This Easy Butter Streusel Crumb Topping adds buttery cinnamon flavor and texture to muffins, cakes, quick breads, pies, and more! Make it with a few common pantry ingredients in just 5 minutes.
We love this streusel topping recipe on coffee cake or our Matcha Muffins. It is even delicious on Brioche French Toast. The crumbly and crispy mixture is delicious on so many dishes!
This crumb topping is made with melted butter, brown and granulated sugar, flour, and salt, and cinnamon. For extra texture and nutty flavor, add chopped pecans or walnuts to the mixture. Add on top of fruit pies or crisps, banana bread, sweet potato casserole, coffee cake, and more.
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About Butter Streusel Crumb Topping
- Taste - The streusel is rich and buttery with a warm cinnamon undertone.
- Texture - The streusel should be spreadable and crumbly with a light crunch.
- Effort - All you need to do is mix the ingredients then sprinkle them.
- Time - It takes just 5 minutes to mix the ingredients.
Ingredients
- Butter - Butter is the rich flavor base of the streusel.
- All-purpose flour - All-purpose flour is the base of the streusel.
- Granulated sugar - Sugar adds sweetness.
- Brown sugar - Brown sugar adds a rich caramel, molasses-like sweetness.
- Kosher salt or sea salt - Salt accentuates the rich flavor of the streusel.
- Ground cinnamon - Ground cinnamon adds a warm and woodsy flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Toasted walnuts or pecans - Add chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunchiness.
- Light brown sugar - Use light brown sugar for a lighter molasses flavor.
Instructions
- Melt butter - Melt the butter and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Combine ingredients - In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nuts, if using. Use a fork or whisk to combine the ingredients. (Photo 1)
- Add melted butter - Add the melted butter to the flour and use a fork or whisk to combine the ingredients. The melted butter will turn the flour mixture into a coarse crumb. (Photo 2)
- Refrigerate - Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool then use to top muffins, quick breads, french toast, cakes, and more. (Photo 3 and 4)
Pro tip - Mix the ingredients well but don't over mix. This ensures that the ingredients are incorporated but there are still nice chunks.
Storage
Store leftover butter streusel in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the crumb topping in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Recipe FAQs
In German, streusel means scattered or sprinkled. The streusel is strewn or scattered across baked goodies.
Yes, streusel should be crunchy with an almost cookie like texture and buttery chunks.
Strudel typically refers to a filling with pastry wrapped around it. Streusel is a buttery crumb topping.
This can happen if you over mix the ingredients. When you overmix, the butter can become too hot and soft making the streusel pasty.
If you put too much butter, your crumble can become too soggy. If you don't put enough butter, it will be too dry.
No, streusel contains raw flour which should not be consumed.
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Easy Butter Streusel Crumb Topping
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Toasted walnuts or pecans chopped, optional
Instructions
- Melt butter - Melt the butter and allow it to cool to room temperature.4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Combine ingredients - In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nuts, if using. Use a fork or whisk to combine the ingredients.¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, Toasted walnuts or pecans
- Add melted butter - Add the melted butter to the flour and use a fork or whisk to combine the ingredients. The melted butter will turn the flour mixture into a coarse crumb.
- Refrigerate - Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool then use to top muffins, quick breads, french toast, cakes, and more.
Notes
- Mix the ingredients well but don't over mix. This ensures that the ingredients are incorporated but there are still nice chunks.
- Refrigerate leftover butter streusel in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the crumb topping for up to 1 month.
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