How To Make Streusel (Crumb Topping)
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Use this simple streusel topping recipe to top any muffin, quick bread, fruit crisp, coffee cake, or pie.
As a self-proclaimed streusel connoisseur, believe me when I say I’ve experimented with all of the ways to make streusel.
I’ve used melted, cold, and frozen butter in my experiments, and the one that always reigns supreme is the one made with cold, chunky butter. Cold butter yields thick, craggy pieces of streusel that hold their shape and add a splash of crunch to everything they sit on top of.
This recipe for streusel can be used for everything from muffins to pies, and you can scale it up or down based on how much you need for your baked good. I’ve even included instructions for how to add oats or nuts to your streusel to make it even more interesting!
This recipe for streusel topping is my favorite, and I’ve used it on many of my recipes here on my website. Here are all of my recipes that include a crumble top.
STREUSEL INGREDIENTS
Streusel toppings are very simple to make, and the ingredient list is small enough that you can likely make homemade streusel at a moments notice. You’ll need 5 simple ingredients.
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: You only need a small amount of flour to help bind the mixture together and encourage it to crumble. If you need a gluten free streusel, any gluten free baking blend you like will work just fine as a replacement.
- BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar adds sweetness and a rich molasses flavor to any streusel topping. It also adds moisture, as brown sugar has a higher water content than granulated sugar. If you want a little more texture and crunch in your streusel, you can use all granulated sugar or use a combination of brown and granulated sugar. Just keep the total amount in the recipe the same, and you’ll still have a perfectly sweetened streusel topping.
- CINNAMON: Cinnamon is a totally optional ingredient, as its only true function is to add flavor, but it works well as a flavor complement to most places you’d want to use a streusel topping. You can leave it out completely or combine or replace it with other spices you like. See my pumpkin streusel muffins (below) which also have pumpkin pie spice in the streusel topping.
- SALT: Just like you typically find salt in any baking recipe, so should you find it in streusel to balance the flavor and sweetness. I use table salt in my baking. See recipe notes if you use a different texture of salt.
- UNSALTED BUTTER: Butter’s function in streusel is to coat the mixture in fat and help deliver the flavor. The other granulated and powdery ingredients stick to the butter and create chunks of flavor. As the solids of the butter melt, the moisture stays behind, as does the buttery flavor mixed with the spices and sugar. Without the butter, the mixture would be dry and unappetizing.
I work pretty much exclusively with unsalted butter, so if you only use or only have salted butter, see the notes in the recipe for adjustments. You can use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this crumble topping vegan. These butters are usually salted. Pay attention to that, too!
HOW TO MAKE STREUSEL TOPPING
You’ll start your streusel by combining the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix it up with a fork until it is thoroughly combined. This will prevent your mixture from having concentrated pockets of ingredients when you add the butter.
Once everything is mixed, you’ll add the butter. I typically cut my ¼ cup of butter into 16 pieces.
To do this: cut the stick in half long ways, turn it on its side and cut in half long ways again, then slice into 4 slices. This will make 16 small pieces.
Use a fork to smash the pieces of butter into the mixture. Stop when all of the chunks are smashed.
Now it’s time to get your hands messy– use your fingers to press the ingredients together until butter is in small chunks.
I like to pick up chunks of butter and gently pinch them between my thumb and pointer and middle fingers to flatten slightly. I then drop the flattened pieces of butter back into the mixture so they pick up the dry mixture, then go through the whole bowl again with all of my fingers to “fluff” the mixture and turn the flattened pieces back into larger chunks.
You are aiming for mostly medium-size chunks and some smaller and larger chunks.
Below: pumpkin streusel muffins.
Cinnamon Streusel Topping Recipe FAQs
As written, this streusel recipe will top about 18 standard size muffins. Halve the recipe for a quick bread in a standard size loaf pan or a streusel layer in the middle of a bundt pan cake.
Good news! You can absolutely make this recipe for crumble topping ahead of time– up to 3 days in advance. Store covered tightly in the refrigerator.
You sure can! To make this streusel topping with oats or finely chopped nuts, add ½ cup along with the dry ingredients. The instructions are the same.
I’ve seen people use both melted and cold butter to make their crumb toppings, but I personally prefer to use cold as it encourages the streusel to stay craggy and chunky. Melted butter, in my experience, leads to crumb toppings that spread too much for my liking.
Easy peasy! You are now prepared to go forth and streusel.
More Favorites from Fresh April Flours
Use this streusel crumb topping on any of these recipes from Fresh April Flours: cinnamon streusel coffee cake (pictured below), coffee cake muffins (pictured below), chai streusel muffins, apple cinnamon streusel bread (pictured below), and apple cinnamon oat streusel muffins.
Streusel Topping Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a small bowl. Toss together with a fork until combined.
- Add the butter to the bowl, then use a fork to smash the pieces of butter into the mixture.
- Use your fingers to press the ingredients together until butter is in small chunks. I like to pick up chunks of butter and gently pinch them between my thumb and pointer and middle fingers to flatten slightly. I then drop the flattened pieces of butter back into the mixture so they pick up the dry mixture, then go through the whole bowl again with all of my fingers to "fluff" the mixture and turn the flattened pieces back into larger chunks. You are aiming for mostly medium-size chunks and some smaller and larger chunks.
- To make ahead: you can make this streusel up to 3 days in advance. Store covered tightly in the refrigerator.
- To add oats or nuts: to make this streusel topping with oats or finely chopped nuts, add ½ cup along with the dry ingredients. The instructions are the same.
Notes
- Brown sugar: I like to use all brown sugar, but you could use all granulated (white) sugar or half brown and half granulated. Granulated sugar will bring a little more texture to your streusel. The instructions and method are the same.
- Salt: I use table salt. If you use a larger, flakier, or coarser salt, you may want to increase this to ½ teaspoon. If you are using salted butter, decrease the added salt to just ⅛ teaspoon.
- Butter: I typically cut my ¼ cup of butter into 16 pieces. Cut the stick in half long ways, turn it on its side and cut in half long ways again, then slice into 4 slices. This will make 16 small pieces. You can also use salted butter. Decrease the added salt to just ⅛ teaspoon.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
I went looking for a streusel recipe because I wanted to add streusel to my grandma’s apple cake and found this. It worked great and our family loved it!
Thank you, Tabitha! So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
I actually foundt his recipe from your coffee cake recipe and i’m going to save it for all of my pie baking this summer. thanks!
Thanks so much, Marcie!
I am addicted to blueberry muffins with struesal topping. I’m also on Weight Watchers. I have a WW friendly muffin recipe but no struesal. I this recipe online. It was super simple and fast. It is so yummy.
Because of WW i used light butter and Stevia brown sugar. Next time time I’m going to use real sugar. I missed it. Lol
Thanks for the recipe
Thanks so much, Lauren 🙂
I am wanting to add this to a deconstructed apple pie dessert I’m making (cinnamon panna cotta, caramelized apples, and caramel sauce) for a crunch element. Do you suggest baking this to crisp it up then crumble it ?
Hey, Joy! I’m not sure. I’ve never thought to do that, but it sounds like an interesting method. If you try it, let me know!