With its cinnamon swirl filling and buttery streusel topping, no one will believe that this easy Pumpkin Coffee Cake starts with a box of cake mix! Serve the cozy fall treat with a mug of mulled cider, a cup of hot coffee, or scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s perfect for breakfast, snack or even dessert!
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
I brought this pumpkin coffee cake to my friend Kristin after she had her third baby about 7 years ago…because what new mom doesn’t LOVE a tasty breakfast that’s ready and waiting after a sleepless night with a newborn?!
Kristin sent me a text message the next day that said, “BTW, that was the best coffee cake I have ever had. Really, EVER.” So you don’t have to take my word for it. She agrees!
Best of all, the easy fall treat starts with a box of cake mix — and the crumb topping comes together in minutes. It’s really the easiest (and most delicious) pumpkin coffee cake recipe that you will ever taste!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy pumpkin coffee cake recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable box at the bottom of the post.
- Brown sugar: for the filling and streusel
- Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger: warm spices that pair nicely with the pumpkin and give the cake its classic fall flavor.
- Salt: to balance the sweetness and enhance the other flavors.
- All-purpose flour: for the streusel.
- Unsalted butter: for the streusel. If using salted butter, you can decrease the salt to ½ teaspoon.
- Yellow cake mix: the base of the cake. I like Duncan Hines brand, but any similar variety will work.
- Vanilla instant pudding mix: just the dry mix — do not prepare the pudding according to the package instructions.
- Canned pumpkin puree: make sure that you use just 1 cup (not an entire can) of 100% pumpkin puree. This is different from canned pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices.
- Vegetable oil: keeps the cake moist.
- Water: to thin the batter.
- Eggs: give the cake structure.
Why add pudding to cake mix?
The gelatin component in the instant pudding mix makes the cake super moist. It’s the secret ingredient to make your cake more fluffy, too! Don’t omit the pudding, which is a key ingredient.
How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
I dreamed up this delicious recipe as a perfect cross between my easy pumpkin cake and a cinnamon streusel coffee cake. It’s incredibly moist, full of warm autumn spices, and quick to pull together. With a few shortcuts, you can serve a homemade pumpkin streusel coffee cake that requires minimal effort and tastes like it’s made from scratch!
- Stir together the filling and streusel.
- Mix together the pumpkin cake batter.
- Top half of the cake batter with the brown sugar and cinnamon filling.
- Spread the remaining batter on top and finish with a layer of streusel.
- Bake the coffee cake in a 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, and then slice into squares and serve!
What to Serve with Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
This cake is perfect on its own with a hot cup of coffee, tea or mulled cider. For a more elaborate brunch spread, try pairing the cake with any of these other morning dishes:
- Fruit Salad or just a platter of fresh melon and berries
- Fruit Smoothies
- Southern Shrimp and Grits
- Candied Bacon
- Crustless Quiche with Spinach
- Ham and Cheese Baked Omelet
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Quiche Lorraine
- Easy Frittata with Cheddar and Chives
- Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
The decadent pumpkin coffee cake is also a great dessert option. Serve a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream at the end of a long day!
Storage
Store the coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Wrapped tightly, the baked cake will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- This recipe yields one large 9 x 13 coffee cake or you can divide the ingredients between two smaller round or square cake pans, or between two loaf pans. Keep one for yourself and share the other with a friend (or freeze it for later)!
- Use a box of spice cake mix (instead of yellow cake mix) and omit the extra seasoning.
- Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel for some extra crunch and toasted nutty flavor.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe
- Make sure that you use just 1 cup (not an entire can) of the pumpkin puree. This is 100% pure pumpkin, not the canned pumpkin pie filling.
- The total baking time will vary depending on your individual oven, as well as the type of pan that you use. Dark or nonstick pans bake the cake faster, while a glass or light-colored dish will need a bit more time. Use a toothpick inserted deep into the middle of the cake to know exactly when it’s done.
- Once cool, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or drizzle with vanilla glaze for a special touch.
- The moist cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice breakfast or dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it.
More Easy Pumpkin Recipes to Try
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
- Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Dip
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- The Best Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING AND STREUSEL:
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar (light or dark will both work)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix (the small 4-serving box)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
MAKE THE FILLING AND STREUSEL:
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Set aside ½ cup of this brown sugar mixture for the filling. Stir the flour into the remaining brown sugar mixture. Add melted butter and mix until completely combined and no dry pockets remain. The mixture should form little clumps. Set aside while you prepare the cake.
MAKE THE CAKE:
- Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, pumpkin, oil, water, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
- Pour about half of the batter into the prepared baking dish; spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved brown sugar filling mixture evenly over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter evenly over the filling and spread to the edges of the pan with an offset spatula. Crumble the streusel into pea-size crumbs evenly over the top layer of batter.
BAKE THE CAKE:
- Bake the cake in the 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm, or cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make sure that you use just 1 cup (not an entire can) of the pumpkin puree. This is 100% pure pumpkin, not the canned pumpkin pie filling.
