On cool fall mornings, enjoy a slice of this brown butter Pumpkin Snack Cake for breakfast. The simple pumpkin coffee cake with streusel goes perfectly with a mug of hot coffee.
I made this pumpkin coffee cake for breakfast a while ago, and it quickly disappeared. Even my husband enjoyed this recipe.
He said he loved that it was simple. I like crazy, wild desserts like these pumpkin Oreo cheesecakes or these brownie pumpkin cheesecake bars. Give me all the layers and all the swirls—most of the time!
Occasionally, I like a simple pumpkin cake to enjoy with my pumpkin cream cold brew. Right now, a simple cake with jazzed-up coffee is my thing.
This pumpkin coffee cake starts with brown butter. Browning butter only takes a few minutes and is so worth it. Plus, it will make your kitchen smell amazing.
How to Brown Butter
- First, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it is completely melted and bubbly.
- Keep stirring gently until the butter becomes foamy.
- The foam will disappear, and you will see the brown butter.
For this pumpkin breakfast cake recipe, you need to let the butter cool before adding it to the other ingredients. Pour it into another bowl and set it aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
How to Make a Pumpkin Snack Cake
Start by browning the butter and letting it cool to room temperature. While the butter is cooling, stir all the streusel ingredients and set aside.
Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl and slowly mix them into the pumpkin batter. Stir half of the streusel topping into the batter, then spread it in a greased pan.
Mix the butter into the cooled brown butter until it looks like wet sand. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and beat until creamy.
Sprinkle the rest of the topping over the top of the cake and then bake. This cake is best served slightly warm.
PRO TIP: If you make the pumpkin coffee cake ahead of time, heat squares in the microwave for 8-10 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
After you bake this pumpkin streusel coffee cake, try this peanut butter pumpkin cake or this pumpkin oatmeal cake recipe for another fun breakfast treat.
Other Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Nutella Cheesecake Danish
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Glazed Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
- Traditional Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Recipe
Pumpkin Snack Cake
Enjoy a slice of this brown butter Pumpkin Snack Cake for breakfast on cool fall mornings. The simple pumpkin coffee cake with streusel goes perfectly with a mug of hot coffee.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (180 g)
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup toffee bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Place the butter in a skillet. Heat over medium heat until melted. Keep stirring while it bubbles, foams, and turns brown. It will take about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Beat the cooled butter with the brown sugar until it looks like sand. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla and beat again.
- Stir together the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and flour. Slowly stir into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
- Stir together all the topping ingredients. Stir half of the topping into your cake batter.
- Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the rest of the topping over the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Let it cool a little bit. Cut into squares and serve slightly warm. Store the cake in a sealed container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 164Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
This post was first published in November 2013. The photos and post were updated and republished in September 2020.
Chels R. says
Oh brown butter, how it makes everything simply magical. I wish we got more snow here. We're lucky if we get a dusting. Usually it is just to warm on the valley floor here in Oregon.
Jocelyn Brubaker says
I would gladly trade you!! 😉
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life says
First you use brown butter. Then you add pumpkin. And then you put chocolate chips and toffee bits on it, too? I can't even! All the layers look so good! Hehe, that's our job; keep the house warm for the snow babies:) Who am I to talk? I love the snow too:)
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Haha! Thanks Mary Frances!!
Beth @ bethcakes says
I'm glad you're keeping the pumpkin recipes coming! It never ever snows here. Whenever it does, it's gone in a few hours, but they cancel school anyway. 🙂 Luckily, this cake would be incredible with or without snow. Love all that streusel on top!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Haha, that's crazy!! It had to be really snowing good before they would cancel school when I was growing up! Thanks Beth!!
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
I'm with you! I can do without the cold! But there was something strange about a 70 degree Christmas when we lived in South Florida. Especially when they made fake snow during a public event - fake snow, 70 degree weather and palm trees? Weird. But this cake is not weird - it's awesome! And I love the addition of mini chocolate chips and toffee to the streusel! Yum!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
That would be weird!! Thanks Lindsay!!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
Brown butter and pumpkin sounds heavenly and your more than welcome to bring some of that snow to California.
Jocelyn Brubaker says
I will send it all to you!! 😉 Thanks Nicole!!
Amy | Club Narwhal says
I would definitely be glad to skip winter altogether, too 🙂 Well, except that the cold weather is the perfect excuse to bake something warm and inviting like this gorgeous coffee cake. Brown butter makes my world go 'round!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Amy!! 🙂
Natasha @ The Cake Merchant says
I would be happy to skip winter, too (I kind of do since I live in Texas). Love the combination of brown butter and pumpkin, and this looks perfect for a cold day!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Natasha!!
Wendy says
A quick and easy pumpkin cake sounds great for breakfast and streusel makes the cake! I could eat streusel on its own I think...but maybe not. Maybe its the lightly sweet crunch of streusel on top of a soft cake that makes it so delicious. 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Wendy!!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love coffee cake. I really like the toppings you added to this one!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Megan!!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
I am so glad your love of pumpkin came back because this looks amazing!! I also love the pics of browning the butter but have not tried because I was afraid to burn it! This is now on my to do list!!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Nancy!! 🙂
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
I hope I wake up to this tomorrow! Brown butter and pumpkin, just a few of my favorite things!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Julianne!!
Marcie says
YUM to the brown butter in this coffee cake and the other tidbits like oats, chocolate chips, and toffee that you stuck into that streusel. This looks divine!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Marcie!!
Debra Womack says
Around here, they talk about a few *flurries* and all of the milk, bread, and water disappears from the grocery shelves.
I don't get it. 😛
This coffee cake? MUST have. Must.
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Haha, we know what that's like! Thanks Debra!!
Tieghan says
Mmm!! I love brown butter! This looks perfect, Jocelyn!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Tieghan!!
Meghan says
I could do without the cold and snow too, but I definitely could not live without coffee cake! This looks amazing, especially with the brown butter!!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Meghan!!
Erin | The Emerging Foodie says
Wow. Browned butter + pumpkin = the world's best combo. And in the form of coffee cake with streusel? Sign me up!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Erin!! 🙂
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says
Christmas in California usually means 60+ I would love to see a white christmas though!!
Streusel + Toffee Bits + Chocolate + Pumpkin = AMAZING!!!!!!!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Elizabeth!!
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent says
We got so much snow 🙁 I'm with you its visited and it can now return and not come back. This coffeecake looks great. Yum!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Thanks Laura!!
Robin says
I think the Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake sounds amazing and really want to try it for my family. Now, the recipe says you put in half of the streusel into the batter, but looking at your picture it looks like you have a lot of the yummy stuff on top. Is it an accurate 1/2 amount, or did you make extra so that there would be a lot more on top. Just wondering as I have done this before on other recipes where I will even triple the streusel to put on top of stuff.
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Hi, Robin. Yes, the amount in the recipe is what I used...half in the batter, half on top. It kind of melts together onto the top. If you want more streusel, I say go for it! It will be good either way!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
I was sad we didn't get ANY snow this morning! If I had it my way we would skip summer :O lol crazy I know but I can't help it. I just love me some cold weather! AND some brown butter! AND THIS COFFEE CAKE AAAGGGHH
Jocelyn Brubaker says
No skipping summer!! Hehe! Thanks Jess!!