Holiday Coffee Cake Recipe

For several decades now, my mom has been making her holiday coffee cake recipe for Christmas morning. She thinks that the recipe originated from the back of a Pillsbury biscuit can. Its hard to say since we've been enjoying this delicious sweet brunch treat for so many years.

I finally asked mom for the recipe this year. I had no idea how quick and easy this coffee cake is to make. Its just perfect for hectic holiday mornings. Warm, gooey and filling, holiday coffee cake is delicious when enjoyed with fresh fruit, orange juice, bacon and.... yes.... coffee!

Next time you are hosting a gathering, or will be having the extended family over for a holiday gathering, plan on serving this delicious caramel coffee cake treat, straight from the oven and still warm. It is so simple to make, you won't believe it! I can almost guarantee that you'll print this recipe out and make it time and again. It may become a staple in your kitchen, just as it has for me!

My kids enjoy this holiday coffee cake straight from the bundt pan after it has cooled. Personally, I think it looks extra nice served on small china plates with pretty napkins. The gooey sauce is sticky, so be sure to offer your guests a fork!

Holiday coffee cake can be prepared in less than 1 hour with little prep time. That frees you up to spend time with the family! If you have children over the age of 5, they can probably help you prep the coffee cake. Kids love to cook and it is a great way to help teach them mathematics while you sneak in some quality time!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 12-cup fluted tube pan or Bundt cake pan and set aside
3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in brown sugar, pecans and maple syrup.
4. Pour approximately 1/4 c. of the sugar mixture into the prepared pan
5. Open the cans of biscuit dough and separate into 20 biscuits. Stand them on edge, slightly overlapping around the prepared pan.
6. Pour remaining sugar mixture over biscuits.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
8. Carefully invert holiday coffee cake onto a lipped serving plate (to catch syrup) and serve warm.

You probably have most of the ingredients for holiday coffee cake in your refrigerator or pantry. If not, after a quick trip to the store, you'll be ready to make this recipe in no time. Don't worry about a lot of prep time. The ingredients are inexpensive too.

Other than the refrigerated biscuits, a trip to the grocery store is one less thing on your to-do list this time of year.

The recipe is pretty straight-forward:

• ½ C butter
• ¾ C firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ C chopped pecans or walnuts (we always use pecans)
• ¼ C real maple syrup
• 2 (10 oz.) cans refrigerated flaky biscuits

You will also need a circular bundt pan and butter or shortening to grease the pan. I highly recommend that you not use cooking spray because it is too hard to get into the crevices to prevent sticking. Take a few extra minutes and use some elbow grease to prepare the pan correctly. This holiday coffee take looks as good as it tastes so you will want to make sure it comes out perfectly!

There are many ways you can change up this coffee cake recipe to suit your individual tastes. Try some of these suggested revisions!

1. For a richer taste, use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar. Because dark brown sugar is made with molasses, you may wish to reduce the amount of syrup by 1/8 cup.

2. Replace or add to the walnuts or pecans with dried raisins or dried cranberries. If you are going to use both, instead of 1/2 cup of nuts, use 1/4 cup nuts and 1/4 cup dried fruit.

3. Experiment with flavored syrups (blueberry or blackberry) in place of maple syrup

Whatever revisions you make to the holiday coffee cake recipe, remember that the butter and sugar are key! The caramelized topping is what makes this breakfast treat so extra special!

*Sorry, I cannot think of any low-fat or low-sugar variations to this recipe, but if you have any that work, please be sure to share in the comments below!