This gluten-free blueberry coffee cake is moist and tender with a crumbly streusel topping and fresh blueberries in every bite. It works just as well for a relaxed breakfast as it does for brunch with company.
The sour cream in the batter is what gives it that rich, dense crumb that coffee cake should have. A cinnamon brown sugar streusel bakes up crumbly and crunchy on top, and a quick vanilla glaze finishes it off. It’s an easy make-ahead recipe that stores and reheats well. If blueberry isn’t your thing, I also have a gluten-free cinnamon streusel coffee cake and a gluten-free chocolate chip coffee cake that use the same sour cream base.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour (for streusel and cake) – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which contains xanthan gum. I cannot verify that other brands of gluten-free flour will work in this recipe, as I have not tested them. However, if your blend does not contain xanthan gum, you’ll need to add it separately.
- Unsalted Butter – Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness of your cake. Ensure it’s at room temperature for the cake batter and melted (but cooled) for the streusel. If it’s too hot when added to the streusel, it will melt the sugars and become greasy.
- Blueberries – Fresh blueberries work best. Frozen add too much moisture to the batter and can make the cake soggy. Make sure they’re completely dry after washing.
- Large Egg – I use a large egg (50g) at room temperature. A cold egg can cause the butter and sugar mixture to seize up. If you forgot to take it out of the fridge, just place it in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Powdered Sugar -This is for the vanilla glaze. If it looks clumpy, sift it before mixing to keep the glaze smooth.
Room Temperature Ingredients
The butter, egg, and sour cream all need to be at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients don’t mix together as smoothly and can give you a lumpy batter. Set everything out about 30 minutes before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Full-fat Greek yogurt works as a 1-to-1 swap. The texture will be very similar.
You can use a 9-inch round cake pan or a similar-sized pan. The baking time might vary slightly, so keep an eye on the cake and check for doneness accordingly.
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Frozen blueberries release too much moisture and can make the cake soggy.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Covered or in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Refrigerate: Up to 5 days, well covered. Let it come to room temperature before serving or warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Freeze: Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave from frozen for 20-30 seconds.
Serving Suggestions
This is one of my go-to recipes to drop off for friends and neighbors who are having a baby, celebrating a birthday, or just need something on their counter. It’s easy to make ahead and stays moist for days. I’ll also usually throw in some gluten-free blueberry cream cheese muffins to keep the blueberry theme going. If I’m making this for a brunch at home, I’ll pair it with my hash brown egg skillet or gluten-free quiche lorraine to give you a full brunch for a crowd.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup (70 g) gluten-free flour - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, in the blue bag, which contains xanthan gum
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter - melted and cooled
Blueberries:
- 9 oz (255 g) blueberries - washed and completely dried, about 2 cups total
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) gluten-free flour blend - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, in the blue bag, which contains xanthan gum
Coffee Cake Batter:
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) gluten-free flour blend - Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, in the blue bag, which contains xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (50 g) large egg - room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream - room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) whole milk - room temperature
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk - add more if needed to thin out the glaze
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment and set aside.
Make the Streusel:
- In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup (70 g) gluten-free flour, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt until combined.
- Add 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter (melted) and mix with a fork until you have varying sizes of crumbly pieces, about the size of a pea. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prep the Blueberries:
- Place 9 oz (255 g) blueberries in a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon (7 g) gluten-free flour blend until coated. Set aside.
Make the Batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups (210 g) gluten-free flour blend, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter and ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1 (50 g) large egg, ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream, ½ cup (120 g) whole milk, and ½ tablespoon vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Add flour-coated blueberries to the batter. Use a spatula to gently fold them in, being careful not to break them.
Assemble and Bake:
- Spoon batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Remove streusel from the fridge and sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Bake at 350°F for 43-48 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the coffee cake cool completely.
Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk a little at a time if the glaze is too thick.
- Drizzle glaze over the cooled cake and let set before slicing.
Notes
- Flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (blue bag) for both the cake and streusel.
- Pan swap: A 9-inch round cake pan works too. Baking time may vary slightly, so check with a toothpick.
- Storage: Covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
Love this recipe. Very delicious!
Thanks, Marti! It’s a favorite in our house, too!
Your recipe is confusing on the flour. It says in cake ingredients–use 1 1/2 cups flour—divided….but in the struesel topping, it calls for 1/2 cup. Is it a total of 2 cups? why does it state 1/2 cups divided–how much goes into cake batter?
Hi Beth, 1/2 cup goes in the streusel topping and 1 1/2 cups is in the batter. It’s divided because 1 tablespoon (I think this is where you may have missed seeing the flour inclusion in the instructions) gets tossed with the blueberries and then I say to mix the remaining ingredients with the dry ingredients for the cake batter.
Says “eggS” but I think it’s only one egg, is that correct?
Yes! Just one egg – sorry that was a typo and I just fixed it. Thanks for letting me know!
Fantastic! Big hit with my gluten free friend 🙂 thank you so much
So glad you and your friend enjoyed it, Jerry!