These moist, fluffy coffee cake muffins have a crumble topping and an irresistible buttery cinnamon flavor. With only 20 minutes of baking time, it is super easy to make even in the morning. Pair it with coffee for the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- These coffee cake muffins are the perfect pairing for coffee or tea.
- Make them for breakfast, brunch, or for an afternoon pick-me-up.
- This recipe has an option for a delicious streusel topping!
- They are easy to eat on the go since it is in the form of a muffin instead of a cake.
- They are easy to make in a pinch. No equipment needed!
- All the ingredients are pantry staples that you probably already have.
- Preparing these muffins is as easy as throwing together pancakes in the morning.
- These muffins are also easy to prepare in advance and to store for later.
- They are great for both kids and adults!
- Check out these Banana Bread Muffins for another comfort food favorite!
Table of Contents
What are Coffee Cake Muffins?
Coffee Cake Muffins are moist, buttery, and fluffy muffins. They are made with cinnamon, brown sugar, and a streusel topping.
The combination of these textures and flavors makes it a popular dessert.
They are often served as a breakfast or afternoon snack that is best paired with coffee or tea.
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for coffee cake muffins. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and instructions.
All-purpose flour contributes to the muffin batter and streusel topping. Substitute with cake flour or gluten-free flour with a 1:1 ratio.
Granulated sugar is for adding sweetness to the streusel topping and muffin.
Brown sugar is to add flavor and texture to the streusel topping.
Cinnamon is the spice that adds that signature flavor to the streusel topping. It is what everyone loves about coffee cake muffins!
I used unsalted butter for this recipe, but salted butter will work as well. For the muffin, use melted and cooled butter. For the streusel, make sure the butter is cold (not room temperature) and cut it into cubes.
Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening agents that help your muffin rise and have a fluffy texture.
Buttermilk activates baking soda and gives muffins a better texture.
Use room-temperature eggs so that the batter will mix together better.
Add a small amount of salt to enhance and balance the flavors of the muffin.
Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of other ingredients such as sugar and butter.
Taste & Texture
Coffee cake muffins have a moist and fluffy muffin base and a crumbly streusel topping.
They have a sweet and buttery cinnamon flavor that makes them a comforting treat any time of the day. These muffins are perfectly sweet and tasty.
Flavor Variations & Add-Ins
There are many ways to customize coffee cake muffins!
Add chocolate chips, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the batter. Add some apple pie filling, like my apple coffee cake!
For the topping, you can add glazed frosting or a melted sugar topping for a sweeter treat.
Spread some Cream Cheese Frosting on top for a delicious combination!
Tips
Do not overmix the muffin batter. Mix the ingredients until incorporated. Overmixing the batter will result in a tough and uneven muffin.
Fill your muffin cups or liners to about ? full. This will ensure that the muffins rise properly. Do not overfill the muffin cups as they will overflow and lead to unevenly cooked muffins.
Sprinkle just enough streusel topping on your muffins. Too much crumb can make your muffins dense and heavy.
Oven temperatures can vary so check on your muffins near the end of the baking time.
Use a toothpick to test doneness. Insert a toothpick into the muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done baking.
Let the muffins cool completely before serving to help them stay moist and tender.
How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins
Step 1: To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Step 2: In a small bowl, prepare the streusel topping. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use a fork or your fingers to cut it into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and egg until well combined.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
Step 6: Spoon the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
Step 7: Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin, pressing it lightly into the batter.
Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Step 9: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10: Once cooled, serve coffee cake muffins! Frost with vanilla glaze if desired.
How to Serve & Store
The best way to serve these easy coffee cake muffins is with coffee or tea.
It makes for a sweet breakfast and brunch, but it can also be a delicious dessert.
If you are serving it for brunch, you can pair it with savory options to balance the flavor. For a savory option, make this Everything Bagel Quiche.
Store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Or, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To serve, simply allow the muffins to thaw for a few hours to return to room temperature.
When making these muffins in advance, you can also store the muffin batter for later. Place plastic wrap over the bowl of muffin batter. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
Recipe FAQs
No, there is no coffee in coffee cakes. It is a common misconception that coffee cake muffins contain coffee. They are actually made with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. They are called coffee cakes because they are best paired with a cup of coffee.
They are called coffee cake muffins because they go well with coffee. They are traditionally served with coffee, although the muffins do not contain any coffee.
Yes, these coffee cake muffins can be frozen. Simply place them in a freezer-safe bag, label them, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can also freeze the muffin batter for 3 to 4 weeks when placed in an airtight container.
Crumble, streusel, and crumb toppings are all the same. They are made of flour, sugar, and butter. They are usually added to muffins, cakes, pies, and other baked goods. This topping might seem simple, but they elevate desserts to another level. They add crunch and a sweet buttery finish to your favorite desserts.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
Ingredients for Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Ingredients for Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ cups low fat buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, prepare the streusel topping. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use a fork or your fingers to cut it into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and egg until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
- Spoon the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin, pressing it lightly into the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, serve coffee cake muffins. If desired, frost with some vanilla glaze!
Notes
- Use a fork or your hands to fold the cubes of butter into the streusel topping.
- The streusel topping will be crumbly. It will not be uniform.
- Do not overmix the muffin batter.
- Fill the muffin pan liners 2/3 of the way full.
- Do not bake too long. Use a toothpick to test if they are done.
- Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!You May Also Enjoy
- Sourdough Pancakes
- English Muffins
- German Apple Pancake
- Triple Berry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Dutch Oven No Knead Bread
If you enjoy this coffee cake streusel muffin recipe, please leave a rating and review! Check out these Breakfast Recipes for more delicious recipes!
The muffins are so light and the crumble topping is so indulgent. The perfect way to kick off my day.
This coffee cake muffin is so delicious! I made some recently, and it turned out so moist and fluffy every time! Even my kids loved it! I would definitely make this again!
These muffins were fantastic! They were perfectly fluffy and that streusel topping is heavenly!
My mom and I love serving these muffins with our fav green tea! They are super moist and decadent. Such a keeper!
I loved them!!! They’re so easy to make, even in the morning for a Sunday brunch. They’re perfectly buttery and cinnamony and the crumble topping is AWESOME! Thank you!!
These are so delicious! I made them for my husband and he said they were the best coffee cake muffins he’s ever had. They are moist and fluffy, with just the perfect amount of cinnamon in every bite.
love the idea of coffee cake as a muffin, at least in theory, the smaller serving size is less dangerous than a whole cake if you’re prone to eating too much, so thank you!