This easy streusel topping is crumbly, crunchy, sweet, and perfect for topping muffins and quick breads.
A good streusel recipe immediately improves anything you sprinkle it over.
It adds texture, crunch, and a buttery sweetness that can take a boring old muffin or loaf of quick bread and make it feel like a total treat.
Today I’m sharing my favorite streusel recipe with you. I’ve used it on a few recipes here in the past, on pumpkin bread , donuts , and muffins , but it’s so good I figured it was time to give it a stand-alone recipe.
The Ideal Streusel Recipe
Where some streusel recipes use melted butter, this recipe uses softened room temperature butter, which creates more tender crumbles that almost melt in your mouth.
They’re the perfect combo of crunchy/crumbly and buttery/sweet, and you’ll probably be tempted to add a little streusel to every muffin that comes out of your kitchen for the rest of forever.
Tool and Ingredient Notes
- A medium to large bowl: When making the streusel, use a slightly larger bowl than you think you’ll need. It helps to have extra room when mixing so you don’t have to worry about getting flour and sugar all over.
- Cool room temperature butter: Your butter should be softened to cool room temperature. If your kitchen is warm, keep a close eye on the butter and don’t let it get too soft or it will be difficult to work with. You should just be able to press an indentation into it with a little force. It should not be greasy or at all melty. The recipe is written using unsalted butter, but if all you have is salted, simply omit the extra salt called for in the recipe.
How to Make Streusel Topping
Mix ingredients: Combine all your ingredients and use a fork or clean hands (I always use my hands) to mix until crumbles form and no dry flour remains in the bowl.
Refrigerate or freeze: Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Cold streusel maintains its shape better when it hits the heat of the oven.
- Bake: Prep the batter for your muffins or favorite quick bread recipe and transfer to the baking pan. If this is your first time making this particular recipe with streusel, be sure to fill the tin no more than ⅔ full. If the pan is overfull and rises too high too quickly, it can cause some of the streusel to overflow, which is never fun.
Once your batter is ready, drop streusel over the top in crumbles, gently breaking up pieces if they are too large or squeezing small sandy bits together to form larger pieces.
Bake according to batter recipe instructions. If at any time the streusel begins to get too dark in the oven, you can tent it with foil to protect it from burning.
Variations
- Cinnamon sugar streusel: Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the full batch of streusel, ¼ to the half batch.
- Pumpkin spice streusel: Add ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the full batch of streusel, ¼ to the half batch
Recipes to top with Streusel
- Pumpkin Bread
- Banana Bread
- Small-batch Banana Muffins
- Small-batch Blueberry Muffins
How much streusel does this make?
A full batch will make enough streusel to generously top a dozen muffins or a loaf baked in a standard 1-pound loaf pan.
The half batch will cover 6 to 8 muffins and makes a little too much for a mini loaf pan, so if you’re using it on one of my mini breads, you’ll have a little extra leftover.
If you would like to top a pie or an 8×8 or 9×9-inch dish, double the recipe.
I have leftover streusel. What can I do with it?
Freeze it! Leftover streusel can be frozen for up to two months. When you’re ready to use it, no need to defrost, sprinkle the frozen streusel over whatever you’re making and bake.
How long can you keep streusel in the fridge?
You can keep streusel in the fridge, tightly covered for up to 4 days.
What is streusel topping made of?
Streusel topping is made with flour, sugar, butter, and sometimes nuts, oats, and additional spices.
Troubleshooting
My streusel is too sandy/the pieces are too small. / My streusel is just one big clump.
This is a really easy fix. After refrigeration, if your streusel is too sandy, simply pick up a small handful and squeeze it like clay until it clumps into larger pieces.
If your streusel clusters are too large, gently break them apart into smaller pieces.
How do I keep streusel from burning in the oven?
If your streusel is burning, tent a piece of foil over the top. This will protect it from the heat of the oven and keep the streusel from burning/getting too dark.
