Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe

There are some things we can all agree on without controversy or drama or even much difference of opinion. Water is wet. Coffee cake is delicious. Muffins are handy. And on it goes. There are two things we just mentioned that, when combined, only get better: coffee cake and muffins.

When you add the amazing flavor of coffee cake to the convenient packaging of a muffin, you get a food you will want to have on hand at all times. "I love these coffee cake muffins eaten with butter and warmed for an afternoon snack. Muffins are a great breakfast to eat on the go at any time," says chef, food writer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli. Oh, and don't forget the coffee, of course.

As part of a breakfast on the fly or larger meal eaten slowly, these sweet muffins will sweeten the deal. And as they keep well, you can make a large batch and always have some at the ready. Ready to get cooking?

One of the best things about these coffee cake muffins is the fact that you likely have all the needed ingredients in your kitchen already. They call for all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted, unsalted butter.

And if you want to make them vegan, you can use a substitute for the eggs and a non-dairy milk, or you can reduce the calories a bit simply by using a butter alternative. "This would cook great with a vegan butter," says Carli. "As the butter in this recipe is used only for the crumble topping, a vegan butter works well."

First things first, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, then line a muffin tin with muffin liners. If you don't have liners, lightly grease the cups of the muffin cups, but be ready for a bit of work on the release.

Next, in a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients for these coffee cake muffins together. These include the flour, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Stir until they have all combined.

Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.

With the stand mixer on low, let the wet ingredients for these coffee cake muffins combine, and then gradually and carefully add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, a few scoops at a time, and let the mixer stir and combine everything into a batter. Next, pour the batter evenly into the muffin tin liners.

Now assemble the crumble topping by adding a cup and a half of flour, half a cup of brown sugar, two teaspoons of cinnamon, and half a teaspoon salt together in a bowl and stirring. Then, pour the melted butter on top and, using a fork, stir to combine until well-mixed.

Add crumble topping to the top of each muffin, portioning it out evenly and spreading it to cover the batter, then pop the muffin tray into the warmed oven and bake the coffee cake muffins at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, making sure a toothpick or skewer comes out clean when the baking is done.

Now grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and enjoy a muffin! And make sure to save some for later. "They keep in an airtight Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 7 days" says Carli, adding: "You can freeze them, and they defrost well."