This moist & tender lemon blueberry coffee cake has a ripple of dairy free cream cheese throughout and is bursting with fresh lemon! Easy, dairy free, no eggs!

slice of vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake on a plate

Why you need to try this lemon blueberry coffee cake:

If ever there was a cake to represent summer, it’s this lemon blueberry coffee cake with cream cheese swirl. Like my blueberry lemon cake, it’s bursting with bright lemon flavor from fresh lemon zest and sweet and juicy blueberries. 

And like my banana bread cream cheese coffee cake, almond coffee cake, and chocolate chip coffee cake, we’re putting a spin on the traditional coffee cake recipe, and swapped out the cinnamon streusel (and streusel topping) for a cream cheese ripple and sweet crumb topping. 

sliced vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake with lemons around it and a bowl of blueberries

Oh, and this blueberry coffee cake is unbelievably vegan- no eggs, no dairy, and you’d never even know. PLUS, you only need a whisk to make the batter! How simple is that?! No stand mixer nor complicated reverse creaming method required.

Let’s talk about the components:

Soft lemon blueberry cake- This lemon blueberry cake base is moist, tender, and soft with only real lemon. Absolutely no lemon extract whatsoever! The cake is delicate, yet structured, thanks to using dairy free yogurt in lieu of eggs, and the fresh blueberries bring a refreshing sweetness to that tangy lemon flavor.

Silky lemon cream cheese filling- The cream cheese filling might actually be my favorite. Just a simple whisk together of vegan cream cheese, cornstarch, sugar, and a bit of lemon zest for a perfectly set, almost cheesecake-like texture in between two fluffy blueberry cake layers.

Sweet cinnamon crumb topping- Unlike traditional crumble topping, we’re omitting the brown sugar to leave this lemon blueberry coffee cake feeling lighter and brighter!

Vanilla bean glaze- Just a simple whisk of powdered sugar with vanilla bean paste and a drop of dairy free milk makes for a lush sweet glaze that’s the perfect complement to the zingy lemon flavor.

sliced blueberry coffee cake on a cooling rack

Honestly, this is the best summer version of coffee cake, and it’s perfect for a weekend brunch or fun breakfast treat with a cup of coffee! Add a batch of my easy vegan blueberry muffins, and you’re set 😉 

How is this blueberry coffee cake vegan?

A traditional blueberry coffee cake recipe contains dairy and eggs. This crumb cake, however, is different.

Instead of eggs, we’re using my favorite vegan egg substitute, dairy free yogurt. Instead of butter, we’re using vegan butter, and instead of milk, we’re using dairy free milk (I LOVE this recipe with oat milk, but soy milk or almond milk also work!).

Oh, and the cream cheese? We’re using dairy free cream cheese (and you can even make your own vegan cream cheese too!). 

sliced blueberry coffee cake on a cooling rack

You really can’t taste the difference- actually, many non-vegan readers comment that they like the vegan version even better 😉 That’s why I have a whole cookbook on how to make unbelievably delicious vegan and gluten free desserts. You’re going to love it!

Overview: How to make vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake:

floured blueberries in a bowl
First start by flouring the blueberries in a bowl. This will prevent them from sinking as the coffee cake bakes.
vegan cream cheese filling in a bowl
Then cream together the cream cheese filling ingredients and set aside.
crumble topping in a bowl
Next, make the crumble topping by whisking together all the topping ingredients. Then set aside to make the batter.
lemon sugar in a bowl
To make the batter, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This will help amplify our lemon flavor so that you won’t need lemon extract.
vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake batter in a bowl
Next, whisk in the remaining ingredients, save for the blueberries.
blueberry coffee cake batter in a bowl
Fold in the blueberries, then get ready to assemble your lemon blueberry coffee cake!
assembling the lemon blueberry coffee cake
Spread half the batter in the bottom of your springform pan.
assembling the lemon blueberry coffee cake
Then spread the cream cheese filling on top.
assembling the lemon blueberry coffee cake
Spread the remaining batter on top of the cream cheese.
assembling the lemon blueberry coffee cake
Sprinkle on the crumble topping, and bake!

