Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

This easy pumpkin coffee cake bakes up in one pan with a thick, crunchy cinnamon streusel over a lightly spiced cake. It's the not-too-sweet kind of treat you can eat any time of day.

If there's one thing I can't get enough of when the weather turns cool, it's a warm, spiced pumpkin treat. You may have already seen my butterscotch pumpkin cake bars or whole grain pumpkin spice pancakes. Now it's time for pumpkin coffee cake.

This one is easy to make, and honestly you can eat it any time of day. It's a breakfast cake, a snack cake, and an after dinner treat. Basically it's whatever you want it to be. And if you find yourself baking one easy fall cake after another the way I do, my apple spice cake is another good anytime cake.

But let's be real about the best part: the streusel. The cake itself isn't overly sweet, so that thick, crunchy layer of cinnamon streusel on top is where most of the flavor lives. It's the reason I keep going back for one more piece.

Do You Need Eggs for Pumpkin Coffee Cake?

Because this is a pumpkin cake, you really don't need eggs. The pumpkin holds everything together and adds moisture, and it turns out the eggs aren't missed for leavening either. That makes this a good one to reach for if you have an egg allergy, you're baking vegan, or you just opened the fridge and realized you're out of eggs.

To keep it fully vegan friendly, swap the small amount of milk and butter for your favorite non-dairy versions. Everything else stays exactly the same.

The Cinnamon Streusel Topping

The streusel comes together with just four things: brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and a generous amount of cinnamon. Mix them in a small bowl with a fork until the mixture is crumbly, then scatter it evenly over the batter before baking.

As the pumpkin coffee cake bakes, that top layer firms up into the crunchy crust that sets it apart from a plain pumpkin cake. The cake itself is on the less sweet side, so the streusel is really where the sweetness and warm spice come through.

Ingredients You Will Need

Most of what you need is probably already in your pantry. A couple are worth a quick note before you start.

Canned pumpkin puree. Make sure it's 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The filling is already sweetened and spiced, so it will throw off the recipe. The two sit right next to each other on the shelf, so it's an easy mix-up.

Pumpkin spice. This is where most of the warm flavor comes from. Use store-bought, or make your own pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This is about as easy as baking gets, and it's close to a one bowl recipe. I just like to whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first so everything blends evenly.

Make the streusel first, using the section above, so it's ready to scatter on top. Then whisk your dry ingredients in one bowl. In a larger bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula just until it comes together.

One thing to expect: the batter is very thick. That's totally normal and exactly how it should be, so don't be tempted to thin it out with extra liquid. Spread it into a greased or parchment-lined 8x8 pan, then scatter the streusel evenly over the top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let it cool, then cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Variations

• Add a vanilla glaze. The cake is good just as it is, but if you like things a little sweeter, a simple vanilla glaze drizzled over the top is a nice finish. In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of milk into ½ cup of powdered sugar until smooth. If it seems too stiff, add a few drops of milk and stir. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar a small spoonful at a time until it comes together. Drizzle it over the cake with a spoon.
• Stir nuts into the streusel. I haven't tested it in this one, but walnuts or pecans mixed into the streusel layer would add a nice extra crunch.
• Make it vegan. This cake is already egg-free, so it's an easy one to take fully vegan with a couple of simple swaps, which I covered earlier in the post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does coffee cake have coffee in it? No, coffee cake doesn't contain any coffee. The name comes from it being a cake meant to be served alongside a cup of coffee, usually at breakfast or as a snack.

Can I make this pumpkin coffee cake in a different pan? This recipe is written for an 8x8 pan. A 9x9 works fine too; the cake will bake up slightly thinner and may finish a few minutes early, so start checking a little sooner. For a larger 9x13, the same batter would spread much thinner and bake faster, and I haven't tested it that way, so I can't give an exact bake time.

Can I turn the batter into muffins? I've only tested this pumpkin coffee cake baked as an 8x8, not in a muffin tin, so I can't give reliable muffin timing here. If you want a muffin instead, my pumpkin muffin recipe is a safer bet.

How do I store pumpkin coffee cake? Keep it covered at room temperature for a few days. It also freezes well once fully cooled; wrap it airtight and thaw before serving.