This summery version of vegan coffee cake is perfect for making the most of blueberry season, the perfect sweet addition to your brunch spread.
The moist cake is based on my vegan vanilla cake recipe, using both real vanilla bean and extract for the richest flavor.
🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this eggless blueberry crumb cake recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Fresh Blueberries: Hold their shape better than frozen, so you'll have plump blueberries in each slice. If using frozen, don’t thaw them. Coat with double the cornstarch to prevent sinking and excess juice.
- Real Vanilla: Since this is the main flavor of the fluffy vanilla cake base uses both real vanilla bean and vanilla extract. If you want, you can increase the amount of extract or use vanilla bean paste.
- Vegan Greek Yogurt: Gives the cake an incredibly moist crumb. If you can't find thick Greek-style yogurt, use coconut yogurt or vegan sour cream.
- Non-Dairy Milk: I use soy milk, which makes the perfect vegan buttermilk substitute when mixed with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Oat milk or almond milk will also work.
- Vegan Unsalted Butter: Use block-style butter instead of spreadable margarine from a tub for a rich, buttery crumb in the cake.
- Blueberry Preserves: A fancy version of blueberry jam, which keeps the fruit whole and has an intense blueberry flavor. If you have some left over you can use it in these vegan blueberry muffins.
- Cornstarch: This thickens the blueberry mixture while baking to prevent it from sinking and baking in the cake batter.
- Ground Cinnamon: This adds some warm spice to the crumb topping, which pairs beautifully with blueberry desserts.
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🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make the best blueberry coffee cake without eggs or dairy. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: In a bowl, mix the blueberries with the blueberry preserves, sugar, and cornstarch. Let them sit and release their juices.
Step 2: Combine the crumb ingredients in a bowl and use your fingers to mix until the texture is crumbly.
Step 3: Place the granulated sugar and sliced vanilla pod in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the vanilla seeds into the sugar, then remove the pod.
Step 4: Add the butter to the vanilla-infused sugar and beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes. Then add the dairy-free yogurt, oil, and vanilla, mixing until everything is well combined.
Step 5: Add half of the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) and half of the buttermilk mixture, and whisk to combine. Then add the remaining halves and mix just until incorporated.
Step 6: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Spoon the macerated blueberries on top of the cake batter in an even layer.
Step 7: Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the blueberries and bake until golden brown. To check, insert a tooth pick, it should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs. If wet batter remains, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 8: Whisk the blueberry icing ingredients (jam, confectioners' sugar, and milk) until smooth. Once the cake is cool, dust with powdered sugar and drizzle the glaze on top.
💭 Recipe Tips
Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements. Even a small difference in weight can affect the outcome of a recipe.
Use a springform pan and line both the base and sides with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the cake without sticking to the sides or bottom of the pan or damaging the edges.
Bake in the center of the oven on a fan setting if it has one. Depending on your oven or settings, you may need to adjust the baking time by 5 minutes, give or take.
Cut using a serrated knife. This helps cut through the crumble without the risk of it breaking the weight of soft cake underneath, especially if you're slicing it freshly baked.
💬 FAQs
Yes, you can! I would suggest doubling the amount of cornstarch coating, seeing as frozen berries will release more juices during baking.
If consuming on the same day, you can store it covered at room temperature. Otherwise, because of the fresh fruit, place it in an airtight container or on a plate tightly wrapped with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up 5 days. Take it out 1-2 hours before serving to let it return to room temperature.
Absolutely! If you don’t have a round cake pan, you can bake this blueberry crumb cake in an 8x8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper instead.
Definitely! To freeze leftover cake, slice it into portions and store them in a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container lined with parchment paper. When ready to serve, defrost the slices in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
Serving Tip: Blueberries complement vanilla, lemon, and warming spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, lemon ice cream, or vegan sour cream with some fresh lemon zest for an extra touch.
