Peanut Butter Coffee Cake Recipe
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Peanut Butter Coffee Cake is a heavenly mixture of chocolate, peanut butter, and Nutella all under a crunchy layer of peanut streusel and a dark chocolate drizzle.
We love cast iron skillet recipes. Our Skillet Apple Pie and Apple Rhubarb Skillet pies have been very popular.

Do you ever see a recipe that you just can’t get out of your mind? Well, this Peanut Butter Coffee Cake Recipe was that recipe for me.
I picked up a copy of a magazine called “Southern Cast Iron” Winter 2017 edition. I’ve never seen this magazine before but the recipes looked amazing including the one for Peanut Butter Coffee Cake. I just couldn’t wait to try my hand at it.
From the title and the photograph, I knew I was going to be using chocolate and peanut butter. What I didn’t realize is that it also has a layer of Nutella. The streusel on this baby makes it one delicious peanut butter crumb cake.
The only problem I have with this whole darned thing is that I didn’t come up with it first!

When I was young(er) my mother made a delicious coffee cake and we ate it for breakfast!
I don’t know that I would feed this Peanut Butter Coffee Cake to my children for breakfast because they’d be bouncing off the walls once they got to school. I would surely eat it any time of day, however.
What is a coffee cake?
Coffee cake is cake flavored with or intended to be eaten with coffee.
It’s delicious any time but I tend to think of it as a legal way to eat cake for breakfast! The American version is a variety of a crumb cake like this Peanut Butter Coffee Cake recipe.
What you may need to make this Peanut Butter Coffee Cake Recipe:
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- Cast Iron Skillet – I use cast-iron skillets whenever I can. There isn’t anything like them when it comes to browning food. They last forever, and they’re our favorite pan for camping too.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Coffee Cake recipe:
- Flour – All-purpose flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- Sugar – both white and brown sugar. My favorite brown sugar is dark but either is fine.
- Peanut Butter – I used creamy but crunchy would be delicious too.
- Dry Roasted Peanuts – Salted is what I chose. You could use lightly salted or nonsalted. You can also substitute peanuts for your favorite nut such as pecans, walnuts, or cashews.
- Butter – I used unsalted. Since the peanuts and peanut butter contain salt I didn’t feel additional salt was needed in this recipe.
- Sour Cream – This gives this recipe a creamy consistency. You could use lite but I wouldn’t use non-fat.
- Milk – The recipe calls for whole milk and that’s what I used. I believe 2% would work as well.
- Nutella – This creamy hazelnut spread is amazing in this recipe but you could substitute it for another chocolate or peanut butter spread.
- Vanilla – I only use a pure vanilla extract.
- Baking Powder – Leavening agent for the cake is necessary.
- Eggs – I use large for all my recipes.
- Salt – leave it out if you use salted butter.
- Dark Chocolate – I use at least a 60% Cocoa
Storing and reheating Peanut Butter Crumb Cake Cake
The best way to store coffee cake
Coffee cake is best stored at room temperature. You can keep it in the cast iron skillet and cover it with foil for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend refrigeration it. The coffee cake can absorb extra moisture making it soggy or gummy.
Coffee cake can be frozen as a whole or in individual serving sizes. To thaw chocolate coffee cake, let it sit at room temperature.
Reheating Peanut Butter Coffee Cake
Reheat the coffee cake in the microwave. Start at a 30-second interval.
Coffee cake can also be thawed using the microwave. Again, I’d start with 30-second intervals until warm.
FAQs
No, you don’t. You can bake this recipe in a 9-inch round or square cake pan or a baking dish. Cast iron holds the heat so if you use a different pan make sure to check it before the cooking time has expired.
Yes! You can make this coffee cake a day in advance. I recommend that you apply the drizzle on the day of serving, however.
Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Coffee Cake
- If you don’t care for Nutella (someone actually said this!) you could substitute it for any creamy spread. I would definitely use chocolate or chocolate peanut butter spread.
- I used a 10-inch cast-iron skillet instead of the 3 6-inch cast-iron skillets which is what the recipe called for. As a result, I had to bake mine 20 minutes longer until it tested done.
- If you are going to freeze or make this recipe for peanut coffee cake, I’d leave off the chocolate drizzle until it’s thawed or you’re ready to serve it.
Chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, streusel…what’s not to love? I need to get me some little skillets so I don’t have to share the next time I make it.
If you liked this recipe, I think you’ll enjoy these too.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Pin it for later!
This recipe has been updated to improve readers’ experience. No changes were made to the recipe.
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Oh Lordy this was a good coffee cake! It is now added to my list of fave coffee cakes to make! My husband loves peanut butter on just about everything, but with the chocolate it was very much a “WOW”! Thank you so much for this recipe, your pictures made this recipe look so good that I had to make it right away, thank you!
