This versatile brown sugar streusel topping can be used in so many ways. This easy recipe combines brown sugar, butter, and flour to create a delicious crumble that’s perfect for enhancing muffins, cakes, and pies.
The rich, buttery flavor and the delightful texture make every bite special. This streusel is incredibly versatile and adds a perfect finishing touch to many desserts.
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This is such an easy way to add an even more delicious layer of flavor to your desserts and all of your wonderful baking! Just by adding this simple brown sugar streusel topping to make that wonderfully sweet and crunchy topping!
I've made a couple of batches of banana-based muffins this week, so you can see this yummy streusel in use on my Apple Banana Muffins today. It's also a family favorite topping on my delightfully moist and tasty banana bread with brown sugar streusel and pumpkin streusel bread. Enjoy!
🥘 Ingredients
- Brown Sugar - I prefer light brown sugar for this topping. However, depending on your recipe, dark brown sugar would add a rich molasses flavor to any baked goods.
- Flour - all-purpose flour helps to keep this streusel blend in its familiar crumbly texture.
- Butter - adds a rich, buttery flavor to your streusel and makes everything delicious.
- Cinnamon - is a delightful warm baking spice to add to your streusel topping.
- Nutmeg - is an optional addition, but one of my favorite warm spices for any baking.
- Salt - just a pinch to bring out all of your delicious streusel ingredient flavors. Start with less when using salted butter, and add more to taste.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Streusel Topping
- In a medium-size mixing bowl or the bowl of your food processor, combine the dry ingredients including brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional). Add a pinch of salt with salted butter or less with unsalted butter.
- Use cold butter, either in tablespoon size pats or cubed chunks. Cut the butter in using your food processor, a pastry cutter, or a pair of butter knives cutting in a criss-cross motion until the butter reaches a pea-sized crumble. Stop once you've reached this course crumble, as you don't want to mix the brown sugar streusel into a dry dough consistency.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make your streusel, then chill in the refrigerator until ready to use to help keep the streusel consistency.
- If you will be baking something for a long period of time, the streusel will caramelize. Add toward the last 10-15 minutes of baking for better results.
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🥡 Storing
Your quick and easy streusel can be made ahead of time. Simply place the finished streusel into an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use. The chilled streusel is good for up to 3 - 4 days when stored properly.
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📖 Recipe Card
Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
Ingredients
- ⅕ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon butter (cold)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small to medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the butter in a tablespoon size pat or cubed, then cut into the dry mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter, food processor, or simply a pair of butter knives to cut the butter using a criss-cross motion. Continue until the butter pieces are small, pea-sized crumbles.
Barb says
Just right. Not too sweet. Added chopped walnuts to a yellow box cake with streusel mixed in and on top. It was a real hit. Thank you.
Carole says
OMG is all I can say. This was so yummy on top of canned pie peaches. Baked up perfectly and is so buttery and delicious. LOVE it so much I'm trying it with cherry pie filling. Yummy
Gabbyy says
This is the best recipe i've ever had!! Rich flavour of brown sugar and cinnamon ❤️ but i adjust the cinnamon begin 1 tsp because i want the storng cinnamon flavour but over all it's amazing ❤️
Pam says
This streusel recipe was delicious on pumpkin bread. I chopped pecans & added to streusel mix since bread also contained chopped pecans. During last 15 minutes if baking I added the streusel & the finished product was very tasty indeed.
sarah yerxa says
Ladies I sometimes make my frosting with a bit of cinnamon flavor.Can use either real cinnamon or cinnamon flavoring. It really puts it over the top. But, be careful too much can ruin it so a bit at a time. Love his topping recipe. I made an Apple cinnamon crumb, streusel caramel cheesecake with this topping. Oh was it so good.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I can't get enough of cinnamon flavor either! Glad you enjoyed the streusel!!
Tonya says
Love, could you please share that recipe? It absolutely sounds Divine!! Would love love to add it to add it to my recipes!❤️❤️❤️
Gini Dryden says
Hi - I like your streusel recipe. Can you then top the streusel with a glaze after the item has cooled? (I'm baking pull apart cinnamon bread and want to add a streusel topping with a glaze). Didn't know if the two could go together. Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Gini, and Yes! You can definitely do a glaze but I would recommend an icing to drizzle across the top of the streusel. I also frequently do a syrup to coat my bakes with and then top with streusel (think something boozy like rum). Remember for the best resulting streusel, the topping should be added the last 10-15 minutes of your baking time. Thanks and enjoy!!