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

The streusel — made from a flour mixture of oats, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt — is sprinkled on top before baking.

From Salon • May 23, 2025

Sichuan chile crisp sundae with peanut streusel is an unexpected combination that works.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2023

Made from folded pie crust "petals," the pastries are stuffed with apple filling and sprinkled with cinnamon streusel.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2022

Uwe’s Bakery and Deli: Taste the region’s German and Czech heritage via authentic, made-from-scratch pastries like pudding pretzel, peach streusel, or sausage, cheese and jalapeño klobasneks.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2022

This one has an extra layer of streusel in the middle.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2022