INCREDIBLE Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins (with VIDEO)

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This recipe for Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins might be my favorite of all the muffin recipes on this site with their incredibly soft and moist texture and crunchy crumb topping that yields to a fluffy, spongy interior. This recipe is very simple with basic pantry ingredients. These muffins bake up so tall with mountains for muffin tops and the plush tender crumb melts in your mouth. They are inspired by coffee cake with a cinnamon river through the middle that also just melts. The muffins stay moist for days so you feel like you're eating a fresh muffin every day. If you love homemade muffins, check out my popular Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins too!

top view of sour cream coffee cake muffin broken in half showing cinnamon filling through the middle

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Easy and quick to make - this recipe is super simple to make. It uses basic pantry ingredients and the filling is used as the base for the crumb topping so you don't need to make two separate mixtures - it's so easy!
Super soft texture - these muffins have a plush texture with a bouncy open crumb structure.
Cinnamon swirl - there is a thick defined buttery cinnamon swirl through each muffin and it's my favorite part!
Ultra moist sour cream muffins - the cake is perfectly moist and tastes just like coffee cake with plenty of sour cream. They stay moist for days in an airtight container.
Brown sugar crumb topping- like most great coffee cakes, there's a buttery brown sugar crumb topping that makes it so moreish.
Vanilla glaze - this is optional, but I promise it is so worth it! It gives the topping a melting quality.

sour cream coffee cake muffins just baked in muffin pan

WHAT IS COFFEE CAKE?

Coffee cake, most of the time, does not actually contain any coffee! It refers to a buttery sweet, slightly dense cake that is usually baked in a single layer round or square pan, or even a bundt pan. It often can have a crumble topping or crumble swirl through the middle. It is intended to be eaten alongside a cup of coffee or tea, hence the name. It is generally less sweet than say a birthday cake since it doesn't have frosting which is why it is considered acceptable to eat mid-day or during brunch or breakfast.

sour cream coffee cake muffins in muffin pan

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes perfectly soft and tall muffins. Do not pack it down when measuring or use a scale to get the right amount.
Baking powder - you'll need a good amount of baking powder to make muffins as it's what gives them their lift.
Baking soda - baking soda gives these muffins a golden crumb color and golden crust. It also reacts with the sour cream to help leaven the batter.
Oil - this recipe uses oil in the muffin batter. Using oil will keep the muffins soft and feeling fresh since it is liquid at room temperature. You can use any neutral tasting oil, but I prefer sunflower oil for its clean taste.
Brown sugar - there's brown sugar in the batter and the topping. You can use light or dark for this recipe. I like down brown sugar for the topping to add rich molasses taste that pairs so nice with the cinnamon.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps the muffins moist.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor in these muffins so use your best one. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Sour cream - it's the main flavor in the muffin batter adds so much body and rich dairy notes.
Milk - milk is the main source of moisture to keep these muffins extra soft and the wet batter creates an open bouncy texture.
Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor to make the delicious crumb topping.
Cinnamon - what's a coffee cake without cinnamon? I use quite a bit for a big punch of flavor.

sour cream coffee cake muffin broken in half showing cinnamon filling through the middle