You Might Also Enjoy
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Dutch Apple Pie
- How to Quickly Ripen Bananas
Recipe Notes
- When making quick bread loaves with streusel, it’s best to use a parchment paper sling, even if you normally don’t for that particular recipe. A sling will allow you to lift the bread out of the pan without needing to flip it over for removal, which would dislodge some of the streusel.
Ingredients
Full batch
- ▢ ½ cup ( 65g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (75g) lightly packed brown sugar
- ▢ 4 tablespoons ( 56g ) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes and softened to cool room temperature*
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
Half batch
- ▢ ¼ cup ( 33g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 38g ) lightly packed brown sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 28g ) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes and softened to cool room temperature
- ▢ Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and softened butter. Use a fork or your fingers to mix until crumbles form and no dry flour remains in the bowl.
- Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to use, drop streusel in crumbles over your batter*, gently breaking up pieces if they are too large or squeezing small sandy bits together to form larger pieces. Bake according to batter recipe instructions. If at any time the streusel begins to get too dark in the oven, you can tent it with foil to protect it from burning.
Notes
This mini pumpkin bread recipe makes a single small loaf of soft and moist pumpkin bread with a ridiculously good cinnamon sugar crust.
Monday I shared my favorite pumpkin bread recipe on the blog.
Today, for all my small-batch friends, I have a mini pumpkin bread recipe so you can make pumpkin bread all season long whether you’re baking for a crowd or just one or two.
Everything I wrote about the full-size version of this recipe is true for this miniature one.
The batter is super quick and simple to throw together, and it makes a very cute single small loaf of pumpkin bread that’s soft, moist, and perfectly pumpkin spiced.
Equipment and Ingredient Notes
- 5.5 x 3-inch loaf pan: I used a 5.5 x 3-inch pan , but any mini loaf pan should work. Just be sure to fill the pan no more than ⅔ full so it doesn’t overflow in the oven.
- Pumpkin puree: If you don’t regularly buy canned pumpkin puree, you can usually find it in the baking aisle near the premade pie crusts and pie filling. (Be sure you’re grabbing pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling!) The recipe won’t use up an entire can of pumpkin puree, so see my post What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers. I recommend whipping up a little batch of Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
- Spices: If you don’t keep pumpkin pie spice stocked, you can replace it with ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, a generous pinch of ground cloves and a generous pinch of ground ginger.
- Cinnamon sugar: I love a good cinnamon sugar crust on pumpkin bread, but if you don’t want the added sweetness, you can skip the cinnamon sugar.
How to Make a Mini Loaf of Pumpkin Bread
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper sling. This will make it easier to lift your pumpkin bread out of the pan without dislodging any of the cinnamon sugar topping.
Whisk dry ingredients (minus sugar) together in one bowl, and the wet ingredients along with the sugar in a second bowl.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until just mixed and there is no dry flour in the bowl. Don’t overmix! Overmixing can cause your bread to become tough. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the top of the bread springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for an additional 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Variations
- Glazed: For a simple glaze, combine ¼ cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon milk, plus a couple drops of vanilla or maple extract. Stir together until a smooth glaze forms, adding just a bit more milk or powdered sugar as needed to reach a drizzling consistency.
- Streusel: If you’d like to top your bread with streusel, try the half-batch measurements for my favorite streusel recipe . Be sure to fill the loaf pan no more than ⅔ full or the streusel crumbs can overflow the pan.
I love this loaf, can I make a full-size version?
You sure can. I posted the full-size version of this pumpkin bread recipe earlier this week.
I don’t have a mini loaf pan. What can I use instead?
If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, go make my small-batch pumpkin muffins . They use the same ingredients but are designed to be baked into muffins instead of a loaf pan.
How to store pumpkin bread?
Store the bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days.
