Individual Blueberry Coffee Cakes

Need a new idea for breakfast? These individual blueberry coffee cakes are easy to make and delicious – plus perfect portion control!

We have a tradition in our family for holiday breakfasts. My mom makes an amazing blueberry streusel coffee cake. She makes it in a springform pan, and we fight over who gets to keep the leftovers. And somehow, there are always leftovers with this coffee cake. I think I’ve finally solved this problem with these individual blueberry coffee cakes.

How? Well, since they’re the size of a muffin, it’s the perfect portion control. They’re such a great size to enjoy without feeling any guilt. Enjoy it by itself on your little plate or get fancy and add some fruit for a brunch with friends. Any that don’t get eaten can be placed in a tightly sealed container and placed in the freezer. The next time you’re scrounging for something… take just one and warm it up briefly and your individual blueberry coffee cakes have once again come to the rescue.

I made these this past weekend as part of a hospitality room for a tournament. Yes, I shared the gluten free 7 layer bars I made for teacher conferences yesterday, but the requests for food and food donations just don’t stop. The older the wee ones get and the more involved they get in sports and other activities, the more I’m baking for other people.

By the time I managed to open the email requesting donations for the tournament, there wasn’t much left. I didn’t want to go buy donuts, but “other breakfast breads” was still open. I’m not sure why my mom’s blueberry streusel coffee cake came to mind, but it did. Except no one there would want to cut off a slice and get all fancy with the version she made. As I conferred with my husband who has years of experience running this tournament and advised that there is always leftover food. Smaller is better.

THAT was when the lightbulb went off.

I don’t need to make my mom’s coffee cake. Nope, individual blueberry coffee cakes with that oh so perfect streusel topping – that’s exactly what the tournament’s hospitality room needed. And any leftovers are easily shared amongst those still hanging around at the end of the tournament. This recipe made 20 individual blueberry coffee cakes, and do you know how many were there when I went to help clean up at the end of the day? One. A single leftover.

So of course you know what I did when I got home. I put that puppy on a plate and pretended like I was at a fancy brunch and savored it.

The streusel topping of these individual blueberry coffee cakes is sweet but not overly so. It has a tiny crunch that adds a great texture to the coffee cake reminding you this isn’t just an every day muffin. This is something special.  The coffee cake portion has an amazing fresh blueberry taste with just a hint of spice to pique your taste buds’ interest. And all too soon, it’s gone. And you wish you had another one.

Yup, this was definitely a winner. I have a feeling these will be making a reappearance during Teacher Appreciation Week in May, if not before. The recipe comes together quickly and isn’t fussy – just what I need when my day is already packed with other commitments.

Recipe for Individual Blueberry Coffee Cakes with Streusel Topping

I love how quickly these individual blueberry coffee cakes come together. The batter is really thick, and every time I make these, I have to stop and reassure myself that no, I didn’t do anything wrong. Because I use frozen blueberries, they thicken and freeze the batter and I stir them in. Once they start baking, magically it works out perfectly.

And yes, I tend to do frozen blueberries for this because they’re always ripe, and they’re fast and easy to use. Wild blueberries are my preference, simply because they’re smaller and tend to have a stronger taste to them. In blueberry season, however, you know I make this with fresh blueberries (and reduce the baking time slightly).

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Add muffin papers to a muffin tin, which will make it easier to release from the muffin tin and also help the individual blueberry coffee cakes stay fresher longer than if you don’t have them lined with muffin papers. Trust me.

Add your softened butter to a bowl with the sugar and cream until lightened in color and texture. When it starts to come back together, add the egg and beat for another minute.

Add the milk and almond extract, stirring to combine. Next up is the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until distributed, then add the flour and stir just until mostly combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir just until distributed. The batter will be extremely thick, especially if you are using frozen blueberries.

Scoop the batter into your muffin papers. You may need to use a spoon to gently push the batter towards the edges of the muffin papers so that the streusel stays where it belongs.

Make the streusel by mixing together the sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the streusel topping for your individual blueberry coffee cakes is crumbly.

Use a spoon to top each blueberry coffee cake with the streusel mixture. They don’t need to be completely covered, but do your best to distribute it all evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (less if you use fresh blueberries), until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs.

Let cool then serve immediately or store in a tightly sealed container on your counter for up to 3 days.

Have you ever had individual blueberry coffee cakes? What’s your favorite brunch item?

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