These cinnamon coffee cake muffins are soft sour cream muffins with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl in the middle and a buttery cinnamon streusel on top. The recipe makes 12 standard muffins in about 35 minutes: 15 minutes to mix and 18 to 22 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Two details make them work. Sour cream keeps the crumb moist for days, and the streusel is made with melted butter and pressed lightly into the batter, so it bakes into a crisp, crumbly layer instead of sliding off.
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- Yield: 12 standard muffins
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 18 to 22 minutes baking
- Oven: 350°F (175°C), one 12 cup muffin tin
- Batter ratio: 2 cups flour to 1 cup sour cream
- Swirl and streusel: brown sugar and cinnamon, plus flour and melted butter for the crumb
- Keeps: 3 days at room temperature, 5 days in the fridge, 2 months frozen
Why Sour Cream Makes Better Coffee Cake Muffins
Coffee cake muffins have no coffee in them. They are named for the cake that is traditionally served with coffee: a tender, buttery crumb under a cinnamon crumb topping. In muffin form, the challenge is keeping that crumb moist in a small portion that bakes fast.
Sour cream solves it. I have tested similar coffee cake muffin recipes with milk, and the texture turns dry after a day or two. A full cup of sour cream makes a slightly denser, richer crumb that stays moist, and its tang balances the sweet streusel. Full fat plain Greek yogurt works in a pinch.
Picking the Right Ingredients
All purpose flour gives the right structure. Bread flour makes the muffins chewy, and cake flour makes a crumb too delicate to carry a heavy crumb topping. Baking powder and a little baking soda do the lifting, so check the dates; old leaveners are the most common reason for flat muffins.
Room temperature unsalted butter creams easily with the sugar and helps each muffin rise evenly. Two large eggs give the batter body without making it rubbery, and vanilla rounds out the cinnamon. Use room temperature eggs and sour cream too, so the batter stays smooth.
For the cinnamon swirl, I prefer dark brown sugar for its deeper molasses flavor, but light brown sugar works fine.
Streusel Topping That Stays On
This is the part people ask about most. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, then add melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. Melted butter makes a denser crumble that clings to the batter. Pile it generously on each muffin and press it in gently before baking.
In the oven the streusel sets into a crisp, buttery layer over the soft middle. If it looks greasy or sinks, the butter was probably too hot when you mixed it. Let melted butter cool for a few minutes first. I use the same kind of crumb on my cinnamon roll pancakes.
Layering the Cinnamon Swirl
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each lined cup, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar on top, then add a heaping tablespoon of batter and another pinch of cinnamon sugar. Drag a toothpick through once or twice for a marbled look, then add the streusel.
Fill the cups no more than ¾ full. A cookie scoop keeps the portions even, so all 12 muffins bake at the same rate. If the batter is very thin, the swirl sinks to the bottom, so stir gently and never add extra liquid.
How to Tell They Are Done
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. The tops should dome, the streusel should be golden, and a toothpick in the center should come out clean. Check one muffin a few minutes before the timer ends. If the tops are pale while the sides brown, rotate the tin halfway through.
Cool them in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. I bake these in metal tins rather than silicone because they brown more evenly. Line the cups or grease them well so the streusel does not stick to the edges.
Muffin Problems and Quick Fixes
- Centers collapsed: the batter was overmixed. Stir the dry ingredients in only until no flour streaks remain.
- Flat muffins: expired baking powder or baking soda.
- Dry crumb: overbaked, or low fat yogurt or milk used instead of full fat sour cream.
- Stiff batter: the butter was too cold to cream properly. Let it soften first.
- Swirl sank to the bottom: the batter was too thin or the cups were overfilled.
- Streusel hard and separating: the muffins were overbaked.
Easy Variations for Fall
Add ¼ cup chopped pecans to the streusel for crunch. Swap the cinnamon swirl for a cocoa and sugar mix if you want a chocolate version, or replace half the flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier muffin. A handful of blueberries folded into the batter adds bright pops of fruit, and the cinnamon still holds its own.
If you love this flavor in a bigger format, try my apple coffee cake or blueberry sour cream coffee cake. For the same crumb in cookie form, there are coffee cake cookies, and for a quicker shortcut there is a Bisquick coffee cake.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. To freeze, wrap each muffin individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat for about 10 seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in a 300°F oven and they taste freshly baked.
For Thanksgiving weekend or a holiday brunch, bake a batch a few days ahead and freeze them. Pull out what you need the night before. They also travel well in lunchboxes and on road trips.
What to Serve Them With
Serve them warm with coffee and fresh fruit for breakfast, or split and spread with butter or apple butter for brunch. Topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, they make a quick dessert. For a full brunch spread, set them out with sour cream muffins and sour cream blueberry muffins, or with apple carrot muffins when apples are in season.
Coffee Cake Muffin FAQ
How do you make coffee cake muffins with streusel topping?
Make a sour cream batter, layer it in the cups with brown sugar and cinnamon, then top each muffin with a crumb of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Press the streusel in lightly and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes.
Why does my streusel fall off muffins?
Loose, dry streusel slides off. Mix it with melted butter so it clumps, and press it gently into the batter before baking.
Do coffee cake muffins have coffee in them?
No. They are named after coffee cake, which is served with coffee. There is no coffee in the batter.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, use the same amount of full fat plain Greek yogurt. Low fat versions make a drier muffin.
Can I freeze coffee cake muffins?
Yes. Wrap them individually and freeze for up to 2 months, then reheat briefly in the microwave or oven.
Save these cinnamon coffee cake muffins to your breakfast or fall baking board. If you bake a batch, tell me in the comments how they turned out or which variation you tried.
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Muffins Recipe
These coffee cake muffins are soft sour cream muffins with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl in the center and a buttery cinnamon streusel topping. The recipe makes 12 standard muffins in about 35 minutes, baked at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Sour cream keeps the crumb moist for days, and the streusel is mixed with melted butter and pressed lightly into the batter so it bakes into a crisp crumb that stays on. These cinnamon streusel muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunchboxes, and holiday mornings, and work as an easy alternative to a full coffee cake. Add pecans or blueberries if you like. They keep 3 days at room temperature and freeze for 2 months.
Ingredients
- For the Muffin Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- FOR THE CINNAMON SWIRL:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- PREHEAT AND PREPARE: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each cup with butter or nonstick spray.
- MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
- PREPARE THE CINNAMON SWIRL: In a separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
- MIX THE MUFFIN BATTER: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- ASSEMBLE THE MUFFINS: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle roughly ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter. Add another heaping tablespoon of batter on top, followed by another pinch of cinnamon swirl. For a marbled effect, gently swirl the layers with a toothpick. Top each muffin with a generous amount of streusel, pressing it slightly into the batter so it adheres.
- BAKE: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For best results, use room temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream. Full fat plain Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream. Let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing the streusel, and press the topping lightly into the batter so it sticks. Fill the cups no more than ¾ full and mix the batter only until combined. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 447Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 66mgSodium 237mgCarbohydrates 72gFiber 2gSugar 30gProtein 9g
