This healthy pumpkin streusel coffee cake with a simple cream cheese icing is an easy and delicious breakfast treat that’s perfect to eat as a snack with a cup of coffee or to share for a holiday brunch. Made with real pumpkin, whole wheat flour, and less sugar, this tender cake is perfectly spiced and topped with an irresistible streusel topping and cream cheese glaze.

Who can resist a delicious piece of coffee cake, especially when it’s topped with a buttery streusel topping? Not me! What if I told you it’s also pumpkin coffee cake, and that it’s healthier for you than traditional recipes? It’s not too good to be true! Keep reading for the most delicious seasonal breakfast or brunch you’ll make all year, based off of my Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel topping and easy cream cheese glaze, this pumpkin coffee cake is moist, tender, and perfectly spiced with warm pumpkin pie flavors. It’s absolutely delicious for breakfast, snack, or brunch treat with a cup of coffee, or for a healthier dessert! It’s also easy to make (no stand mixer required!) and healthier than your average coffee cake.

What Makes This Pumpkin Coffee Cake Healthy?

First, this coffee cake has almost a full cup of pumpkin puree (which counts as a vegetable – woohoo!). Pumpkin adds a nice amount of moisture to the batter, reducing the need for a ton of oil or butter. The batter uses just 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (I like to use avocado oil for baking) and 3 tbsp of butter for the streusel topping. It’s also made with whole wheat flour for more nutrients and fiber than all-purpose flour. I like to use whole wheat pastry flour for the lightest texture. It has less sugar than typical coffee cake recipes, with just enough to give it a sweet (but not too sweet) taste.

How To Make Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon). Stir until the flour is just blended in. Pour the batter into baking dish that is lined with parchment or lightly greased.
Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in the cubed butter with a fork or pastry cutter. Or just use your fingers to smush the butter into the flour until large crumbs form.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter in the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese icing. In a small bowl, whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth.
Once the cake is cooled, drizzle with cream cheese glaze.

Tips For Making The Best Coffee Cake

Use a metal pan for baking, if possible. Ceramic dishes cause the cake to bake unevenly, resulting in the middle sinking. (Yes, I know my pictures show ceramic. DO as I say, not as I do.)
Try not to over-mix once you add the flour for a more tender cake.
Use cold butter for making the crumb topping.
Set the cream cheese out to soften before you begin making the cake so that it’s easy to make a smooth icing.

How To Store Leftovers

Coffee cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for a couple of days. After that, transfer it to the refrigerator.

More Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Healthy Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

pumpkin coffee cake with a corner piece cut out and removed, showing the inside of the cake.

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 servings 1x
Category: breakfast
Method: baked
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

Cake:

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (I like whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tbsp cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cream Cheese Icing:

2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch metal baking dish with parchment or lightly grease.
In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon). Stir until the flour is just blended in. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in the cubed butter with a fork or pastry cutter (or just use your fingers to smush the butter into the flour) until large crumbs form.
Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter in the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese icing. In a small bowl, whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth.
Once the cake is cooled, drizzle with cream cheese glaze.

Notes

Use a metal pan for baking, if possible. Ceramic dishes cause the cake to bake unevenly, resulting in the middle sinking.
Try not to over-mix once you add the flour for a more tender cake.
Use cold butter for making the crumb topping.
Set the cream cheese out to soften before you begin making the cake so that it’s easy to make a smooth icing.

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