These Coffee Cake Muffins are 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
Soft and sweet, these coffee cake muffins have all the traditional flavor of coffee cake you know and love in the convenience of a handheld muffin! They’re perfect for make ahead breakfast treats, snacks, and even desserts.
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.
Ingredients & 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.
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.
How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins
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.
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!
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
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!
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!
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!
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!
Gluten-Free Coffee Cake Muffins
- 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
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: 1 muffin
- 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
These were sooooo good!! All her recipes are good and I love having such a great GF resource
you are too kind! I appreciate you Samantha!
do you think i could use pumpkin in place of the sour cream? thanks!!
Hi Heather! I haven’t tried replacing it with pumpkin but you could definitely try it! The taste would be a little different. Are you looking for a dairy free option?
Could you use Gluten Free AP flour instead of almond flour?
I’m not sure. We haven’t tried that yet. They might be a little more dense if so. What brand of flour? Does it have xanthan gum in it? If you want to give it a go, I would sub the 270 grams of almond flour for about the same amount (grams) of GF all purpose flour. Do you need substitutes for the crumb topping too?
I had read your recipe and tried to cook it. Well, I’m not good at cooking but still I able to prepare muffins looking somewhere near to the image in this post.
Thanks for the recipe!
Regards,
Wow, looks so tasty and delicious. Definitely going to try this out during this lockdown period. And pictures looks really yummy
Thanks! Would love to know if you do make it!
Thanks for sharing. i will try
You’re welcome! Keep me posted.
OMG, it looks yummy, I am gonna try on this valentines day for sure =)
Great! Hope you enjoy, Alison!
I tried it on Valentine’s day and believe me it was super awesome!!!
Oh yay!
Amazing post!! Want to see more in future. Keep sharing.
Thanks!!
Thanks, Ravi!
Paleo Coffee Cake Blender Muffins
This is really awesome 🙂 I haven’t ever made coffee cakes in muffin form.
I so love this idea – I am definitely going to try this recipe.
Thanks alot for giving such a great idea.
love <3
Wonderful! Keep me posted Ranjeet!
This looks awesome and I’l surely try this one.
Thank You So Much! I’m glad you liked the article and found it helpful. I would like to stay connected with you all the time for more information.
Extremely interested to try this! it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Let me know if you do Alvin!
I really like coffee and cake.
And you really nailed it
Thanks for the recipe
Looks delicious. Going to make this dish in the next upcoming days.
Thanks for the recipe.
wonderful!
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you.
Hey Sonia! The print button is below the save the button. Can you see it?
I’m going to finally try this recipe next week! So excited ?
Wonderful! Keep me posted
It was quite easy for me to follow this recipe so mine worked out perfectly. The recipe gives enough instructions and the ingredients are not difficult to find. Add some butter to this cake when you eat it. It will be even better. It was my son that I got that idea from. He always puts butter on his each time I prepare this recipe.
oh yes! love the extra butter idea. haha! Thanks for sharing! Will try for sure.
These look delicious and I was planning to make these this morning. As I was reading the recipe before starting, I saw the mention of honey nuts in the directions but no mention of them in the ingredient list. I did see maple syrup and pecans listed but the directions say to use them on top and i”m not sure what to do with them. Help! Am I missing something?
Oh so sorry about that. The pecans I used were honey roasted but you don’t have to have a flavored nut. You can use plain or even glazed nut mix. I’ll make sure to clarify that in the notes. Thanks Tonnie!
Love it Lindsay, Fall baking is the best , I guess, and I’m interested in trying the sour crem-ish! Pinned!
let me know if you do friend! and I agree, love FALL baking!
Combining my love for coffee cake and muffins into one delicious, little portable guy? You are too good to me!
best of both worlds, right?
I’m a fan of anything which pairs well with my coffee these days. Give me all the coffee and all the baked goods. I hope you love the new ceramic muffin tin.
Oooooh, these look incredible – and I love that they’re portable too! Muffins for EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE! 😉
you know it! Will you come visit now?
Baking in any form is a true test. Especially VEGAN cooking because of egg and butter substitutes! But it’s a really fun process.
LOVING the look of these coffee cake muffins! They look delicious…..I could totally devour all of the batch!
yes, totally! this can be vegan. I think using pumpkin or just banana would work great! Let me know if you try it!
I do basically everything in the blender now. i’m the epitome of one-bowl lazy. I guess you could say I’ve FALLEN for my blender all over again this fall. LOL!
I’ve also fallen for these muffins and, apparently, your corniness. 😉
No blender here but crap those look delish!!!!!!!!!
Blender muffins!! Yes girl, and the fact that they will make my house smell amazing when baking, even better! My mom and sister are coming to visit next week, I might just whip up a batch of these so we can enjoy some girl time together!
OMG the house does smell so good! like one big cinnamon ROLL! haha.
I gotta try these!!! seriously they look so good! I have been looking for an awesome blender muffin 🙂
I’ve made these twice already! I’m obsessed
I’d love one of these muffins to go with my morning coffee! That sticky maple topping sounds so good!
yes, for sure! it’s the best way to start a monday too! haha
I honestly have no idea how I’d survive without my blender… I make almost everything in it! And I don’t know how I’d survive without coffee, either. Or cake. I could really go for one of these right now. But replace “one” with about five 😉
me too friend! blenders over stove any day! haha. But coffee always! come over! <3
Holy moly this is my dream 🙂 I absolutely love coffee cake and I think almond flour makes it taste identical to non-paleo! Also I love the paleo buttermilk and actually just made a salad dressing with that as a base – yum!
dreams do come true! bring your dressing over, we can have salad lunch then coffee date. Cool?
I neverrrrrr think to use the blender for baked goods and I’m thinking that needs to change ASAP–SO much easier.
really? TOTAL LIFE SAVER girl! you must! <3 or just come over haha.
This is genius! I’ve only had one cuppa so far, so when I saw coffee-cake, my inner coffee addict did a back flip {in my mind of course since I’ve only had one cuppa and all 😉 } I haven’t ever made coffee cakes in muffin form – nor have I made them in a blender – I so love this idea – perfect portion control – cannot wait to be done with my sugar-cleanse so I can make these!
yes, my thoughts exactly! haha. portion control perfection. Good luck with cleanse! Keep me posted.
I could use a batch of these right now. That topping looks amazing!
oh i wish i could deliver! hope yo are feeling better and healing quick. I saw you had muffin monday as well! YAY!
When coconut milk is chilled, the solid and liquid separate. In this recipe, are you trying to only use the solid part or the liquid part?
Good question Kerri! thanks for pointing that out. So I didn’t chill it into a “solid” but more just thickened and used the cream part. Almond milk worked great too. Just different baking times. I’ll specify that in the recipe ASAP! Let me know if you try it.
You. are. killing me. Coming over for coffee and those NOW
I’m up and waiting. 😉
Totally “falling” in love with these beauties haha! These are truly one big hit here! Thank you for making the most sticky, cinnamon-y, crumbly and gooey muffins I’ve ever seen! These would go perfect with a PSL 🙂
Ohhh now I want a PSL. Good call Rachel! haha