🍰 More Vegan Coffee Cakes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Blueberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Blueberry Topping
- 260 g (1 ¾ cups) fresh blueberries *note 1
- 60 g (¼ cup) blueberry preserves/jam
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch *note 2
Crumb Topping
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 90 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour
- 45 g (3 tablespoons) vegan butter room temperature
Cake
- 250 g (2 cups + 4 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) soy milk *note 3
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, sliced in half optional
- 90 g (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon) vegan butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil *note 4
- 160 g (⅔ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 5
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon if not using pod
Blueberry Glaze (optional)
- 1 teaspoon blueberry preserves/jam
- 1 tablespoon soy milk *note 3
- 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Macerate the blueberries: In a bowl, toss the blueberries in the blueberry preserves, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Crumb topping: Add the crumble ingredients to a bowl and rub between your fingers until it resembles a crumb consistency. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, and sea salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make vegan buttermilk: Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug and set aside.
- Flavor the sugar: Add the sugar and sliced vanilla pod to a large mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub the vanilla beans into the sugar. Remove the pod.
- Cream the sugar and butter: Add the butter to the vanilla sugar and whisk with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Add the yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Make the batter: Add half the dry ingredients and half the buttermilk mixture and whisk, then whisk in the other half until just combined.
- Assemble: Add the cake batter to the baking pan. Top with an even layer of macerated blueberries and the crumb topping.
- Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick into the center, it should come out almost clean with a few crumbs. If there is still wet batter (not blueberry jam) on the skewer, continue to bake for another 5 minutes as needed.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Once the cake is completely cool, dust it with some powdered sugar and drizzle the glaze over the top.
Notes
- Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen, if using frozen, double the amount of cornstarch.
- Cornstarch: Swap for ground arrowroot.
- Soy Milk: Swap for almond milk or oat milk.
- Neutral Oil: Canola oil, sunflower oil, or light olive oil.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, or very thick coconut yogurt.
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Can I use fresh raspberries and raspberry jam instead? That’s what I have on hand
Hi Marilyn,
Absolutely! I think fresh raspberries and raspberry jam will work fine, great way to use what you have on hand. Hope you love it!
Hello Christina from western Canada. As soon as I saw your new recipe for Vegan Blueberry Cake, I had to make it. And I did. I followed all directions as you outlined, using vegan sour cream instead of vegan Greek yogurt. This did not disappoint. An all-around winner. A perfect 10/10. I baked it for 55 minutes on the nose - and it was perfectly done. Once in season, blueberries in this part of Canada are abundant. Very much appreciate the effort and hard work you put into creating these recipes. Rgds from Canada.
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so happy to hear the cake turned out perfectly for you, and I love that you adapted it with vegan sour cream! I can only imagine how lovely the local blueberries are in Canada, too. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience - it means a lot! 💙
I made it a couple of days ago. My partner is vegan, i am not. We were both delighted by how delicious this is. Thank you for your work Christina
Hi Frosina,
That’s so lovely to hear, thank you! I’m really glad it hit the mark for both of you. It means a lot to know the recipe can bring different diets together at the same table. Big thanks for taking the time to share! 💛
Any suggestion to substitute the all purpose flour?? Can I use white whole wheat flour?
Hi Michel,
I recommend sticking to all-purpose here, as whole wheat flour will change the texture and flavor, and will likely be less fluffy.
Is there any suggestions for vegan butter and vegan yogurt? I don't have access to find any vegan products like this 😕 n my area and I would love try to make this recipe with other options?
Hi Asja,
For the yogurt, you could try soft silken tofu. As for the vegan butter, I don't have a substitute for this, I'm sorry. You could try using an olive oil based recipe like my vegan blueberry muffins instead (you can use coconut oil for the crumb topping). I hope this helps!
Can I make this in a loaf pan? Will that affect the structure/ rise of the cake? T
Hi Janhvi!
I'm sorry I haven't tried this so I'm not comfortable recommending it. It took quite a few trials to get the recipe right so any nuances could change the outcome. I will work on a loaf cake for future though, and in the meantime, you might enjoy my blueberry lemon cake recipe which bakes in a loaf pan and also has a crumb topping.