Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake
This Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake is soft, moist, warmly spiced, and naturally sweetened. A healthier twist on classic applesauce cake made with almond flour, coconut flour, and real applesauce.
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A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake
🕒 Ready In: ~45 minutes
👪 Serves: 9 slices
🍽 Calories: ~300 per slice (without frosting; estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Applesauce, honey, almond flour, coconut flour, warm spices
📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free; naturally sweetened; dairy-free optional
👌 Difficulty: Easy - simple mixing and one-pan baking
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Honey adds gentle sweetness while cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give it that cozy fall flavor. The result is an almond flour applesauce cake with a tender crumb that's delicious on its own and even better topped with smooth cream cheese frosting. It's simple to mix, bakes in one pan, and makes the perfect healthy applesauce cake for snacking, fall gatherings, or an easy holiday dessert.
If you love wholesome, gluten-free desserts made with real ingredients, try our Gluten-Free Berry Cobbler, cozy Raspberry Bars, or soft Cherry Almond Cake next. They all follow the same naturally sweetened, better-for-you style that makes this applesauce cake an instant favorite.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Why You'll Love this Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake:
- Key Ingredients:
- Easy Substitutions & Variations:
- How to Make Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake:
- Recipe Notes & Tips:
- How to Store:
- Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake FAQs:
- More Gluten-Free Recipes You'll Love
- Get a FREE Healthy Meal Planning Ebook
- Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake
Why You'll Love this Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake:
Moist and tender: Applesauce keeps the cake soft, rich, and naturally sweet without drying out.
Naturally sweetened: Made with honey instead of refined sugar for a wholesome twist.
Warmly spiced: Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg create the perfect cozy flavor for fall or anytime baking.
Gluten-free and grain-free: Almond and coconut flours give the cake a light texture and nutty taste.
Creamy frosting: The tangy cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness and adds a luscious finish.
Perfect for gatherings: Simple to make yet impressive enough for brunches, holidays, or family desserts.
Key Ingredients:
- applesauce. Unsweetened applesauce works best, adds natural moisture and subtle sweetness without overpowering the spices.
- honey. Provides gentle sweetness and keeps the cake soft; you can substitute maple syrup for a slightly different flavor.
- almond flour. Gives the cake a moist, nutty texture. Be sure to use finely ground almond flour, not almond meal.
- coconut flour. Helps absorb moisture and balance the texture; a little goes a long way.
- spices. Create that classic cozy flavor, feel free to add a pinch of cloves for extra warmth.
- cream cheese frosting. The creamy topping that completes the cake, use full-fat cream cheese for the smoothest, richest texture.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations:
- Swap the sweetener: Honey keeps this cake naturally sweet and moist, but maple syrup works as a 1:1 substitute. For a less sweet cake, reduce the honey by 2-3 tablespoons.
- Make it dairy-free: Replace the butter with melted coconut oil and use any dairy-free milk. Choose a dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting or skip the frosting completely for a lighter version.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins for more texture. If you prefer a sweeter dessert-style cake, add ½ cup of chocolate chips.
- Turn it into cupcakes: Scoop the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan and bake for 18-22 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting for individual healthy applesauce cake cupcakes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake:
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, honey, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Step 3: Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Step 4: Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients: Cold eggs or milk can cause the butter to solidify and affect texture, bring them to room temp before mixing.
- Don't over mix: Stir just until the batter is smooth; over mixing can make almond flour batters dense.
- Check for doneness early: Almond flour browns quickly, start checking at 30 minutes to prevent over baking.
- Cool completely before frosting: The cream cheese frosting will melt if spread on a warm cake.
- Frosting consistency: For a thicker frosting, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before spreading.
- Add-ins: Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins for extra flavor and texture.
- Spice variation: For a bolder flavor, increase the cinnamon to 1½ teaspoons or add a pinch of cloves.
- Serving tip: Sprinkle the top with cinnamon or chopped nuts for a pretty finish.
How to Store:
Refrigerator: Store the frosted cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For the best texture, let slices sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cake slices in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then frost before serving.
Make ahead: You can bake the cake a day in advance, cover tightly, and frost it the next day once cooled. The flavor deepens beautifully overnight.
Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake FAQs:
Almond flour and applesauce both add moisture, so this cake naturally bakes up more tender than wheat flour versions. If your cake seems wet, it likely needs a few extra minutes in the oven, especially in an 8×8 pan. Make sure the center is fully set and a toothpick comes out clean. Also check that you're using the correct amount of coconut flour; even small changes can affect texture since coconut flour absorbs liquid quickly.
Yes. Replace the melted butter with melted coconut oil and use any dairy-free milk. For topping, use a dairy-free cream cheese frosting or simply dust the cooled cake with cinnamon for a lighter, dairy-free finish.
Coconut flour is part of what helps this cake set, since almond flour alone is very moist. You can replace the ¼ cup of coconut flour with ½ cup almond flour, but the cake will be softer and more custard-like. For the closest texture, use 2 tablespoons tapioca flour plus an additional ¼ cup almond flour.
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Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup applesauce
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease or line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, honey, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
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Nutrition
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: Cold eggs or milk can cause the butter to solidify and affect texture, bring them to room temp before mixing.
- Don't over mix: Stir just until the batter is smooth; over mixing can make almond flour batters dense.
- Check for doneness early: Almond flour browns quickly, start checking at 30 minutes to prevent over baking.
- Cool completely before frosting: The cream cheese frosting will melt if spread on a warm cake.
- Frosting consistency: For a thicker frosting, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before spreading.
- Add-ins: Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins for extra flavor and texture.
- Spice variation: For a bolder flavor, increase the cinnamon to 1½ teaspoons or add a pinch of cloves.
- Serving tip: Sprinkle the top with cinnamon or chopped nuts for a pretty finish.
I make this all the time with leftover applesauce!