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This Pumpkin Coffee Cake is the ultimate fall treat—rich, moist, and layered with a velvety cream cheese filling and a buttery crumb topping. It’s everything you love about pumpkin spice season in one delicious bite!
A Fall Favorite – From My Kitchen to Yours
This pumpkin coffee cake is everything autumn in a pan – and let me tell you, it never lasts long at my house. That cream cheese layer? Total game changer. It adds the perfect creamy surprise between all the cozy pumpkin pie spice flavors and buttery crumb topping.
I’ve made this for breakfast, dessert, potlucks – you name it. Every time, it disappears before I can sneak a second slice!
🧡 Emily
Rave Reviews from Real Bakers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made this in the morning to take for work for my principal’s birthday. Everyone loved it, it was soooo delicious! My new go-to coffee cake! – Jill P.
I brought this for a work potluck for my boss’s 50th. He just came and told me it was SPECTACULAR and everything he likes in a dessert. Staff loves it. Win! – Kari
Oh my goodness, this recipe is just simply DIVINE. Making this over and over! – Katie
Ingredients for Pumpkin Coffee Cake
This coffee cake recipe may seem like it has a lot of steps, but trust me, it comes together quickly, and each bite is worth the effort! See the full ingredient list with amounts in the recipe card below.
For the Cake
You’ll start with a classic pumpkin coffee cake base using pumpkin purée, sugar, eggs, oil, sour cream, flour, baking soda, and of course—pumpkin pie spice. It smells amazing even before it goes in the oven!
Cream Cheese Layer
Next comes the dreamy cream cheese layer, made with softened cream cheese, a bit of sugar, and a splash of vanilla for extra flavor.
Crumb Topping
For that irresistible crumb topping, grab flour, sugar, cold butter (straight from the fridge!), and a little cinnamon.
Optional Add-Ins
Feeling fancy? Add-ins like mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, a sprinkle of brown sugar, or a drizzle of vanilla glaze or maple syrup take this coffee cake over the top.
How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Blend pumpkin purée, sugar, oil, sour cream, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
- Whisk each egg in separately, then blend in the flour thoroughly. Fold in about ¾ of the bag of mini chocolate chips.
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the cake batter evenly in the dish.
- Prepare the cream cheese layer by blending together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
- Using a pastry bag or plastic bag with a small hole in one corner, pipe the cream cheese over the cake batter.
- Don’t worry about it being pretty, and don’t spread it. It will even out as it bakes.
- Blend the crumb topping ingredients together with a pastry blender in a bowl. Spread the topping evenly over the cream cheese layer. Don’t pat it down.
- Bake for 40- 50 minutes. Test the center of the cake after 40 minutes by placing a toothpick in the center of the batter. If it comes out wet, give it more time and test again.
Optional: Serve with whipped cream and extra mini chocolate chips as a garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Homemade pumpkin purée works great – just make sure it’s thick and not watery. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
Yes, the cream cheese layer bakes along with the cake. It creates a rich, creamy layer that sets along with crumb topping during baking.
Absolutely! This coffee cake keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge. After baking, let it cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. You can reheat slices in the microwave before serving if you prefer to serve it warm.
Of course! After baking, let the cake cool completely. You can wrap individual slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave before when serving.
READ NEXT: 35+ Brunch Menu Ideas
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin never gets old in my house, and all during the fall and winter months we enjoy pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, basically anything made from pumpkin puree! From breakfast, lunch and dinner plus all kinds of desserts, we have pumpkin recipes for you to make all day long! Enjoy the fall season with these tasty pumpkin dishes:
Baked it? Loved it? Let us know! Drop a comment and leave a rating – we love hearing how it turned out for you! 🍁
Pumpkin Coffee Cake (with Cream Cheese Swirl)
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 15 ounces pumpkin purée
- 2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cup flour
- 1 bag mini chocolate chips
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- cinnamon to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl blend together all the cake ingredients except for the eggs, flour, and chocolate chips.
- Thoroughly blend the eggs in one at a time, then blend in the flour until it's completely incorporated into the batter.Then gently stir in about ¾ of the bag of mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 inch pan that has been lined with cooking spray.
- In a medium size bowl, blend together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spoon the mix into a sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Pipe the cream cheese mix all over the top of the cake batter, it doesn't need to be pretty. Also, don't try to spread it out, it will even out while it bakes.
- Combine the crumb topping ingredients in a medium size bowl with a pastry blender until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended together. Do not soften the butter first! This takes a little work but is well worth it! Distribute the crumb topping all over the top, but don't pat it down.
- Bake for about 40 minutes then check the cake, if the center hasn't set up or if a toothpick comes out with wet cake batter you need to give it some more time. Mine ended up taking between 45 and 50 minutes. This can vary depending on your elevation.
- Optional: Serve with whipped topping and extra chocolate chips.
Video
Notes
- We love mini chocolate chips or chopped pecans added to the mixture.
- You could also sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top before it bakes for a richer crumble topping or drizzle some maple syrup over the top.
- You can also whisk a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk with a fork and spread over the top after cooling.
I brought this for a work potluck for my boss’s 50th. He just came and told me it was SPECTACULAR and everything he likes in a dessert. Staff loves it. Win! One goof was I cut the baggie too large so the frosting came out in a tube and didn’t really spread out, but. I one seems to mind!
Loved your site. Thank you for posting. You’ve got a new fan.
Made this in the morning to take to work for my Principal’s birthday. Everyone loved it, it was soooo delicious! My new go-to coffee cake!
Oh my goodness, this recipe is just simply DIVINE. Making this over and over!
This is a favorite in the fall, love the added chocolate!
Everyone at my house loved it! It was so good!
Oh, yum! I am SO ready for pumpkin season! I love how many chocolate chips are in this! My family loves chocolate chips in their baked goods. This is awesome!
Have you ever made this in a bundt pan?
We haven’t made it in a bundt pan but you totally could! Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get over-done. Let us know how it turns out!
in the cake part is it by hand or can I use an electric mixer?
You can do either, I have done it both ways.
I don’t have canned pumpkin in Brazil. Can I use fresh pumpkin instead? Thank you!
Absolutely! You can use cooked and pureed pumpkin and it will taste great. Thank you for asking!
Please tell me there is something missing from the cake layer. After an hour I have bubbling soup in my oven! And yes, I tripled checked that I had included all the listed ingredients.
Sorry Alison, I’m not sure what went wrong. I’ve made it several times and haven’t had that issue.
I was wondering if I could use a 9×13 glass pan. Thanks!!
Yep, that’s what I used.
This looks delicious. Unfortunately I don’t have a pastry blender. Could I just use a fork?
Yes, of course. It just takes a little more time and effort, but it will work just fine! Enjoy!
Hello,
I would like to make this cake to take to Thanksgiving dinner. I was wondering if I can use less sugar and omit the chocolate chips. I like the fact that the cake has both sour cream and cream cheese. Please reply soon.
Tks. Marie
You can definitely do both those things. I haven’t tried it with less sugar, but hopefully it turn out great!
Looks yummy but I think you made a typo. It says bake for 4 minutes.
Thanks for the catch!! I just fixed it, it was supposed to be 40 minutes.
Thanks for sharing! It was absolutely delicious!!!