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Learn how to make the most delicious butter streusel topping ever! Perfect for any dessert recipe calling for a crumble topping or you can even just bake them off alone.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Butter Streusel Recipe
- This super yummy cookie-like streusel topping is buttery with the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s crazy good!
- Can be made in just 5 minutes with a few simple ingredients that I bet you already have in your fridge and pantry.
- Use as a crumble topping on your favorite baked goods like pies, cakes and of course crumbles (like this Plum Apple Crumble or Blueberry Apple Crumble)! Or bake it separately and sprinkle over yogurt, ice cream, etc. any time you’re craving that buttery crunch!
What Is The Difference Between Streusel and Crumble Topping
They are essentially the same thing! Both are made from butter, flour and sugar but the ratios may differ between recipes.
Generally speaking, a German streusel topping (like this recipe) has larger, buttery cookie-like clumps and is not as sweet as an American crumble topping which tends to have a much higher ratio of sugar and more of a fine, sandy-like texture.
Sometimes a “crisp” topping may also be called a crumble topping. The terms are many times used interchangeably. However, traditionally a crisp topping will also contain oats and sometimes nuts whereas a crumble topping will not.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Butter streusel is an easy recipe made from real butter, flour and sugar.
- Flour: Unbleached all purpose flour
- Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Sugar: I like to use organic cane sugar. You can also use regular cane sugar or granulated sugar or even substitute half of the sugar for brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a really nice flavor to the streusel.
- Salt: Just a little! If you only have salted butter, use that and skip the pinch of salt.
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
How To Make Butter Streusel Topping
Let’s make some streusel topping! It’s super easy!
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat until it forms a crumbly mixture with large crumbles. How easy was that?!
No mixer? You can also make the streusel by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Drop in pieces of the softened butter and use your hands to press and pinch the butter into the flour mixture to form large crumbles.
Helpful Tips
Form large crumbles
This German butter streusel should be cookie-like with big beautiful clumps. The crumble should not be fine. Press any small crumbs together with your fingers to form larger pieces.
Don’t stop the mixer too soon! At the start of mixing, it will turn into a dry “sandy” looking mixture and you may think that something went wrong. Don’t worry! You just need to continue running the mixer until it starts to come together and forms large crumbs.
Use a kitchen scale
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the flour, sugar and butter. It allows you to achieve consistent results every single time (vs. the variation in ratios you can get filling measuring cups). It’s also so much easier and way less messy!
I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).
Ways To Use Streusel Crumble Topping
This buttery crumble topping is super versatile! Add it on top of baked goods and desserts or bake it separately to use as a crunchy cookie-like topping on ice cream!
Add on top of baked goods
It makes the perfect addition to your favorite pie (in place of a top crust), coffee cake, muffin or crumble recipe. Simply sprinkle the streusel over the top before baking and then bake it for the amount of time called for in the recipe directions of whatever you are making.
I absolutely love making simple fruit crumbles like this Plum and Apple Crumble or Apple Blueberry Crumble and using this butter streusel as the crumble topping.
Bake it separately
You can also bake it off alone for a crispy, buttery cookie-like topping to add to ice cream, yogurt, pudding, oatmeal, stewed or roasted fruit or even just to snack on by the handful!
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C. Spread the streusel out on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. The streusel will get crunchy and crisp once it cools.
How To Store Streusel Topping
- Unbaked streusel: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze unbaked streusel, spread out on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or until set (this will prevent the crumbles from sticking together). Then place into a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Baked streusel: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Making in advance: Make ahead of time and follow the storage directions above. For unbaked streusel, simply sprinkle the prepped topping over your dessert when you are ready to bake and pop it in the oven.
A Few Questions Answered
You add your unbaked streusel topping before baking your crumble, pie, cake, muffins, or whatever you are adding it to. It bakes along with whatever you are making.
Absolutely! You can find the instructions in the recipe card below. It can be used as a crispy, cookie-like topping for anything that you don’t need it baked onto like ice cream, yogurt, roasted or stewed fruit, etc.
Streusel is a German word which comes from the verb “streuen”, something scattered or sprinkled. Streusel topping is often sprinkled on top of baked goods, hence the name.
