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Easy Coffee Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Swirl

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Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins- Make these delicious cafe inspired muffins right at home with your kids! They not only look delicious but your whole house will smell amazing and full of sweet cinnamon.

This recipe for Coffee Cake Muffins was inspired by a recent trip I took with my daughter. Let me show you how delicious these cinnamon muffins really are!

They’re moist on the inside and have a crumble cinnamon topping that is to-die-for.

Coffee Cake Muffins with a sweet cinnamon swirl

Amazing right? After our trip, I just knew I had to make these at home.

My daughter and I were visiting LA when we found this adorable coffee shop in Long Beach. We stopped by for a yummy breakfast, and my morning coffee fix.

The muffins on display were gigantic blueberry muffins and these scrumptious crumble muffins with cinnamon swirl.

Those inspired me to make this recipe so that we could enjoy these epic muffins again, without a trip across the country.

Easy Coffee Cake Muffins

By the look on her face, the crumbly topping was calling out her name. Ok, and mine.

A few coffees, a hot chocolate, and a few (more) more muffins later, we decided we were going to replicate the recipe at home.

Being in the kitchen with my daughter reminds me of the many times I would bake with my grandmother.

Recipes like Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins are long-time family favorites and perfect for baking together.

I remember wanting to lick the bowl after we were done transferring the batter or sneak a spatula lick on the way to the kitchen sink.

The batter for the recipe comes together rather easily in a large mixing bowl. However, you’ll need a medium and small bowl to combine the crumble topping and the optional cinnamon swirl.

Coffee Cake Muffin Ingredients

This coffee cake muffin recipe consists of: muffin batter, a crumbly cinnamon topping, a dreamy cinnamon swirl in the center of the muffin, and vanilla glaze dizzled over the tops.

Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make each component of these delicious breakfast muffins. If the ingredient list looks a little long, don’t worry; most ingredients are used repeatedly throughout the recipe.

  • all-purpose flour: the flour of choice for these muffins, if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. 
  • brown sugar: has a rich flavor and high moisture content, making baked goods moist. 
  • baking powder: the leavening agent that helps these muffins rise. 
  • baking soda: works with the baking powder to help the muffins rise and give them a light brown color. 
  • salt: enhances the flavors of the other cinnamon and brown sugar. 
  • milk: regular or non-dairy milk works just fine. 
  • melted butter: gives these muffins a tender crumb and delicious buttery flavor. If you want to make this dairy-free, use neutral oil or coconut oil. 
  • eggs: binds the batter ingredients and helps the muffins rise. 
  • vanilla extract: makes the cinnamon and brown sugar flavors taste even better! 

Crumb topping: 

  • all-purpose flour: the flour base for this crumbly coffee cake topping. Again, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to make this gluten-free. 
  • brown sugar: gives the crumble a richer flavor. 
  • white sugar: combined with brown sugar for the right texture. 
  • cinnamon: more cinnamon goodness. 
  • butter: hot butter helps melt the sugars and makes the mixture crumbly. 

Cinnamon Swirl: 

  • white sugar: easier to sprinkle over the muffin batter. 
  • cinnamon: a triple dose of cinnamon! After all, these are coffee cake muffins. 

Vanilla Glaze: 

  • powdered sugar: to make the vanilla glaze. 
  • vanilla extract: essential for a vanilla glaze. 
  • heavy cream, half & half, or milk: just enough to give this glaze a creamy, drizzly consistency. 

How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins

These Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins are super easy to make. You can keep it simple by using the base recipe, or add-in that epic cinnamon swirl! Watch how they are to make in this easy recipe video.

Prefer a step-by-step? Here’s how these epic coffee cake muffins are made.

