An incredibly delicious winter-inspired coffee cake that is quick and easy to make and made healthier! A light and fluffy, but moist, cake made with orange juice and orange zest, studded with dark chocolate chips, and topped with a thick streusel layer. The perfect treat to go alongside your favorite warm beverage and guaranteed to brighten up those winter mornings.

What Does This Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Taste Like?

This coffee cake is inspired by the classic flavor combination of chocolate and orange! It’s the perfect celebration of winter. The cake is light and airy, but still soft and moist and spiked with a hefty dose of (ideally) freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest to give it a true orange flavor which is complemented by a heavy hand of dark chocolate chips. Then topped with a simple, but addictingly delicious streusel top, because a coffee cake is always better when there’s something fun on top. This seasonally inspired coffee cake is just perfectly sweet, sunny and bright from the orange juice and zest, but balanced with the richness of the dark chocolate to make it bright but comforting. Just want we need come wintertime! This coffee cake is wonderful as a sweet breakfast, coffee or tea accompaniment, or afternoon pick me up!

What Ingredients Are Used to Make This Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake?

This coffee cake is made better-for-you as it contains no refined sugars, flours, or oils. It’s paleo-friendly meaning it’s gluten, grain, and dairy free. And it’s also nut-free! It’s made with only 10 real, simple ingredients! Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need and some possible variations/substitutions.

Coconut Sugar – The best granulated sweetener for refined sugar free baking. I use and love Nutiva’s Coconut Sugar for the reasonable pricing and excellent quality.
Avocado Oil – Gives moisture to the cake without making it feel heavy. It’s neutral in flavor so it lets the orange flavor really shine. Plus, it’s heart healthy! Melted and cooled coconut oil or olive oil are great subs.
Eggs – Make the cake fluffy. Ideally use pasture-raised eggs.
Orange – To give this a really wonderful orange flavor, freshly squeezed orange juice and the zest from a whole orange is used. You’ll need about 1 large or 2 medium oranges to get 1/4 cup of juice. And although it may be tempting, I do not recommend skipping the orange zest, it really makes a difference in the cake flavor.
Cassava – An unprocessed flour that is gluten, grain, and nut free and gives this coffee cake a wonderfully fluffy texture. I use and love Otto’s.
Tapioca Flour – To help thicken the dough without making it too floury.
Baking Powder – Makes the cake light and airy.
Salt – To counterbalance the sweet and bring out the chocolate and orange flavors.
Nut/Seed Milk – Use any milk that you have on hand! This gives the cake some additional moisture and lightness.
Chocolate Chips – Use any chocolate chips or chocolate bar chopped into chunks you like! I used Guittard’s Extra Dark Baking Chips because I love the quality of their chocolate. Use your favorite coconut sugar sweetened chocolate to make these refined sugar free and strictly paleo (these would be great).
Coconut Oil – To make the streusel top coconut sugar, cassava flour, and a bit of salt is mixed together, then coconut oil is mashed into the dry mixture to create a wet sandy texture. Use refined coconut oil if you want a no-coconut flavor. Ghee or any dairy-free butter substitute will likely work as well.

How To Make Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

This healthified coffee cake is so incredibly easy to make! It takes only about 10 minutes to prep and then bakes up in just over 30 minutes! And while this does require a few extra dishes this coffee cake is definitely worth the juice squeezing. Here’s a look at the steps:

Zest the orange, then juice it to get 1/4 cup. This may take 1-2 oranges.
Make the streusel top by mixing together the dry ingredients, then mashing in the coconut oil with a fork or pastry cutter. Set aside.
Make the coffee cake batter. First mix the coconut sugar, avocado oil, and eggs until frothy. Then add the orange juice and zest, mix again. Add in the dry ingredients. Then add the nut/seed milk to thin and smooth out the batter.
Stir in the chocolate chips. I like to use 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the batter and reserve 1/4 cup to scatter over the top of the streusel.
Pour batter in the baking dish.
Sprinkle streusel over the top of the batter. And additional chocolate chips and more orange zest if you like (which I highly recommend).
Bake! For just about 30 minutes.
Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

This Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake will last at room temperature in an airtight container for about a day or so. Afterwards, store in the freezer for longer storage.

This seasonally inspired, wintery coffee cake combines the classic flavor combination of chocolate and orange. It is the perfect mix of bright and zesty orange flavor with deep dark chocolate notes in a delicious, healthified coffee cake! While it may seem fancy, this no-fuss recipe is so easy to make and unpretentious and a delicious way to celebrate citrus season. If you’re a fan of orange and chocolate you are bound to love this coffee cake. And I can’t wait for you to try it out!

More Coffee Cake Recipes!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (paleo & nut-free)
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake (paleo)
Pear Crumb Cake (paleo)

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), nut free, refined sugar free

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Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

This Orange Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake is super simple to make but feels a touch fancy. It is sweet and delicious, but made better-for-you! A light and fluffy cake made with orange juice and orange zest and finished with a streusel topping. Perfect for a breakfast on the go, brunch with friends, or a sweet accompaniment to go with your afternoon coffee or tea.

paleo (gluten free/grain free/dairy free), nut free, refined sugar free

Servings 12

Ingredients

Streusel Top

1/4 cup coconut sugar (36 grams)
1/4 cup cassava flour (36 grams)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (60 grams) chilled a few minutes if liquid

Cake Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut sugar (114 grams)
1/3 cup olive oil (74 grams) sub avocado oil or melted and cooled coconut oil
2 eggs ideally room temp
1/4 cup orange juice (70 grams) freshly squeezed
zest from 1 orange
1 1/4 cup cassava flour (162 grams)
1/4 cup tapioca flour (30 grams)
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp nut/seed milk (28 grams)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (120 grams)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare square (8 or 9 inch) baking dish by lining with parchment paper and leaving a short overhang over the edges.
First zest the orange, then juice it. (Zesting a halved & juiced orange is never fun.)
Make the crumble mixing together the coconut sugar, cassava flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the coconut oil and mash everything together with a fork or pastry cutter until a wet sand-like texture forms and the coconut oil chunks are no larger than small peas. The crumble should be clumpy and sticks together when pressed. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand), make the batter by mixing the coconut sugar, avocado oil, and eggs until thick and frothy
Add the orange juice and zest and mix until well combined.
Next add the cassava flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and sea salt until just fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the nut/seed milk and slowly stir into the batter until it is smooth. Scraping down the bowl once more during mixing to ensure everything is thoroughly incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and, using the rubber spatula, gently spread into an even layer in the pan.
Sprinkle the streusel all over the top of the batter. Add a few chocolate chips and more orange zest to the top if you like! (Highly recommended.)
Bake for 30-32 minutes or until top is puffed, edges are golden brown and have pulled away from the pan. Checking for doneness with a toothpick, it should come out mostly clean except for a few moist crumbs.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang to remove from the pan and cool for at least another 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes

This coffee cake will keep stored in an airtight container for a day or so. Afterwards, move to freezer for longer storage.

Helpful Kitchen Tools (affiliate links): 8 in baking dish, silicone spatula, kitchen scale

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