Gingerbread Quinoa Coffee Cake

December 7, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 144 Comments

Get cozy with some coffee and a slice of this gingerbread quinoa coffee cake! A warm holiday flavor with the protein of quinoa, gluten-free and vegan, this healthy coffee cake is perfect for a winter breakfast or a weekend brunch!

And with this my dear gluten-free friends, I’ve crossed another to-do on my recipe bucket list! COFFEE CAKE! I think this is my new seasonal holiday joy and I’m so very proud about how it came out on the first try! This is so full of yum, so fun to make, and might I add pretty damn healthy too! I don’t know where exactly my obsession with the quest for making the perfect coffee cake came from, but I’m glad I got the urge! But…I have my suspicions that it had something to do with this gem.

Yes, yes, another Entenmann’s baked good. The classic Crumb Coffee Cake! Growing up, I’m pretty sure that was the only coffee cake I’d ever really have, not even that often, mind you. But I guess, just like the crumb doughnuts, this cake gave me the same satisfaction and I’m still revealing in the gluten-filled memories. Haha, processed baked goods were not the only thing I ate growing up, but they sure do give me some great inspiration for remaking those goodies to be healthy and fit those dietary needs!

Now my friends, before we delve further into coffee cakeing, let’s discuss what exactly coffee cake is. You know I love my food history and culture, and this little tid-bit always baffled me. I was always pretty angry (yes, angry) at the fact that coffee cake did not actually contain any coffee. I mean, what is up with that!? I mean, a classic coffee cake really is just flavored with cinnamon and brown sugar with that great crumble topping. And is it a cake or a quick bread? Is it breakfast or dessert?

Well first off, this “cake” is eaten WITH coffee or other hot beverage like tea. That’s why it’s called coffee cake. A pretty good accompaniment to coffee if you ask me! Some see it as a sweet bread since it can either be baked in a loaf pan or in a square baking pan like I did. So anytime you’d drink coffee, this cake is acceptable. Meaning, breakfast, brunch, or dessert is the perfect time to serve some up!

Which leads me to believe this would make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast! Come on now! Cozied up by the fire and Christmas tree, unwrapping presents and stockings, sipping some coffee or hot chocolate, I can just picture it now! Then comes in warm slices of gingerbread coffee cake and everyone just blisses out in pure holiday joy with the first fork full! Can you tell I’m excited about this coffee cake? And Christmas…

Another thing I’m ultra excited about is posting this first recipe using quinoa flour! It may be my new favorite flour (okay, after buckwheat). It has a very strong smell when you first open the package, but fear not! Once baked, it’s fabulous! However, I didn’t stop with just quinoa flour, I made the crumb topping with another one of my near and dear favorite ingredients, quinoa flakes! So I give this cake a major thumbs up in the health department! Quinoa is one of the best complete plant-based proteins!

And you know, gingerbread, so very iconic and you know I love it! Just wait until you check out just exactly that topping is made too! It actually came out a bit crunchy which was fantastic with the soft cake. So now, I hope your mouths are watering and your coffee cake cravings are reaching unbearable levels, because I’m about to blow you totally out of the part!

Gingerbread Quinoa Coffee Cake