Apple Streusel

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/15/22
apple streusel with ice cream

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 streusel
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
477 Calories
16g Fat
84g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 477
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 310mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 30%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 55g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 337mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Apple streusel is a warm and comforting dish of apple cinnamon and a crispy streusel topping. Sliced apples are covered in sugar and cinnamon and topped with an easy, buttery streusel. Streusel is nothing more than butter, sugar, and flour. Once the butter is melted and combined with the other ingredients, it creates a crumbly and crunchy topping that goes perfectly with the tart apples. The streusel topping is a great addition to many other baked goods too, like muffins and coffee cakes. 

Always top the warm streusel with whipped cream or ice cream for a perfect, warm, and creamy dessert.

Ingredients

For the Apples:

  • 8 apples (depending on size)

  • 1/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Streusel:

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup flour

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • fresh whipped cream or ice cream, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Apples

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    apple streusel ingredients

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Slice on the thinner side and make them the same thickness so they will cook evenly.

    apple slices

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. Grease a large casserole dish with butter. Add the apples to the dish and toss with the flour, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon. Toss until the apples are completely coated.

    apples in a casserole dish

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Prepare the Streusel

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    streusel ingredients for apple streusel recipe

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave.

    melted butter

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. Mix in the salt, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork until the ingredients form a crumbly, damp dough.

    streusel topping in a bowl

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. Crumble the streusel over the top of the apple slices.

    apples topped with streusel

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered for 35 minutes or until the top is browned and the apples are softened. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

    baked apple streusel

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Recipe Tips

  • The best apples to use are a mix of tart and sweet apples. We like to use half granny smith and half McIntosh. But any good baking apples will do. 
  • You can peel and core the apples using a hand crank apple peeler. Or you can peel and cut the apples yourself. Just make sure to cut them to even thickness so they cook evenly. 
  • You can make the streusel ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use. 
  • You can easily halve this recipe to make a smaller amount. Or double it to serve a large crowd. 

Recipe Variations

  • You can change up the spices in the streusel topping and the apples. Try adding nutmeg, cloves, or allspice. A little goes a long way, so just add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each. 
  • Try adding cranberries, or pears, for a festive twist. If you do add cranberries, increase the sugar by 1/4 cup, as they are quite tart! 

Streusel vs. Strudel

While streusel is a kind of crumbly butter topping for a baked fruit dessert such as this, or as the topper on muffins and coffee cakes, strudel refers to a layered pastry. Apple is a popular strudel filling, but the crisp pastry can also be layered with nuts or even savory fillings such as meat or cabbage. This apple streusel bake is a much quicker prep time compared to the strudel pastry.