sour cream coffee cake muffins ingredients

close up on sour cream coffee cake muffin tops in muffin pan

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Make the topping & filling. Combine flour, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and salt until blended. Add the melted butter and stir it in until it evenly blended and the mixture forms clumps. To make the filling, take ¾ cup of this mixture and place in a separate bowl and stir in the other ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover the bowl with the rest of the mixture and set it aside for topping.
STEP 2). Make the muffin batter. Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt and whisk to blend well. Press out any lumps of brown sugar so the mixture is well combined.
STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, oil and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
STEP 4). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold together to combine. Stop right as the batter is uniform, being sure to reach down to the bottom to pull up any pockets of flour. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
STEP 5). Assemble muffins. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Or for extra large muffins, make 10. If making 10 then you definitely need 2 pans so you can space out the muffins every other cup since they will spread out to make large muffin tops. Use a 1.5 oz scoop to portion batter and add one scoop to each muffin cup. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cinnamon filling evenly over top, then cover with batter so the cups are full. Pile the crumb topping on (really pile it on!). Don't be shy with the topping because it will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven.
STEP 6). Bake for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They're best served warm but also store really well and stay moist for days!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Sift the dry ingredients - sifting the flour will eliminate any lumps and separate all of the flour particles which means it will incorporated into the wet ingredients more easily and more quickly. This will minimize the amount of mixing required so that you ensure the cake is soft.
Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will create the right texture for these muffins.
Measure flour correctly. Adding too much flour to the batter can result in dense muffins.
Use full fat sour cream. Full fat sour cream as 14% milkfat compared to 5% for "light sour cream". That's almost 3 times more fat so it will make a difference in the texture of the muffins.
Do not over-bake. Over-baking will most definitely lead to dry muffins. Make sure you check with a skewer for doneness.
Do not over-mix. Just fold in the flour gently until well combined, but no need to mix vigorously. Just mix until no streaks of dry flour remain.

close up on sour cream coffee cake muffins in muffin pan

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make these sour cream coffee cake muffins with butter?

I use oil for this recipe to create very soft and spongy muffins with an open crumb structure that stays fresh for longer. You can use melted butter and the flavor will be great, but the batter will be thicker and the muffins will be slightly more dense and firm since butter is a solid fat at room temperature.

How to make soft coffee cake muffins?

To make soft muffins, measure the flour accurately, do not reduce the sugar and avoid over-mixing. Sugar is important to hold moisture in while over-mixing will initiate gluten formation which can lead to a tough crumb texture.

Can I freeze sour cream coffee cake muffins?

Yes! These freeze very well. Just wrap each muffin well in plastic wrap, then place them in a large resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

What is a substitute for sour cream?

This recipe is based on the flavor of sour cream, but if you cannot access it where you live, I recommend using full fat Greek yogurt or other Balkan style yogurt with at least 10% milkfat.

sour cream coffee cake muffins in muffin pan showing tall muffin top

sour cream coffee cake muffin balancing on muffin pan

If you love cake, check out these recipes!

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Video

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins

Christina Marsigliese

These Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins are absolutely irresistible with a beautiful soft and moist texture that melts in your mouth. They have a buttery cinnamon brown sugar crumb topping that doubles as the swirl through the middle. These are wonderful for any day of the year!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Rest Time 30

Servings 10 muffins

Ingredients

Filling & Topping:

⅔ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (145g) packed light brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Muffin batter:

2 cups (284g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup 65g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (80ml) sunflower oil
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Glaze:

½ cup (60g) powdered confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) light (half & half) 10% cream

Instructions

Make the filling/topping. Combine flour, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and salt until blended. Add the melted butter and stir it in until it evenly blended and the mixture forms clumps. To make the filling, take ¾ cup of this mixture and place in a separate bowl and stir in the other ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover the bowl with the rest of the mixture and set it aside for topping.
Make the muffin batter. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt and whisk to blend well. Press out any lumps of brown sugar so the mixture is well combined.
Combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, oil and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold together to combine. Stop right as the batter is uniform, being sure to reach down to the bottom to pull up any pockets of flour. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 425°F for tall peaked muffin tops. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Or for extra large muffins, make 10. If making 10 then you definitely need 2 pans so you can space out the muffins every other cup since they will spread out to make large muffin tops.
Here are really great parchment paper liners that I like to use for these muffins as they won't stick at all to these ones.
Use a 1.5 oz scoop to portion batter and add one scoop to each muffin cup. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cinnamon filling evenly over top, then cover with batter so the cups are full. Pile the crumb topping on (really pile it on!). Don't be shy with the topping because it will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They're best served warm but also store really well and stay moist for days!
NOTE: do not put too much batter down for the first layer before the cinnamon filling or it will just get pushed up too high as the muffins bake and the swirl won't be in the center of the muffin if that matters to you.