More Small-batch Favorites
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Apple Crumb Muffins
- Small-batch Cinnamon Rolls
- One Banana Banana Bread
Equipment
- 5.5 x 3-inch loaf pan*
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ( 4g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Bread
- ▢ ½ cup ( 65g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice *
- ▢ ½ cup ( 100g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ ¼ cup ( 61g ) pumpkin puree
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon milk any percentage
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper sling.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Pumpkin Bread
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, vegetable oil, and milk.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until just mixed. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the top of the bread springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for an additional 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Roasted carrots are a super easy and simple crowd-pleasing side dish that you can prep in just a few minutes.
We all know that roasting improves almost any vegetable, and that absolutely holds true for carrots.
Give your carrots 30 to 40 minutes in the oven, tossed with a little butter, salt, and pepper, and they will come out tender, buttery, and perfect every time.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots: Try to chop your carrots into pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. For very large carrots, slice the thick upper part in half lengthwise before cutting into chunks.
- Salted butter: I love the buttery flavor of carrots roasted in melted butter, but you can use the same amount of olive oil if you’d prefer.
How to Make Roasted Carrots
Prep carrots: Toss peeled and sliced carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper. I like to do this in a bowl for more even coverage, but you can mix everything directly on your baking sheet if you don’t want another dish to wash.
Spread carrots out: Arrange carrots on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Too close and they’ll steam rather than brown, so make sure the slices are space out and have some room.
Roast: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the carrots once halfway through, until carrots are caramelized around the edges and fork tender.
Adjust seasoning: Add additional salt and pepper if needed, serve and enjoy!
Should roasted carrots be peeled?
Probably. You don’t have to peel carrots–the skins are totally edible, you just have to scrub your carrots well before cooking.
But for best results, I always recommend peeling your carrots. Carrot peels will shrivel as they cook, giving the carrots a somewhat unappealing wrinkly look. They can also become tough, and some people find them bitter once cooked.
Peeling carrots means you don’t have to spend as long scrubbing the skins clean, and you don’t have to worry about any texture or flavor issues from the skin.
What to serve with roasted carrots?
Roasted carrots go extremely well with cozy comfort foods. Some of my favorite recipes to pair with them are:
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Roasted Tri-tip
- Chili
- Lemon chicken thighs
Can I roast carrots ahead of time?
Roasted carrots are best hot out of the oven, but if you’re meal prepping for the week and want to include roasted carrots on the menu, you can. They’ll just be slightly softer after refrigerating and reheating.
Can I roast carrots at the same time as my main dish?
Yes, if you’re cooking something like roasted chicken , you can cook your main and side at the same time. However, you will probably need to extend the baking time if you are cooking them at a lower temperature than this recipe calls for, and the carrots may not brown as much.
Roast the carrots on a rack below the main dish and extend the baking time as needed for the carrots to become tender.
More Easy Vegetable Sides
- Carrots in the Microwave
- Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-roasted Zucchini
- Corn on the Cob in the Microwave
- Roasted Green Beans
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 pounds carrots
- ▢ 2 tablespoons (28g) salted butter melted
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Peel and trim the tops from your carrots and slice them into 2-inch chunks. For larger carrots, slice the thick upper part in half lengthwise before cutting into pieces.
- Toss carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the carrots once halfway through, until carrots are caramelized around the edges and fork tender.
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed, serve and enjoy!
Notes
My Favorite Streusel Recipe
Ingredients
Full batch
- ½ cup ( 65g ) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (75g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons ( 56g ) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes and softened to cool room temperature*
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Half batch
- ¼ cup ( 33g ) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons ( 38g ) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ( 28g ) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes and softened to cool room temperature
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and softened butter. Use a fork or your fingers to mix until crumbles form and no dry flour remains in the bowl.
- Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to use, drop streusel in crumbles over your batter*, gently breaking up pieces if they are too large or squeezing small sandy bits together to form larger pieces. Bake according to batter recipe instructions. If at any time the streusel begins to get too dark in the oven, you can tent it with foil to protect it from burning.
