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    Home » Breads & Baked Goods » Muffins and Quick Breads

    Pumpkin Coffee Cake (43 cents/serving)

    Published: Nov 22, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    overhead shot of a wedge of pumpkin coffee cake on a white plate with a cup of tea on a flowered plate with text overlay.

    This Pumpkin Coffee Cake features a dense, moist cake, topped with a streusel crumb topping dotted with salty roasted pumpkin seeds. It promises to be a winner at your house all fall and winter.

    Serve it for your next Holiday Brunch or make it part of a Lunchtime Meal Prep to enjoy a sweet treat during the week day.

    wedge of pumpkin coffee cake on white plate atop red and green plaid napkin with a cup of tea on a flowered saucer nearby. this …
    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Recipe Costs
    • More Great Fall Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel and Pepitas

    My boys’ eyes light up when they see I’ve made Pumpkin Coffee Cake. A combination of a quick bread and pumpkin pie, this Pumpkin Coffee Cake is rich and moist and very flavorful.

    The pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and streusel crumb top add a nice crunch totally in keeping with the fall theme of the cake, making it a perfect treat once summer has ended.

    Why Make This

    Pumpkin Coffee Cake is an easy from-scratch win! You’d be surprised to know that it really isn’t that much more work to measure out your ingredients than to buy a boxed mix. You’ll notice that you can pretty much pronounce every ingredient on this list!

    It’s super delicious. This Pumpkin Coffee Cake is just the right combination of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snack.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to make Pumpkin Coffee Cake:

    ingredients for pumpkin coffee cake laid out on a table top.

    whole wheat pastry flour – I like to use whole wheat pastry flour whenever I can. It has a similar texture to unbleached, all-purpose flour, but with added nutrition from the whole grain. You can use all-purpose flour if need be.

    dark brown sugar – There is a fair amount of sugar in this cake, but trust me when I say that it isn’t overly sweet. And you need a good dose of it in the sugar toppings. The salty pepitas really offset the sweetness. Use dark brown sugar for a rich flavor, but light brown is fine, too. Remember that you can make brown sugar if you’re in a pinch.

    butter – You can use regular dairy butter as well as margarine or plant based butter as well. In a pinch, I’ve used cooking oil, like avocado or sunflower. It doesn’t have the flavor of butter, but it works.

    baking powder and salt – You’ll need both baking powder and salt to give this Pumpkin Coffee Cake a lift. Don’t omit either.

    ground cinnamon – Cinnamon and pumpkin are perfect partners but you can also use ground ginger or pumpkin pie spice if you prefer.

    egg – You just need one egg for this recipe, but you can also use Flaxseed Meal Egg Substitute if you need or want to bake without eggs.

    pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pure pumpkin, pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. There’s a difference. You’ll likely have leftover pumpkin from a 15-ounce can. Freeze the other half can or use it in this Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe.

    milk – I use regular dairy milk, but you can use whatever plant-based milk you like. If you need to, you can also use canned evaporated milk, buttermilk, or even half and half. The cake will be richer depending on the fat content of the milk you use.

    pepitas – Plain roasted pepitas work well here, but salted pepitas, like these SuperSeedz, add a great salty foil for the sugar crumb top. You could easily substitute your favorite kind of chopped nut for the pepitas. However, since my daughter has a nut allergy, I was so pleased to find pepitas to be a great, crunchy substitute for nuts.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to make Pumpkin Coffee Cake:

    Prep step – Preheat the oven to 350°.

    1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Remove 1 cup mixture and set it aside.

    • sugar, butter, and flour in food processor bowl.
    • crumb mixture in food processor bowl.
    • adding spices, leaveners, and wet ingredients to the food processor bowl with a cup of crumb mixture on the counter nearby.
    • batter prepared in the food processor bowl.

    2. Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, egg, pumpkin, and milk to the remaining flour mixture. Blend until smooth.

    • small white bowl holding reserved crumb topping and pepitas.
    • spoon immersed in crumb pepita mixture in white bowl.

    3. In a small mixing bowl combine the reserved crumb mixture and the pepitas. Sprinkle this crumb topping over the batter.

    • parchment lining springform pan on black table top.
    • cake batter added to the pan and swirled with the spoon.
    • crumb mixture added atop the cake batter in the pan.
    • baked coffee cake in pan, cooling on rack.

    Spray a 9-inch round baking pan (I used a spring form for prettier serving) with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Bake the coffeecake for 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    FAQs

    Why is it called coffee cake?

    It’s called a coffee cake because it’s often served with coffee or at times when coffee is served, such as breakfast or brunch. In vintage cookbooks, coffee cakes are often categorized with the breads and breakfast foods instead of with the dessert cakes.

    Is there a difference between coffee cake and crumb cake?

    A coffee cake is a sweet cake like, quick bread that is served in the morning, often with coffee. Some coffee cakes are topped with a crumb or streusel topping, but not all. So a crumb cake is a type of coffee cake, but not all coffee cakes have crumbs.

    Does coffee cake taste like coffee?

    Coffee cake does not taste like coffee nor does it contain coffee. It is often served with coffee.

