Can I make crumble with oats?

Yes! Mash the cinnamon crumble topping recipe together as directed, then mix in the oats at the very end. Whole rolled oats will give you the best texture (and will turn this into more of a cinnamon streusel topping, which will be a little bit looser than a crumble!)

Can I make this crumble dairy-free?

While we haven't specifically tested a dairy-free version of this easy crumble topping recipe, we expect it would work with a non-dairy butter or solid, room-temperature coconut oil in place of the unsalted butter. Keep in mind that different brands or styles of dairy free butter will mix and melt differently - it may take a few tries to find the right ratios and brands if you want to make a non-dairy version of this recipe!

Why is my crumb topping soggy?

If your crumble loses its shape while baking and feels greasy or soggy, it's likely because the crumb topping was not mixed thoroughly enough. When small pieces of butter are still floating around the crumble without being fully incorporated into the dry ingredients, the butter melts in the oven and runs down the sides of your muffin or coffee cake, leaving a thin, crispy layer on top and a greasy feeling along the sides and bottom. To prevent this, make sure you spend plenty of time working the dry ingredients into the butter, until your mixture resembles a crumbly dough (rather than just pieces of butter suspended in a dry mixture!)

Cinnamon Crumble Topping (Streusel)

Name: Cinnamon Crumble
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 80 grams brown sugar (about 1/3 packed cup); 60 grams all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup); 14 grams ground cinnamon (about 2 Tablespoons); 70 grams unsalted butter (about 5 Tablespoons), softened to room temperature; Pinch of kosher salt

Description

This easy cinnamon crumb topping is perfect for coffee cake, muffins, quick breads, and more!

Ingredients

Scale

80 grams brown sugar (about 1/3 packed cup)
60 grams all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
14 grams ground cinnamon (about 2 Tablespoons)
70 grams unsalted butter (about 5 Tablespoons), softened to room temperature
Pinch of kosher salt

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Instructions

Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and a pinch of salt to a small mixing bowl.
Use a fork to slowly mash all ingredients together. The mixture will look sandy at first; as you continue working the dry ingredients into the butter, it will darken and form larger, stiffer clumps. The crumble is ready when you can pinch it together between your fingers and it holds its shape.
Sprinkle crumble across your favorite coffee cake, muffins, or quick bread and bake as the recipe directs.

Notes

This recipe makes enough crumble for one 8x8" coffee cake (like our apple butter coffee cake) or about 12 muffins (try it on our banana chocolate chip muffins!)

Additions and Substitutions. Use more or less cinnamon to suit your tastes. Swap some or all of the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg or ground cloves if you like. Stir toasted, chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans) or oats into the crumble once mixed for extra texture. For fluffier crumble pieces, use cake flour in place of all purpose flour.

Measure by weight with a kitchen scale for best results! Measuring by weight (using the gram measurements provided) is much more accurate and will result in more consistent baking. If you don't have a scale, measure your dry ingredients with the scoop and level method for best results.

This recipe is all about technique! Be patient as you mix everything together, and take care to thoroughly mash all of the dry ingredients into the butter. If the butter is not well incorporated, it can melt in the oven and run down the sides of your baked goods (creating a flatter, crisper crumb topping that feels a bit greasy). A great homemade crumble topping can take a bit of practice!

For easier mixing, cut the softened butter into small pieces before you begin mashing it into the dry ingredients.

Baking directions. Add this crumble to the top of your favorite coffee cake, muffin, and cookie batters before baking. We recommend baking this crumble between 350° and 425° Fahrenheit for at least 10 minutes, but no more than 1 hour. If baked at an especially hot temperature (or for an especially long time), this crumble topping can burn. It should be fine baked on top of most quick breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, muffins, and more (if you have questions about whether this crumble will work with a particular recipe, just drop us a comment below - our team is happy to help!)

Make-Ahead Tips and Storage. Store prepared crumble in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week before baking, or freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze, spread crumble over a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat: Freeze for 1 hour or until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. Add refrigerated or frozen crumble pieces directly to muffin or coffee cake batters, then bake normally. If you'd like to use cold or frozen crumble pieces on a smaller baked good (like cookies), we recommend defrosting it and bringing it to room temperature before baking since those bake times will be shorter.