Gluten Free Coffee Cake Muffins

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. 

Note: These coffee cake muffins will have a crumbly texture more similar to coffee cake than muffins. 

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. 

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!

This gluten free coffee cake muffins recipe transforms the classic cake into sweet, convenient muffins with an irresistible crumb topping.

Crumb Topping

• 2 Tablespoons melted butter or non dairy butter
• 2/3 cup fine blanched almond flour
• 3 Tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon coconut or oat flour

Muffin Batter

• 3/4 cup (6 oz) sour cream (see notes for substitutes)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cups (270g) superfine blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup (80 g) fine raw sugar or monk fruit sweetener
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
2. Prepare the crumb topping first by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a smooth batter forms.
6. Using a cookie dough scoop, pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
10. Once muffins are cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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.