Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Recipe with Brown Sugar Streusel

Start your morning with a slice of this gluten-free chocolate chip coffee cake. If you grew up enjoying chocolatey breakfast treats, this cake will feel like a warm, nostalgic hug. It’s moist and tender thanks to sour cream, studded with chocolate chips, and finished with a crisp cinnamon-sugar crumb topping. Perfect for Christmas morning, a special brunch, or a simple weekend treat.

The cake stays tender because of the sour cream and a careful balance of wet and dry ingredients. The streusel adds a sweet, crunchy contrast to the soft crumb, and the chocolate chips melt into pockets of chocolate throughout. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or dessert—everyone will ask for seconds.

For other cakes that work well for breakfast, consider a carrot coffee cake or a gluten-free blueberry buckle.

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Ingredient Notes

This recipe uses straightforward pantry ingredients and is written to be both gluten free and dairy free, while remaining rich and flavorful.

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend – A reliable 1-to-1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum works best to give structure. Results may vary with different blends.
• Vegan Butter – A stick-style plant butter is recommended for creaming with sugar. If you are not dairy-free, regular unsalted butter works as a direct substitute. Avoid margarine.
• Eggs – The recipe uses two large eggs. If you need an egg-free version, applesauce can be tried as a substitute, though it will slightly change texture.
• Vegan Sour Cream – Sour cream adds fat and a touch of acidity to react with baking soda, producing a tender crumb. Regular sour cream may be used if dairy is acceptable.
• Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips – Use allergy-friendly chips or mini chips; Enjoy Life and similar brands work well.

See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities and measurements.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Using an electric mixer makes the job easier and yields a lighter texture, but you can also mix by hand if needed. A springform pan simplifies removal and helps protect the streusel topping. If you don’t have one, an 8- or 9-inch square pan works fine.

STEP 1: Combine the streusel ingredients (excluding the chocolate chips) in a medium bowl. Mix until chunky and well combined, then chill while you prepare the cake.

STEP 2: Whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.

STEP 3: Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

STEP 4: Add vanilla and mix briefly to combine.

STEP 5: Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 60 seconds after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed.

STEP 6: On low speed, add half of the dry mixture, followed by half of the milk and sour cream. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and remaining milk and sour cream, mixing just until combined.

STEP 7: Fold the chocolate chips into the batter so they are evenly distributed.

STEP 8: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, top with remaining chocolate chips and the chilled streusel, then bake until the top springs back gently and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.

Storage

Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigeration will extend freshness by another day, but may slightly firm the crumb—bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

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