  1. Prep 
    Preheat the oven to 375F and line a muffin pan with paper liners. 
  2. Sift the dry ingredients
    In a large bowl, sift the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
  3. Prepare the batter
    In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until the batter is thick and smooth. 
  4. Make the Crumble Topping
    In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand. 
  5. Make the Cinnamon Swirl
    In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. 
  6. Assemble
    Scoop 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto the batter and give it a quick swirl with the back of a spoon. Top with additional muffin batter until the cup is filled ¾th of the way. 
  7. Add the crumble
    Sprinkle a tablespoon of the crumble topping onto each muffin. 
  8. Bake
    Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. 
  9. Cool off
    Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool slightly. 
  10. Make the drizzle
    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream, stir until smooth. 
  11. Drizzle and serve 
    Use a large spoon to drizzle the baked muffins with vanilla glaze. Grab a muffin and enjoy! 
Coffee Cake muffin batter

How to Make the Crumb Topping

The sweet, cinnamon muffins are stacked high with glorious crumb topping. Trust me, you don’t want to skip this part!

To bring this crumbly goodness together grab the flour, sugars and cinnamon and mix together in a medium bowl.

Stir in melted butter with a fork until it the mixture starts to look like wet sand.

I know, sand isn’t the yummiest comparison, but when you taste this buttery, cinnamon crumble, you’ll know it was more than worth it.

After trying it on these coffee cake muffins, be sure to try my pear muffins with crumbly cinnamon topping next.

How to Store Coffee Cake Muffins

Coffee Cake muffins should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 days. Place a paper towel over the muffins before sealing them in the container to prevent them from getting soggy.

To extend the muffin’s shelf life up to a week, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container, but it will slightly alter their flavor and texture.

You can also freeze muffins by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing for 1 hour until frozen solid. Transfer the muffins to a freezer-safe zip bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, reheat the muffins in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

two coffee cake muffins on a kitchen towel

While the muffins are baking, I usually begin to brew a cup of coffee for me and take the time to talk to my kids.

For me, the kitchen is the perfect place to make these moments special, to start conversations with them about life, things, and the little thoughts that run through their minds.

These muffins were made with a lot of patience and much love by my daughter with each turn of the spoon in the mixing bowl and I’m excited to share the recipe with you.

I’m happy knowing your house will fill with a deliciously sweet cinnamon smell as the muffins bake in the oven.

This recipe is the keepsake of our amazing time together and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it for you.

coffee cake muffins on a plate

If you can’t get enough of that cinnamon-y goodness this time of year, try my incredible cinnamon roll pancakes for your next breakfast treat!

Do you have a favorite recipe to bake because the aroma fills the house and brings memories? 

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins

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★★★★★

4.5 from 51 reviews

This delicious coffee cake muffin recipe is made with a tasty swirl of cinnamon all the way through. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 – 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 – 27 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins
  • Category: Muffins

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ⅓ cup melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Crumb Topping

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cream (if using milk, use 1 tablespoon)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tin with paper liners, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
  3. In a smaller bowl, or large measuring cup, whisk milk, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour wet mixture into the dry bowl and mix (with a hand blender or by hand) until you have a thick but smooth batter.
  4. For the crumb topping, stir together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand.
  5. For the cinnamon swirl, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  6. Begin to assemble the batter inside the lined muffin tin by scooping 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cavity. Place a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture on top, give it a quick swirl, and top with more muffin batter, filling the tin ¾ to the top.
  7. Sprinkle about a heaping tablespoon of crumb topping on top of each muffin top, covering the tops.
  8. Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes until the crumbly tops are golden and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool down to room temperature in the pan prior to transferring them to a wire rack to glaze.
  9. Once cooled, drizzle a little glaze over cooled muffins.

Equipment

Clean Treats Cookbook

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Muffin Pan

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 224
  • Sugar: 17g
  • Sodium: 245.5mg
  • Fat: 8.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.2g
  • Trans Fat: 0.0g
  • Carbohydrates: 32.9g
  • Fiber: 0.9g
  • Protein: 3.7g
  • Cholesterol: 52.3mg

Keywords: coffee cake muffins, cinnamon swirl muffins, coffee cake muffin recipe, easy coffee cake muffins

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Annie

    January 10, 2021 at 10:37 am

    Muffins are good. Not great. I did eat more than one, but likely won’t make this recipe again.

