Streusel Toppings

In baking and pastry making, streusel is a crumbly topping of flour, sometimes oats, butter, and sugar that is baked on top of muffins, breads, pies, and cakes. Some modern recipes add spices and chopped nuts. The mixture can also be layered or ribboned in the middle of a cake. Recipes traditionally using streusel are Streuselkuchen, Apple Crisp, Babka.

The topping is made by mixing together the flour, sugar, salt and any other ingredients. The butter is then worked in, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Place on top of muffins, quick bread, coffee cake, pies, fruit crisps (for instance, Apple Crisp), etc. before baking.

What is Crumb Topping? As its name suggests, crumb topping is a dessert topping. It’s a simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour, and is typically used to top pies or muffins prior to baking for a crunchy, sweet contrast.

Streusel vs. Crumb Topping: Streusel is similar to crumb topping and the terms are often used interchangeably. Traditionally, the two have different ratios of the same ingredients, with streusel containing more flour, and crumb topping more sugar, so they offer a different texture and flavor on top of baked goods. Streusel may also include nuts, but crumb topping does not.

Crumble vs. Crumb Topping: Crumble is similar to crumb topping—another butter-sugar-flour mixture. But while crumb topping is finer and used as a finishing touch and textural contrast, a crumble is used in a thick layer all over a fruit filling or other crumble dessert. It’s like a fruit crisp topping without the oats.

Basic streusel topping: You don't need to remember the proportions of the ingredients because they are exactly the same for sugar and butter. The proportion of the flour is always double.

Variations:

• Spices: Add nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, citrus zest, powdered ginger, even a splash of vanilla extract, for different flavors.
• Nuts or oats: Add up to 1/3 cup of chopped nuts or rolled oats for more texture.
• Brown butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan and continue cooking it for a few minutes or until it turns a medium brown color and smells nutty. Allow the browned butter to cool before proceeding with the recipe or the sugar will melt.

Streusel Topping (Mom’s recipe)

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
salt

Crumb Topping for Kuchen (an old recipe I had)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Crumb Topping from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

If you use more butter than the recipe calls for, the crumb topping will be melted and greasy. If you don’t use enough butter it will be dry and floury.

Streusel Topping with Oats

1/2 cup (60g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (53g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (23g) rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick-cooking
1/8 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons (57g) butter, at firm room temperature

Streusel Topping with Cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar [cut back to 1/2 cup]
1/4 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted