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.

Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake: The Flavor

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?

Baking With Apricots

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.

Apricots and Nutrition

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 for Gluten-Free Danish Coffee Cake

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.

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. 

Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake: Substitutions

Fresh 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; vegan butter or coconut oil

MORE GLUTEN-FREE APRICOT RECIPES TO EXPLORE

Apricot Almond Quick Bread
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Gluten-Free Apricot Maple Butter Cake

Apricot Blueberry Tarte Tatin

BEST Gluten-Free Farmer’s Apricot Cake

Apricot Turmeric Ginger Chia Smoothie

Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake: The Recipe

Mixing the batter is simple, and the addition of the cream cheese dollops added a nice creamy layer. Placing the apricot halves on top before baking not only looked beautiful but also ensured each bite would have a burst of apricot flavor. The crumbly nut mixture on top gave a good crunch, complementing the softness of the cake underneath.

Here are the steps:

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 drop dollops 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.

Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake: Recipe Review

This Gluten-Free Apricot Danish Coffee Cake was a hit! It perfectly captured the essence of summer with its fresh apricot flavor. The texture was moist yet light, and the combination of ingredients—especially the creamy cheese layer and nutty topping—made each bite very tasty. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking to savor the flavors of summer in a gluten-free dessert.

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