    ★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      January 11, 2021 at 10:06 am

      I’m sorry you did not enjoy this recipe as much.

      Reply
  2. Katherine

    October 06, 2020 at 10:43 am

    I made these at sea level and they were a big hit. I want to make them at 4500 ft. Do I need to make any adjustments?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      October 06, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      Hi Katherine! That’s a great question. I recommend increasing the oven temp by 15F and decreasing the baking time by 3 minutes or keep a close eye on them around that mark. It’s easy to overdue baked goods in high altitudes.

      Reply
  3. Ann Copper

    October 02, 2020 at 4:29 pm

    Made these with my 7 year old granddaughter who loves to bake with me! The house smells beyond good so I can only image how they must taste!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    August 22, 2020 at 9:23 am

    Followed recipe exactly and came out great! We don’t like super sweet, so this was perfect! Paired heavenly with my latte…glad I made a double batch. I plan to freeze and warm up individually for a delicious treat anytime. Thanks for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Rebecca Broughton

    July 21, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    I replaced eggs with 1/4 cup yogurt and milk with oat milk and they were perfectly gooey and tasty!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Valerie

    June 27, 2020 at 8:03 am

    These came out nicely but definitely under-salted.. the recipe calls for a “pinch of salt”. I put in 1/2 tsp and it definitely needed more. Maybe a full tsp or more?

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      July 20, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      a “pinch” is 1/8. You could go to 1/4 teaspoon. All it needs is a bit for the chemical reaction for them to rise.

      Reply
  7. Marilynn Cuonzo

    May 09, 2020 at 8:06 am

    Just made these lovely muffins for my sweeties birthday. I liked how easy they were to make, the fact that I did not have to use a mixer (so I wouldn’t wake anyone up). Agree the swirl was short on amount for 1 teaspoon per 12. Otherwise I found the amount of batter and streusel topping to be perfect amounts.
    If I was changing anything, I’d add pecans to the streusel topping and another pinch of salt. They’re a keeper here!! Thanks

    Reply
  8. Eileen Bone

    May 07, 2020 at 8:24 am

    These muffins were amazing!! I read the comments before I made them so I knew what to watch out for – I filled all 12 muffin liners with about 2 tablespoons of batter then I sprinkled on the cinnamon/sugar mixture to ensure there was enough to go around. I also added chopped walnuts to the crumb topping – and I used it all!! I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Jennifer Schuster

    April 30, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    These are ok! The crumb top is absolutely delicious but the actual muffin itself is a little bland. It needs more cinnamon or sugar or something. I’ll just need to tweak it a bit

    ★★★★

    Reply
  10. Isha Smith

    April 22, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Hi! This looks like a great recipe, I was just wondering if it’s possible to make these without cupcake liners? I just recently ran out.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      April 24, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      Hi Isha, you can definitely make these without the liners, just make sure to grease your pan. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Mandy

    February 01, 2020 at 7:56 am

    I found them to be pretty bland, and not sweet enough for my taste. The crumb topping was phenomenal though!

    ★★★

    Reply
  12. Samantha

    November 19, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    I made these cinamon swirl coffee cake muffins and they were amazing! Thanks for a delicious recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Branwen Keenan

    August 23, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    These muffins were pretty good, The crumb topping was super good, and the swirl was super fun!

