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 is the difference between a crumb topping and a 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.

What is the secret to good crumble? ›

❓FAQ
  • Use cold butter. This will help to create a crumbly texture that will not stick together when baking.
  • Use a mix of flour and oats. The oats will add a bit of crunch and texture to the topping.
  • Don't overmix the ingredients. The crumble topping should be made with a "coarse" crumb.
Jun 5, 2023

Is melted or cold butter better for crumb topping? ›

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. Cold. Strudel needs to clump and then melt and brown on the top of your baked item.

How do you keep crumble topping crunchy? ›

They're supposed to be chunky and craggy, with big pieces of crumble on top. By freezing your topping, it makes it harden just slightly and that means the texture will be nice and crispy when it's cooked.” To do this properly, you first need to make sure that the topping is still a little lumpy.

How do you keep streusel topping crispy? ›

As my Epi colleague Anna Stockwell writes in her method for easy No-Recipe-Required Granola, egg whites have the power to help ingredients clump together. And since they're light, I knew they wouldn't weigh down that streusel. The result was a crisp topping that sliced beautifully and stayed intact.

What happens if you put too much butter in crumble? ›

Use the Right Amount of Butter

Too much butter and your topping will become a greasy blob or disappointingly soggy.

How do you cut butter into streusel topping? ›

Two butter knives – Two knives held together at an angle may be substituted for a pastry blender when cutting in butter. Use the knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces of flour-coated butter become smaller and have the texture of coarse crumbs.

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.

Can you bake streusel by itself? ›

Streusel can be added to recipes like cakes and bars for more flavor and texture, or baked on its own to top everything from yogurt to ice cream.

What nationality is streusel? ›

From German Streusel ("something scattered or sprinkled"), from the verb streuen (cognate with the English verb strew).

What is streusel vs crumble vs cobbler? ›

Whereas crisps and crumbles are topped with a streusel-like mixture, cobblers are topped with a cake-like batter or a biscuit-like dough.

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? ›

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.

What is a crumble topping made of? ›

Classic crumble

Sometimes simplicity is best and a basic crumble topping of sugar, flour and butter is all you need for the perfect pudding. In Raymond Blanc's popular apple & blackberry crumble, the topping is pre-baked so it retains a light, crumbly texture and doesn't stick together.

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