Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake

My son and I eat a Paleo diet for medical reasons - it is supposed to be the best diet for those with immune disorders. Paleo means no diary, grains, or legumes and only natural sugars. We are both supposed to avoid all sugars (even natural ones), as well because of our chronic yeast overgrowth. So, I really miss baked goods and especially desserts.

Last week, a friend of mine posted a link to a recipe for Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake on Facebook, and I immediately clicked the link and printed the recipe. I made it yesterday and took it to a potluck dinner for our local ME/CFS group, where it was gobbled up! It's really delicious, and my son said it tasted like fall. I agree!

Even if you don't eat Paleo per se, this recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free, as well as low in sugar, so it's healthy for all of us. Food intolerances are very common in people with ME/CFS, and a recent study showed a full 30% of patients with ME/CFS were dairy intolerant. When I eliminated dairy about 12 years ago, my GI symptoms disappeared. Plus, many of us should be avoiding grains and sugars because chronic yeast overgrowth is very common in ME/CFS due to the immune dysfunction (and believe me, it can make you feel awful!)

The recipe is from the blog Jay's Baking Me Crazy, which I had never been to before. You can read the full blog post, see lots of photos, and print a nice copy of the recipe at this link: Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake. I don't have any of my own photos because there is nothing left but crumbs! Amazingly, though, it came out looking just like her photo, which is a rarity for me.

I made a few small changes to reduce the sugar content. I cut the maple syrup and coconut sugar in the cake both in half and added in 2 teaspoons of Stevia.  For the crumb topping, I used just 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia. So, that is a lower-sugar option.

BONUS: I had some canned pumpkin left after making the cake yesterday, so this morning we had Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Bacon and Pecans for breakfast, a recipe from Against All Grain, one of my favorite sources for Paleo recipes - mmmm! (Once again, I subbed 2 teaspoons Stevia for the honey called for in the recipe - that was for a half a recipe.) It's been a fall pumpkin cooking bonanza this weekend!

Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 58 minutes

Yield: 9

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

CRUMB TOPPING
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° and line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the crumb topping first: in a small bowl, combine coconut flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Mix well- it should resemble wet sand. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and pumpkin. Mix well.
4. Add in the eggs and mix until incorporated.
5. Add in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until no dry pockets remain. Pour into prepared pan and top with crumb topping.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
7. Store in fridge after the first day.

http://www.jaysbakingmecrazy.com/2015/10/16/paleo-pumpkin-coffee-cake/
 
If you are looking for other Paleo recipes, click on the Paleo category below or in the sidebar. I have also posted many Paleo recipes and cookbook reviews on my Book Blog.