Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake

This Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake is studded with fresh berries and features a nutty streusel topping for a delicious take on classic coffee cake. This may just be your new favorite breakfast or dessert!

We all love a warm steamy hunk of the cinnamon goodness that is a tender, perfectly sweet coffee cake.

But, have you ever tried yogurt coffee cake?

Adding yogurt or sour cream to a coffee cake recipe brings a romantic je ne sais quoi that really levels up the whole experience. There is added moisture and tanginess for multiple layers of flavors to complement the warm cinnamon essence. 

People often wonder where the coffee is in coffee cake, so I’ll just alert you right now, there is none. 

Coffee cake does not contain coffee, but was rather created to be a treat that goes alongside a cup of coffee.

What makes a coffee cake a coffee cake is its signature cinnamon streusel topping that bakes on top of the cake and runs throughout the center of the cake.

I love it alongside some protein for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a dessert! The moist crumbs make the most delightful treat, and the nutty crumb topping adds such a lovely textural element that the whole experience is just mouth-watering delicious. 

If you’re looking for a grain-free option try my, Paleo Blueberry Coffee Cake or my Keto Coffee Cake. 

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for yogurt coffee cake! You can find the full list of ingredients at your local grocery store.

Ingredients for Yogurt Coffee Cake:

Unsalted Butter: Creamy butter is responsible for the richness and moist crumb of this delightful cinnamon coffee cake recipe.

Remember, we need softened butter, so bring the butter out of the refrigerator well in advance to bring it to room temperature.

Granulated Sugar: We need some form of granulated sweetener to make the cake taste so delicious.

I like using brown sugar or coconut sugar but regular cane sugar works too. For a low carb option, use a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit sweetener. 

Large Eggs: A couple of eggs bring a fluffy texture to this rich coffee cake. Bring them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before you begin the recipe to bring them closer to room temperature if possible.

I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg-replacer like flax eggs. I imagine it could work since there is plenty of starch in the flour to bring a soft texture; however, the cake may turn out dense using an egg-replacer.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cake, we need a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.

I like using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 baking flour in all of my gluten-free baking, because I find it produces a result that closely resembles regular all purpose flour. Nevertheless, if you prefer a different GF flour blend, feel free to use it. 

If you aren’t gluten-free, replace the GF flour blend with regular all-purpose flour.

Greek Yogurt: A true star in this incredible coffee cake recipe, we add plain Greek yogurt to bring extra moisture, tangy flavor, and all sorts of nuance to the treat.

For the best results, use plain Greek yogurt with 2% milkfat.

Nonfat yogurt or whole milk yogurt works too. I prefer using more fat for a tender crumb and more flavor, but you may not even notice a difference when using fat-free yogurt.

Plain yogurt is my recommendation here, but you can absolutely use a flavored yogurt like vanilla yogurt or blueberry yogurt too.

Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla extract brings warm flavor to the coffee cake. If you don’t have any on hand, don’t panic. The cake tastes great without the extract too.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agents to help the cake rise and bake evenly. Baking powder and baking soda also ensure the tender crumb of the cake stays held together nicely when sliced.

Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all of the flavors.

Fresh Blueberries (optional): While fresh blueberries are optional, they bring a nice pop of blueberry flavor, making you feel like you’re enjoying a cross between traditional coffee cake and a blueberry muffin.

We all know it’s the cinnamon sugar layer that makes a fluffy coffee cake really pop, so let’s discuss the streusel ingredients as well!

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

Brown Sugar: We need a granulated sweetener for the delightful cinnamon sugar thread that runs through coffee cake.

You can use the same granulated sweetener you used for the cake if you’d prefer, but I think brown sugar or coconut sugar are the best options.

Ground Cinnamon: The main ingredient that makes coffee cake a coffee cake!

Cinnamon is combined with sugar to make a delicious cinnamon-sugar ribbon throughout the cake and a caramelized sugar topping. 

Walnuts: Chop up some raw walnuts to mix in with the cinnamon and sugar for a nutty crunch. You can also use pecans here.

Now that we’ve covered the specifics around the simple ingredients, let’s bake this amazing cake!

How to Make Yogurt Coffee Cake:

Rinse the blueberries with water and pat them dry using a paper towel. Set aside until ready to use. 

Mix the ingredients for the streusel topping (chopped walnuts, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt) together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside until you’re ready to use it.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can grease the pan or spray it liberally with cooking spray.

Similarly, if you don’t have an 8-inch square pan, you can also use a loaf pan or a round cake pan or springform pan. Just note if you use a loaf pan, the coffee cake loaf will take about an hour to bake,

Transfer the softened butter, brown sugar (or granulated sugar of choice) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Note: if you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer or good old fashioned elbow grease.

Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until well-combined and fluffy.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add in the eggs and pure vanilla extract, and mix on medium-high speed until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt and stir to combine.

Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer with the wet ingredients. Mix until a smooth batter forms and the flour mixture is completely combined into the wet mixture.

Add the Greek yogurt in and mix on low speed until everything is well combined.

Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the blueberries into the coffee cake batter until they are well-distributed throughout the batter.

Transfer half of the batter to the bottom of the prepared pan and use the rubber spatula to spread it into an even layer. No worries if the batter doesn’t spread easily – just do the best you can to get an even layer of cake batter.

Sprinkle half of the cinnamon streusel mixture over the cake layer. Repeat for the remaining batter and the remaining streusel mixture.

Note that the second layer of cake batter may not spread easily and that’s okay. Just do the best you can and the cake will bake evenly so long as the layering is somewhat even.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cake tests clean. I like to take the internal temperature of baked goods to check for doneness using a thermometer.

To do so, insert a digital thermometer (meat thermometer) into the middle of the cake. The ideal final temperature for cakes is between 190 and 205 degrees F.

I like this trick because baking at high altitudes versus low altitudes results in a different bake time, so basing it off of the internal temperature is the best way to test for doneness. 

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. The longer you wait to slice the cake, the cleaner the slices will be.

To store cake, wrap the cake pan in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer the remaining slices of cake to an airtight container or zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can freeze cake in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. 

The next time you’re in the mood for a big slice of coffee cake, try this yogurt version! You’ll love the added depth of flavor and also the juicy pop of the fresh berries.

This moist coffee cake is a marvelous option for special occasions like holidays or Mother’s day or just celebrating life in general.

Bring that perfect coffee cake from your local coffee shop into the comfort of your own home with this great recipe! It’s truly a game changer for those who can dig unique flavor with their scrumptious cake. 

It wouldn’t surprise me if this amazing recipe becomes a family staple!

If you enjoy coffee cake recipes, also try out these reader favorites.

More Coffee Cake Recipes:

• Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake  
• Paleo Apple Coffee Cake   
• Chai-Spiced Paleo Coffee Cake   
• Paleo Peach Coffee Cake  
• The Best Gluten-Free Coffee Cake  

Enjoy this nutty cinnamony hunk of coffee cake lovin’!

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