I promise you're going to love this Amazing Cinnamon Sugar Apple Coffee Cake! It's topped with a maple brown sugar glaze and filled with soft baked apples. Enjoy a slice of this moist, sweet breakfast cake with your cup of morning coffee. We think there's no better way to start your day than this.
This classic coffee cake recipe is lightened up with the help of plain greek yogurt and melted coconut oil. But, check out our suggested swaps toward the end of this post if you'd like to make a substitution.
Here it is... The BEST Fall Apple Coffee Cake
We're starting off this fall season strong with apple coffee cake!! Brown sugar, greek yogurt, finely diced apples, cinnamon sugar, and maple glaze. These are just a few of the star ingredients in this healthier breakfast cake.
If you grew up eating the Krusteaz Crumb Cake, it's time to meet it's healthier, homemade cousin! This cinnamon sugar apple coffee cake is moist, full of soft baked apples and is topped with the perfect buttery crumble. You could stop here... but we love making fall recipes extra special to bring out all of the seasonal vibes, so this apple crumb cake is topped with a BROWN SUGAR MAPLE GLAZE. It's worth it, trust us.
This is a family favorite in our house and you're going to love how easy this cake is to make! It bakes in only 30 minutes and makes at least 12 servings depending on the size of each slice of cake. Any recipe that makes my kitchen smell like apple cider or maple donuts is a yes from me!
What is Coffee Cake?
First, let's get one thing straight: Coffee cake does not have coffee in it!
This may sound confusing, but coffee cake is actually just a type of sweet cake that is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. The flavor possibilities are endless, but I think of salty streusel, sweet brown sugar and a delicate crumb when I picture the perfect coffee cake.
Are you ready to find your morning cup of coffee a best friend for the week? Let's make this delicious, healthier apple coffee cake together!
How To Make Cinnamon Sugar Apple Coffee Cake:
To start, wash, peel and finely dice your apples. You can leave the skins on if you prefer. Use any apples that you have on hand, but our favorites include gala, honey crisp, pink lady, and granny smith apples.
Now let's get started on your coffee cake batter! To a mixing bowl, add your eggs, brown sugar, greek yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Next, add in your flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to the same mixing bowl. Gently stir the baking soda into the flour before fully mixing everything together.
For the last two steps, simple stir in your apples and melted coconut oil. Adding the melted coconut oil at the very end when the batter has almost come together ensures that it won't harden due to the chilled ingredients (egg and yogurt). However, if you're swapping the coconut oil for butter, you can add the melted butter in the first step with the wet ingredients if you prefer.
Once your apple coffee cake batter is ready, transfer it into a greased baking dish. I tend to use a 9x3" baking dish for this recipe.
Before you pop your cake in the oven, mix together the crumb topping ingredients. You will need brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted butter and a pinch of salt to make the crumble. Mix these together and sprinkle the crumble topping mixture over the uncooked cake batter.
Bake your cinnamon sugar apple coffee cake uncovered until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with little crumbs, usually in 30 minutes or less.
Don't Forget the Maple Glaze!
Once your delicious fall apple cake has cooled, it's time to whip up the most magical maple glaze! For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, maple extract, and a splash of milk. Your maple brown sugar glaze should be smooth and just thin enough to drizzle over the cake. I add the milk little by little after I've mixed the other ingredients together so my glaze won't accidentally turn out too runny.
Everything You'll Need
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the key ingredient to making a sweet, rich coffee cake.
- Egg: This recipe calls for two eggs to bind together our ingredients and create the perfect cake batter.
- Greek Yogurt: We love to use greek yogurt in muffins, breads and cakes because it adds moisture to the crumb and some protein.
- Vanilla Extract: We think a splash of vanilla just makes everything a little bit better.
- Coconut Oil: We're lightening up this classic recipe with melted coconut oil for some healthy fats! Be sure to add this ingredients at the end when making your batter.
- Diced Apples: We like to use gala, honey crisp, pink lady and granny smith apples, but use whatever variety you have on hand.
- All-Purpose Flour: (gluten-free if necessary) We like to use all-purpose flour to keep these cookies light and fluffy. You can also use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Baking Soda: This is the rising agent in our healthier apple crumb cake.
- Cinnamon: The combination of sweet baked apples and cinnamon has us swooning for all things fall.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness in this delicious, moist cake.
Plus, you'll need a few other ingredients for the crumble topping and maple glaze:
- Salted Butter: Although we're using coconut oil in the cake batter, a crumble topping just isn't the same without melted butter.
