My streusel topping recipe comes together in under 5 minutes and is the perfect topping for your favorite pies, cakes, and muffins! Made with common ingredients (and no pastry cutter needed!), this buttery crumb topping will be your new favorite!
The main reason your crumble topping isn’t crunchy is probably because you haven’t used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you’ve got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.
My secret is to use melted butter, no rubbing in, just stir in thoroughly. In fact, i often prepare the topping in the dish of my scales so minimal washing up too. It comes out super crunchy! 6oz plain flour,3oz melted butter,2-3oz caster sugar (Or I just do 1/2 as much butter and sugar as I have weighed out flour) Prepare fruit according to type. Sift flour into a bowl, add sugar and pour in melted butter. Toss together until mixed. Add to prepared fruit, bake for about 40mins.
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We just made a crumble this evening and the topping came out gorgeous! We used 150 g butter left out of the fridge for a few hours. Add 200 g plain flour. Mixed together using an electric whisk but not too much, there were still a few clumps left in it. Then stirred through 100 g oats and 200 g demerera sugar. It came out beautifully crunchy 🙂
Great. Thank you. Ill add crunch and not rub so hard on Sunday, see if its any better.
I always put extra dots of butter on the topping once its been put over the fruit.
A Buttery Crumb Topping
A super quick and simple recipe for you today! This streusel recipe has made an appearance on the blog many times before, but for those of you have found yourself with a coffee cake, batch of blueberry muffins, or apple pie in need of a crumble topping, I’ve got you (and your baked goods) covered.
My recipe is easier than most (no pastry cutter needed!), comes together in under 5 minutes, and yields a crumbly, crisp, buttery streusel that tastes great on just about anything. I also include plenty of notes to customize your crumb topping with your favorite nuts or spices.
Let’s get to it! And a note for any of those of you wondering: that streusel-covered muffin above is one of my coffee cake muffins!
Basic pantry staples are all you need for my streusel recipe:
- Flour. I have only tried this recipe with all purpose flour and so that is what I recommend.
- Brown sugar. I use a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar because 1) it helps the streusel to clump better and 2) I prefer the slightly richer, more robust taste. For an even richer streusel, feel free to use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar. Regular granulated sugar balances the streusel and keeps it from becoming so sweet and rich that it’s cloying.
- Salt. The small amount of salt in this recipe balances out the sweetness and keeps the topping from being overly sweet.
- Butter. This is what brings the streusel together and makes the crumbly, clumpy crumble topping. Unlike many streusel toppings, I use melted butter rather than cold butter that you have to cut in with a pastry cutter. Not only is it easier and faster this way, it also gives the streusel a better flavor! I use unsalted butter in my recipe to best control the flavor (see more in my post on salted vs unsalted butter), but if you only have salted butter on hand simply omit the salt that is called for.
Spices or other flavorings are an optional addition if you’d like to take your crumb topping to the next level. I often add a pinch of cinnamon or a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg for some depth of flavor. Other options include pumpkin pie spice, cloves, cardamom, lemon or other citrus zest, or even a splash of vanilla extract. Mix in any dry spices with the flour/sugar ingredients, and any liquid ones can be whisked with the butter.
Some people also like to add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts into their crumb topping, this is totally another option and I talk specifics in the recipe card.
Crumble Topping Recipe for ANY FRUIT PIE!
FAQ
How do you keep crumble topping crunchy?
Why does my crumble topping go soggy?
Why is my streusel topping not crumbly?
Why is my crumble topping not crunchy?
The first reason a crumble topping isn’t crunchy is that it’s too dry, with more flour than butter. You’ll notice immediately that the topping is powdery and floury, with none of the caramelized nuggets of pastry you want. You don’t add enough butter.
What if my topping is too dry & crumbly?
But if you feel your topping is still too dry and crumbly, (even for a crumble) add a bit more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time. If you think it’s too wet, add a little more flour to soak up the extra butter.
Why is my crumb topping soggy?
The opposite of a powdery topping is a soggy, greasy crumble, where there is too much butter and not enough flour. You add too much butter. Add a little more flour, which will soak up the extra butter. This can happen if you use melted butter rather than rubbing in cold butter. Your crumb topping is too thick – it should be less than an inch deep.
Why is my crumb topping too thick?
Add a little more flour, which will soak up the extra butter. This can happen if you use melted butter rather than rubbing in cold butter. Your crumb topping is too thick – it should be less than an inch deep. A hefty layer of crumble topping will become dense and fatty, unable to crisp up in the oven.