These Brown Butter Coffee Cake Muffins are basically coffee cake in muffin form, and they bring me right back to one of my favorite treats growing up. I used to love the coffee cake muffins from a certain chain donut and coffee shop. The combination of soft cinnamon cake, buttery crumb topping, and a sweet glaze just hit the spot. These muffins give me all of those nostalgic flavors, but with a homemade upgrade.
The muffin itself is tender and buttery with brown butter, brown sugar, sour cream, and vanilla, then there’s a cinnamon brown sugar swirl tucked into the center and plenty of chunky cinnamon crumbs piled on top. Then a simple vanilla coffee icing finishes everything off.
They’re big, bakery-style jumbo muffins that are perfect with a cup of coffee, whether you’re making them for a weekend breakfast, brunch, or just because you want something really good with your morning coffee.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
What ingredients do I need?
- Brown Butter Muffins
- Unsalted butter: This is where the brown butter flavor starts. Browning the butter to a golden brown gives the muffins their signature nutty, almost caramel-like flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness while helping create a tender muffin crumb.
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that works beautifully with the brown butter and cinnamon.
- Canola oil: A little neutral oil helps keep the muffins soft and moist.
- Full-fat sour cream: Sour cream adds moisture, richness, and acidity to the batter, helping create a tender muffin.
- Whole milk: Adds moisture and richness while giving the batter the consistency it needs.
- Vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the brown butter and cinnamon flavors. Vanilla bean paste gives you a particularly pronounced vanilla flavor, but extract works perfectly.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure, richness, and moisture. Room-temperature eggs incorporate more easily into the batter.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure needed to support the muffin batter, cinnamon swirl, and generous crumb topping.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These provide the lift that helps create tall, fluffy muffins.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the brown butter, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors.
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon in the muffin batter adds another layer of warm spice.
- Espresso powder: Optional, but it can subtly deepen the overall flavor. It isn’t there to make the muffins taste strongly like coffee.
- Chunky Cinnamon Crumb Topping
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter creates rich, buttery crumbs.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture, and a caramel-like flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the crumb its structure.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds the warm cinnamon flavor that makes these unmistakably coffee-cake inspired.
- Espresso powder: Optional, but it adds another subtle layer of flavor.
- Salt: Keeps the crumb from tasting overly sweet.
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar Swirl
- Unsalted butter: Creates a rich, buttery cinnamon filling.
- Brown sugar: Gives the swirl a deeper caramel-like sweetness.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon: Brings the classic coffee cake flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Helps the swirl stay distinct inside the muffin rather than completely disappearing into the batter.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Coffee Icing
- Powdered sugar: Creates the smooth base for the glaze.
- Vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract: Adds warm vanilla flavor.
- Brewed coffee: Adds subtle coffee flavor and makes the glaze the perfect companion to the brown butter and cinnamon.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness.
Crumb Topping
Recipe Variations
- Maple Brown Butter Coffee Cake Muffins: Give these muffins a maple twist by incorporating maple flavor into the icing. Replace the coffee, or halve it, and add a little maple syrup. It can turn the vanilla coffee icing into a maple-forward glaze.
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins: Add mini chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate to the muffin batter. The chocolate pairs especially well with the brown butter and cinnamon.
- Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins: Add finely chopped, lightly toasted pecans to the crumb topping for extra crunch and a classic coffee cake combination.
- Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins: For a fall-inspired version, add finely diced peeled apple to the muffin batter or cinnamon swirl.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the brown butter. This is one of the biggest flavor-building steps in the recipe. Cook the butter until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, then immediately transfer it to a heatproof bowl so it doesn’t continue cooking in the hot pan.
- Let the browned butter cool before using. The butter should be warm but not hot before you add the remaining ingredients. Hot butter can make the eggs difficult to incorporate properly.
- Try not to overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear. Overmixing can lead to tougher muffins instead of a tender crumb.
- Make the crumb first. The crumb topping benefits from a little time in the refrigerator. Chilling it helps firm up the mixture so you can create those big, chunky pieces that stay distinct on top of the muffins.