    Recipe Costs

    Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

    • whole wheat pastry flour – $0.44
    • dark brown sugar – $0.72
    • butter – $0.75
    • baking powder – $0.03
    • salt – $0.01
    • ground cinnamon – $0.05
    • egg – $0.15
    • pumpkin puree – $0.50
    • milk – $0.04
    • pepitas – $0.75

    While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $3.44 for a big pan of Pumpkin Coffee Cake, about $0.43/serving.

    How I make this cheap:

    Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe more economical:

    • Do a price comparison. I know that Costco is the best place to buy ingredients like milk and eggs when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
    • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on canned pumpkin, I buy a lot. A lot. The best time to stock up on this is after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. If you try to find a good deal on pumpkin in August, you will be sadly disappointed.
    • Use more affordable alternatives. You don’t have to use canned pumpkin. Butternut squash puree works just as well. As do plain mashed sweet potatoes. If those ingredients are more affordable, make the switch!
    table set with a large platter of pumpkin coffee cake with slices on plates and cups of tea on flowered saucers.

    More Great Fall Recipes

    • Instant Pot Potato Soup
    • Cream Cheese Pasta
    • Cranberry Chicken Salad
    • Easy Orange Scones

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    overhead close up shot of pumpkin coffee cake on a flowered platter.
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    5 from 1 vote

    Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel and Pepitas

    This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel and Pepitas features a dense, moist cake, topped with a sugar crumb topping dotted with salty pepitas. It promises to be a winner at your house!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 448kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $3.44
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • food processor
    • 9-inch springform pan
    • small mixing bowl
    • wire rack

    Ingredients

    • 2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 cup dark brown sugar
    • ½ cup butter cut into cubes
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • ¼ cup milk
    • ¼ cup pepitas roasted and salted
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°.
    • In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Remove 1 cup mixture and set it aside.
    • Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, egg, pumpkin, and milk to the remaining flour mixture. Blend until smooth.
    • In a small mixing bowl combine the reserved crumb mixture and the pepitas. Sprinkle this crumb topping over the batter.
    • Spray a 9-inch round baking pan (I used a spring form for prettier serving) with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment if desired. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    • Bake the coffeecake for 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Notes

    Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
    Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1/12 the cake.
    To make as a mix: Take a large ziptop bag or container and label it with the wet ingredients and the baking instructions. Measure out the flour and sugar into the bag. Measure out baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a smaller bag. Measure out the pipits into a third bag. Seal and store the bags together until ready to use.
    Variations: rolled oats or chopped nuts can be substituted for the pepitas in the streusel topping.
    Substitutions: If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, you can use all-purpose as a replacement. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 5167IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag Me Today!Mention @goodcheapeatsblog or tag #goodcheapeats!

    This post was originally published on September 28, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Comments

    1. Johanna

      November 11, 2013 at 10:05 pm

      Can’t wait to make this! Wondering if you thought It would turn out alright if I made the batter the night before, put it in the fridge overnight (in the baking dish), and popped it in the oven the next morning? Thanks for the great recipes and menu plans!!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 12, 2013 at 7:39 am

        I’m thinking that the leavening might not like that. Mixing the dry and liquid and storing separate would work. Just mix and bake in the morning.

        Reply
    2. Carla

      October 26, 2012 at 9:38 pm

      Yum! I made 2 of these tonight to have with breakfast tomorrow AM (we have company in town). Very good. I did experiment with one and added probably at least 1/2 cup of raisins to the batter (I just dumped what was left of bag). Good either way! Love the crunch of the pepitas! Ha, ha. Everyone else was in bed or not home so I got the first slice. 😉

      Reply
    3. Jennifer

      January 01, 2012 at 10:12 am

      I just scored pumpkin for 25 cents a can at my Aldi and bought as many as I could squeeze into the weekly budget. I have been searching out recipes to use it. This looks yummy!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        January 01, 2012 at 10:35 am

        I bought 2 dozen cans last year at that price. We still have about 12 left! LOL

        Reply
    4. Barb @ A Life in Balance

      September 29, 2011 at 10:10 am

      I’m curious. How do you get the pepitas? Are you shelling the pumpkin seeds? Do they need to be roasted first? I’m asking because I hate throwing the seeds away, but my kids haven’t liked them in the shells. I was hoping maybe they would eat them as pepitas.

      Reply
      • Jessica

        September 29, 2011 at 11:44 am

        @Barb @ A Life in Balance, I just buy them in a bag at Trader Joe’s. I don’t really mess with fresh pumpkin. I have in the past, but I got organic canned for so cheap last year, I haven’t needed to try it another way.

        Reply
    5. Vibey

      September 29, 2011 at 2:31 am

      That looks totally yummy. I may have to exercise some self-restraint to not top that with cream cheese frosting, however.

      Reply
    6. Morsels of Life

      September 28, 2011 at 2:12 pm

      Thanks for hosting again – looks like you got some nice recipes linked up. 🙂

      Reply
    7. Rebekah

      September 28, 2011 at 12:21 pm

      Yummy I LOVE pumpkin!!! I had the opposite problem I didn’t stock up and have been wanting some but haven’t been able to find it until now!

      Reply
    8. Crystal @MrsHappyHomemaker

      September 28, 2011 at 8:52 am

      I absolutely love pumpkin desserts, and yours looks sooooo delicious!

      Reply

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