streusel

American  

[shtroi-zuhl, stroo-zuhl, stroi-] / ˈʃtrɔɪ zəl, ˈstru zəl, ˈstrɔɪ- /

noun

1. a topping for coffeecake, consisting of crumbs of blended sugar, cinnamon, flour, butter, and chopped nutmeats.

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streusel British  

/ ˈstruːsəl, ˈstrɔɪ-, ˈʃtrɔyzəl /

noun

1. a crumbly topping for rich pastries

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Etymology

Origin of streusel

1925–30; < German: literally, a sprinkling; see strew

Explanation

Streusel is a sweet, crumbly topping for baked goods. If you're not a fan of pie crust, you might prefer pies with streusel on top. Yum! Typically, streusel is made with butter, flour, and sugar, sometimes with added ingredients like oats, spices, or nuts. Besides pies, sweets that often have a streusel topping include coffee cake, muffins, cakes, and fruit crisps. In German, Streusel means "something scattered or sprinkled," which is exactly what a baker does with streusel before baking.

Example Sentences

For instance, when she was developing the Molasses Pumpkin Streusel Bars in October, autumnal flavors and textures were the starting point.

From Washington Post • Dec. 5, 2016

Among those with a green light: a coffee porter made with nitro brewer Confluence Coffee and an Apple Streusel Brown Ale with Whole Foods Market.

From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2016

Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin pan; sprinkle batter evenly with Streusel Topping.

From Time Magazine Archive

This mixture rubbed through a coarse sieve and scattered over cakes Mary called "Streusel Kuchen."

From Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans" by Thomas, Edith