Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe

This easy Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe is perfect for brunch, breakfast, or as a food gift. No need to fight over the biggest slice; all of these walnut-studded cinnamon coffee cake muffins are equally-sized and over-the-top delicious.

Meggan’s notes

If you like the cinnamon streusel that comes on top of fruit pies and crisps, you’ll love these bakery style, walnut-spiked muffins.

The batter itself is swirled with cinnamon and ginger, and then the streusel stars in the middle and as a topping on the muffins. That way, you get to enjoy the crunchy nuts, warm cinnamon, and sweet brown sugar in different spots for layer upon layer of flavor.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Butter: You’ll need 9 tablespoons total; 4 cold to cut into the streusel mixture, plus 5 softened for the cake batter. Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger, and if it still feels too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
• Walnuts: The nutty flavor and crunchiness makes the streusel irresistible. Pecans would also work wonderfully.
• Sour cream: In addition to the butter and oil, 1 cup of sour cream is key to score a super-tender and moist cake texture. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can also do the trick.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners and coat with nonstick spray. To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles a course, buttery crumb mixture. Stir in nuts; set topping aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside. In another large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the wet ingredients: sugar, butter, and oil, until light and fluffy. Beat in large eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. 

3. Stir in sour cream. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Batter should be lumpy.

4. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining crumb topping. 

5. Bake until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

What is the best muffin pan?

When I bake my muffins, I always reach for my USA Pan 12-Cup Nonstick Muffin Pan. My muffins always come out easily and I like that it has a large overhang, so I can easily grip it with an oven mitt without squishing them. You can get it at Amazon for $29.95, and I also rounded up the best muffin pans if you’re looking for another option for your fluffiest muffins ever.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 16 regular-sized, bakery-style muffins, ideal for a breakfast buffet, a weekday breakfast with yogurt or eggs, or in a basket as a food gift for a host, new parent, or neighbor.
• Storage: Store these muffins at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
• Freezer: Coffee cake muffins can be cooled and wrapped in 2 layers of plastic. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
• Mix-ins: Stir dried blueberries, cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, or more nuts into the batter before layering with the cinnamon sugar topping.
• Glaze: Make a simple Powdered Sugar Icing for your muffins. In a medium bowl, add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add water or milk (start with 3 tablespoons) until you reach your desired consistency to drizzle.
• Coffee Cake: Incredibly soft and moist, this Coffee Cake recipe is simple to make for breakfast or brunch. It is rich in flavor with a crumbly streusel topping.
• Chocolate Chip Muffins: Learn the secret to homemade Chocolate Chip Muffins that beat anything you can buy. These muffins are soft, tender, and not too sweet – just a perfect ratio of muffin to chocolate.
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins: Homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins can play triple duty as a brunch menu addition, snack recipe, or spring dessert idea. 
• Morning Glory Muffins: This moist muffin recipe is packed with carrots, apples, pineapple, raisins, coconut, and walnuts.
• Pumpkin Muffins: Learn how to make Pumpkin Muffins from scratch, then discover how to turn this easy breakfast recipe into dessert!
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins: Celebrate spring with Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins. Crowned with a crumbly brown sugar-cinnamon streusel, this bakery-style muffin recipe might just make you fall in love with mornings again.

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Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe

By Meggan Hill

This easy Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe is perfect for brunch, breakfast, or as a food gift. No need to fight over the biggest slice; all of these walnut-studded cinnamon muffins are equally-sized and over-the-top delicious.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 16 muffins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 301

5 from 17 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the topping:

• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter (see note 1)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons walnuts chopped (see note 2)

For the muffins:

• ▢ 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 5 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream (see note 3)

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners and coat with nonstick spray.
• To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts; set topping aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. In another bowl, beat sugar, butter, and oil, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. 
• Stir in sour cream. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Batter should be lumpy.
• Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining topping. 
• Bake until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Butter: You’ll need 9 Tbsp. total; 4 cold to cut into the streusel mixture, plus 5 softened for the cake batter. Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger, and if it still feels too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
2. Walnuts: The nutty flavor and crunchiness makes the streusel irresistible. Pecans would also work wonderfully.
3. Sour cream: In addition to the butter and oil, 1 c. of sour cream is key to score a super-tender and moist cake texture. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can also do the trick.
4. Yield: This recipe makes 16 regular-sized muffins, ideal for a breakfast buffet, a weekday breakfast with yogurt or eggs, or in a basket as a food gift for a host, new parent, or neighbor.
5. Storage: Store these muffins at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 muffinCalories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 183mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg

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