Go Back
Buttery Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe for Sweet Crumb Topping

Buttery Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe for Sweet Crumb Topping

Soft vanilla muffins layered with cinnamon sugar and topped with a buttery crumb topping give you everything people love about classic coffee cake in an easy handheld treat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 Muffins
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Muffin Batter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Filling
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Buttery Crumb Topping
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
Optional Vanilla Glaze
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 –2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Prepare the crumb topping by mixing flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold butter until crumbly, then chill it while making the batter.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl so the leavening ingredients distribute evenly for consistent muffin texture.
  3. In another bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until smooth, then mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until creamy and fully combined.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing so the muffins stay soft and fluffy after baking.
  5. Fill muffin liners halfway with batter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar filling, then top with remaining batter and a generous amount of crumb topping.
  6. Bake for 20–22 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving or glazing.

Notes

  • Keep the crumb topping cold before baking because chilled butter creates crisp bakery-style crumbs instead of melting flat into the batter.
  • Use room temperature sour cream and eggs so the batter mixes evenly and creates a smoother muffin texture without butter clumps.
  • Fold the batter gently with a spatula rather than aggressively stirring because overworked batter creates dense muffins instead of light ones.
  • Let the muffins cool for several minutes before removing them from the pan so the crumb topping has time to firm up properly.