Brown Butter Blueberry Coffee Cake

Truth time: this absolutely incredible coffee cake has been on my site since April of 2013 and I’ve been meaning to update and reshare it almost EVERY year since then.

Today is the day, people! I’m thrilled to share my tried-and-true brown butter blueberry coffee cake with a little photo makeover and recipe tweak. This recipe is where my love for coffee cake began. As I wrote in the original post:

“Confession: I’m not a cake person.

I’d rather have pie loaded with whip cream; it’s much more nostalgic. However, I recently discovered the downside of pie: it’s not acceptable to eat for breakfast. I mean could you imagine walking into a Starbucks and ordering a slice of French Silk? Here come the judgy looks.

But coffee cake? Totally cool. Load up my plate at 8am with buttery bliss and give me a shot of espresso.

I think I can totally get down with the cake for breakfast thing.”

Everything you’ll need to make this blueberry coffee cake

I made you a coffee cake that tastes like a moist, fluffy blueberry muffin and gives you an excuse to brown butter. Yes, please! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• For the streusel topping: we’re making my traditional coffee cake topping with a little all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted salted butter.
• For the wet ingredients: give the cake moisture and sweetness with plain Greek yogurt, pure maple syrup, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and a little almond extract. The almond extract is what gives the cake that true cake flavor and pairs SO well with the blueberries!
• For the dry ingredients: you’ll need more all-purpose flour, both baking powder AND baking soda, and a little salt.
• Butter: you already know we’re browning that butter, baby! You’ll stir the brown butter into the cake batter before topping and baking.
• Blueberries: because we’re making blueberry coffee cake (duh) you’ll fold those right into the batter as well.
• Powdered sugar: I like to dust the top with a powdered sugar to make it extra pretty.

What ingredients can I substitute?

Quick reminder to follow the recipe as best you can so that it turns out just like I tested it! If you’re looking to experiment with substitutions in this blueberry coffee cake, here’s what I can suggest:

• For the butter & yogurt: you can use melted vegan butter and dairy-free yogurt. Do not brown the vegan butter, just melt it and add it in the recipe as directed.
• For the flour: I think that an all purpose gluten-free flour will work in this recipe, but please note that I have not tested it out to be sure. Let me know if you do!
• For the eggs: I also have not tested this recipe with flax eggs, but let me know if you give it a try! Then keep the recipe vegan by swapping the butter and yogurt, and using a dairy-free milk.

Tips for baking with blueberries

• Thaw, if frozen: if you’re using frozen blueberries, be sure to thaw them first and drain off the excess liquid so that they don’t add too much moisture to your coffee cake batter.
• Toss them in flour: have you ever baked blueberry muffins or bread and noticed that they baked up blue or purple? That’s because blueberries can tend to dye your batter! To prevent this (and to prevent them from sinking to the bottom) you’ll want to toss the blueberries in a little flour before folding them into the batter.

Learn how to brown butter

Many of you know by now that I’m a certified brown butter LOVAH. Brown butter adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to this blueberry coffee cake that’s unlike anything else. Get all of my tips & tricks for browning butter here!

Don’t forget these tips for baking coffee cake

• Choose the right pan. I typically use a 9 inch springform pan to show off the layers, but you can also use a regular 9 inch cake pan or an 8×8 inch square pan.
• Grease your pan. Please remember to generously coat your pan (sides included) with nonstick cooking spray so that the cake comes out easily! If you’re using a cake pan or square pan, remember to line it with parchment paper.
• Use room temp ingredients. Cool down the brown butter for a full 10 minutes and bring your eggs to room temp so that they don’t coagulate when mixed together.
• Do not overmix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients be sure to mix until the batter is just combined. Overmixing will create a dense, gummy texture.

How to store and freeze coffee cake

• To store: keep the blueberry coffee cake covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, then place it in the fridge covered for up to 1 week.
• To freeze: let the cake cool and then wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the full cake in a zip-top freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before serving it.

More coffee cake recipes you’ll love

• Salted Butterscotch Zucchini Coffee Cake
• Espresso Yogurt Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
• Brown Butter Strawberry Coffee Cake with Lovely Strawberry Icing
• Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake

Get all of my brunch treats here!

I hope you love this brown butter blueberry coffee cake recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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Blueberry Coffee Cake with Brown Butter

5 from 11 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Beautiful blueberry coffee cake made with rich brown butter, juicy blueberries, and a perfectly sweet streusel topping. It’s moist and fluffy thanks to yogurt, and tastes just like the bakery-style coffee cake you know and love. Serve warm with a cup of coffee!

Ingredients

• Topping:
• 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
• ½ cup (107g) packed dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) salted butter, melted
• Wet ingredients:
• ½ cup (113 grams) salted butter
• ½ cup (113 grams) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ½ cup (156 grams) pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup (60 grams) milk of choice (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• Dry ingredients:
• 1 ¾ cups (210g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Mix-ins:
• 2 heaping cups (300 grams) fresh (or thawed) blueberries
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, to coat blueberries
• Optional:
• powdered sugar, for dusting on top

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, or line a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• Make the streusel topping: in a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the 6 tablespoons of melted butter and stir together with a fork until it begins to form into crumbles and resembles clumps of wet sand. You may need to use your hands/fingers to form into nice thick “clumps.” Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for later.
• Brown the butter: Add ½ cup butter to a medium pot or saucepan and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens once it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to turn a golden amber brown color and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 
• Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, maple syrup, milk, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts.
• Prepare the dry ingredients and mix-ins: In a separate medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined. Finally, gently stir the brown butter into the batter until smooth and well combined. Do not overmix.
• Add mix-in and topping: In a medium bowl, toss blueberries with 2 tablespoons of flour. Gently fold blueberries into the batter with the wooden spoon. Add batter to prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar topping.
• Bake the cake: Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or just with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before cutting into 12 slices. Store covered at room temp for 1-2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week. Serve warm or at room temperature with a cup of good coffee! Best if enjoyed with lovely people.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on April 18th, 2013, and republished with an updated recipe and new photos on June 4th, 2025.