Tips for success:

Use a larger springform pan- I recommend using at least a 9″ springform pan. Otherwise, you’ll be baking the blueberry coffee cake for far too long in the oven!

Make sure you’re using a kitchen scale- This will ensure that all of your ingredients are in the appropriate quantities. Too much flour, and you’ll yield a drier cake!

You can use frozen or fresh blueberries- I really like fresh blueberries, but when not in season, or if you’re out of fresh blueberries, you can absolutely use frozen! Still make sure to coat the blueberries in flour to prevent them from sinking in the cake.

Swap out the berries- If you have an abundance of strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, feel free to swap those in instead!

If you just want a sugar crumble- You can omit the teaspoon ground cinnamon added to the crumble. I personally LOVE it, and that’s what makes it so reminiscent of a coffee cake, but feel free to omit! I know sometimes people are wary of trying cinnamon with blueberry, but it really goes well in my blueberry lemon cinnamon rolls, so I’d definitely give it a go here!

You can use a different shaped pan- If you don’t have a 9″ springform pan, consider a large rectangular baking dish (9×13) or a square 9×9 baking pan!

slice of vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake on a plate

Can I make this blueberry coffee cake gluten free?

Absolutely! I like to use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend. Add in a tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot starch to help with any grittiness in the flour, and honestly you won’t believe your vegan blueberry coffee cake is also gluten free then!

lemon blueberry coffee cake leaning on another slice

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl Pinterest pin

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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slice of vegan lemon blueberry coffee cake on a plate

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 39 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 75
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This moist & tender lemon blueberry coffee cake has a ripple of dairy free cream cheese throughout and is bursting with fresh lemon! Easy, dairy free, no eggs!

Ingredients

Scale

Cinnamon Crumble:

  • 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour*, plus 1 tbsp for coating the blueberries
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp (70 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 8 ounces vegan cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake Batter:

  • 1 pint (12 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour*
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) dairy free milk (like oat milk or soy milk), room temperature
  • 60 mL (1/4 cup) lemon juice, about 1–2 lemons
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon zest, about 3 medium lemons
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Icing:

  • 1 cup (140 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp dairy free milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the rims of the springform pan. Rinse the blueberries and pour into a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of flour to them, and toss to evenly coat. This will prevent the blueberries from sinking
  2. Make the crumble first: In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together the crumble ingredients until you get a sand-like texture. Then set aside.
  3. Next, make the cream cheese filling: In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the cream cheese filling ingredients until the cream cheese is fluffy and the ingredients are integrated (about 1-2 minutes). Set aside.
  4. Now make the blueberry coffee cake batter: In a large bowl, add in the sugar and the lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers to help release the lemon oils. Then pour in the vegan butter, dairy free yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Then add in the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. As you’re whisking the dry ingredients, pour in the dairy free milk, followed by the lemon juice. Whisk just until the dry ingredients are incorporated with the wet. Then fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
  5. Assemble the coffee cake: Spoon half of the blueberry coffee cake batter into the pan, and spread it to the edges of the pan. Then spoon the cream cheese layer on top, and use an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese to the edges. Next, spread the remaining blueberry coffee cake batter on top to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the batter.
  6. Bake: Place the springform pan into the oven to bake for 75-77 minutes (it’s a long bake time, but don’t worry- it doesn’t dry out!). Remove the pan from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean and the crumble is lightly golden on top.
  7. Cool: Allow the coffee cake to cool in its pan for 1 hour.
  8. Serve: When ready to serve, whisk together the icing ingredients. Carefully remove the walls of the springform pan, and drizzle the icing on top. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

Gluten free: I like to use King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour. It’s so easy and tastes delicious! You MUST use a blend designed for baking with xanthan gum- you cannot just use any gluten free flour (such as just almond flour or just rice flour). Add in 1 tbsp of cornstarch to help with the grittiness.