- The total baking time will vary depending on your individual oven, as well as the type of pan that you use. Dark or nonstick pans bake the cake faster, while a glass or light-colored dish will need a bit more time. Use a toothpick inserted deep into the middle of the cake to know exactly when it's done.
- Once cool, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or drizzle with vanilla glaze for a special touch.
- The moist cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice breakfast or dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in October, 2014. It was updated in October, 2021.
The pictures of that cake are almost as good as the pics of the precious kiddos! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thanks so much, Heather! 🙂
This coffee cake was absolutely heavenly! My house smelled so good while it was baking. I did make a few slight changes-I used a Pillsbury pumpkin cake mix, sugar free instant pudding, i swapped the water for milk, and used a bit less oil than what the recipe called for. I also used all the spices as listed. This cake was so moist and had the best flavor. If fall had a flavor or taste…this would be it! This will be my go to recipe from now on! Much better than the scratch recipe I’ve used!
Thank you, Suzanne! We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Your recipe is the closet I could get to recreating a Pumpkin Crumble that was served where I work a few weeks ago. This is my third batch!! It was the family favorite this Thanksgiving and my daughter’s new personal favorite. It’s simple, easy and awesome. Thank you ❤️
I’m so glad that it was a hit, Tabi! It’s a personal favorite for me, too. Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
I always gravitate toward your recipes in link-ups! You speak my food language, lady! 🙂 This coffee cake looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing it.
Hey, Sarah! Yes, we obviously have similar taste buds! Thanks again for visiting. 🙂
We make pumpkin muffins all the time, but this looks awesome, as usual! Pinned and Tweeted! 🙂
Thanks, Dee! I SO appreciate you sharing this yummy treat!
Yummy! Great way to start the day right! Thanks for sharing! Pinning!
-Michelle @TheGraciousWife.com
Hi, Michelle! Thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing on Pinterest!
Oh that looks so yummy! Especially the crunchy, sweet topping!
Thank you SO much for sharing your awesomeness at Show Me Saturday! Please party with us again this weekend! Our party goes live at 7:00am EST each Saturday!
~ Ashley
Thanks, Ashley! The topping is THE BEST! 🙂
Love it!! You combine two of the best things…pumpkin and cinnamon/sugar.
Pinned it!
Thanks for sharing 😉
Thanks, Bobbi! I agree — definitely two of my favorite ingredients! 🙂
Oh my goodness! Does that coffee cake ever look amazing! Love the addition of the streusel! I’d be thrilled if you shared this at my Creative Ways Link Party that goes live on Wednesdays at 8pm central. Hope to see you and this delicious cake there!
Blessings,
Nici
Thanks, Nici!
Thanks for linking with us at Best of the Weekend – I’ll be featuring your recipe tomorrow night on my blog!
That’s AWESOME! Thanks so much, Deb! I can’t wait to check it out!
I love that it is so easy! I’m not the best baker so the fewer ingredients for me to forget the better! Thanks for sharing it with us at #FoodieFridays!
I’m not a patient baker who likes to carefully measure, Michelle…this is my kind of recipe!
Looks delicious Blair! I don’t have any cute photos like that of my kids, it would have required ME getting dressed, LOL
Thanks so much for stopping by, Lisa! That’s exactly right…getting myself dressed at that point was definitely NOT a priority. 🙂
Yum! I love coffee cake with a streusel top! You get a little bit of texture with the delicious moistness of the cake! This recipe looks fabulous. Thank you for sharing!
Exactly, Heather — the streusel is TO DIE FOR on this cake, too! 🙂
Delicious simple recipe? You are definitely speaking my language. Pinned so I can try it out soon!
Thanks for linking up at Merry Mondays!
Hi, Ida! Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks for the pin! 🙂
That streusel looks great, I love a thick layer on cakes. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas
Oh my, this looks delicious. I could est the streusel topping all by itself. Thanks for sharing at Foodie Fridays, have a wonderful week.
Blessings,
Shari
Thanks for visiting, Shari! I agree — I could (and do!) take big bites of the streusel all by itself! Definitely the best part. 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
Those pictures are adorable!! Congrats to her, and what a lovely looking cake. Thanks for sharing at Weekend Bites
Thanks for stopping by, Adelina!
Hi, Elizabeth! You did it right — the smaller (15 ounce?) can is the one! Hope you liked it. 🙂
I picked two of the easy cakes (top 2 posted) to make this weekend for the Canadian Thanksgiving. Not a baker so this is right down my alley. Thank you for the recipes.
AWESOME, Jeanette!! I hope you love them! And happy Thanksgiving. 🙂
Thank you!
Just wondering what size can of Pumpkin, 15oz. or 28oz.?
Hi, Karen! Just the smaller 15 ounce can! 🙂
Thanks!!
Hi, Holly! Yes, that’s accurate! Enjoy the coffee cake. 🙂