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These Coffee Cake Muffins are soft, buttery, and bakery-style, with a ribbon of cinnamon pecan streusel hidden inside and a big, crumbly mound piled on top. A drizzle of sweet vanilla glaze finishes them off, and every bite tastes like your favorite sour cream coffee cake.
These Coffee Cake Muffins have everything you love about a classic sour cream coffee cake, baked into tall, bakery-style muffins. A buttery, tender muffin is layered with a ribbon of cinnamon pecan streusel through the middle, piled high with even more crumbly streusel on top, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze.
The secret to those big, domed muffin tops is a little bakery trick: start them in a hot 400°F oven, then turn it down to finish baking. They come out tall, golden, and so soft inside, just like the ones from your favorite bakery.
I loved recipe testing these because I kept perfecting them. Most coffee cake muffins have a streusel on top but I also wanted to place it in the middle of the muffin so you get it in two places…because let’s be real…the streusel is the best part!
If you love these muffins, you have to try my Classic Coffee Cake next! It’s one of my most popular recipes for a reason, with that same buttery cake and brown sugar streusel you can’t get enough of.
What makes these the Best Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins:
- Streusel inside and on top. The cinnamon streusel swirl runs through the middle, not just on top.
- The bakery-style dome trick. Starting at 400°F for 8 minutes, then lowering to 350°F, gives tall muffin tops.
- Sour cream for a moist, tender crumb, plus a vanilla glaze.
Ingredients:
STREUSEL:
- Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness to the streusel topping.
- Flour – Gives the streusel structure so it holds together in crumbly pieces.
- Cinnamon – Brings classic warm, cozy coffee cake flavor to the streusel.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness of the streusel.
- Cold Butter, Cubed – Cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients creates that classic crumbly, pea-sized streusel texture.
- Pecans – Add crunch and nutty flavor throughout the streusel layer.
MUFFINS:
- Butter and Sugar – Creamed together to create a light, fluffy base for the muffin batter.
- Eggs – Use large eggs in baking recipes.
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
- Sour Cream – Creates an incredibly moist, tender crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Flour, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda – Provide structure and lift, giving the muffins their fluffy texture.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors in the batter.
VANILLA GLAZE:
- Powdered Sugar, Milk, and Vanilla Extract – Whisked together to create a simple, sweet glaze that finishes the muffins with a classic coffee cake touch.
How to make the Best Coffee Cake Muffins:
- Make the streusel. Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until the crumbs are the size of small peas, or pulse in a food processor. Stir in the pecans. Place in the freezer while you make the batter.
- Prep the pans. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners — 20 total.
- Cream the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl often.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until creamy.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Fill the liners. Use a large cookie scoop or two spoons and drop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each liner. Press it flat with the back of a greased spoon. Sprinkle a scant tablespoon of frozen streusel over each. Top with another 2 tablespoons of batter and press gently to cover. Finish with a generous mound of streusel on top, pressing lightly so it adheres.
- Bake. Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake 12 to 14 minutes more, until a tester comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- Glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the muffins once they’ve cooled about 15 minutes.
Tips for making the best Coffee Cake Muffins
- Freeze the streusel before using. Chilling the streusel while you make the batter helps it hold its crumbly texture and keeps it from melting too quickly into the batter during baking.
- Don’t open the oven during the temperature drop. Reducing the oven temperature without opening the door helps keep the heat consistent for even baking.
- Press the streusel gently. Lightly pressing the streusel into the top of the batter helps it adhere so it doesn’t fall off after baking.
- Don’t overbake. Pull the muffins as soon as a tester comes out clean to keep them moist and tender.
- Let the muffins cool before glazing. Glazing too soon can cause the glaze to melt and soak in completely rather than setting on top.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Letting the butter, eggs, and sour cream come to room temperature before mixing helps create a smoother, more evenly combined batter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
Can I use a different nut instead of pecans?
Yes, walnuts make a great substitute if you don’t have pecans on hand, or you can leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free streusel.
Can I make these muffins ahead of time?
Yes, these muffins can be baked a day in advance and stored at room temperature. Add the glaze right before serving for the best presentation. You can also freeze these muffins in an airtight container and let them come to room temp 30 minutes before serving.
Can I make this into a full-sized coffee cake instead of muffins?
Yes, this batter and streusel can be adapted into a 9×13 cake, though bake time will need to be adjusted significantly longer. If you want to follow my classic coffee cake recipe, this will give you the precise baking time!
Why is my batter so thick?
This batter is intentionally thick, which helps it hold its shape around the streusel layer during baking. Don’t be alarmed if it’s thicker than a typical muffin batter.
The secret to tall, bakery-style muffins
Bakery muffins have big, domed tops, and you can get the same look at home:
- Start hot, then turn it down. The first 8 minutes at 400°F give the batter a burst of heat, so the muffins rise quickly and dome. Lowering the oven to 350°F lets the centers bake through without the outsides getting too dark.
- Don’t open the oven when you change the temperature, or you’ll lose that heat.
- Fill the liners full. This thick batter holds its shape, so filling the cups to the top gives you tall muffins.
- Use a thick batter. The sour cream and butter make a sturdy batter that rises up instead of spreading out.
How to tell when they’re done
A toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops should spring back when lightly pressed. Check at the low end of the time so they stay moist.
Storage Tips
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze unglazed muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before glazing and serving.
Muffin Recipes:
You can also find my Zucchini Muffins, fresh Peach Muffins, and Cornbread Muffins recipes.
More breakfast recipes you’ll love
- Best Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Best Pumpkin Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Hayley’s Famous Cinnamon Rolls
- Sticky Buns
- Best French Toast
- Goldie’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes
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Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 2/3 cup Flour
- 1½ teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Tablespoons Cold Butter cubed
- 1 cup Pecans chopped
Muffins:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/4 cups Sour Cream (full-fat)
- 2 1/2 cups Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Glaze:
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Make the streusel. Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until the crumbs are the size of small peas, or pulse in a food processor. Stir in the pecans. Place in the freezer while you make the batter.
- Prep the pans. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners — 20 total.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl often.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until creamy.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Fill the liners. Use a large cookie scoop or two spoons and fill the liners almost to the top. Sprinkle a scant tablespoon of frozen streusel over each. Top with another 2 tablespoons of batter and press gently to cover. Finish with a generous mound of streusel on top, pressing lightly so it adheres.
- Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake 12 to 14 minutes more, until a tester comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- Glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the muffins once they’ve cooled about 15 minutes.
Notes
- Two-temperature bake: Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes, then lower to 350°F without opening the oven and bake 12–14 minutes more. This gives tall, bakery-style tops.
- Keep the streusel cold. Freeze it while you make the batter so it stays crumbly.
- Glaze after 15 minutes of cooling so it sets.
- Storage: Airtight at room temperature up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
