Easy Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake (Made with Fresh or Frozen Apples!)

If you’re looking for the best cinnamon apple coffee cake recipe for fall, this one is a must-try! Made with warm cinnamon, tender apples, and a buttery cinnamon-sugar topping, this homemade coffee cake is soft, moist, and incredibly easy to make. Whether you’re using fresh apples straight from the orchard or frozen apple slices from your freezer, this recipe turns out delicious every single time.

I recently had several bags of frozen apples that I needed to use up, so I decided to experiment with an easy apple coffee cake recipe. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous since I’d never baked a cake with frozen apples before. I wasn’t sure if they would release too much moisture or affect the texture.

Thankfully, my worries disappeared after the first bite! The frozen apples worked beautifully, creating an incredibly moist, tender coffee cake that’s packed with cozy fall flavor. Honestly, if I hadn’t been the one who froze the apples, I never would have known they weren’t fresh.

Last year, I shared my favorite method for freezing fresh apple slices, and those were the exact apples I used in this recipe. Keeping frozen apples on hand has become one of my favorite kitchen hacks. It saves so much time because the apples are already peeled, cored, and chopped, making it easy to whip up apple desserts whenever the craving strikes.

As soon as apple season rolls around each year, I stock my freezer with fresh apples so I can enjoy recipes like this long after fall is over.

Whether you’re serving this cinnamon apple coffee cake for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon snack with a hot cup of coffee, it’s guaranteed to become a family favorite. Keep reading for the full recipe below!

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Ingredients Needed for Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake:

For The Cake:

• 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk, regular or low-fat ok
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I always use my homemade vanilla extract for this)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour properly measured
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups peeled, cored, and chopped baking apples (fresh or frozen)

For The Topping:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter melted

How To Make Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

Start by preheating your oven to 325°F and greasing a 9×13-inch baking dish. I always use my Caraway Home baking dish for these kind of sheet pan cake recipes. Plus, you can use my code MORNINGSONMACEDONIA to get 10% off too!

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this helps keep the cake soft and tender.

Next, gently fold in the chopped apples. If you’re using frozen apples, there’s no need to thaw them first—simply stir them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

In a separate small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until the mixture resembles damp sand. Sprinkle the cinnamon topping evenly over the cake batter.

Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine was perfect at around 45 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Tips for the Best Apple Coffee Cake

• Frozen apples work just as well as fresh apples in this recipe.
• Tart baking apples like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Fuji all work wonderfully.
• Don’t overmix the batter or the cake can become dense.
• Serve warm with butter or alongside a hot cup of coffee for the ultimate fall treat.

The Perfect Fall Apple Dessert

If you’re anything like me, you can’t get enough apple recipes during fall, and this easy cinnamon apple coffee cake is one you’ll find yourself making again and again. It’s simple enough for a weekday breakfast, yet delicious enough to serve for brunch, holiday gatherings, or dessert.

The warm cinnamon flavor, soft cake, and sweet apple pieces make every bite taste like fall.

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know if you used fresh or frozen apples, and don’t forget to save this recipe for apple season!