My coffee cake muffins are totally made from scratch, featuring a cinnamon-sugar streusel topping and homemade glaze! I use simple pantry ingredients to create a tender, moist, and perfectly sweetened crumb cake!
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My Easy Recipe for Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Grab-and-go breakfast recipes are so good to keep on hand — especially when I’ve got a hungry husband and two children under 10 to get fed and out the door every morning!
And while I do love a good savory breakfast, I’ve always been a major coffee cake fan. A lot of recipes are made with Bisquick (hey, even I’ve got one!), but I wanted to come up with one from scratch. As I started experimenting, I realized that what I was really craving were some coffee cake muffins. It would satisfy my craving for coffee cake and my need for something easy to reach for… and would also make for an indulgent snack.
What resulted were these delicious, bakery style, cinnamon filled beauties. And my daughter Leah has become obsessed with them that I’ve been making them every other week lately. She’s been helping me in the kitchen so I don’t mind the extra bonding time!
Need some more muffin recipes? Be sure to check out my 3 ingredient pumpkin muffins and banana blueberry oat muffins too.
Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – For the muffins and streusel topping! Normal AP flour is perfectly fine for both. Make sure it’s spooned and leveled for the batter.
- Brown sugar – Used in the muffins and the topping to add sweetness and a subtle caramel note that’s so synonymous with coffee cake.
- Baking powder and soda – The leavening agents that help the muffins rise. I use both to create a light and fluffy texture with a tender crumb!
- Butter – And it’s gotta be melted. This is another ingredient needed for the batter and streusel. I went with unsalted as we don’t need any salt here.
- Milk – Helps soften the crumb. I usually have whole milk at home, but 2% would also work.
- Eggs – Provide structure and help bind the other ingredients.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor in the muffins and the simple glaze.
- Cinnamon – For that warm and spicy coffee cake flavor! I add it to the streusel and right in the batter too.
- Powdered sugar – Combines with milk and vanilla extract to create the glaze.
How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Melt the butter needed for the streusel in a medium bowl, then add the flour, sugar, and cinnamon and combine to form the crumble.
STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then line a standard-sized muffin tin with cupcake liners and set it aside.
STEP THREE: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the milk, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Melt the butter needed for the batter in a small bowl and let it cool slightly before adding it to the milk and egg mixture. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.
STEP FOUR: Add the batter to each muffin liner until â…” full. Top each muffin with a tablespoon of streusel until none remains. Gently press it into the batter to help it stick. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
STEP FIVE: In the meantime, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small bowl. Add more milk to thin it out if needed. Drizzle over the muffins before serving and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins
- I always start with the streusel topping so it has time to cool. It’s much easier to crumble when it isn’t still hot from the melted butter!
- Spoon and level the flour for a more accurate measurement. I know it seems like an extra step, but if too much flour gets added accidentally, the muffins will come out dense and dry.
- When combining the wet ingredients with the dry, be careful not to overmix. I try my best to stir gently, and I stop as soon as that last streak of flour disappears. Overmixing will develop the gluten too much, leading to tough results.
- Room temperature eggs and milk will be easier to combine more evenly. I usually pull them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before getting started.
- I begin checking for doneness around the 20-minute mark to avoid burning the muffins. Overbaking will dry them out, so as soon as an inserted toothpick comes out clean, get them out of the oven!
Coffee Cake Muffin Variations and Substitutions
- Add a little crunch to the streusel with some chopped nuts. Walnuts or pecans would bring texture and a light nutty flavor!
- Blueberry coffee muffins just might be my favorite variation! Simply fold ¾ cup of blueberries right into the batter before baking for a pop of juicy berries in every bite.
- Apple cinnamon muffins are another one of my go-tos. I especially love them in the fall. A small Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple is more than enough to complement the cinnamon.
- My kids never say no to chocolate (neither does my husband), so adding ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter is another easy twist I make often!
- For extra, extra moist results, try replacing half of the milk with sour cream. It will give the muffins a softer and richer texture without making them too heavy.
What to Serve with Coffee Muffins
Cinnamon streusel muffins make for an excellent on-the-go breakfast, but when I have time to sit around the table as a family, I love making a big spread! Bacon in the oven, air fryer hard boiled eggs, sausage in the air fryer, and my hash brown recipe are usually on the menu… no one ever walks away hungry, that’s for sure.
Coffee Cake Muffins FAQs
Why are they called ‘coffee cake’ muffins?
Coffee cake — and coffee cake muffins — get their name because they are traditionally enjoyed with a hot cup of joe! Despite the name, there’s no actual coffee in the recipe. Instead, coffee cake is typically a cinnamon-spiced crumb cake topped with buttery streusel like I do in my muffins!
Why are cinnamon streusel muffins dry?
Muffins can come out dry if the batter is overmixed, baked too long, or too much flour is added. Be sure to follow my recipe closely and use the spoon-and-level method when measuring the flour. Check for doneness early to avoid overbaking them too!
How should I store leftover coffee muffins?
Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I usually pop a paper towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture as well.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Monkey bread
- Banana fosters pancakes
- Brioche french toast casserole
- One banana banana bread
- Cinnamon roll casserole
Easy Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Muffin Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Prepare the streusel topping first.
- In a medium bowl, melt the butter. Then combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl with the butter. This will form a crumble.
Mix the muffin batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour (spooned and leveled), brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a small bowl melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Add it to the milk and egg mixture.
- Combine the wet ingredients to the dry and mix by hand until it just combined. Do not over mix.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin liner until it is â…” full. Top each muffin with a tablespoon of streusel and then continue to add it until the streusel is all gone. Gently press it into the batter to help it stick as it cooks.
- Bake them for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and one tablespoon of milk. Add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Scoop with a spoon and drizzle over the muffins.
Notes
- Always start with the streusel topping so it has time to cool. It’s much easier to crumble when it isn’t still hot from the melted butter!
- Spoon and level the flour for a more accurate measurement. Otherwise you can over measure the flour and the muffins turn out dense and dry.
- When combining the wet ingredients with the dry, be careful not to overmix.
- Room temperature eggs and milk will be easier to combine more evenly.
- Begin checking for doneness around the 20-minute mark to avoid burning the muffins. Overbaking will dry them out, so as soon as an inserted toothpick comes out clean, get them out of the oven!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I usually pop a paper towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture as well.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