- Make BIG crumb pieces. Don’t crumble the topping into tiny, uniform pieces. Some small crumbs are great, but make sure you have plenty of larger chunks, too.
- Don’t over-swirl the cinnamon layer and batter. A couple of gentle swirls are all you need. Over-swirling the cinnamon filling can make it disappear into the batter instead of giving you distinct ribbons of cinnamon.
- Fill the jumbo muffin wells generously. This recipe is designed for six jumbo muffins, so divide the batter evenly between the six wells and don’t be afraid to pile on the crumb topping.
- Watch the muffins, not just the timer. Ovens vary. Look for golden tops and set centers, and use a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion, not directly into the cinnamon swirl, to check for doneness.
- Wait until they completely cool before glazing them with the vanilla coffee icing. If they’re too warm, the icing can melt and disappear instead of sitting prettily on top.
Cinnamon Swirl
Can I Substitute?
Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.
- Unsalted butter: You use salted butter, just reduce the added salt slightly.
- Canola oil: Use another neutral-flavored oil, such as vegetable or avocado oil.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in the same amount.
- Whole milk: Whole milk gives the richest result, but 2% milk will work.
- Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla extract can be used instead.
- Espresso powder: This is completely optional. If you don’t want to, or can’t find it, you can simply omit it.
- Caffeinated coffee: Decaf coffee works perfectly in the vanilla coffee icing.
Dietary Substitutions
- Vegetarian: These muffins are vegetarian as written.
- Nut-Free: These muffins are naturally nut-free. The brown butter creates a wonderfully nutty flavor without actually adding nuts.
- Dairy-Free: A dairy-free version would require replacing the butter, sour cream, milk, and butter used in the crumb and cinnamon swirl with suitable dairy-free alternatives. Because those ingredients contribute significantly to the texture and flavor, I recommend testing the substitutions before making this version for an event or gathering.
Muffin Batter
Leftovers and Storage
- Room temperature: Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’ve added a generous amount of vanilla coffee icing, let the icing set before stacking the muffins.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 2–3 months. Wrap each completely cooled muffin individually, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- When you’re ready to eat them, thaw at room temperature and add fresh vanilla coffee icing.
- Reheating: For a warm, bakery-style treat, microwave a muffin for approximately 10–15 seconds before serving.
Assembling the Muffins
But, I Still Have A Few Questions…
Can I make these as standard-size muffins instead of jumbo?
Yes! Divide the batter among 12 standard muffin wells and adjust the baking time. Keep the initial 425°F bake, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and start checking for doneness around 9-10 minutes after lowering the temperature.
Why do I need to brown the butter?
Browning the butter gives these muffins so much more flavor. As the butter cooks, the milk solids turn golden brown and develop a deeper, nutty flavor with subtle caramel-like notes. It adds a depth of flavor that you simply don’t get from regular melted butter.
How do I know when my butter is browned?
The butter will foam as it cooks, and you’ll start to see golden-brown flecks at the bottom of the pan. You’ll also notice a nutty aroma. Once the milk solids are golden brown, immediately transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl so it doesn’t continue cooking in the hot pan.
Can I use regular melted butter instead of brown butter?
You can, but you’ll lose some of the deeper flavor that makes these muffins special. If you have the extra few minutes, I definitely recommend browning the butter for the best flavor.
Do these muffins taste like coffee?
Not strongly! The coffee in the icing gives you a subtle coffee flavor that pairs beautifully with the brown butter and cinnamon. The espresso powder is optional and is used to deepen the other flavors rather than make the muffins taste like coffee.
Can I skip the espresso powder?
Absolutely. It’s completely optional. You can leave it out of both the muffin batter and crumb topping without making any other changes to the recipe.
Can I use decaf coffee for the icing?
Yes! Decaf coffee works perfectly in the vanilla coffee icing. Or just use half and half or whole milk in place of the coffee if you don’t like the coffee flavor.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?
Yes. Vanilla extract can be used in the same amount as vanilla bean paste.
Why do you bake the muffins at two different temperatures?
Starting the muffins at 425°F gives them a strong initial burst of heat, which helps encourage that tall, bakery-style rise. Lowering the temperature to 350°F allows the centers to finish baking without over-browning the tops.