Some recipes use melted or cold butter. With cold butter, you would have to work the mixture longer since the butter needs to slightly warm up first but eventually the same result could be achieved. With melted butter, the texture will be a bit different and won’t form the crumbs in the same way. Therefore, I recommend working with room temperature butter since I find it just perfect to create big, buttery streusel crumbles.
Did you make this butter streusel topping? I would love to hear about it and what you added it to! Please leave me a comment below!
Butter Streusel Topping
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 5 min (plus bake time depending on use)
- Yield: about 3.5 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn how to make the most delicious butter streusel topping ever! Perfect for any dessert recipe calling for a crumble topping or just bake them off alone.
Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 125 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) organic cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 170 grams (3/4 cup or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix streusel topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat until it combines and forms large crumbles. Press together any smaller crumbs by hand to form bigger crumbs (you don’t want the topping to be too fine). No mixer? You can also make the butter streusel by hand (see notes for instruction).
- Use streusel topping: Scatter over baked goods that call for a crumble topping or bake it separately.
- Add to baked goods: Scatter over baked goods like crumbles, pies, coffee cakes or muffins before baking or store in the fridge until ready to use. Simply bake for the amount of time called for in the recipe instructions of whatever you are making.
- Bake separately: You can also bake it off alone for a crispy, buttery cookie-like topping to add to ice cream, yogurt, pudding, oatmeal, stewed or roasted fruit or even just to snack on by the handful! Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C. Spread the streusel out on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. The streusel will get crunchy and crisp once it cools.
Notes
- Making butter streusel by hand: I love the ease of using the mixer but it can also be made by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Drop in pieces of the softened butter and use your hands to press and pinch the butter into the flour mixture to form large crumbles.
- Use a kitchen scale: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the flour, sugar and butter. It allows you to achieve consistent results every single time (vs. the variation in ratios you can get filling measuring cups). It’s also so much easier and way less messy! I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).
- Form large crumbs: This butter streusel should have large, buttery cookie-like clumps. The crumble should not be fine. Press any small crumbs together with your fingers to form larger pieces. Note: Don’t stop the stand mixer too soon! At first it will look like a dry “sandy” mixture. Just keep on beating until it combines together to form large crumbs.
- Storage: Store unbaked streusel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze unbaked streusel, spread out on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or until set (this will prevent the crumbles from sticking together). Then place into a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Pre-baked streusel can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
- I love using this butter streusel as the crumble topping on simple fruit crumbles like this Plum and Apple Crumble or this Apple Blueberry Crumble.
Apple pies with streusel topping are so delicious. Your quick and easy recipe will come in handy when I bake some apple pies for my grand kids and they would love the crunch. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! So delicious on top of apple pie instead of the top crust!
Pinned to try this for holidays. Thanks for sharing.
Loving that this only takes five minutes to make!
I used this on a pumpkin loaf, and it turned out amazing. Love the fact it was a little less sweet!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! As a topping on pumpkin loaf sounds like a delicious way to use this butter streusel!
Enjoyed this over ice cream and it was a sweet success! Easy and delicious; the best topping for an added touch of flavor!
I’ve only ever made streusel as part of other recipes, and I’ve never really thought about making it on its own. An intriguing dessert possibility! Honestly I’d never really considered the difference between a streusel and a crumble, but I’m really glad you mentioned it, because the more I think about it the more I prefer the larger and more buttery texture of streusel. The more you know.
I’m sold to the German way! I like also, in general, my desserts less sweet and with loads of crunch! This is going on my next crumble! Yum!
So handy to have this on hand with all the holiday baking coming up! I made a double batch every few weeks.
I always use streusel and crumble interchangeably but i can seen now that they are different. I love to use streusel to top muffins or pies while crumble is so good over baked fruit.
Question: Can I use plant-based butter like olive oil butter or avocado butter?
I have only ever made butter streusel with real butter so I can’t say for sure but I would assume it would work. The final texture might just be slightly different. If you give it a try, let me know how it works out! Also make sure to leave the salt out if you are using a butter with added salt already.