Thank you so much, MaryAnne for letting me know you enjoyed it! I’m a coffee Cake lover too. It’s a great excuse to have sweets for breakfast. Peanut Butter and Chocolate are a match made in culinary heaven!
Can I use cashews instead of peanuts in this recipe? Thanks so much again and sorry if it’s a dumb question, cause I know this is a peanut butter cake! haha! It’s cause all I have in my kitchen are cashew nuts.
Absolutely Isabel! That’s not a dumb question and I love hearing from you.
This really looks excellent I could really dive right into these delicious flavors!
Thank you Claudia!
I would love a slice of this coffee cake for breakfast! I love the addition of the peanut butter.
Thank you Sophie!
I made this last week for Hubby’s birthday. It is good, but it’s a little too soft – maybe if I made without the sour cream? Also, Hubby isn’t a Nutella fan, so instead I used Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter spread – it’s on the shelf right by Nutella at the grocery store.
Thanks for letting me know Robyn. Mine had a cake texture and I used sour cream? I can’t say if there is that much of a difference between Nutella verses Reeses. Fat can have such a big difference in baking. Did you use a cast iron skillet?
I can’t get over how beautiful this is! It looks absolutely delicious – I’d love if you’d come share this with Awesome Life Friday. ๐ https://rchreviews.blogspot.com/
Thank you Lynda! I’ll stop over and check out your blog!
my heart melts….
Thank you Heru! So sweet of you.
In my tiny town, we don’t get many magazines that are not the normal ones but I picked up a copy of this one too! I have just about thrown out all my other pans and use cast iron exclusively! I love that mag and all the recipes in it. This one sounds like something I need to make later this week as we are all peanut butter and chocoholics in my house!
Thank you, Jennifer! It must be fate because it isn’t one I would normally pick up either. Your PB chocoholics will love it! We’d have a ball cooking together right!
My hubby LOVES peanut butter…SO MUCH! I just jotted down these ingredients to make this for him!
Thank you, Brandi! I hope you’ll let me know how the hubby likes it. Mine sure did.
Mmmmm! Mouth-watering.
Thank you, Patti! I just love hearing from you. One of my original blogging friends and so supportive.
You’ve earned the accolades, from the delectable creations to photography expert! Nice work, Julie.
What an awesome combination — such a yummy treat! I could go for a slice of this right now!
Thank you, Michelle! It didn’t last long in this household LOL.
I love that crumbly texture you get with a great coffee cake and this looks just amazing! It’s on my radar to make – I know Dan and I both will just love it!
Thank you Debra! We really enjoyed it and I’m always looking at ways to use my cast iron skillets.
Oh my gosh this looks drool worthy! All of your desserts look so amazing! I wish I could eat ALL of them! I might make this one for desserts this week!
I’m afraid that I like those desserts just a little bit too much Debi! Thank you and I hope you are enjoying the rest of your weekend.
You had me at peanut butter and coffee Julie but Nutella too? I’m in heaven. What a delicious cake to bring to the Fiesta Party, thanks for sharing ๐
Thank you, Sarah! I really appreciate you co-hosting this weeks FF!
This looks great, Julie! I think I know some people who would love this recipe ๐
Thank you, Sarah! We really enjoyed it too.
Wow, this looks insanely delicious, Julie! I think I must really make it. Thanks so much for sharing with us today! ๐
Thank you, Julianna! It was super easy to make and yummy to eat too. I appreciate you stopping and commenting too.
This looks so decadent and delicious! It would be perfect with a big cup of coffee!
Thank you, Lisa! A cup of coffee works well to help with those big ole bites!
ooh, yum, I can see why it jumped out at you!
Thank you Caroline! I wish another one would jump out onto my table too!
You sure do like your peanut butter Julie! Looks real good – I often just snack on it with some sliced apples or crackers. Another recipe for my cast iron pans – I even have the small ones as I was hoping to make one of Ina’s recipes for brownies I think.
Thank you Judi! I eat peanut butter almost everyday with an english muffin and a piece of fruit. It’s my favorite go too. I need to get some of those little skillets! Well, I don’t need them but you know how that goes LOL!
This is a dream come true. Any normal food with added peanut butter is right up my alley! NEED this in my life!
Thank you so much Karly! I love peanut butter and eat it almost daily on an english muffin. I have to admit that this recipe was a little more exciting. LOL.
I am loving these peanut butter recipes! This looks out of this world!
Thank you Antonia! I’m with you and love peanut butter especially with chocolate.
Julie this is a beautiful dessert! I love the twist on a classic coffee cake!
Thank you Angela! We really enjoyed it too!
You got me with these last night on Instagram. David too!
Haha thank you Debbie! It’s wickedly yummy.
Well this just looks outstanding. You can’t go wrong with that combination. Well done!
Thank you so much, Jess! It’s just sinful LOL!