- Maple Extract: The secret ingredient to making the most magical maple glaze! It's a must!
- Powdered Sugar: This is the typical ingredient you'll find in icings and glazes because it adds sweetness and creates a smooth icing.
- Milk: Thin out the maple glaze with a splash of milk of your choice!
Need to make a substitution?
Don't have apples?
This recipe would still be delicious even without any apples. Or you can try substituting chopped fresh pears if you want some seasonal fall fruit.
Maple Glaze?
Although you can leave off the maple glaze to make this cake a bit healthier and less sweet, I highly recommend you drizzle on some glaze. Maple extract really takes the flavor up a notch.
Gluten-free?
Swap the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1:1 GF baking flour like this gluten-free flour!
No coconut oil?
Although I have only made this cake using melted coconut oil, I think melted butter or another oil of your choice would substitute nicely in this recipe.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Maple Glazed Bacon Banana Muffins
- Buttery Blueberry Crumble Bars
- Peanut Butter Granola Clusters
- Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
If you make this amazing cinnamon sugar apple coffee cake, be sure to tag #bakedabundance on Instagram. We’d also love if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you!
PrintRecipe
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Coffee Cake
Enjoy a warm slice of this amazing Cinnamon Sugar Apple Coffee Cake with your cup of morning coffee. It's topped with a maple brown sugar glaze that is pure magic!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
Coffee Cake:
- 1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups apples, diced (about 3 average sized apples)
- ½ cup coconut oil (or unsalted butter), melted
Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2T melted salted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
Maple Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk of choice
Instructions
- Peel and finely dice 3 medium sized apples to get about 2 ½ cups diced apples. I used gala apples.
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13" or 7x10" baking dish with butter or olive oil spray.
- To a large mixing bowl, add eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Next, add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Use a measuring spoon to sift the baking soda into the top of the flour mixture before stirring everything together.
- Melt coconut oil (or butter) and stir into the cake mixture along with the diced apples. Adding the coconut oil last ensures it does not harden from the cold ingredients (eggs and yogurt).
- In a small mixing bowl, add crumble topping ingredients and stir to combine.
- Spread cake batter into prepared baking dish and top with crumble topping. (Batter will be thick.)
- Bake apple coffee cake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes in a 9x13" pan or for 50-60 minutes in a 7x10" pan. Insert a toothpick into the center to check doneness. Toothpick should come out clean with few crumbs.
- Leaving out 1T of milk, whisk maple glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Adjust flavor of glaze by adding more vanilla or maple extract to suit your liking. If you want to thin out your glaze, add another tablespoon of milk at the end.
- Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring on the maple glaze. Store on the counter for 3-5 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Baking times will change based on size of baking dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 352.61kcal
- Sugar: 32.53g
- Sodium: 184.6mg
- Fat: 12.59g
- Saturated Fat: 9.54g
- Carbohydrates: 55.53g
- Fiber: 1.17g
- Protein: 5.1g
- Cholesterol: 37.6mg
Karen
Marley, this apple coffee cake was delicious! I made this recipe for my family for Labor day weekend and we all enjoyed it for dessert. I used Honeycrisp apples and the maple glaze is a great finishing touch!
Marley Braunlich
Hi Karen! Thanks so much for sharing your review with us. I hope your family loved this cake as much as we do. Honeycrisp apples are so good!! And yes, I agree that the maple glaze is to die for. 😍
Anna
Awesome recipe, Marley! Such a light and moist cake, and the crumb topping makes it. I love the fall spin on the classic coffee cake. This is a must try recipe!!
Marley Braunlich
Thank you Anna! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. It's definitely one of my favorites to make during the fall. Thanks for your feedback!! 🙂
Rachel
OMG THIS WAS AMAZING! If you're craving something sweet and decadent this is the cake for you! It pairs perfectly with coffee and you can eat it for dessert or breakfast. I made mine without the apples because my boyfriend prefers it that way, but I totally want to try it with them next time!
Marley Braunlich
AHHH! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Rachel. I can't wait for you to try it again! I'm glad the coffee cake was still super delicious without any apples, I would agree! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Stephanie
Marley, what a yummy and easy recipe! I am by now means a baker, so I tried this for a Thanksgiving family dinner. I used honey crisp apples, but followed all instructions as directed. I honestly didn't have any left! It was such a hit! What a treasure to find this...now I have to make it for Christmas.
Marley
Stephanie!! What amazing news! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe for the holidays. You are on your way to becoming a star baker, I just know it! Thanks so much for your feedback. 🙂