Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These muffins are everything you love about classic coffee cake – just in individual form. Each one is soft and moist inside, thanks to the right balance of wet ingredients and a smart resting period before baking. The cinnamon swirl bakes into rich ribbons throughout the muffin, while a generous layer of brown sugar crumb topping bakes up golden and crisp on top.
This recipe is easy enough for beginner bakers, includes gluten-free and dairy-free substitutions, and bakes up tall and bakery-worthy, no stand mixer required. You’ll also love how well these freeze and reheat for busy mornings!
Looking for more cozy, crumbly, baked goods? Don’t miss gluten-free coffee cake, coffee cake cookies, or blueberry muffins with crumble topping, or browse our best healthy muffin recipes for more options.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-Purpose Flour: Swap in 1:1 gluten-free flour for a celiac-friendly version.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: You’ll use both in the batter, the swirl, and the crumb topping.
- Cinnamon: Woven into the batter, swirl, and topping for layered warmth.
- Unsalted Butter: Use high-quality butter for the best flavor. We also tested these with dairy-free butter and they worked beautifully!
- Milk: Whole milk or almond milk both work. You can also sub in Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Eggs: Room temperature helps blend evenly into the batter.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Essential flavor boosters.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The combo helps muffins rise with soft centers and tall domes.
- Powdered Sugar + Milk: Just a simple icing to drizzle on top.
Love coffee cake? Try gluten-free coffee cake, brown butter blueberry coffee cake and pumpkin streusel muffins next.
How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins
Step 1: Make the Streusel Topping. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in the melted butter, then stir in the flour until it resembles clumpy sand. Set aside.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and eggs. This is your wet base.
Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the flour mixture: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 4: Fold the Batter Together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula. Don’t over mix. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes- this activates the leavening and gives you tall muffin tops. After testing multiple batches, we found this step significantly improved rise and texture.
Step 5: Prepare the Swirl and Fill the Tins. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for the swirl. Fill each muffin cup halfway, sprinkle with the swirl, then top with more batter until the muffin cups are nearly full.
Step 6: Top and Bake. Generously spoon the crumb topping over each muffin. Press gently so it sticks. Bake at 425°F for 5–7 minutes, then lower to 350°F and bake for 16–18 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Step 7: Ice and Cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle with icing and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Coffee Cake Muffins
- Fill muffin cups generously. These are meant to be indulgent – don’t hold back on batter or crumb topping!
- Let the batter rest. This simple trick helps the muffins rise tall and dome beautifully.
- Start at high heat. That burst of heat activates the baking powder quickly for bakery-style muffins.
- Don’t overmix. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated to avoid tough muffins.
- Use room temperature eggs. This helps everything combine smoothly for a soft, uniform crumb.
How to Store & Freeze
Store: Store coffee cake muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4. Place a paper towel on top of them before closing the lid to prevent them getting soggy.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freeze: place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for an hour. Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Let them thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Coffee cake muffins are topped with streusel and often include a cinnamon sugar swirl, inspired by traditional coffee cake.
Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill. We tested this version and it turned out soft and moist.
Be sure to press it gently into the batter before baking. If it’s too loose, it may slide off during the rise.
Overmixing or overbaking are common causes. Also, be sure to use enough fat (butter or oil) and don’t skip the resting step.
These moist, cinnamon-swirled coffee cake muffins bring a nostalgic, cozy flavor in a perfect, muffin-sized package. Bake a batch to enjoy all week or freeze some for busy mornings!
Want a more savory brunch option? Check out our breakfast quesadilla or cottage cheese pancakes for something different but protein-packed.
More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Coffee Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Swirl + Crumb Topping
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Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten-free if needed
Coffee Cake Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Icing
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners then spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Crumb topping: combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in melted butter then stir in the flour using a rubber spatula. Set aside while you make the muffin batter.1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- Dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and eggs.3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 large eggs
- Finish the batter: Add the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Let the muffin batter rest for 10 minutes. This activates the baking powder and develops the gluten for tall muffin tops.
- Scoop and bake: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon swirl. Carefully scoop half the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl in the middle of each then top with the remaining batter almost all the way to the top.1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Generously top each with the reserved crumb topping, using your fingers to gently press the crumbs into the batter to help it stay in place while baking. It will be a lot of crumb topping on each muffin. Bake muffins in preheated oven for 7 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F degrees and bake another 16-18 minutes, until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs
- Icing: Combine powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar as needed.1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 teaspoons milk
- When the muffins are done, cool for 10 minutes and drizzle the glaze on each muffin using a small spoon.
Notes
- Let the batter rest. This simple trick helps the muffins rise tall and dome beautifully.
- Start at high heat. That burst of heat activates the baking powder quickly for bakery-style muffins.
- Don’t overmix. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated to avoid tough muffins.
- Use room temperature eggs. This helps everything combine smoothly for a soft, uniform crumb.
- Fill muffin cups generously. These are meant to be indulgent – don’t hold back on batter or crumb topping!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Sierra Inn
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Delicious! My family couldn’t tell they were GF and DF. I haven’t told them!
I would definitely use less batter in the first addition to the cupcake liners. I didn’t have enough batter for the second addition. I would also cut the topping recipe in half. I have enough left over for a second batch of cupcakes. Maybe I’ll try making this recipe in a small cake pan or bundt cake pan with the left over topping.
where’s the coffee? Has it been missed off the recipe?
Hi Caroline! Traditional coffee cake does not actually have coffee as an ingredient. It’s called coffee cake because it’s great paired alongside a cup of coffee.
I’m just truly baffled by this! There is so much sugar and cinnamon in these, plus the butter. =
I just updated the recipe to include metrics! I didn’t start doing this, but I am slowly adding this to all my recipes, because that’s the way I prefer to bake as well. Thanks!
Delicious! My family couldn’t tell they were GF and DF. I haven’t told them!
I would definitely use less batter in the first addition to the cupcake liners. I didn’t have enough batter for the second addition. I would also cut the topping recipe in half. I have enough left over for a second batch of cupcakes. Maybe I’ll try making this recipe in a small cake pan or bundt cake pan with the left over topping.
Hey there! Bummed to hear you say this. I’ve made these many many times without those results. It could just be that this recipe is not for you, and that’s okay! I’m going to test this recipe with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle. I think you might love that option, too!
Hi Kait! I’d love to learn more about how you measured your ingredients. I’ve made these many times and they’re always almost very sweet for me. The amount of cinnamon is definitely a personal preference, but I’ve heard a few people say this. I’m going to test these with a cinnamon-sugar swirl in the middle soon! That may solve both of your problems:) Stay tuned!
My crumb topping disappeared into muffin batter while baking. What did I do wrong?
Hey! This can happen if you use too much butter or if you don’t use enough flour. I’d double check how you measure the ingredients! There’s so much crumb topping on these so even if some melts you should still have plenty. Hope this helps!
Best muffins ever. I find buttermilk is the secret to baking, so that’s what I used here. Oh, and the second time I added frozen wild blueberries. Simple and simply amazing!
Buttermilk is such a great ingredient for muffins! Thanks!