    ★★★★

    Reply
  14. Brian

    July 01, 2019 at 6:54 am

    Just made these for breakfast, and they came out pretty good. I modified the instructions slightly and whipped the sugar with the eggs to get more air into the muffin batter instead of adding it to the flour. I also did not get 12 muffins but other than that I’d say this recipe is on the money. Sugar content was perfect, which I always worry about.
    For whoever asked if they can rest the batter, I don’t recommend it but if you do, try to avoid stirring it. It will release air produced by by the initial activation of leavening agents such as baking powder.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  15. Julie M

    May 12, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    Hey Laura! I made this recipe today for Mother’s Day. I was a bit confused at how liquidy the batter was and how non-crumbly the crumble was (more like a paste). It ended up sinking into the center of the liquidy batter. However, the end result was actually really tasty– but not as expected at all. Very fluffy, with the filling at the bottom of the cupcake. Tasted like monkey bread.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      May 22, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Julie, I’m sorry you had trouble with the crumble. Shux! The great news is that it turned out great regardless.

      Reply
  16. Megan

    May 06, 2019 at 12:29 am

    I baked these yesterday and they were all gone bu the end of the day. They were really yummy, but a few things about the recipe didn’t quite work. I bake a lot so it was fine for me to adjust as necessary, but maybe someone who doesn’t might have a problem. 1. The crumb topping doesn’t crumb if you make the recipe as stated. It is kind of a gooey liquid- I just added about 1/8 cup more flour until the mixture would crumble, you could probably add less butter too. 2. For the cinnamon swirl mixture, if you put 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the middle of each muffin as stated, you run out at about muffin 9- no biggie but you just need to use less than a teaspoon per muffin or make more of the mixture. Thanks for a great recipe, my family enjoyed it.

    Reply
  17. Mel

    March 22, 2019 at 4:29 am

    Is it possible the flour amount in the topping is off? It couldn’t clump together and I kept adding butter to help it bind, though I’m not sure how much. It also made a lot more than I could fit on the muffins. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      March 30, 2019 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Mel, the recipe definitely makes more crumb topping than needed. I just adjusted it for you. Enjoy!

      Reply
  18. Nix

    March 03, 2019 at 9:21 am

    Coffee cake muffins with cinnamon swirl..sound great! I’m looking forward to making them but can’t see coffee in ingredients..?! please advise…x

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      March 13, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      They are muffins meant to be served with coffee because of the “crumb” at the top. Enjoy

      Reply
    • Tanya

      October 03, 2019 at 10:47 pm

      Super tasty and popular at our house, but some of the amounts were definitely off. I only got 8 muffins from the recipe with 3 Tbsp of batter per cup. I made a 2nd batch of batter and using 4 Tbsp batter in each muffin I got 16 fluffy muffins.
      Also, make double the cinnamon swirl mix or only add 1/2 tsp to each muffin–otherwise you run out about 9 muffins in.
      I will definitely make this again and triple the batter batch to get 2 dozen muffins.

      Reply
  19. Pennie

    January 22, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    This was such a great recipe to make with my two boys! The multiple steps assembling it in the muffin tins made it even more fun for them to help! We made mini muffins and they were delicious!!! This recipe is a keeper!! thank you

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      January 26, 2019 at 10:43 am

      I’m so glad they were a hit, Pennie!

      Reply
  20. Kerri

    October 03, 2018 at 11:43 am

    Can I make these the evening before?

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      October 07, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Absolutely!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        October 22, 2020 at 8:11 am

        Can you use whole wheat flour? Thanks? They look delish!

        Reply
        • Laura Fuentes

          October 23, 2020 at 4:23 pm

          Ashley, if you use whole wheat flour they will be a bit denser. Remove about 2 tablespoons of flour from the quantity. If you’re using “whole-wheat pastry flour” you can keep the measurements the same. Enjoy!

          Reply
      • Nicole B

        December 31, 2020 at 3:24 pm

        Hi i love these i ate all of them and didn’t want to share lol.
        If i wanted it in a loaf form how do I do that. Do i need to change anything?

        Thank you

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Laura Fuentes

          January 04, 2021 at 12:04 pm

          You can bake this entire recipe inside a loaf pan at the same temperature for approx. 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. enjoy!

          Reply
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