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Chocolate Chip Cookie Coffee Cake. Homemade and super easy coffee cake with brown sugar, maple syrup, and sweet chocolate chips! This coffee cake is nothing fancy, yet SO DELICIOUS. It tastes like the best chocolate chip cookies, but in cake form! Every bite is layered with sweet cinnamon streusel, vanilla cake, and melty chocolate. Enjoy each slice warm with a smear of salty honey butter. So yummy!
When I was in middle school, around 7th or 8th grade, I slept over at a friend’s house on a Friday night. If you knew me then, and even now, you’d know this was a very rare thing for me. I didn’t love sleepovers. But for whatever reason, I decided on this night, I would actually just stay the night.
When we awoke the next morning my friend’s parents had just returned from picking up coffee cafe at the bakery. When it comes to breakfast, I grew up mainly with Eggo waffles, my dad’s pancakes, eggs, and cinnamon toast (the best). Occasionally my mom would bake a strata. She’d make Dutch Babies all the time. And on Christmas morning she’d make monkey bread and a waffle strata.
I did not grow up with coffee cake. So when my friend’s parents served it to us, I thought we were eating cake for breakfast. I remember it being so good. It was a chocolate chip cookie coffee cake. But honestly, from my memory, it tasted like a warm cookie.
Most likely my memory is making the cake out to be way better than it was. But I got to eat a cookie cake, and for breakfast too. Hey, I was in middle school, I didn’t know any differently, and the cake was delicious.
Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have coffee cake again until I started to take over cooking and baking. It was then that I realized that chocolate is not necessarily common in most coffee cakes.
But I’ve always wanted to recreate that cake! And here we are.
With Mother’s Day just over a week away, I knew this was a good time for this recipe. Serve this up at brunch or for dessert. It’s so great either way, and everyone will love it.
Details
This is one of my simpler sweets. First, the batter. We need to mix melted butter with maple syrup, apple butter, vanilla, and eggs. Now, I know the apple butter will throw some of you off. But I promise it’s the secret to creating a really light cake crumb with just the right amount of sweetness.
You don’t taste any apple flavor, just rich notes of brown sugar and vanilla. You could use apple sauce too, but apple butter is best. I always keep my homemade sauce in the fridge, but store-bought is just as great.
Now, the dry ingredients. I like to use whole wheat pastry flour, then baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Next mix, mix, mix. Then stir in lots of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Last up, add the streusel topping: flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter, all mixed together and sprinkled overtop of the cake. No layering or anything fussy.
And now you bake, which only takes about thirty minutes.
I always serve this warm with homemade honey butter. You just have to spread the honey butter all over your warm cake. It’s the most indulgent addition, and it’s absolutely what your cake needs.
Looking for other berry desserts? Here are some favorites:
Strawberry White Chocolate Blondies
Baked Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Double Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Carrot Cake Muffins
Blender Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Bakery Blueberry Vanilla Crunch Muffins
Lastly, if you make this Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Coffee Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 371 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Streusel
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, maple syrup, apple butter, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the chocolate chips. 3. To make the streusel. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until a crumble forms.4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the buttery streusel mix.5. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 or so minutes. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Serve with salty honey butter spread over each piece. Trust me, make the honey butter (see notes).
Notes
Honey Butter: mix 1/4 cup soft salted butter. 1/4 cup raw honey, and a pinch of sea salt until combined.
I’m curious if you could double this recipe and put it in a 9 x 13 pan?
Hi there! I think doubling it might be a bit too much batter for a 9×13! xT
I actually did tonight and it turned out perfectly, for those wondering!
Hello! I don’t have apple butter, is it completely necessary for this recipe?
Hey Eva! I haven’t ever tried this recipe without the apple butter, but I would imagine applesauce could be a good sub! xT
Could you prep this the night before, leave in the fridge overnight, and bake in the morning? Or would refrigeration mess with the batter?
Hi Sarah,
I would just bake the entire cake the night before, it will be perfect in the morning! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi! I read you recommend using THICK apple sauce as a sub for the apple butter, but there’s only regular thin apple sauce in my area. Would that work? Or do you recommend subbing it with something else? Thanks!
Hi Josephine,
Sorry, I have only tested this recipe with apple butter, so I really can’t say how this will turn out using anything other than that. A thick apple sauce is going to give a similar result I would imagine, but again I haven’t tested it. Sorry!! xx
Hi! Can you use regualr whole wheat flour in place of the ww pastry flour?
Hi Angie,
Yes, that will work well for you:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Super easy and delicious!! Don’t skip on the salted honey butter!! So so good, thank you Tieghan xo Of note, I didn’t have apple butter but did use this “fudge brownie” oat spread (from Target) I had on hand and it worked just as well!
Hey Alyssa,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Happy Thursday! xT
Hey T, shouldn’t the butter for the streusel be cold and not melted to help it form crumbly balls? When the butter is melted, it just makes a paste. Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Jacqui,
I used melted butter, if you want to watch the video above to see how it turns out feel free:) Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xT
You’ve done it again ! This is so super delicious and easy to make !!! This is not going to last long between my boys and I, LOL ! Thank you so much Tieghan !
Hi Shannon,
Fantastic!!🥗🌮 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Hey – how do I make apple butter if I can’t buy it?
Hey Amanda,
Here is my recipe for apple butter:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-slow-cooker-maple-apple-butter/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi there! Just wanted to understand how much coffee to add into the wet mixture and any recommendation on the kind of coffee it needs to be?
Hi Lee,
There is no coffee in this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions or if I can help in any other way! xx
Can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Kelli,
Yes, you can use an equal amount of all purpose flour. Please let me know if you give have any other questions! xT
What substitutes would you suggest to make this dairy free? Could I sub apple sauce for the butter in the batter and margarine for the struseel?
Hi Ali,
So sorry, I have never made these substitutes before so I am not sure on the results, but you could certainly give it a try! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Hi Tieghan ! Hope you’re well ! Can I use gluten free flour for this one ? Thank you so much !
Hi Shannon,
Yes, you should be able to use an equal amount of gluten free flour without any issues! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hey can u freeze this cake?
Hi Hanah,
Yes, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Could these be made as muffins? It so how many do you think this recipe would yield?
Hi Lauren,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I would say at least 16. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT