This Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake is one of the best you’ll bake. Two layers of tender coffee cake are filled with chocolate chips and finished with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Soft and fluffy, it’s delicious served slightly warm for breakfast or brunch.


Table of Contents
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make the Recipe
- Helpful Coffee Cake Baking Tools
- Helpful Tips
- More Breakfast Treats to Enjoy!
- Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients Needed
The ingredient list is short and uses pantry staples. Substitutions are noted where appropriate.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Sour cream (or plain/vanilla Greek yogurt)
- Vanilla extract
- Milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
- Cinnamon sugar

How to Make the Recipe
This coffee cake is straightforward and forgiving. The full recipe appears in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Step 3: Combine wet and dry. On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream until the batter is evenly mixed. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
Step 4: Assemble and bake. Spread half the batter into a prepared 9″ x 9″ pan, sprinkle half the chocolate chips and half the cinnamon sugar, then add the remaining batter and top with the rest of the chips and cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350ºF for about 32–35 minutes.
Let the cake cool slightly in the pan for about 10 minutes, then cut into squares. It’s best served slightly warm.

Helpful Coffee Cake Baking Tools


Helpful Tips
- Use a 9″ x 9″ square pan for the best results.
- Coat the pan with a flour-based baking spray or grease and flour it well to prevent sticking.
- Make cinnamon sugar quickly by mixing 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar; store any extra in an airtight container.
- Serve slightly warm. Reheat leftover squares in the microwave for 15–30 seconds.
More Breakfast Treats to Enjoy!

5 Ingredient Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

Blueberry Swirl Coffee Cake

Pennsylvania Dutch Fasnacht Doughnuts

Bakery Style Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients
- 2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 8 oz Sour Cream can use plain or vanilla Greek yogurt as a substitute
- 8 oz Milk Chocolate Chips divided, 4 oz for each layer
- 4 tsp Cinnamon Sugar divided
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF and position the rack just above center. Generously coat a 9-inch square baking pan with a flour-based baking spray or grease and flour the pan.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
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Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high until creamy. Add the granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat until combined.
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Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl as needed; the batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
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Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the chocolate chips and half the cinnamon sugar over the batter.
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Spread the remaining batter over the layer, then top with the remaining cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. It’s okay if the layers mix slightly; add extra chips if you like.
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Bake at 350ºF for 32–35 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
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Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
Video
Notes
- I used a 9″ x 9″ pan for this recipe.
- Generously spray the pan with a flour-based baking spray before adding the batter to ensure easy removal.
- To make cinnamon sugar, mix 1 part cinnamon with 3 parts sugar. Store any extra in an airtight container.
- Best served slightly warm; reheat leftovers for 15–30 seconds in the microwave.
- This recipe was adapted from the author’s late grandmother’s cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on the specific ingredients used.