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This breakfast cake is light, fluffy, and is your excuse to have dessert for breakfast! NO butter, NO oil, and NO flour are needed, it’s healthy, full of cinnamon flavor, and made in just one bowl!
Breakfast Cake
I’m the kind of person who MUST start their day on a sweet note. If I’m not making cinnamon rolls or breakfast brownies, I’m definitely enjoying a slice of this breakfast cake.
I’ve never been someone who could just have eggs or toast for breakfast. Call me extra but as someone with a sweet tooth, if my breakfast tastes like dessert then I’m a happy camper. As someone who loves a slice of cake for dessert, it was only natural for me to create one for breakfast.
This breakfast cake recipe is one that will officially change your morning meal routine. It may look like dessert but trust me, it’s full of healthy and wholesome ingredients. Pair it with some eggs or a protein shake and you’ll have a well-balanced breakfast!
No dairy, no refined sugar, and no butter are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is perfectly light and fluffy in the middle with a tender crumb. It’s pleasantly sweet and has a lovely cinnamon flavor, and a single slice keeps you perfectly satisfied and energized!
I actually love throwing a big brunch for my friends and serving this cake as part of the spread- NO ONE believes me when I tell them it’s healthy!
How do you make a breakfast cake?
The Ingredients
- Rolled oats– The oats will be blended to a flour texture. Be sure to use certified gluten free oats, if needed.
- Sugar of choice– Any granulated sweetener can be used. I used coconut sugar for this particular cake.
- Baking powder– Gives the cake some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt– Brings out the sweetness of the cake.
- Egg OR flax egg– You can use either an egg or if you are plant based, a flax egg. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, for a gel to form.
- Vanilla extract– A must for any good cake or baked good recipe!
- Almond butter– Smooth and drippy almond butter, with no added sugar or salt.
- Milk of choice– I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk can be used.
- Frosting– Optional, but I love adding a smear of cream cheese frosting on top.
The Instructions
In a high speed blender or food processor, add your oats and blend until a very fine, almost powder-like consistency. Add the rest of your ingredients and blend well, until a thick batter remains. Transfer your batter into an 8-inch cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out the center clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan completely, before frosting it.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Do not overbake the cake, otherwise, it will dry out. Remember, the cake continues to cook as it cools down.
- The cake MUST be cooled before frosting, or it will be too much like liquid/drippy.
- Do not substitute any of the ingredients unless specifically stated.
Storing, freezing, and serving tips
- To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to one week.
- To freeze: Place slices of the cake in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- What to serve with this breakfast cake: This cake is delicious on its own, but if you’d like to increase the protein, pair it with a protein shake or some eggs.
More healthy breakfast recipes to try
- Breakfast cookies
- Oatmeal breakfast bars
- Coconut milk chia pudding
- Blueberry breakfast cookies
- Protein cereal
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe requires oats to be broken down into a flour-like consistency. It cannot be substituted for wheat flour, white flour, or grain free alternatives.
You can substitute the almond butter with smooth peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.
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Breakfast Cake (No flour or eggs!)
Video
Ingredients
For the breakfast cake
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 flax egg can use 1 large egg * See notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon almond butter ** See notes
For the frosting
- 1 cup cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add your oats and blend until a powder like consistency remains. Add the rest of your ingredients and blend until a thick batter remains.
- Transfer the batter to the greased cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes on clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting, if desired.
Which frosting did you use in the photos?
Hi Elise! I used the protein frosting 🙂
Thank you so much for listing so many options of how to make this. It sure makes things easier for those who have multiple food sensitivities. ?
You are so welcome, Michelle 🙂
Mmmm this cake looks delicious! I put cinnamon on everything, and a cinnamon bun cake for breakfast sounds pretty awesome.
Wait just a hot pickin’ second there, mate. A cinnamon bun that’s a cake? Say what? As strange as it might sound, I think I can get behind this one. It looks incredible…and I want the whole darn loaf. For breakfast. 🙂
Dude, it’s healthy so pretty much it’s an appetiser TO breakfast 😉
Oats again ! This is wonderful! You are def on an oat roll Arman! And that topping (in order to lay low I will call it topping since frosting is a dead giveaway for upping the pounds) is to DIE for…thank you, thank you, thank you! I MUST Google SAIGON CINNAMON – have never heard of this before…if all I have is powdered cinnamon in a spice type container, will that kill this recipe? 🙁
🙂 You are so welcome, Carine!
Ohhhhhhh Carine- If you can find Saigon Cinnamon your life will be changed- It puts normal cinnamon to shame! 🙂
Okay thanks for that…I Googled Siagon Cinnamon – very interesting – BTW another really great side effect to following Arman here is the great NEW stuff I learn all the time! So now am on a search for SAIGON CINNAMON – first stop our local health/bulk food shop in our wee town…and then on to various markets around…and then to the next town where there are a few more health food type shops – from there to the BIG city – or maybe just skip all that and get it online! Yeah that might work better….Thanks Arman!
I can’t eat eggs (also why I love many of your vegan options!) so brunch can be a bit of a struggle BUT I do love brunch cocktails. #Mimosa
🙂 That’s perfect then! 😀
Hard to believe but you once more managed to get even me as a non-cake fan intrigued. It must be the thick layer of frosting ;). I’d eat it with a spoon. Actually, that’s what I used to do when I was younger: eat the frosting off my mum’s cake. Now that I’m older I skip the cake part and just prepare the topping to eat straight up and call it a snack. So classy.
You’d love the frosting, it’s so creamy!
Brunch is the beeeeest! Now, hand over a bowl of that frosting, and no one gets hurt.
Coming right up 😀
I love it how you guys all went for sweet breakfast/brunch food! My kind of people!
🙂 Thanks Hilary- You always leave me craving potatoes and eggs 🙂
Both versions look so good, and I love that creamy icing on top!
Thanks so much, Joanne! 🙂
This looks delicious but it says it served 4 – in an 8×8 pan? Is that right?
Hi Chelsea! Apologies for the oversight- It’s serves 4-6 and I made the amendment to small baking pan- I prefer the loaf pan for thicker slices- An 8 x 8 would be slightly more flat 🙂
I need more brunch in my life! I don’t go to brunch enough! This looks amazing though. Well, anything resembling a cinnamon bun is bound to be good!
Thanks so much, Shannon!