Description
Grandma’s Coffee Cake Muffins are soft, moist muffins bursting with cinnamon-flavored streusel topping and an optional sweet glaze. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these classic American muffins combine a tender crumb enriched with sour cream and butter with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping, creating a delightful treat that’s easy to make and freeze for later enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
For the muffins:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the streusel topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the glaze (optional):
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well to ensure the muffins don’t stick.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender muffin texture.
- Add eggs and liquids: Beat in the eggs one at a time to incorporate air, then mix in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and seasoning.
- Mix wet and dry: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the batter, which keeps muffins tender.
- Prepare streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and melted butter until the mixture forms crumbly clusters for a crunchy topping.
- Fill muffin cups: Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full to allow room for rising, then generously sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter.
- Bake muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Cool muffins: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional glaze: If desired, whisk powdered sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk until smooth and drizzle over cooled muffins for added sweetness and a pretty finish.
Notes
- These muffins freeze beautifully—just reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds to enjoy warm.
- Sour cream adds extra moisture and richness, but you can substitute plain Greek yogurt if preferred.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the muffins light and tender.
- You can increase cinnamon in the streusel topping for a spicier flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
