Streusel Topping | The Best Recipe- OwlbBaking.com (2024)

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This is the best streusel topping! Making streusel for muffins, quick breads and pies is simple and adds a delicious layer of crunchy sweetness. All you need for this recipe is butter, brown sugar, flour and a few spices.

Streusel Topping | The Best Recipe- OwlbBaking.com (1)

You may not think of it too often, but adding a layer of streusel to your recipes can make them totally different!

I recently had this revelation when working on my recipe for blueberry bread. The first couple of times I made the recipe, I just made the bread itself. Don't get me wrong, it was insanely delicious alone, but I felt like it was missing something.

When it dawned upon me that adding a crunchy, cinnamon-sugar layer of streusel might be something neat to explore, I quickly got to work testing it out.

BAM.

It turned out that streusel was JUST the thing to take my blueberry bread from whoa to whoahwhoahoaaaa.

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What is streusel topping made of?

Streusel topping is made of butter, sugar and flour. Adding cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg and salt will take your streusel above and beyond.

Additionally, using brown sugar in place of white granulated sugar will make it better too.

This simple streusel topping is the best because of the brown sugar. Brown sugar adds lots of flavor and keeps the streusel more tender than using only white granulated sugar would.

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I added a hefty amount of cinnamon, because you can't have streusel without cinnamon. I love to use ceylon cinnamon, which is the only type of cinnamon I keep in my pantry.

Ceylon cinnamon has a bright and mild flavor, almost a bit floral. I really like the flavor profile of ceylon cinnamon vs. cassia or Saigon types.

How to Make Streusel Topping

Making streusel topping is SO easy and fast to make. You can literally whip it up in no time to add to your favorite baked treats.

Essentially, all you need to do is soften some butter, add the brown sugar, spices and then flour. Mix and top whatever your baking!

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Baked goods that need streusel

If you're not sure what to add your streusel topping to, here are some ideas! This recipe is great for all kinds of desserts.

  • Quick breads
  • Muffins
  • Pie
  • Coffee cake
  • Fruit crisps

Tip: when you're adding streusel to breads, muffins or cakes...anything that needs to rise, be cautious about how much you add.

Too much streusel can weigh down your batter, making it hard to bake properly.

Be sure to add a nice, even layer (a few big crumbles are OK!)

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Streusel Topping

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This is the best streusel topping! Making streusel for muffins, quick breads and pies is simple and adds a delicious layer of crunchy sweetness. All you need for this recipe is butter, brown sugar, flour and a few spices.

  • Total Time: 5

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 tbsp butter (softened)
  • ½ c light brown sugar
  • ½ c all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (I prefer using Ceylon Cinnamon)
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar using a hand mixer.
  2. Mix until full incorporated.
  3. Next, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt.
  4. Mix on low speed to combine.
  5. The mixture will be crumbly and on the drier side. Feel free to use your hands to incorporate any remaining flour that didn't mix in.
  6. Top on quick breads, pies or cakes before baking.

Notes

This recipe will top once 9" cake, a loaf pan. Double for more topping as needed.

TIP: When you're adding streusel to breads, muffins or cakes...anything that needs to rise, be cautious about how much you add.Too much streusel can weigh down your batter, making it hard to bake properly.

Be sure to add a nice, even layer (a few big crumbles are OK!)

Try this recipe on my Blueberry Bread!

  • Author: Liz at Owlbbaking.com
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Category: Streusel

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©2022 Owlbbaking, LLC. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from owner is strictly prohibited. Photography & video may not be used without consent (Click here for round-up feature consent).

Streusel Topping | The Best Recipe- OwlbBaking.com (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between crumble topping and streusel? ›

Traditionally, the two have different ratios of the same ingredients, with streusel containing more flour, and crumb topping more sugar, so they offer a different texture and flavor on top of baked goods. Streusel may also include nuts, but crumb topping does not.

Why is my streusel topping not crumbly? ›

Why is my streusel not crumbly? Often this happens if the crumb topping is over-mixed or if the butter was much too hot. Over-mixing will leave you with a pasty, batter-like mixture rather than the crumbly topping you are aiming for.

Should the streusel topping be added before or after baking? ›

Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of muffins, quick bread, coffee cake, etc. before baking.

What are the ingredients in streusel? ›

Streusel is a crumbly topping usually made with real butter, flour, and sugar.

Is cold or melted butter better for streusel? ›

When making streusel, is it better to use cold butter or melted cooled butter? For streusel topping, you would want to use cold butter. Melted butter would allow the flour in the mixture to form gluten strands - which are great for bread, but for toppings not so much.

Is melted or cold butter better for crumb topping? ›

Using cold butter makes for big and buttery crumbs. Ratio of Ingredients: A lot of crumb cake toppings call for more flour to brown sugar ratio, but I find that using the same amount of flour and brown sugar is key to getting a very crumbly, buttery, and sweet crumb that holds it's crumb shape while baking.

What is the secret to crunchy crumble? ›

A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.

Is melted butter better than softened butter for streusel topping? ›

A crumble has smaller crumbs and is looser. It always made with melted butter, while a streusel is typically made with room temperature or cold butter and the resulting streusel has larger pieces and is more tender when baked.

How do you keep streusel topping crispy? ›

Assuming that you want to serve the casserole hot and the streusel crispy, keep the casserole and the streusel separate until almost serving time. This means you will have to bake the streusel on a cookie sheet until crisp and ready, then let them cool uncovered and transport them in a separate container.

How do you cut butter into streusel topping? ›

Slice cold butter into cubes or pats with a sharp knife. Scatter butter over flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Press down on butter with pastry blender, working up and down until all butter pieces are small pea-size lumps and covered in flour.

How do you know when streusel is done? ›

Sprinkle the streusel over your coffee cakes or muffins before baking. Or sprinkle onto a baking sheet and bake by itself for 10-12 minutes to add a crunchy topping. You'll know the streusel is done when it is golden brown and crispy looking.

What is a good substitute for streusel? ›

This favorite breakfast-time yogurt topping makes an excellent streusel substitute, after all, its flavors and ingredients are rather similar. Packaged granola should provide the sweetness and crunch factor of a homemade streusel.

What's the difference between streusel and Craquelin? ›

It's made up of a mixture of flour, brown sugar and butter, which forms a dough similar to a streusel. The difference here is that the craquelin dough is rolled out, chilled and then cut into small circles to place on top of the piped choux pastry.

What nationality is streusel? ›

The term streusel comes from the German word streuen, which means to scatter or sprinkle. Streusel is a very common addition to German and Austrian desserts like kuchen and crumb cake. And before you ask—streusel and strudel are totally different. Streusel is a topping while strudel is a type of German pastry.

What is the crunchy sugar on top of muffins called? ›

Sanding sugar is used to decorate and garnish desserts and goodies like cookies, scones, muffins, and candies. It's sometimes used for other things too, like cakes.

What's the difference between apple streusel and crumble? ›

There is no difference, crumble and streusel can sometimes be different but in this case they are the same. The streusel or crumble is made from butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla.

What is the American version of crumble? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg.

What is the streusel on crumb topping made of? ›

Streusel topping, also known as crumb topping or crumble topping, is a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter. The ratios are higher on the flour vs the butter to produce a dry, crumbly texture, but still moist enough to hold together when squeezed into large “crumbs”.

Why is it called a streusel? ›

In German, Streusel means "something scattered or sprinkled," which is exactly what a baker does with streusel before baking.

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