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Coffee Cake Muffins

These bakery-style Coffee Cake Muffins are soft, buttery, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor. Each muffin features a sweet cinnamon swirl, a crunchy streusel topping, and a drizzle of vanilla glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon coffee break.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword bakery muffins, bakery style coffee cake muffins, breakfast muffins, breakfast pastry, brunch muffins, cinnamon coffee cake muffins, cinnamon crumb muffins, cinnamon crumb topping, cinnamon streusel muffins, cinnamon swirl muffins, classic coffee cake muffins, coffee cake breakfast recipe, coffee cake muffin recipe, coffee cake muffins, coffee cake recipe, crumb cake muffins, easy muffin recipe, homemade cinnamon muffins, homemade coffee cake muffins, moist coffee cake muffins, muffin recipe, sour cream coffee cake muffins, streusel topped muffins, sweet breakfast muffins, vanilla glazed muffins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 365kcal
Cost $5 for entire recipe

Equipment

  • 12-cup muffin pan
  • Paper muffin liners
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Pastry cutter or fork (for the streusel)
  • wire cooling rack
  • Toothpick (for testing doneness)
  • Small whisk or spoon (for the glaze)

Ingredients

For the Muffins

  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
  • ⅓ cup whole milk room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Swirl

  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Streusel Topping

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed

For the Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
  • Add the eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the swirl.
  • In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the streusel. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until coarse crumbs form.
  • Fill each muffin liner halfway with batter.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter.
  • Top with the remaining batter until the liners are about ¾ full.
  • Sprinkle generously with the streusel topping.
  • Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 13–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
  • Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled muffins before serving.

Notes

These Coffee Cake Muffins are everything you love about a classic coffee cake transformed into a convenient grab-and-go breakfast treat. The combination of sour cream, cinnamon, and a buttery streusel topping creates incredibly moist muffins with rich flavor and a tender crumb.

Use Room-Temperature Ingredients

For the best texture, allow the eggs, sour cream, and milk to come to room temperature before mixing. Room-temperature ingredients blend more evenly into the batter, helping create soft, fluffy coffee cake muffins with a consistent crumb.

Measure Flour Carefully

Too much flour is one of the most common causes of dry muffins. For accurate results, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. If you have a kitchen scale, use 270 grams of flour for the most reliable outcome.

Don't Overmix the Batter

Mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to dense or tough muffins instead of the light, tender texture that makes bakery-style coffee cake muffins so irresistible.

Keep the Streusel Cold

Using cold butter for the streusel topping helps create large, crunchy crumbs that hold their shape while baking. If the butter becomes too soft, place the streusel mixture in the refrigerator for a few minutes before topping the muffins.

Create Tall Bakery-Style Muffins

The initial high baking temperature helps the muffins rise quickly and develop beautifully domed tops. Be sure to reduce the oven temperature after the first 5 minutes for perfectly baked centers and golden-brown tops.

Customize the Flavor

For even more flavor, try adding chopped pecans, walnuts, or a pinch of cardamom to the streusel topping. You can also mix a handful of cinnamon chips into the batter for an extra-special twist on traditional coffee cake muffins.

Storage Tips

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you'd like to keep them longer, freeze the unglazed muffins for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.

Best Serving Suggestions

These homemade Coffee Cake Muffins are delicious served warm with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. They also make a wonderful addition to holiday breakfasts, brunch spreads, baby showers, and weekend family gatherings.