If you'd like to learn how to make a streusel crumb topping for muffins, bread, cakes, and other desserts, check out my easy recipe. A crumbly brown sugar and cinnamon topping adds a wonderful textural element to baked goods, so knowing how to make a crumb topping comes in handy if you love to whip up desserts and other sweet treats.
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Homemade Streusel Crumb Topping Recipe
Some of my favorite desserts include a cinnamon crumb topping. It's so versatile it can be used on muffins, bread, cakes, crisps, and so much more!
Knowing how to make crumb topping from scratch has come in handy more than once in all my baking endeavors. So I thought I'd share this incredibly easy recipe for homemade crumb topping so that anyone can make tasty desserts whenever they please.
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe only requires 4 ingredients. They might already be sitting in your pantry.
- All-Purpose Flour - ¾ cup, spoon and leveled.
- Brown sugar - ⅓ cup, packed.
- Ground Cinnamon - ½ teaspoon.
- Butter - 4 tablespoons melted butter. If using unsalted butter, you may want to add a pinch of salt in your crumble.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make A Crumb Topping
A homemade crumble topping can be made in just a few easy steps. Grab your measuring cups, a mixing bowl, and a fork (or pastry cutter if you opt for cold butter) - that's it!
- Combine. In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup brown sugar, and ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly mix the ingredients before adding butter. *I suggest a fork, as it is the easiest to use to get your perfect crumble after the melted butter is added.
- Add. Pour 4 tablespoons of melted butter in with the combined dry ingredients and mix well.
- Make the crumble. You should see that the mixture is forming crumbs and will hold together if you pinch it. Note that big, fluffy crumbs are more desirable than a small crumb when using melted butter.
- Enjoy. Use when baking to top breads, cakes, or other desserts.
Use your homemade topping on whatever you please. I love using it to top off some baked cinnamon apples or soft apple banana bread. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- A crumb topping may also be referred to as a streusel topping.
- When using with baked goods, add the crumb topping before baking. *Recipes with long baking times (like a Dutch apple pie) can be topped with the crumb mixture for the last 15-20 minutes of baking time.
- Granulated sugar can replace brown sugar in a pinch, but it will make a crumb topping that is paler, drier, and crunchier because it has less moisture than brown sugar. It is still tasty nonetheless.
- This crumb topping can be made in advance. Simply place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
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Is It Better To Use Cold Butter For Crumb Toppings?
Once upon a time...my Grandma and her mom, etc. didn't have a microwave when baking. They used cold butter and a pastry cutter to blend in the butter to make the crumbs. Yes, I suppose they could've melted the butter stovetop - but that would be an extra step. 🙂
You can see that method in my brown sugar streusel recipe.
Turns out, that's arguably still the best method! You can melt your butter for a quick and easy crumb topping (as shared here), but you may not have a great crumb consistency when your baked dish is done.
If using melted butter, opt for a high fat percentage butter like Kerrygold and other European butters (or Ghee). This way the water content of your melted butter is less likely to react with the crumb topping ingredients.
I've never had a problem with this, so it will end up being a choice to make based on your personal preferences.
🍰 Recipes With Crumb Topping
- Apple Banana Muffins
- Banana Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel
- Bisquick Coffee Cake
- Maraschino Cherry Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Streusel Bread
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
How To Make A Crumb Topping
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon butter (melted)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until the ingredients are well distributed before adding melted or cold butter.
- Pour the melted butter in with the combined dry ingredients.
- Mix the topping until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. You should see that the mixture is forming crumbs and will hold together if you pinch it.
- Use when baking to top breads, cakes, or other desserts.
Notes
- A crumb topping may also be referred to as a streusel topping.
- When using with baked goods, add the crumb topping before baking. *Recipes with long baking times (like a Dutch apple pie) can be topped with the crumb mixture for the last 15-20 minutes of baking time.
- Granulated sugar can replace brown sugar in a pinch, but it will make a crumb topping that is paler, drier, and crunchier because it has less moisture than brown sugar. It is still tasty nonetheless.
- This crumb topping can be made in advance. Simply place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Myra says
Tried this on a whim and found it easy to make, quick and absolutely delicious. Thanks for posting this!!!
Emma says
Best crumble ever! I always convert to grams so the x3 recipe conversion is 270g flour, 245g soft brown sugar, 2tspns cinnamon, 130g melted butter. 🥰
Rhonda Beck says
I have used this recipe in different sizes depending on the dessert of choice. Delicious every time!
Janita says
Can I use corn starch as a substitute for the flour?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
The flour is used as the bulk of the crumb topping, not as a thickening agent. If you need a flour alternative, opt for coconut flour or a combination of almond flour and coconut flour. Otherwise, you can swap all-purpose flour out for bread or cake flour in a crumb topping and it will be just fine. I can give a better answer if I know why you're looking at making a substitution. Thanks!
Elizabeth says
I’ve tried making a crumb topping before but it never came out right. I love this recipe my pie turned out perfect! I will be putting crumb toppings on everything now!! lol!
Maria Navarro says
Deliciosa Gracias
Deb Hosler says
Not sure what I did but just got a paste. Had to add much more flour and brown sugar.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
If it's pasty, use your fork to break the crumb apart. The butter will thoroughly coat the dry ingredients (just be sure to measure the butter correctly - I'm guilty of eyeballing this!).
Helen Wright says
Was delicious and perfect for my homemade Dutch oven cinnamon raisin bread! Thank you!!
Deba says
So easy, so delicious.
This will replace, and now be my go to crumble
On muffins, breads, strudel, and whatever else comes up.
Thanxs
Lauren says
I made the crumble but substituted butter with coconut oil, and gluten free bob mills flour blend- it turned out amazing. I added some frozen fruit to an oven safe dish and drizzled honey over, and added the crumble on top. Baked at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. LOVED THIS RECIPE