Coffee Cake Muffins

These easy Coffee Cake Muffins are 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.

If you like the cinnamon streusel that comes on top of fruit pies and crisps, you’ll love these 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

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 coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts; set topping aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside. In another bowl, beat sugar, butter, and oil, until light and fluffy. Beat in 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 cups, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining 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.

Recipe tips and variations

• 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.
• Storage: Store these muffins at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
• Freezer: Coffee cake muffins can be cooled, wrapped in 2 layers of plastic, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
• Mix-ins: Stir dried cranberries, raisins, or more nuts into the batter before layering with the streusel topping.

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Coffee Cake Muffins

By Meggan Hill

These easy Coffee Cake Muffins are 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 8 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the topping:

• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 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 cups, 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 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.
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 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.
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.
6. Freezer: Coffee Cake Muffins can be cooled, wrapped in 2 layers of plastic, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
7. Mix-ins: Stir dried cranberries, raisins, or more nuts into the batter before layering with the streusel topping.

Nutrition

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

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Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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