If you love coffee cake you are going to love these MUFFINS! They are a tender, delicious coffee cake with tiger stripes of cardamom spiced sugar. The streusel topping is crunchy and full of even more cardamom spiced flavor. Top that with a creamy glaze and you have the best Cardamom Spiced Coffee Cake Muffins ever!
Try out my Cardamom Syrup if you have any leftover cardamom pods, or these easy and delicious Cardamom Cookies.
I love my mornings with a steaming cup of black coffee. But, I love them even more with one of these Coffee Cake Muffins to go along with it. The warm cardamom and spices wake up my senses, not to mention the textures: fluffy cake, crunchy streusel, and a creamy glaze. YUM!
Plus who doesn’t like a really good muffin in the morning?! Confession: I ended up freezing a whole extra batch of these muffins so I could have one whenever I wanted.
Why You’ll Love This Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe
- These aren’t your ordinary Coffee Cake Muffins- they are packed with freshly ground cardamom and pumpkin pie spices! This amps up the coffee cake flavor while making them super unique.
- Perfect for any time of the day- breakfast, a midday snack, meal prepped lunches, or an evening sweet treat.
- Done in under an hour- you heard me, simple ingredients and easy elements that whip together in under an hour.
I recently became obsessed with this Amish Apple Fritter Bread from my friend Anne, so you’ll have to try that too!
Ingredients in Cardamom Spiced Coffee Cake Muffins
Cardamom Spiced Sugar- This adds a sugary spiced stripe to the muffins. It also adds moisture and extra flavor.
- granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom
Cardamom Spiced Streusel- It seriously tastes like a crumbled spiced cookie on top of your muffin. So delicious!
- unsalted butter, all- purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom
Coffee Cake Muffins- This is a classic coffee cake batter EXCEPT it has browned butter which adds an amazing depth of flavor. I give instructions on how to brown butter in my recipe notes below.
- browned unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt.
Cream Glaze (optional)- These muffins taste great with or without the glaze. The option is yours and I included it because traditional coffee cake has a glaze.
- heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar
How to Make Cardamom Spiced Coffee Cake Muffins
Start by preheating your oven and preparing a 12 cavity muffin pan. You can use baking cups, parchment paper, non-stick cooking spray or even butter.
Cardamom Spiced Sugar and Streusel Topping
Make these first because it is going to make assembling your coffee cake muffins easier if everything is prepared before you start filling your tins. And we do not want the coffee cake batter to sit too long because it will make your muffins tough and dry.
ONE. Cinnamon Spiced Sugar whisk together your granular sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom in a small bowl.
TWO. Cardamom Spiced Streusel use your hands or a fork to blend the butter, all purpose flour, granular sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. You want it to become a sandy mixture.
Muffin Batter
THREE. Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
FOUR. Combine the wet ingredients: browned butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract.
FIVE. Alternate adding and folding in the dry ingredients and Greek yogurt: half of the dry ingredients, half of the Greek yogurt, the remaining dry ingredients, the remaining Greek yogurt. Doing this in batches helps to keep us from over mixing the batter. Look at mine below, it will not be a completely smooth batter but will be delicious!
Assembling the Cardamom Spiced Coffee Cake Muffins
SIX. Add a scoop of coffee cake batter and smooth it out so it covers the bottom of each cavity.
SEVEN. Sprinkle Cardamom Spiced Sugar mixture into to each cavity and press down gently into the coffee cake batter.
EIGHT. Top with another scoop of coffee cake batter and smooth it out.
NINE. Press the streusel into your coffee cake batter.
Baking the Coffee Cake Muffins
TEN. Bake the muffins for a total of 20 to 22 minutes. They should spring back to the touch or a toothpick test should come out clean.
ELEVEN. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.
TWELVE. Whisk up the cream glaze and top each muffin with some.
Storing Information
The best part about these muffins is they keep and store beautifully. Just make sure they are in an airtight container or reusable bag.
At room temperature they will last up to 2 days (if you glazed your muffins I recommend refrigerating them, dairy spoils). In the refrigerator up to 1 week, and in the freezer up to 3 months.
Recipe Substitutions
Cardamom. I prefer fresh green cardamom that is hand grinded with a mortar and pestle, but you can always use ground cardamom you buy at the store.
Greek yogurt can be subbed out for equal amounts of sour cream.
Pumpkin pie spice. Use the stuff you buy at the store or mix up your own: cinnamon (1 teaspoon), all spice (1/2 teaspoon), and nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon). These measurements will make enough for you to use in your muffins without waste.
