These Paleo Coffee Cake Muffins are tender, lightly sweet, and topped with an irresistible crumb. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and naturally sweetened—perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or afternoon treat.
This recipe captures everything you love about coffee cake—the soft, sweet cake, a crunchy cinnamon crumb, and a silky glaze—packaged in muffin form. They’re fun to make and even more fun to eat.
The process is straightforward and only needs a few bowls: one for the muffin batter, one for the crumb topping, and one for the glaze. It’s a touch more involved than a one-bowl muffin, but the texture and flavor are worth the extra step.
A few notes on texture and tweaks: the cakes are delicate and sweet; I slightly reduced the bake time because I had overbaked my first batch. The crumb topping adds the best texture—next time I plan to add chopped pecans for crunch. The simple glaze made with coconut butter finishes these muffins beautifully, balancing richness and sweetness.
Coconut Butter Glaze
Coconut butter (made by blending unsweetened shredded coconut) gives the glaze its signature texture and flavor. It isn’t interchangeable with coconut oil, almond butter, or dairy butter, as those have very different consistencies and flavors. You can make coconut butter at home, but a store-bought jar works fine—just warm it gently until smooth before mixing into the glaze.
These muffins are sweet, simple, and delicious. If you enjoy coffee cake flavors, try these next:
- Blueberry Paleo Coffee Cake
- Paleo Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
- Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Caramel Apple Coffee Cake (paleo)
One final clarification I always share: there’s no coffee in this recipe. “Coffee cake” simply refers to a cake intended to be enjoyed with coffee.
Paleo Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 tablespoons ghee, room temperature
Muffins
- 2 1/3 cups almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup melted ghee
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Glaze
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3–4 tablespoons almond milk, as needed to thin
Instructions
- Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl combine almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the ghee and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted ghee and coconut sugar. Add the eggs, almond milk, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin liners. Top each with the crumb topping and bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Make the glaze: Warm the coconut butter until smooth (30–60 seconds in the microwave), then whisk together with honey or maple syrup, vanilla, and almond milk until pourable. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
Notes:
*If ghee isn’t tolerated, you can use coconut oil or butter-flavored coconut oil as a substitute.
Nutrition Information
