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This Coffee Cake Muffins Recipe is grain free, gluten free, and delicious! Made with simple ingredients, they’re baked in the oven in less than 30 minutes and topped with a sweet crumble topping. Serve them with hot chocolate, or coffee for a decadent breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert! Dairy free option.
Why You’ll Love Coffee Cake Muffins
If you’ve never had coffee cake muffins, prepare for your mind to be blown. Soft and sweet, they’ve got all the traditional flavor of coffee cake you know and love in the convenience of a handheld muffin! As a result, they’re perfect for make ahead breakfast treats, snacks, and even desserts. That said, before we get into this coffee cake muffins recipe, let’s clear one thing up once and for all. Coffee cake muffins do not have coffee in them! It’s misleading, we know, but we didn’t make up the name!
We can’t tell you for sure why coffee cake was given its name. However, it’s likely because it came to be enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee, and these coffee cake muffins are just the same! Full of sweet cinnamon flavor and topped with a crumb topping, they’re unbelievably delicious and pair perfectly with all your favorite warm drinks. Even better, they’re completely gluten and grain free and even have a dairy free option to help accommodate a wide variety of dietary needs.
All that to say that these gluten free cinnamon coffee cake muffins are one easy recipe you’ll find yourself making again and again and again.
What Are Coffee Cake Muffins?
Just as the name suggests, coffee cake muffins are simply coffee cake that has been baked into muffin form. As a result, they’re soft, buttery, and perfect for snacking on the go!
Ingredients You’ll Need & Easy Substitutions
Simple and sweet, these gluten free coffee cake muffins are made with just a handful of pantry staples you likely already keep on hand.
For the Crumb Topping:
- Melted Butter – This helps combine the ingredients and create a rich flavor. We used regular butter, but dairy free butter would work just as well.
- Gluten Free Flour – A combination of superfine blanched almond flour and coconut flour is used to help create a crumbly, streusel topping. Or, use oat flour in place of coconut flour to achieve similar results.
- Sugar or sugar substitute – Used to sweeten the topping and incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Cinnamon – Just a pinch is all you’ll need for the topping.
For the Coffee Cake Muffins:
- Sour Cream – This is our secret ingredient to keep these coffee cake muffins super moist. If needed, swap it out with plain Greek yogurt or dairy free yogurt instead.
- Eggs – Crucial to provide structure to the muffins, helping them hold their shape.
- Maple Syrup – Used to add extra sweetness while reducing the amount of refined sugar needed.
- Vanilla Extract – For the best results, opt for 100% pure vanilla extract. You really can taste the difference!
- Superfine Blanched Almond Flour – A great source of fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients, almond flour is one of our favorite gluten free flours for baking and forms the base of the batter.
- Baking Staples – Sugar, salt, and cinnamon combine to create the perfect balance of sweet flavor with just a hint of warmth. If needed, swap out the sugar for Monk fruit sweetener instead.
How to Make this Coffee Cake Muffins Recipe
This recipe is easy as cake! ….Or, in these cake muffins. Point is, it’s super quick and simple to do. Just follow the instructions below!
- Prepare. To begin, preheat your oven, and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Make the crumb topping. Stir all of the topping ingredients together in a small bowl, and set it aside.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla together until smooth.
Baking Tip: For quick preparation, add the wet ingredients to a blender, and pulse until smooth instead.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a third medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Combine. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing until a smooth batter is formed.
- Fill the muffin pan. Use a cookie dough scoop to portion the batter, filling each muffin tin ¾ of the way full.
- Add the crumble topping. Sprinkle the prepared topping on each muffin. Using a finger or spoon, gently press a few crumbs down into the batter for a sweet cinnamon center.
- Bake. Place the coffee cake muffins in the oven until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.Note: It’s okay if there are a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick as long as they are baked and wet batter isn’t clinging to it.
- Cool. Once removed from the oven, allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy!
