our inspiration comes from. Every time you bake with raw honey, you're participating in that story in a small but real way.
Healthy Coffee Cake FAQs
Can I use a different honey in this gluten-free coffee cake?
Yes — any of our Eastern Shore honey varietals will work, and each one shifts the flavor profile slightly. Coffee Blossom Honey is our first choice for the depth it brings when baked, but Wildflower Honey is a great everyday substitute. Avoid strongly flavored varietals like buckwheat if you want the coffee notes to stay front and center.
What does coffee do in a coffee cake recipe?
Actual brewed coffee in the batter deepens the overall flavor and contributes to the cake's even, golden-brown color as it bakes. Most people don't realize traditional coffee cake recipes often include coffee — it doesn't make the cake taste strongly of espresso, it just adds a warm, roasted depth that balances the sweetness of the honey and coconut beautifully.
Is this coffee cake actually gluten-free?
Yes. This recipe uses a combination of all-purpose gluten-free flour and almond flour in place of traditional wheat flour, and contains no yeast. Just make sure the gluten-free flour blend you choose is certified gluten-free if you're baking for someone with celiac disease, as cross-contamination can vary by brand.
Can I make this coffee cake dairy-free?
It already is. This recipe uses plant milk and coconut oil, so there's no dairy in the batter or the topping. Just use your preferred unsweetened plant milk — oat, almond, and coconut milk all work well here.
Why do my blueberries sink to the bottom of the cake?
This is one of the most common baking frustrations with fresh fruit. The fix is simple: don't fold the blueberries into the batter until the very last step, right before you pour it into the pan. Mixing them in earlier gives them more time and movement to work their way down. Folding them in gently at the end keeps them suspended throughout the cake.
How should I store leftover coffee cake?
Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five. The cake also freezes well — wrap individual slices and thaw at room temperature before serving. The candied pecan topping holds up well through both storage methods.
