This recipe was first published here on 27th September 2018 and has been updated with new information and images.

Tender, crumb topped coffee muffins! Don’t you just love a treat that combines your breakfast and your coffee all at once? Actually, I’d still have the coffee on the side but these muffins are the perfect little breakfast treat with a hint of coffee.

You’ll love these walnut coffee cupcakes – so tasty.

Coffee glaze being poured over the top of a muffin on a wooden board.

Why you’ll love it

Like a classic coffee cake, transformed into cute coffee flavoured muffins, these coffee muffins have everything you need. From the soft, tender cake to the crunchy topping and that coffee flavour.

But it doesn’t stop there, these gorgeous perfectly portioned mini coffee cakes are topped with a final drizzle of coffee icing to finish them off perfectly.

  • Taste: These coffee muffins taste like a vanilla latte in cake form. The coffee flavour will depend on how strong you brew your coffee. You can use an espresso brewed from beans or a granulated style coffee – the intensity is completely up to your preference.
  • Texture: The texture is soft, fluffy and tender with a crunchy streusel that can’t be beat.
  • Simplicity: The thing I really love about muffins is how simple they are to make. The batter is all made in one bowl with no special equipment required. You’ll need bowls for the crumb topping and coffee glaze too, but they’re so easy to make.

Ingredients you’ll need

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter in this recipe. It’s used in the streusel topping to give it a lovely buttery kick.
  • Sugar: There is both brown sugar and white sugar in this recipe. Brown is used in the streusel while white is in the muffin batter.
  • Flour: The majority of flour used is just regular plain flour aka all-purpose flour.
  • Rice flour: Rice flour gives an unbeatable crunch to the crumble but you can just swap it for plain flour if you can’t get rice flour.
  • Oats: Oats add a nice flavour and chewiness to the streusel.
  • Baking powder: Baking powder is the leavener to give them lift.
  • Salt: Just a little salt is all you need to intensify flavours.
  • Eggs: Use large eggs, free range if you are able to.
  • Milk: I use whole milk in these but oat milk is also lovely.
  • Oil: This recipe uses vegetable oil which adds moisture and tenderness.
  • Coffee: Use strongly brewed black coffee. You can use your coffee machine or even an instant espresso powder.
  • Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract in these. It’s much better than the synthetic option, vanilla essence.
  • Icing sugar: Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar is how we make the coffee glaze.
Top down view of a batch of crumble topped muffins.

Tools you’ll need

If you want a cake that’s just as easy to make as these muffins, try this Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake.

How to make coffee cake muffins

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Make the streusel: The streusel / crumb topping is very quick and simple. Just add the ingredients to a bowl and press and blend it together using your fingertips – until it looks like clumping breadcrumbs.
  2. The coffee muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, coffee and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt then stir together with a spatula until just combined.
  3. Bake: Divide the batter evenly among your muffin tin holes, then sprinkle over the streusel mixture – don’t leave any streusel behind. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  4. The coffee glaze: Mix together the sifted icing sugar and brewed coffee until thick but runny and drizzle it over the muffins.
Closeup of a coffee muffin with coffee glaze dribbling down the side.

Tips and tricks

  • Baking time: The time they take to bake will depend on the size of your muffin pan holes and your oven. Remember, all ovens vary and it’s not unusual for the internal temperature to not match what your thermostat says. I always recommend keeping an oven thermometer inside your oven so you can keep an eye on this.
  • You can use a regular muffin pan with paper liners or a lightly greased silicone muffin pan.

Storage

Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container. A cool spot, like the pantry, is fine for 2-3 days. If you’re taking these somewhere, this cupcake carrier is both an easy way to store them, airtight and portable.

Coffee muffins can be frozen too. Store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

More recipes you’ll love

When I dreamed up these Coffee Cake Muffins, I was actually dreaming of a nice cosy vanilla latte, hence the big hit of vanilla in them. I love the way the coffee and vanilla flavours combine to give you something all at once bold but also extremely comforting.

A batch of coffee muffins topped with coffee glaze on a wooden board.

IF YOU TRY THIS coffee muffin recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you, and it helps other readers too!

A coffee muffin on a board with glaze dribbling down the side.

Coffee Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
4.2 from 13 votes – Rate this recipe!
Loaded with crunchy streusel topping, these coffee muffins are so simple to make. All mixed in one bowl, they take minutes to make and need no special equipment. They’re also fantastic alongside your morning cuppa.
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Ingredients

For the Streusel

  • 30 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons) (notes)
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • 33 g plain (all purp) flour (¼ cup / 1.2oz)
  • 2 teaspoons rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon oats (notes)

For the Coffee Muffins

  • ¾ cup white granulated sugar (150g / 5.3oz)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup whole milk (180ml)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (125ml)
  • ¼ cup strong black coffee (brewed)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (notes)
  • 2 ¼ cups plain (all purp) flour (295g / 10.4oz)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Coffee Icing

  • 2 teaspoons strong black coffee (brewed)
  • ½ cup icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar (65g / 2.3oz)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin or silicon muffin tray and set aside or line a tin with paper liners.
  • FOR THE CRUMBLE TOP: Place all crumble / streusel ingredients into a medium bowl and use your fingertips to press it all together in it look like bread crumbs and clumps when you squeeze it together.
  • FOR THE COFFEE MUFFINS: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, coffee and vanilla.
  • Now sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a spatula, being careful not to over mix.
  • Divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin holes and top each one with streusel.
  • Bake for around 20 minutes, turning the tray half way through, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • FOR THE COFFEE GLAZE: Once the muffins are cool, mix together the coffee and icing sugar. If it is not runny enough to drizzle over the muffins add more coffee a little at a time until it is.
  • Drizzle the icing over the top of each muffin and serve
  • Please take a moment to rate this recipe. I really appreciate it and it helps me create more recipes.

Notes

  1. I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
  2. For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).

MORE MUFFINS AND SCONES

 
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, Sweets
Cuisine: Various
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t for get to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you.