How do I know when jumbo muffins are done?
The tops should be golden brown and the centers should look set. Insert a toothpick into the muffin portion, avoiding the cinnamon swirl, and look for a few moist crumbs. You don’t want the toothpick to come out completely wet, but a few moist crumbs are perfect.
Why is my crumb topping melting into the muffins?
Make sure you’re refrigerating the crumb topping before using it. Chilling the crumb helps it firm up so the larger pieces hold their shape better while the muffins bake.
How do I get big, chunky crumb pieces?
Don’t try to make the crumb perfectly uniform. Mix it with a fork until large pieces form, then break apart any especially large pieces as needed. I like having a mix of smaller crumbs and big chunks across the tops of the muffins. I also like to squeeze the crumb topping together before putting it the fridge so that it makes larger pieces and then I don’t crumble them much when I add them on top.
Can I make the crumb topping ahead of time?
Yes. The crumb topping can be made a day or two ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
Can I make these muffins ahead of time?
Yes. These muffins are best the day they’re made, but they’ll stay soft and delicious for several days when stored properly, making them a great option for breakfast or brunch.
Can I freeze Brown Butter Coffee Cake Muffins?
Yes! Once they’re completely cooled, wrap them individually and place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature. If you are able to add the icing on after thawing I would, it will give you the best flavor.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Mini chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate would be delicious with the brown butter and cinnamon and would make these feel a little more dessert-like.
Can I add nuts?
Yes! Toasted pecans would be especially delicious with the brown butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add them to the crumb topping for the best texture.
Can I add apples?
Yes. Finely diced, peeled apples would make a delicious fall variation. Keep the pieces fairly small so they bake evenly throughout the muffins.
How should I store these muffins?
Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’ve added a generous amount of icing, let it set before stacking the muffins.
Can I warm these muffins before serving?
Absolutely. Microwave a muffin for about 10–15 seconds for a warm, bakery-style treat. They’re especially good warm with a fresh cup of coffee.
Making the Icing
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Brown Butter Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
Brown Butter Muffins
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter browned
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder optional
Chunky Cinnamon Crumb Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Swirl
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla Coffee Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 –3 tablespoons brewed coffee cooled slightly
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare the Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt.
- Mix with a fork until the mixture forms large, chunky crumbs. Don’t worry about making them uniform.
- Refrigerate the crumb topping while you prepare the muffins.
Make the Cinnamon Swirl
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt.
- Mix until a thick, spoonable mixture forms.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease 6 jumbo muffin wells or line them with jumbo muffin liners.
- Brown the butter by placing it in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Immediately transfer the browned butter to a heatproof mixing bowl and let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the browned butter. Beat until well combined.
- Add the canola oil, sour cream, whole milk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth and well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder, if using.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Being careful not to overmix.
Assemble the Muffins
- Divide about half of the muffin batter evenly between the 6 jumbo muffin wells.
- Add a spoonful of the cinnamon brown sugar swirl to the center of each muffin.
- Divide the remaining muffin batter over the tops, covering the cinnamon swirl.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the batter once or twice. Don’t over-swirl.
- Generously top each muffin with the chilled chunky crumb topping, gently pressing a few larger pieces into the batter.
Bake
- Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Continue baking for 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool.
Make the Vanilla Coffee Icing
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of brewed coffee, and salt.
- Add additional coffee, a little at a time, until the icing reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled muffins.
Notes
- The espresso powder is optional. It enhances the other flavors without making the muffins strongly coffee-flavored.
- For the best results, don’t overmix the muffin batter.
- Allow the browned butter to cool until warm before adding the eggs.
- For the best texture when freezing, freeze the muffins without the icing.
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Nutritional Content Disclaimer
I choose not to include nutritional information with my recipes, as these values can be calculated from the ingredients provided. With my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and my own family experience with disordered eating, I understand how focusing on numbers can affect our relationship with food. My philosophy is that all foods have a place—sweet, savory, nourishing, or indulgent. I aim to share recipes that support a healthy, joyful approach to eating. My hope is that this space also encourages a balanced, healthy relationship with food for you and your family too.