Heavy whipping cream can be subbed out for any kind of milk (the consistency will not be as thick and silky though).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
No. Coffee cake muffins and coffee cake do not have coffee in them. They are commonly enjoyed with coffee which was where they got the name “coffee cake.”
Yes! I love making a few batches and throwing them in the freezer. They make for great snacks, breakfast on the go, or a part of meal prepping. Just be sure to store them in an airtight container or reusable bag. They will last up to 3 months.
Yes, you can definitely use ground cardamom in this recipe. Just keep in mind the cardamom flavor will be a tad more mild than if you used hand ground cardamom.
Cardamom is a very strong and pungent flavored spice that tastes sweet, spicy, with hint of floral to it. It is a highly underrated flavor in my opinion. It is most frequently seen and tasted in chai spiced tea.
Cardamom pods can be found at your local grocery store in the spice aisle or online. I find the green variety is the easiest to track down in the United States.
More Breakfast and Muffin Recipes You Might Like:
- Mini Blueberry Muffins
- Homemade Sandwich Bread
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Carrot Muffins
- 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
- Basic Muffin Recipe
- Buttermilk Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Earl Grey Muffins with Streusel
- Sour Cream Glazed Donuts
- Breakfast Bagel Sliders
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Cardamom Spiced Coffee Cake Muffins
EQUIPMENT
- 12 cavity muffin pan
INGREDIENTS
Cardamom Spiced Sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; - or combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice
- ¾ teaspoon cardamom - freshly ground is best
Cardamom Spiced Streusel
- 4 tablespoons butter - unsalted
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice - or combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice
- ¾ teaspoon cardamom - freshly ground is the best
Coffee Cake Muffins
- ½ cup unsalted butter - browned and cooled to room temperature*
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Greek yogurt - room temperature
OPTIONAL Cream Glaze
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Cardamom Spiced Sugar
- In a small bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. Set aside.
Cardamom Spiced Streusel
- In another small bowl blend together (with a fork or hands) the butter, all purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. It should be a sandy mixture, set aside.
Coffee Cake Muffins
- Preheat oven to 425 °F and center oven rack. Prepare a 12 cavity muffin pan with baking cups, parchment paper, nonstick cooking spray, or oil.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (See recipe notes for more information on browning the butter).
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated and the color of the mixture has lightened.
- Fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until almost incorporated. Add half the Greek yogurt and fold.
- Add the remainder of the dry ingredients, fold, and then the rest of the Greek yogurt, fold. Only fold until the mixture comes together, do not over mix it.
Constructing Muffins
- Into your prepared muffin pan, add a small scoop (about 2 tablespoons) of coffee cake batter and smooth it so it covers the bottom of each cavity.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the Cardamom Spiced Sugar mixture to each cavity and press it down gently into the coffee cake batter.
- Top that with another almost full scoop of coffee cake batter (about 3 tablespoons).
- Top each muffin with Cardamom Spiced Streusel (about 1 tablespoon) and lightly press it into the coffee cake batter.
- Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 425 °F, reduce the oven heat to 350 °F and bake for another 15 to 18 minutes. The muffins spring back to the touch and a toothpick test should come out clean.
- Allow them to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes before removing, and then fully cool on a wire baking rack.
OPTIONAL Cream Glaze
- Whisk together the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until fully incorporated and airy. NOTE: Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze and more heavy whipping cream for a thinner glaze.
- Drizzle over your muffins and serve.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Storing Information:
- At room temperature, covered, for one to two days.
- In the refrigerator, covered, for one week.
- In the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to three months.
How to Make Browned Butter:
- Over medium-high heat melt your butter in a pan. Stir constantly until your butter because light brown and smells nutty (about 5 minutes).
- Immediately pour into a heat safe bowl to stop the cooking process. Place in the refrigerator until cooled but soft (about 30 minutes).
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
I can’t describe how delicious they look from the pics! Cardamom in Finland is used basically everywhere, so I love the flavor!
Cardamom is definitely underrated in the U.S. especially freshly ground. I hope you enjoy these!
~Elizabeth
Cardamom is one of my favorite spices and in my opinion it is totally underrated! Love the flavor of these muffins!
I agree! So glad you enjoyed them!
Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate my recipe.
~Elizabeth
Wow, these muffins look absolutely delicious! I avoid dairy and eggs in baking but do you think I can make them with vegan butter, flax eggs and plant yogurt like coconut yogurt? Anyhow, great recipe!
I think all of that would be great. The flax egg will change the texture a bit but it still should be delicious. And almond milk Greek yogurt is really great too.
~Elizabeth
These muffins look like a coffee cake my mom used to make. I can almost smell the crumble. Love love love these!
So glad you like them! Recipes that make us remember good times are the best.
Enjoy,
~Elizabeth