What's the difference between a crumble and a streusel?

Great question! While both are crumbly toppings, streusel typically contains flour, sugar, butter, and spices (like our cinnamon mixture), creating a more structured crumb. Crumble toppings often include oats and can be a bit more rustic. Our streusel creates those perfect, buttery pieces that add incredible texture to every bite!

What's in cinnamon streusel?

Our cinnamon streusel is beautifully simple: gluten-free flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter. The brown sugar adds moisture and deep flavor, while the cinnamon provides that warm spice we all crave. The melted butter helps bind everything together into those perfect crumbly pieces!

Do you add streusel before or after baking?

We actually layer the streusel both during assembly and on top before baking! I add some to the bottom and middle of each muffin for surprise pockets of cinnamon goodness, then finish with a generous topping. This creates incredible layers of flavor and texture throughout the entire muffin.

What is streusel made of?

Traditional streusel is made up of flour, sugar, butter, and spices. For our gluten-free version, I use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend, brown sugar for richness, cinnamon for warmth, and butter for that essential richness. The key is getting the right balance so it stays crumbly and doesn't sink into the muffins!

Easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins Recipe

Description

Incredibly moist gluten-free muffins layered with cinnamon sugar goodness and topped with a buttery, crumbly streusel. So delicious, no one will guess they’re gluten-free!

Ingredients

Scale

Cinnamon Streusel
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups (187.5 g) gluten-free flour blend (I recommend King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
Muffins
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup (160 g) sour cream, room temperature
2 cups (250 g) gluten-free flour blend (same as above)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (59 ml) buttermilk

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Instructions

Make the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well combined.
Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture and stir until it forms a crumbly texture. Set aside to dry out while you make the muffin batter.
Make the Muffins:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking oil.
Cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, add the buttermilk and mix briefly. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until you see only a few flour streaks.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of streusel into the bottom of each muffin liner. Add about 1 tablespoon of batter on top, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of streusel.
Continue layering until each muffin liner is about ¾ full, then smooth the batter gently and cover the tops completely with remaining streusel. Optional: Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend for best results.
Let streusel dry slightly while making batter to help create crumbly texture.
Don’t overmix the batter—this keeps the muffins tender.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 347
Sugar: 23g
Sodium: 173mg
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 45g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 67mg