December is my favorite month, and not least because of the food and sweet treats. BUT I do not like the constant sugar spikes and crashes from all the seasonal desserts. it kind of takes away from the whole joyful aspect of the season 🎄
So I make ALL my own sweet treats. I will take a bite here and there of something traditional from a bakery or loved ones, but make everything else myself. And to be honest, I like the healthier treats better. They taste just as good, and I FEEL good during and after gobbling it all up.
Also, I have some of the most discerning taste testers around (my toddlers and extremely picky-with-his-food husband), so I use them as a guide when testing recipes, and this Cranberry Citrus Coffee Cake won all of their hearts over. I’ve also served it to guests who would never have guessed it was made gluten free, refined sugar free, and with simple wholesome ingredients!
HEALTHIER CRANBERRY CITRUS COFFEE CAKE
3 pasture raised eggs
½ cup coconut oil, butter, or olive oil (olive will lend an olive taste in the cake that you either LOVE or hate. I happen to love it)
1/3 cup maple syrup
¼ cup mandarin or orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups almond flour
½ cup tapioca flour (don’t skip this, it helps the cake fluff up and have a tender crumb)
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, cut in half
Cinnamon streusel
¾ cup almond flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup melted coconut oil, olive oil or butter
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 350F
In a large bowl, add all wet ingredients for the cake and mix.
Add in dry and mix again.
Toss the chopped cranberries in a little tapioca flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while it bakes (important step!)
Add in the cranberries and mix to combine.
Pour cake batter into a baking pan.
To make the streusel:
Combine all streusel ingredients and mix well.
Top the cake with the streusel and swirl around with a fork
Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a fork comes out mostly clean. Enjoy 🙂
