This streusel topping will elevate just about any type of baked good, from pies to muffins to quick breads. With only 4 ingredients, it comes together in about two minutes flat.
If you have an extra two minutes to spare once you’ve prepared your batter or base recipe for whatever you’re about to bake, then you have time to make this easy streusel topping. Your baked goods will go from delicious and respectable to eye-popping and bakery-beautiful in a matter of moments with the help of a few basic pantry staples. This is a traditional baking hack that home cooks have been taking advantage of for years. In my humble opinion, you can’t really afford to miss the opportunity to add this little crumb topping recipe to your baking bag of tricks. If you’re looking for a way to improve a few of your family’s favorite recipes and make them a little more special for sharing at gatherings and potlucks, read on, and I’ll show you how it’s done.
Try this recipe next with this crumbled topper: 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients You’ll Need for the Streusel Topping
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated white sugar
- Brown sugar
- Melted butter or a plant-based substitute (read this for guidance on making your favorite recipes plant-based: Basic Guide to Plant-Based Baking)
That’s all! If you’re baking anyway, you probably already have all those ingredients in your cupboard, so you’re halfway there!
One of the many neat things about this simple recipe is how versatile it is. Once you have the basic recipe down, you can modify it with different flavorings based on what type of baked good you’re topping with it. Try adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest, nutmeg, chopped walnuts or pecan pieces, vanilla extract, or almond flavoring to the dry ingredients for an extra yummy addition.
Another super easy topper for all your baking: Microwave Chocolate Glaze With Cocoa Powder
Method for Making a Beautiful Coarse Crumb Topping
The magic of this recipe is definitely in the process for making it. The goal is to achieve a chunky, crumbly texture with lots of big pieces or “crumbs”. Practice makes perfect, and the more often you prepare this, the better you’ll get at mixing it together perfectly. Your first attempt will probably be pretty great, though, so don’t worry about anything going to waste.
Drizzle some extra yum onto your dessert and pastry creations: Homemade Plant-Based Caramel Syrup Recipe
Start out by combining your dry ingredients, along with any mix-ins, in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the ingredients together quickly to evenly distribute them.
Melt your butter, then slowly pour it in, drizzling it evenly over the surface of the dry ingredients. With a fork, gently stir and fluff the mixture and fold the butter into the dry ingredients, being careful not to break up too many of the large clumps of ingredients that are forming.
If any clumps are ridiculously big, gently cut them in half with the side of your fork, but don’t crush them. The goal is to end up with some powdery crumbs but mostly larger chunks. Keep flipping and mixing until it looks like all of the dry ingredients have a bit of butter or margarine incorporated into them.
Once your batter is in the prepared baking dish, use a tablespoon to scoop this topping over the top of your favorite cake recipe like coffee cakes, loaf breads, muffins, or just about anything you can dream up. Bake your recipe according to the instructions, checking for doneness as you normally would with toothpicks. You may find that you need to add an additional five to ten minutes of baking time if you’ve added a lot of crumb topping to your creation.
This recipe makes enough to cover two loaf cakes or about 12 muffins generously.
Try this next: Easy Homemade Maple Pecan Superfood Granola
Ideas for Using the Streusel
Almost anything can be elevated with a little bit of this delectable toasted crumble topping. Try it on loaf cakes like a super simple three ingredient banana bread recipe to turn an everyday treat into something really special.
You can add just an extra bit of texture and sweetness to your baked apple recipe by adding cinnamon-sugar streusel and turning it into an apple crumble. Don’t forget the whipped cream.
Buttermilk blueberry muffin recipes or chocolate-chip cupcakes are obvious candidates for crumb topper, but you might also consider adding a pinch to jam thumbprint cookies, fruit pies or pumpkin pies, or even a really indulgent pumpkin dump cake.
Here’s the full printable recipe.
This streusel topping will elevate just about any type of baked good, from pies to muffins to quick breads. With only 4 ingredients, it comes together in about two minutes flat.
- 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Melted butter
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In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir together to distribute everything evenly.
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Melt the butter, then pour it over the dry ingredients, drizzling it over the entire surface of the flour mixture.
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With a fork, gently fluff the mixture and fold the butter into the flour and sugar. Be sure not to break up too many of the clumps that form, but cut any overly large clumps in half. Keep mixing until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the butter.
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When your batter has been poured into the baking dish, scoop the streusel topping out with a tablespoon and sprinkle it evenly over the surface of your cakes, muffins, or loaves. This recipe makes enough topping to generously cover two loaf cakes or about 12 muffins.
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Bake your recipe as you normally would, testing with a toothpick when the baking time is up, and increasing baking time by about five to ten minutes if necessary. Additional baking time may not be required with the inclusion of the topping, but you may need to bake just a bit longer if your baked goods have a lot of extra streusel.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.