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This small pumpkin coffee cake is soft, moist, and filled with warm fall spices. Topped with a buttery streusel, it’s an easy single serving treat baked in a ramekin.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: One bowl, simple steps, and minimal cleanup.
- Great Anytime: Enjoy for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
- Fall Flavors: Pumpkin and warm spices in every bite.
- Perfectly Portioned: Made for one – no extras, no waste.
- Buttery Streusel: A crisp, crumbly topping for added texture and flavor.
If you love pumpkin desserts, you’ve got to try this little pumpkin coffee cake. It’s soft, moist, and filled with warm spices, and that buttery streusel on top takes it over the top.
I make it whenever I want something sweet and seasonal without having to bake a whole cake.
Looking for more single serving pumpkin desserts? Try my small batch pumpkin pie bars, single serving pumpkin cheesecake, or small batch pumpkin spice granola.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving pumpkin coffee cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Cloves: Classic pumpkin spice blend. Use 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead, if preferred.
- Pumpkin Purée: Use 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin. Use leftover pumpkin in small batch pumpkin spice muffins or small batch pumpkin bars.
How To Store Leftover Pumpkin Purée
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. Label with the date.
- Freezer: Scoop into zip-top bags or ice cube trays for smaller portions. Once frozen, transfer cubes to a bag.
- Shelf Life: Frozen pumpkin purée keeps well for up to 3 months.
- Egg Yolk: Provides structure. Save the white for an egg white recipe like mini pavlova or small Texas sheet cake.
- Milk: 1% milk is used, but any milk works—skim, whole, 2%, or almond.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Streusel Topping Ingredients
Recipe Variations
Try one of these simple ways to change up your mini pumpkin coffee cake:
- Pecan Streusel: Add a tablespoon of chopped pecans to the streusel for extra crunch.
- Chocolate Chip: Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter for added sweetness.
- Pumpkin Apple: Mix in a few pieces of finely diced apples for a fall-inspired combo.
- Pumpkin Blueberry: Fold in a handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed) for a fruity contrast.
How To Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small coffee cake with pumpkin. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk the pumpkin, melted butter, egg yolk, and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Add to Ramekin: Spoon the batter into a buttered 10-ounce ramekin and spread evenly.
- Top and Bake: Mix streusel ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter. Place the ramekin on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Use the Right Ramekin: A 10-ounce ramekin (about 4 inches wide and 1¾ inches tall) works best. A larger one bakes faster; a smaller one takes longer.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir just until combined to keep the cake light and tender.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your dry measuring cup and level it with a knife for accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Double the ingredients and divide the batter between two 10-ounce ramekins or use one 5×5-inch baking dish.
It’s best eaten the same day, but you can cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Warm it slightly before serving.
Yes, the cake will still be delicious without the streusel, but the buttery crumble adds texture and flavor that really enhances the cake.
RELATED: 4 Single Serving Pumpkin Recipes To Get You Ready For Fall
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini pumpkin coffee cake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin purée (do not use pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter -melted
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup milk
For the Streusel Topping
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the pumpkin, melted butter, egg yolk, and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the buttered ramekin and spread evenly.
- Mix streusel ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter.
- Place the ramekin on a baking sheet and bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place the ramekin on a cooling rack.Run a knife around the edge, then carefully lift the coffee cake out of the ramekin. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use the Right Ramekin: A 10-ounce ramekin (about 4 inches wide and 1¾ inches tall) works best. A larger one bakes faster; a smaller one takes longer.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir just until combined to keep the cake light and tender.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your dry measuring cup and level it with a knife for accuracy.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I’m not a fan of the whole pumpkin thing. Can I eliminate the pumpkin? If not what should I use as a substitute?
The pumpkin is a key component of the pumpkin coffee cake, giving it its distinctive flavor and moist texture. If pumpkin isn’t to your taste, I recommend trying our blueberry coffee cake recipe instead. It’s delicious with or without the berries and would be a great alternative for those who prefer to avoid pumpkin – https://onedishkitchen.com/coffee-cake-recipe-for-one/
Hi,
How much is “59.15 ml milk”?
In either cups or Tablespoons?
Hi Sheri, it appears that you have clicked on the Metric button in the recipe card which has given you the amount of milk in milliliters. Click on the US button and you will see all of the ingredients in cups, ounces, etc. – 59 ml of milk is 1/4 cup.
If this recipe is doubled would your use the whole egg or 2 yolks? And what size pan would be suitable (not 2 ramekings)?
I discourage using the whole egg, as that can mess with the cake’s texture. Save the egg white for another recipe. If doubling the recipe, we recommend using a 5×5 inch baking dish.
Why not use a whole egg? Too much liquid? Maybe less milk instead.
The recipe has been tested using the ingredients listed. We prefer the coffee cake (and most single serving baked goods) with the egg yolk. The egg yolk and the egg white both play different roles in baking. Whole eggs contain a good bit of water so using the whole egg would make the cake too liquidy. Milk not only provides moisture, but it also adds flavor, helps with browning, and creates a soft crumb. We do not recommend using less milk than is called for in the recipe.
I am going to try this today however I dont have white floue Can I use whole wheat flour?
I have not tested this recipe using whole wheat flour so you’ll have to experiment with the amount to use.
You know a recipe is good when you adapt it and it is still delicious 😋. I made it with almond and coconut flours. I also added psyllium powder. This was so flavorful and the texture was pleasing.
I thought I had posted earlier, but this pumpkin coffee cake is perfect. Have made it a few times and this morning made it in the Air Fryer. I have a Cosori AF and preheated it @400 for 5 minutes. Placed the uncooked recipe in my corningware 1 1/2 cup pot (It’s a little bigger than the 10 oz. recommended, however, it worked great. I put the pot in the Air Fryer, set the temp to 300 degrees and time for 30 minutes and it came out perfect. I did check a couple of times since this was new to me, but 30 minutes was the perfect time in my Air Fryer. Thanks so much for the great recipe. I’ve also made it as muffins and got 4 regular size muffins out of it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the coffee cake, Kathi. Thank you for sharing how it turned out for you in the air fryer.
Delicious!!
Loved it !! Baked it in a 5 inch dish and am very happy Amazing how far a can of pumpkin can go cooking for one.
This looks so good! I love pumpkin coffee cake, but don’t need a whole cake sitting around the house. This is the perfect solution! Could you make this in a mug in the microwave? Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
I haven’t tried making this in a mug so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you try it, please let me know how you liked it.
I tried this in the microwave today and it was perfect! I used a 16 ounce mug and microwaved for 3 minutes in a 900 watt microwave. The cake was so delicious and moist! Thank you so much for this recipe! I will definitely be making this again.
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed the coffee cake and thank you for sharing how it was made in the microwave!