Coffee Cake

This low-FODMAP coffee cake uses a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend and lactose-free sour cream for a tender crumb, topped with a cinnamon streusel sweetened with cane and brown sugar.

Prep 20 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 9

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

Cinnamon streusel topping

• 1/2 cup (70 g) gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
• 1/2 cup (110 g) packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (57 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• Optional: 2 tbsp (about 15 g) chopped walnuts or pecans (keep the whole batch at or below 30 g walnuts or 20 g pecans so each serving stays well under the tested low-FODMAP portion)

Cake batter

• 2 cups (280 g) gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (choose one with no added inulin, chicory root, or soy flour)
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (skip if your flour blend already lists it)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) cane sugar (white granulated)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240 g) lactose-free sour cream

Optional glaze

• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp lactose-free milk

Instructions

Make the streusel

1. In a small bowl, stir together the flour blend, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add the cold butter cubes. Rub the butter into the dry mix with your fingertips (or cut it in with a fork) until the mixture holds together in coarse, pea-sized clumps.
3. Stir in the chopped nuts if using. Refrigerate the streusel while you make the batter so the butter stays cold.

Mix the batter

1. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Whisk the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cane sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the lactose-free sour cream, and mix on low just until combined. The batter will be thick. Do not overbeat once the flour goes in.

Assemble and bake

1. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the chilled streusel evenly over the surface.
2. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
3. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the cake out using the parchment overhang. If using the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with enough lactose-free milk to make it pourable and drizzle it over the warm cake. Slice into 9 squares.

Tips & Substitutions

• Read the flour label. Some gluten-free all-purpose blends add inulin or chicory root fiber for texture, which is high in fructans. Choose a rice- and starch-based blend and confirm the ingredient list before you buy.
• Keep the streusel butter cold. Cold butter is what gives you distinct crumbly clumps instead of a flat, greasy layer. Chill the streusel while the batter comes together.
• Butter is fine here. Butter contains only trace lactose and is considered low FODMAP, so there is no need for a special spread. The lactose-free sour cream covers the larger dairy portion.
• Nuts are optional and portion-bound. Walnuts and pecans are low FODMAP in small servings, so cap the whole batch at about 30 g walnuts or 20 g pecans across all 9 pieces. Leave them out entirely if you prefer.
• No maple in the batter needed. Cane sugar and brown sugar both sit well within low-FODMAP limits, so you get reliable browning and structure without polyol sweeteners like xylitol or sorbitol.
• Room-temperature dairy and eggs. Cold sour cream can seize the butter and give you a lumpy batter. Let both sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before mixing.

Why This Works

• Gluten-free blend removes the wheat fructans. Wheat flour is a concentrated fructan source in a cake this size. A rice-and-starch 1:1 blend gives the same crumb without that load, as long as it has no inulin added back in.
• Lactose-free sour cream carries the moisture safely. A full cup of regular sour cream would push the lactose past a comfortable serving. The lactose-free version keeps the batter rich while staying inside dairy limits.
• Cane and brown sugar avoid the polyol trap. Both are sucrose-based and low FODMAP at these amounts, unlike sugar-free swaps that rely on sorbitol or maltitol.
• Cinnamon adds flavor without FODMAP cost. The streusel leans on cinnamon and butter rather than any onion, garlic, or high-fructose sweetener, so the flavor comes entirely from low-FODMAP ingredients. Check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes if you adjust portions.

Storage

Store cooled squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap individual pieces and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature. A cold slice warms well in about 10 seconds in the microwave, which softens the crumb and revives the streusel.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.