You guys, I feel like a dog wagging its tail hearing all of his favorite words, because this brown butter apple pie coffee cake has EVERYTHING I love. Brown butter? I love it. Coffee cake? I love it. Apple pie? I ABSOLUTELY love it. Put all three together and I am completely obsessed.
I made this for my pie-themed home cafe. I didn’t want to serve just regular, degular pies, so I went with fun, unique pies and a few pie-inspired desserts, and this was one of them. It has a soft, tangy sour cream cake, a layer of homemade apple pie filling, a cinnamon crumble in the middle AND on top, and a brown butter glaze drizzled over everything.
This is the PERFECT fall bake. Serve it with coffee on a slow morning, bring it to Friendsgiving, or add it to your Thanksgiving dessert table when you want something a little different from the usual pie. It’s so freaking good, and it makes your whole house smell AMAZING.
If you love cozy apple desserts, you also have to try my Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake and Brown Butter Apple Crumb Cake.
P.S. Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper. It helps the cake pop right out, so you get those beautiful slices with all the layers showing!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All your fall favorites in one bite: You get nutty brown butter, tender coffee cake, and cozy apple pie filling all in the same slice.
- Crumble in every layer: There’s cinnamon crumble through the middle and piled on top, so every bite has the BEST texture.
- Perfect for a crowd: One cake gives you 12 to 16 slices, and you can make it ahead for the holidays.
Equipment Needed
- 9-inch springform pan or 9×9-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Light-colored saucepan for browning the butter
- Medium saucepan or skillet for the apple filling
- Heatproof bowl or measuring cup
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Fork
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Brown Butter
Brown butter is just butter cooked until its milk solids toast, and it tastes rich, nutty, and almost like caramel. Melt your butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat so you can see the color change. It will melt, foam, and then start to smell toasty. Once the bits at the bottom turn golden brown, pour it into a heatproof bowl so it doesn’t keep cooking. The whole process takes about 5 to 8 minutes, and those little brown bits are pure flavor, so scrape them ALL in!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter This is the star of the whole recipe. Browning it gives the cake, crumble, and glaze a deep, nutty flavor that regular melted butter just can’t match. A little more goes into the apple filling too, where it helps the apples cook up rich and silky. Using unsalted butter lets you control exactly how much salt is in your cake.
- Apples Peeled and finely diced apples turn into the homemade pie filling that runs through the center of this cake. Dicing them small helps them cook evenly and fit neatly between the layers. They bring a little tartness that balances all that sweet crumble and glaze. Fresh apples make this taste like a real slice of apple pie.
- Light Brown Sugar Brown sugar shows up in the filling, the cake, and the crumble. Its molasses flavor is a dream with brown butter and cinnamon. In the cake, it adds moisture and keeps the crumb soft. In the crumble, it helps create those buttery, golden clusters.
- Ground Cinnamon You can’t have apple pie flavor without cinnamon. It adds warmth to the apple filling and gives the crumble that classic coffee cake flavor. With cinnamon in two different layers, the whole cake tastes cozy from the middle to the top.
- Cornstarch Just a teaspoon thickens the juices from the apples. It turns the filling glossy and pie-like instead of watery. That matters here because you want a distinct apple layer, not a soggy center.
- Granulated Sugar A little granulated sugar sweetens the cake alongside the brown sugar. It also helps lighten the batter as you mix it with the butter. Using both sugars gives you the best balance of clean sweetness and caramel flavor.
- Eggs Two large eggs give the cake structure and help hold the layers together. They also add richness and help create a soft, tender crumb. Room temperature eggs blend most smoothly into the batter.
- Vanilla Extract Vanilla goes in both the cake and the glaze. It rounds out the brown butter and makes every layer taste warmer. Pure vanilla extract adds a real bakery-style flavor here.
- Sour Cream This is the secret to a truly great coffee cake. It keeps the cake moist and tender while adding a subtle tang. That tang cuts through the sweet layers so the cake never feels too heavy. Use full-fat for the best texture.
- Whole Milk A splash of milk loosens the batter and brings it all together. It adds a little richness and helps the batter spread between the layers. Whole milk works best because its fat keeps the cake soft.
- All-Purpose Flour Flour gives the cake its structure and turns the crumble into big, buttery clumps. Spoon and level it when you measure so the cake doesn’t turn out dense. Fold it in gently and stop as soon as it’s combined for the softest crumb.
- Baking Powder This gives the cake its lift. It helps the batter rise around the heavy apple and crumble layers. Check that yours is fresh, because old baking powder can leave you with a dense cake.
- Salt Salt keeps all that sweetness in balance. It also makes the brown butter taste nuttier and the apples taste brighter. Half a teaspoon is all you need to wake up the whole cake.
- Heavy Cream A tablespoon of heavy cream makes the glaze smooth and pourable. It adds a rich, creamy finish that plays so well with the brown butter. You can add a tiny bit more if your glaze feels too thick.