Note: These coffee cake muffins will have a crumbly texture more similar to coffee cake than muffins.
Baking Tips
Don’t Overmix. Make sure to mix the batter until it is just combined. Otherwise, you may overwork it, and your muffins will come out dense and tough.
Fill the Muffin Pan Carefully. Be careful not to overfill the muffin pan. The batter will rise and become fluffy as it bakes, creating domed tops. However, if each muffin cavity is filled to the top, the batter will run everywhere and is likely to burn.
Adjust the Baking Time. The recommended cooking time for this gluten free coffee cake muffins recipe is 22-25 minutes. However, every oven bakes differently. So, be sure to keep an eye on your muffins, and pull them from the oven as soon as the tops are golden brown.
Cool Completely. We know it’s super tempting to dig in the minute you remove your muffins from the oven but trust us, it’s worth the wait to let them cool. They’ll continue to bake in the pan and set as they come to room temperature making them much easier to eat.
Make Ahead and Storage Options
These coffee cake muffins are great to make ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer really well. Therefore, we highly recommend making a double or even triple batch to keep on hand!
Refrigerator: Once completely cooled, place your muffins in an airtight container or sealable bag, and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: For longer-lasting muffins, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
To Eat: When you’re ready to enjoy, let frozen muffins thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, eat them cold, set them out at room temperature to warm, or pop them in the microwave for just a few seconds!
Frequently Asked Questions When Making Coffee Cake Muffins
Does coffee cake have caffeine?
No! A common misconception is that coffee cake, or in this case, coffee cake muffins are made with coffee. However, they don’t actually contain coffee or any other type of caffeine. So, go ahead and have one for after-dinner desert!
Can I use this coffee cake muffin recipe to make a cake?
We don’t recommend it. Although they contain similar ingredients, the ratios used in muffin and cake batter differentiate quite a bit in meaning. Try this coffee cake recipe instead!
Why are my muffins rubbery?
If your muffins turn out rubbery, it’s likely because the muffin batter was over-mixed. Be sure to stop stirring as soon as you no longer see streaks!
Can I make this coffee cake muffins recipe vegan?
You can easily replace any of the dairy items in this recipe with vegan substitutes, but we do not recommend using a vegan egg replacement for this recipe. Try these tasty vegan-friendly muffins instead!
More Gluten Free Muffin Recipes
Looking for even more great gluten free, allergy friendly muffin recipes? We’ve got you covered with flavors for every occasion below!
- Breakfast Muffins with No Added Sugar (Paleo)
- Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins (Egg Free Option)
- Gluten Free Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Dark Chocolate Vegan Muffin Recipe
Gluten Free Coffee Cake Muffins
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 5 reviews
- Author: Lindsay Cotter
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12–13 muffins 1x
Description
This gluten free coffee cake muffins recipe transforms the classic cake into sweet, convenient muffins with an irresistible crumb topping.
Ingredients
Units Scale
Crumb Topping
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter or non dairy butter
- ⅔ cup fine blanched almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon coconut or oat flour
Muffin Batter
- ¾ cup (6 oz) sour cream (see notes for substitutes)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅓ cups (270g) superfine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (80 g) fine raw sugar or monk fruit sweetener
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- Prepare the crumb topping first by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms.
- Using a cookie dough scoop, pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling ¾ full.
- Top each batter generously with a heaping Tablespoon of crumb topping, gently press a few crumbs down in the center of the muffin for a cinnamon center.
- Place muffins in a preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, given a few crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Once muffins are cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Substitutes – Plain Greek yogurt or dairy free (vegan) yogurt can be substituted for sour cream.
Storage Tips – The muffins freeze well for an easy meal prep option.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22-25
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 254
- Sugar: 13.3 g
- Sodium: 74.6 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.4 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 52.3 mg
Do you have questions, feedback, or tips about this recipe?Leave a comment below with any questions or feedback you’d like to share!
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