This Lightened Up Coffee Cake makes for the perfect sweet treat. A sweet, cinnamon-infused flavor cake with a scrumptious streusel topping! Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, snack, or dessert! This cake pairs great with coffee and or tea any time of the day!

Makes 9 servings

What is considered coffee cake? Why is it called coffee cake?

Coffee cake may refer to a sponge cake flavored with coffee or, in the United States, a sweet cake intended to be eaten with coffee or tea, according to Wikipedia.

The reason why so many cakes are called coffee cakes in stores is simply that they go very well with coffee. People love eating coffee cake and having a fresh cup of coffee in the morning.

And although I don’t drink coffee, I still love a good coffee cake-there is just something about a white crumble cake with a cinnamon swirl that is just too good to resist! I recreate this lightened up recipe from a recipe I have been making for many years. It’s been lightened up by substituting the oil for unsweetened applesauce or non fat plain Greek yogurt, using light butter and monk-fruit instead of regular butter/regular sugar and I must say-it’s absolute MUST try!

What ingredients do I need to make this Lightened Up Coffee Cake?

• Unsweetened applesauce – this is used as a substitute for oil.
• Zero point white sweetener– I like to use Lakanto Monkfruit Classic Sweetener *The Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener (sugar substitute) that I use in this recipe is zero points. Please keep in mind-the point value can vary depending on the brand of sugar substitute you choose to use.  Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener also has a 1:1 ratio to real sugar. If you use a different sugar substitute you will want to use the equivalent to real sugar that is recommended on back of the sugar substitute package.
• Skim milk or unsweetened almond milk
• Vanilla extract 
• Egg
• All purpose flour– you could use gluten free flour or almond flour. I have not made this particular recipe with those so the cake may have a slightly different texture if you do use either of these.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Zero point brown sugar sweetener or regular brown sugar – I like to use Lakanto Monkfruit Golden or Brown sweetener. I did give the option to use regular brown sugar, it will increase the point value if you choose to use it.
• Ground cinnamon
• Light butter- I like to use Land O’ Lakes light butter made with canola oil in the tub with the green lid. You can find this at most grocery stores.

What sweetener do you recommend I use for this Lightened Up Coffee Cake?

 I love using Lakanto Classic Monkfuit Sweetener in my baking recipes.  This is my recommended sugar substitute. The Lakanto MonkFruit Sweetener is a zero glycemic, zero calorie and all natural sugar substitute.

It is by far the best tasting sugar alternative and has zero aftertaste or gritty texture like some of the sugar alternatives have. It has a 1:1 ratio to real sugar-so if you were to use a different sugar substitute you will want to use the measurement that would be equal to real sugar. 

Why Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener vs. other natural sweeteners?

TASTES just like sugar | Zero net carbs, Zero calorie, Zero glycemic Sweetener.

1:1 SUGAR REPLACEMENT | Lakanto has a perfect mix of monkfruit and erythritol to match the sweetness of sugar and maintain your baking and cooking needs.

It’s WW FRIENDLY,  Keto, Diabetic, Candida, Paleo, Vegan, Low Carb, Low Sugar, NON-GMO, and All Natural.

Where can I purchase Lakanto Monkfruit?

Click the link below and save 15% on your order with promo code: POUND15

How do I make this Lightened Up Coffee Cake?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the unsweetened applesauce, almond milk, white sweetener, egg, and vanilla.
Note: If the batter is too thick-add a little bit more unsweetened almond milk prior to mixing it with the dry ingredients.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix together.

DO NOT OVER MIX.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan.

For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon

Pour cinnamon swirl into the batter in pan, and swirl with a knife.

Pour the remaining batter on top and spread over the cinnamon swirl.

For the Crumb Topping: In the same small bowl mix butter, flour, brown sugar sweetener, and cinnamon until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle topping on top of batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it sit and cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If you want to keep it fresh for longer, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. 

Ingredients for the Coffee Cake:

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup zero point white sweetener- I use Lakanto Classic Monkfriut sweetener
• ½ cup skim milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour or gluten-free flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt 

Ingredients for the Cinnamon Swirl:

• 1/2 cup zero point brown sugar sweetener or regular brown sugar 
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp light butter, melted

Ingredients for the Crumb Topping:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup zero point brown sugar sweetener or regular brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp light butter, slightly melted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the unsweetened applesauce, almond milk, white sweetener, egg, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix together. DO NOT OVER MIX.
4. Pour half of batter into prepared pan.
5. For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
6. Pour cinnamon swirl into the batter in pan, and swirl with a knife.
7. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread over the cinnamon swirl.
8. For the Crumb Topping: In the same small bowl mix butter, brown sugar sweetener, and cinnamon until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
9. Sprinkle topping on top of batter.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If you want to keep it fresh for longer, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. 

Makes 9 servings

4 WW Points® per serving if using Lakanto Monkfruit zero point white and brown sweetener

9 WW Points per serving if you replace the brown sugar sweetener with regular brown in the swirl and crumble topping

12 WW Points per serving if you replace the white and brown sugar sweetener with regular white and brown sugar

How do I track this recipe in my WW app? 

Click the link below to go to the recipe builder. You’ll first need to sign into your WW account and then the recipe builder will upload. The recipe builder is the most accurate way to create, obtain, and track the Points®

The recipe builder link only works for WW members located in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, you’ll need to access the WW app manually to create the recipe in the recipe builder. 

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