This Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe is soft, moist, and bursting with fresh blueberries. It’s topped with a buttery streusel and finished with a light lemon glaze.

Image of a piece of coffee cake on a plate, with a fork on the side.
chelsea

author’s note

Sweet Enough for Dessert, Easy Enough for Breakfast!

I came up with this Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe after one of those mornings when my boys were begging for “something sweet” and we had a bunch of blueberries that needed using. I wanted something that could pass for breakfast but still felt like a treat, and this totally hit the mark.

The cake is rich and moist, packed with blueberries, and I swirl a crunchy cinnamon streusel right on top. Then comes my favorite part: a lemon glaze that ties everything together.

It’s become one of my boys’ most-requested bakes, especially on weekends when I let it slide as a breakfast option. Honestly, I’m not complaining. I’m always up for a slice too.

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Image of the streusel topping before and after being mixed.

Ingredients

The full blueberry coffee cake recipe ingredients are listed below but here are a few to talk about:

  • Blueberries: Toss in flour before mixing to prevent them from sinking. Use fresh not frozen.
  • Greek Yogurt: Keeps the cake moist. Full-fat sour cream works great as a sub.
  • Maple Syrup: Honey or agave work in it’s place, though flavor will change slightly.
  • Lemon Zest & Juice: Zest before juicing for easier prep and better flavor.
  • Almond Extract (optional): If you’re not a fan, skip it or use a splash of extra vanilla.
  • Heavy Cream: Adds richness to the cake and smooths out the glaze.
Collage illustrating the steps to make Blueberry Coffee Cake.

How To Make Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

Full recipe is below but here are my top tips!

  1. Prep: Lining with parchment makes it easy to lift the cake out later.
  2. Dry ingredients: Coating blueberries in flour helps prevent them from sinking in pan.
  3. Wet ingredients: Make sure butter is cooled before mixing, so it doesn’t curdle the yogurt.
  4. Combine wet and dry: Don’t overmix the batter to keep the cake fluffy.
  5. Streusel: If the streusel is too wet, add a tbsp of flour at a time until you get clumps.
  6. Bake: Every oven is different, so check for doneness at 37 minutes.
  7. Mix glaze: Adjust the glaze thickness by adding more powdered sugar if needed.
Overhead view of the baked Blueberry Coffee Cake, without the glaze.

Streusel Tips

  • Let the melted butter cool. The streusel calls for melted butter, but it’s important to use the butter when it has returned to room temperature. Hot melted butter will melt the sugar and cause a greasy streusel. 
  • Add more flour if needed. If the streusel seems too wet and isn’t a crumbly consistency, you may need to add an additional 1-2 tablespoons flour.  
  • Don’t press the down the streusel. Once the streusel is sprinkled on top of the blueberry coffee cake, resist the urge to press it into the batter.

Storage

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe Storage

  • Glaze only what you’ll eat immediately. Store leftover cake wrapped and glaze in the fridge; cake lasts 1-2 days at room temperature, a week in the fridge.
  • Freeze cake by wrapping in plastic and placing in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

More Blueberry Desserts

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5 from 2 votes

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

This Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe is moist and bursting with flavor, featuring a hint of lemon and a sweet streusel topping, all drizzled with a simple lemon glaze.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 16 pieces

Ingredients

Coffee Cake
  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries not frozen
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar or dark, packed
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt full-fat
  • 1 lemon
Streusel
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, room temperature
  • 11 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar or dark, packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • 1/16 teaspoon salt optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Or for easy cleanup, you can line with parchment and then grease.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add the blueberries and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, packed brown sugar, maple syrup, and heavy cream. Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and Greek yogurt. Zest the outer rind of a lemon (avoid the white pith) to get 1 teaspoon zest. Juice the lemon to get 2 tablespoons juice; add juice and zest to wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, do not overmix the batter. The batter is very thick. Spread and smooth the batter evenly in the prepared pan with a spatula.
  • To make the streusel, melt the butter in the microwave, then let stand at room temperature until cooled. Don’t add hot butter to the streusel; it will make it greasy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cooled melted butter and mix until the streusel is evenly combined and forms small clumps. If clumps aren’t forming or the streusel is too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter. Do not press the streusel into the cake.
  • Bake for 37–45 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My oven takes 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before adding the glaze.
  • Whisk all the icing ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over entire cooled coffee cake or over individual slices.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Covered coffee cake will last about 1–2 days at room temperature but will stay good for about 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container. Warm leftover pieces in the microwave and glaze. After the first day, the streusel topping does soften, and the cake becomes more moist.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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42 Comments

  1. Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says:

    Wow, Chelsea! I’d eat this for breakfast, dessert, lunch, snacks…basically any excuse I could make! That streusel topping looks heavenly! And don’t even get me started on that cream cheese glaze. YUM. 🙂

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      You are so sweet thank you Alyssa! I hope you’ve had a great weekend!

  2. Megan - The Emotional Baker says:

    Oh my! This sounds amazing! I’d have it all day long 🙂

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks Megan!

  3. Karen @ The Food Charlatan says:

    Oh my gosh I can’t believe you put cream cheese glaze on top of that streusel!!! We must be from the same tribe.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Haha we must be! I always want everything you make on your blog! 🙂

  4. Dina says:

    it looks delicious!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you Dina!

  5. wokandspoon says:

    Blueberries in a cake are definitely my thing! Perfect breakfast!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      I love them in cake too! Thank you 🙂

  6. Anna @ The Table says:

    Dessert for breakfast? Yum! I love that you added a little vanilla to the glaze too!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you Anna! 🙂

  7. Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says:

    Great minds think alike. I posted a cinnamon roll-ish recipe today too! This guy looks F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

  8. Laura Dembowski says:

    I so want this for breakfast and dessert! I might even share 😉

  9. Cate @ Chez CateyLou says:

    I say breakfast AND dessert! I love recipes like that!! Coffee cake is so good, especially when there are a ton of crumbs on top. I can never resist crumbs! Hope you have a great weekend, Chelsea!

  10. Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says:

    I was just telling my sister that I wanted to make a blueberry coffee cake and you nailed it! Ok, so I call it coffee cake and you call it cinnamon roll cake and quite frankly I love your name better. 🙂 As long as it has blueberries, cake, and sugary cinnamony goodness then that’s all I care about. 😉 My sis will go crazy when I show her your recipe. Definitely must make this asap!!! Yummy yummy…oh and I’d happily eat this for anytime of the day. 🙂