A delicious breakfast recipe for your family. Full of sweet blueberries, this Brown Sugar Blueberry Coffee Cake will be just what is needed on a Monday morning. Or Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Sounds like an any day breakfast for your family!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know. I mean if you saw this Brown Sugar Blueberry Coffee Cake, wouldn't you have to agree?
How could you say no to the sweet blueberries, brown sugar streusel topping and moist coffee cake?
You can't. Just admit it.
Ingredients
- sugar
- butter
- eggs
- milk
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- blueberries
- brown sugar (for topping)
- flour (for topping)
- softened butter (for topping)
- cinnamon (for topping)
There are a lot of ingredients to this brown sugar coffee cake but they come together easily. In fact, four of them are for the crumble topping.
Soften butter vs melting butter
You really want to be careful how the butter is softened. If you melt the butter, the texture for the topping will be different than what you want.
It is best to let the butter sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften it a bit before you add it together with the topping ingredients. If you MUST microwave it (we have all been there, right??), only put it into the microwave for about 10 seconds. You just want the butter to think about being soft, not in melting stage.
The process
To make this homemade blueberry coffee cake, it is really a mix and bake type of recipe. Simply cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs.
Then the dry ingredients will be mixed together in a separate bowl.
You don't want to add the milk and flour mixture to the egg mixture all at once or you may get lumps, clumps and unmixed ingredients.
No thanks.
It is better if you add a little milk. Stir.
Add a little flour. Stir.
So forth until you have fully incorporated all the ingredients together.
The blueberries
The blueberries need to be folded into the batter. You don't want to stir so you won't squish the blueberries.
If blueberry squishing takes place, not a big deal, but whole round blueberries looks better. It all tastes the same, though.
The bake
This breakfast recipe is cooked in a 9x13 greased pan at 375*. It does take a little time to bake, about 50 minutes to cook all the way through. Oven temperatures do vary so be sure to check after 40 minutes.
Gluten free option
If you have family members who are gluten free, the all purpose flour in this recipe can be exchanged for 1 for 1 flour such as the King Arthur Gluten Free Flour. I have done it and it turns out just as delicious as the regular flour.
You can use the gluten free flour for the base and topping.
FAQ
It can be made ahead of time, like the night before, and it tastes fine. I must admit, I like fresh out of the oven coffee cake. The blueberries are warm, the brown sugar topping is crunchy. Still good, day old, but just love the taste of fresh.
Yes! You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Both work fine for this recipe, just make sure they are clean.
No, you certainly don't. However, it adds so much crunch and flavor.
No, it doesn't. The leftovers can be kept on the counter covered in an airtight container.
Like breakfast recipes? Try: Sausage Hashbrown Casserole, Easy Baked Chocolate Donuts and Bacon Spinach Quiche.
Pin for later!
📖 Recipe
Brown Sugar Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 4 cups flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups blueberries
For The Topping
- ⅔ cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup softened butter or margarine
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375°
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 cake pan
- Cream together the ½ cup butter and white sugar in a large bowl
- Mix in the eggs
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt
- Stir in the milk, a little at a time, alternating with flour mixture into the egg mixture. (A little milk, a little flour, etc...)
- Fold in the blueberries
- Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Set aside
For The Topping
- Mix together brown sugar, flour, Softened butter and cinnamon
- Sprinkle over top of the blueberry coffee cake and bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 375° for 50 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. *Remember, ovens may vary slightly so always allow a few minutes of wiggle room when following a recipe.*
Arlene
I made this last night for my work friends. It was devoured in minutes with lots of good comments. Only change was I added some vanilla. Will make again!
Kim
Thank you so much!!
Erin
This was definitely needing more blueberries. I added vanilla for some extra flavor but it still just tasted kind of bleh
Sherry
Can I use a bun pan instead of square pan?
Kim
I apologize for the delay of answering! For this particular recipe, I have never used another pan but a 9x13 cake pan. I would be concerned that it would dry out too much. That would be my thought.
Jessica
I had some frozen blueberries and tried this recipe tonight. It is so heavy. I thought 4 cups of flour was alot. I did add a tsp of vanilla because that is something I love baking with but still had a plain taste. I am wondering if some lemon juice and zest would help.
Becky
This is an easy recipe -we have blueberry bushes so I have plenty of fresh blueberries then I freeze a ton. This coffee cake tastes amazing! (even with frozen berries). I used two loaf pans to bake, then I froze them for when I have company. When I thawed them it tasted like fresh baked! Thank you for a great recipe!
Angie
Can I use canned blueberries for this recipe?
Kim
I have never tried canned blueberries. I have only used fresh and frozen. I would think they would work, but without having tried it, I can't say for sure. If you try it, let me know how it works!
Cheryl
Can I half this recipe?
If so what would be the measurements?
Jo
Hi I made this tonight to use up my blueberries. It was easy, tasted great.
Thanks for sharing.
Renee DeLibero
Followed directions to a t and baked for 40 minutes. Bottom was burned and cake was dry and flat.
Kim
Let me help you troubleshoot, this is a delicious coffee cake so I would love for it to work for you! Maybe your baking powder is old. That may be the problem with it rising. Also, where did you put it in the oven? Was it on the bottom rack of the oven? That might account for the burnt bottom.
Kaylin
Can you sub thawed frozen blueberries?
Kim
Yes you can!
Amy
Any change when using frozen blueberries? Do you thaw first or put in frozen?
Kim
You can put them in frozen.
Bonnie
Just the info I was looking for-if you can use frozen blueberries!!!
Kim
Yes you can! I use frozen all the time!
Sherry
Can I freeze the cake after I bake it?
Kim
I have not tried it, so I can't for sure say. I would think you could, but again, that is just a guess. Let me know if you do try it!
Rosemary
Sounds delicious! Can I prepare it and put in refrigerator overnight to bake for Christmas breakfast? Thanks!!
Kim
I have never tried that, but I don't see why not. I would cover it with foil while in the fridge, and it will probably take longer to cook. If you try it, let me know if it works for you!
Wendy
Hi Kim. I WANT to make this Blueberry Coffee Cake. I see 1 and 1/2 cups sugar for the cake. Under the Topping there is NO Brown Sugar at all. But there is 1 Cup of Brown Sugar in the main body of ingredients. I’ve read every comment. No one mentions this. Perhaps you should put the Brown Sugar under the Topping Title. That’s what I am going to do. It sounds right. Thanks for the recipe. Hope I’m right
Kim
Yes you are right! It was just a mistake on my end. Thanks for letting me know! I already fixed it in the post. Hope you enjoy it!
Audrey
I tried this recipe today. I found 4 cups flour and 4 tsp baking powder too much for this cake. I found the cake part itself lacking in flavour. Vanilla and maybe cinnamon in the cake part may help. I also found that the streusel part needed more butter to make it chunkier and less flat. In all, not a great recipe. I would give it a pass.
Kim
Thank you for your honest review! I will take kind, honest reviews any day. It is a favorite at our house and I do hope you try it again.