- Powdered Sugar Powdered sugar is the base of the brown butter glaze. It dissolves quickly and gives you a smooth drizzle with no grittiness. Sift it first if it looks lumpy.
Best Apples for Coffee Cake
I ALWAYS love a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Granny Smith adds that tart pop, and Honeycrisp brings natural sweetness and holds its shape beautifully. Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Jazz are great too. Skip Red Delicious and McIntosh, since they can turn to mush and make your filling watery.
Substitutions and Modifications
- Store-bought filling: Use a good quality apple pie filling if you’re short on time. Chop any large pieces first so they layer evenly.
- Sour cream: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt works well in the same amount.
- Whole milk: Use 2% milk if that’s what you have, though the cake will be slightly less rich.
- Heavy cream: Whole milk works in the glaze. Start with a little less and add more as needed.
- Add some crunch: Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumble.
- Extra spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the apple filling or crumble.
- Gluten free: Try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in the cake, crumble, and filling if needed. The texture may be slightly different.
Brown Butter Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Crumble
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 2 cups (250 g) apples peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- â…“ cup (73.33 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cornstarch
Brown Butter
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter 2 sticks, browned and divided: 1/2 cup for the cake, 6 tablespoons for the crumble, and the remainder for the glaze
Cake
- ½ cup (95 g) brown butter slightly cooled
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
Cinnamon Crumble
- 6 tablespoons (88.72 g) brown butter
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
Brown Butter Glaze
- Remaining brown butter up to 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) heavy cream
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the apple pie filling. We’re starting here, love! Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add your diced apples and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re just tender. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, stir well, and cook for 1 more minute until thick and glossy. Set it aside to cool.
- Brown the butter. Brown all of the remaining butter at once, so you only have to do this step one time! Melt it over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until it smells nutty and the bits at the bottom turn golden. Pour it into a heatproof bowl, scrape in all those brown bits, and let it cool for 10 minutes so it doesn’t scramble your eggs.
- Get your pan ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper so the cake pops out super easily.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix 1/2 cup of brown butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Add the sour cream and milk and mix until completely smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gently fold them into the wet ingredients until everything is just mixed together, then set the batter aside.
- Make the crumble. Combine 6 tablespoons of brown butter with the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix until you have a clumpy crumble. The big clumps are the BEST part!
- Layer it up. Spread half of the cake batter into the pan. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the crumble, then add all of the apple pie filling. Gently spread the remaining batter over the top and finish with the remaining crumble.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely. I know it’s hard to wait, but the layers need time to set!
- Glaze and serve. Whisk together the remaining brown butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. You might have a little less than 2 tablespoons of brown butter, and that’s totally fine! Drizzle it over the cake, slice into 12 to 16 pieces, and get ready to be OBSESSED.
Storage Instructions
- Counter: Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let slices come to room temperature or warm them briefly before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap unglazed slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 60 days. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add the glaze before serving.
Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Timeline
Make the apple pie filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Bake the cake the day before Thanksgiving, let it cool completely, and cover it well. Make the glaze and drizzle it on the day you serve it, and that’s one dessert DONE before the turkey even goes in!
Tips and Tricks
- Watch your butter closely: It can go from golden to burnt quickly, so stay right by the stove once it starts to foam.
- Cool the filling first: Hot filling can melt the crumble and sink into the batter. Room temperature filling gives you cleaner layers.
- Dollop the top layer of batter: Add it in small spoonfuls, then gently spread them together so you don’t disturb the apples.
- Short on brown butter for the glaze? Whisk in a little extra heavy cream until it reaches a drizzly consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make apple pie coffee cake ahead of time?
YES! This is such a great make-ahead dessert. Bake it the day before, keep it covered, and add the glaze before serving.
Can I use store-bought apple pie filling?
You can, love. Chop any big apple slices so they layer evenly. Homemade has the best flavor and takes just a few minutes, so I always recommend it if you have the time.
Can I bake this in a 9×9-inch pan?
Absolutely! Line it with parchment and leave a little overhang on the sides so you can lift the cake out. Start checking it at 40 minutes and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
How do I know when the coffee cake is done?
The top should look golden and set, and a toothpick in the center should come out clean. A little melted crumble on the toothpick is fine, but you shouldn’t see wet batter. If the top is browning too fast, loosely cover it with foil.
Why did my apple layer sink?
This usually happens when the filling is still warm or the apple pieces are too big. Let your filling cool first and dice your apples small. Even if it sinks a little, it will still taste AMAZING!
Should I serve this warm or at room temperature?
It’s delicious both ways! Let it cool completely before glazing so the drizzle doesn’t melt away. After that, you can warm individual slices for a few seconds if you love a cozy, just-baked feel.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love
- Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake
- Brown Butter Apple Crumb Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies
- Apple Fritter Bread
Let’s Bake Together!
If you make this brown butter apple pie coffee cake, I want to SEE it! Snap a pic and tag me @munchiesbymallory on Instagram and TikTok so I can cheer you on. Don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below, because I love hearing what you think and it helps other bakers too. Happy baking, friends!
Leave a Reply