Easy Low Fat Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake (or Muffins)

Moist and satisfying, this low-fat cinnamon streusel coffee cake is a sweet and special way to start the day.

I’m a coffee cake lover. There’s something so indulgent about having cake for breakfast. It’s not something I do all the time, just every once in a while for a special treat.

Some of my favorite coffee cakes are the kind that begin with a yellow cake mix that you sprinkle with streusel layers of cinnamon, brown sugar and chopped nuts. The flavors remind me of the little Drake’s Coffee Cakes (affiliate link) I was so fond of as a kid growing up back east.

(If you prefer to bake from scratch, check out this yummy coffee crumb cake recipe.)

Recipe Notes and Variations

This quick and easy low fat cinnamon streusel coffee cake begins with a box of Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cupcake Mix (affiliate link), which is essentially a 9-ounce cake mix (instead of the standard 18.25-ounce package) designed to make just 12 cupcakes.

You can always use half of a standard cake mix instead.

Interested in this recipe but would rather make Cinnamon Streusel Muffins?
Follow the instructions below with details on how we turned this recipe into Cinnamon Streusel Muffins and Raspberry Cinnamon Streusel Muffins.

What is streusel?

Not to be confused with strudel—which is a type of pastry that’s layered with a usually sweet, but sometimes savory, filling.

Streusel is a baking term that refers to a crumbly topping that is usually made with flour, butter and sugar, and sprinkled over the tops of muffins, pies, breads and some cakes before baking. In some recipes, like this coffee cake, the streusel topping includes cinnamon and chopped pecans and in addition to being added as a topping, is layered in the middle of the cake. It is common to find streusel toppings in apple pies, coffee cakes, berry crisp, apple crisp, or this favorite Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crisp.

How Many Calories and WW Points in this Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake?

According to my calculations each serving (either a piece of cake or muffin) has just 149 calories. To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)

Recipe Ingredients

For the streusel

• Light Brown Sugar (2 tablespoons) – Light brown sugar is granulated sugar with molasses added, giving it a slightly moist texture and a mild caramel flavor. In the streusel, it adds sweetness and helps create a crumbly, slightly crunchy topping. The molasses in the brown sugar also contributes to the warm, rich flavor of the streusel.
• Ground Cinnamon (1 teaspoon) – a spice made from the inner bark of cinnamon trees, known for its warm, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor. Cinnamon adds depth of flavor to the streusel, enhancing the sweetness of the sugar and pairing beautifully with the pecans. It gives the coffee cake a classic, comforting flavor often associated with baked goods.
• Finely Chopped Pecans (1/4 cup) – add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the streusel, providing contrast to the soft, tender cake. They also add a bit of healthy fat and protein. Substitute finely chopped walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds instead.

For the coffee cake

• Yellow Cupcake Mix (1 package, 9 ounces) – A pre-made mix of flour, sugar, leavening agents, and flavorings simplifies the recipe by combining multiple dry ingredients into one convenient package. If you can’t find cupcake mix, substitute 9 ounces of your favorite yellow cake mix. You could also experiments with other varieties of cake mix such as butter, banana, butter pecan, spice, lemon, carrot cake or coconut.
• All-Purpose Flour (1 tablespoon) – Adding a small amount of flour helps give the cake a bit more structure and stability, ensuring that it rises well and has a tender crumb. It also helps thicken the batter slightly.
• Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (1/2 cup) – a thick, creamy yogurt that has been strained to remove excess whey, resulting in a higher protein content. Adds moisture and richness to the cake without adding fat, helping to keep the coffee cake tender and soft. It also contributes a slight tanginess that balances the sweetness of the cake.
• Water (1/2 cup) – Water hydrates the dry ingredients and helps form the batter. It also ensures that the cake remains moist and soft.
• Canola Oil (2 tablespoons) – a mild-flavored vegetable oil known for being low in saturated fat and high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Adds moisture and tenderness to the cake. It helps prevent the cake from becoming too dense and ensures a soft, tender crumb.
• Large Egg (1) – helps bind the ingredients together, providing structure to the cake. It also contributes moisture and richness, which helps give the cake a tender texture.
• Vanilla Extract (1/2 teaspoon) – enhances the flavor of the cake, adding a subtle sweetness and depth that complements the other ingredients. It rounds out the overall flavor profile, making the cake more aromatic and delicious.

How to Make Low-Fat Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.

Step 2: Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly mist an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.

Step 3: Make the streusel by stirring together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans in a small bowl (affiliate link) until well combined.

Step 4: To make the cake, in a large bowl, beat together the dry cake mix, flour, yogurt, water, oil, egg and vanilla with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on medium until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 5: Scrape half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture evenly over the batter in the pan.

Step 6: Scrape the remaining batter over the topping, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel topping over the cake batter.

Step 7: Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 8: Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

Step 9: Slice and serve while still a little warm.

How to Make Low-Fat Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Follow Steps 1 through 4 above (for how to make cinnamon streusel coffee cake). In Step 2, lightly grease a standard muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside, in place of the square baking pan.

Step 2: Scrape half the batter into the prepared muffin pan, using about 1 tablespoon batter in the bottom of each muffin cup. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture (chopped pecans, cinnamon and light brown sugar) evenly over the batter in each cup.

Step 3: Optional, to make Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake muffins, drop about 1 teaspoon raspberry all fruit spread over the batter in each cup. (I added some raspberry fruit spread to six of my muffins for a little variety.) This can be done before or after adding the streusel mixture.

Step 4: Spoon the remaining batter evenly over the streusel layer in the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture evenly over the 12 muffins.

Step 5: Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean and the tops are golden and set.

Step 6: Cool muffins in pan until cool enough to handle, then remove the muffins to cooling rack (affiliate link) to cool completely. You may have to run a small sharp knife around the edges of each muffin so it releases easily from the pan.

Step 7: Enjoy the muffins and store in leftovers an airtight container.

Each Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Muffin has just 149 calories and 6 WW Points. (Be sure to adjust your WW Points accordingly when making any ingredient substitutions.)

If you’ve made this Low-Fat Streusel Coffee Cake (or Muffins), please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

More Coffee Cake Recipes for WW

• Grandma’s Favorite Coffee Cake Recipe
• Low Fat Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
• Mixed Berry Whole Wheat Coffee Cake
• Simple Blueberry Crumb Cake