Apricot Danish Coffee Cake – Gluten Free

It’s summertime, and this Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake screams summer and sunshine! There is nothing better tasting than a dessert made with fresh fruit. Apricots have a short season, from July to August, so I used fresh apricots in this Danish coffee cake.

What does Danish coffee cake taste like?

If you like Danish pastry, I know you will LOVE this juicy, delicious apricot dessert. Think a layer of vanilla cake topped with creamy, lightly sweetened custard, juicy apricots and finished with a light butter walnut crumble. How does that sound?

Are apricots good for baking?

Apricots are small stone fruits with golden orange velvety skin. The flesh tastes similar to a peach but not as sweet. Peaches have about four times higher sugar content making them a lot sweeter. 

Have you tried our gluten-free cheese Danish recipe?

When baked, apricots become like apricot jam, juicy, delicious, zesty sweetness. This makes them an excellent fruit for desserts like this apricot Danish coffee cake.

Are raw apricots healthy?

One medium apricot has only about 17 calories, about 3 net carbs and only about 4 grams of sugar. In addition, they are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This makes them a very healthy summer fruit.

Can I use canned apricots?

The short answer is yes. However, canned apricots are ladened with granulated sugar. As per Johns Hopkins Medicine, consuming too much added sugar contributes to weight gain and increases your risk of chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

How to reduce sugar in canned apricots?

To reduce sugar in canned apricots, rinse them in a strainer or buy them in light syrup. You can use the syrup in desserts that call for fruit juice or apple sauce. 

Substitutions;

Raw apricots; thawed frozen apricots or apricots canned in light syrup

Cream cheese; ricotta, mascarpone (less 1 Tbsp. of milk that the recipe calls for)

Fresh lemon juice; orange juice, pineapple juice

Walnuts; slivered almonds, chopped cashews, chopped pecans

1 Tbsp. baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda

Coconut sugar; brown sugar, turbinado, granulated sugar

Butter; coconut oil

Snapshot of Apricot Danish Coffee Cake recipe

Mix the dry ingredients

Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix with the flour mixture. Spread the batter into a pan

Whisk the cream cheese with milk and sugar and dollop over the cake

Place apricot halves cut side up on the cream cheese and press into the batter. If you have small apricots use 7. This will give you 14 servings.

Make the crumble walnut topping, sprinkle it over the cake and bake

Make the glaze by mixing confectioners sugar with water and drizzle over the cooled cake

How to store gluten-free Danish coffee cake?

This gluten-free coffee cake will keep for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

I hope you give this gluten-free apricot Danish coffee cake a try. This recipe is easy, even for novice bakers. I hope I have answered most of your questions. Feel free to comment with suggestions or questions. I always love to hear from you. Enjoy!