Streusel-Topped Banana Bread

Treat yourself to a slice of the best streusel-topped banana bread. It is made with brown sugar and lots of bananas, flavored with dark rum, and baked with a delicious crunchy streusel (crumble) topping. When you think that you have tried all the banana bread recipes, there is the only one left to try!

Have you known that banana bread enthusiasts celebrate National Banana Bread Day on February 23?

Neither did I. I bake it just because I love it! And once I see spotty bananas on the kitchen counter, I know what I would be baking.

It was in 2015 when one of my friends shared a recipe for banana bread with me.

I was happily baking that sweet loaf until I decided to experiment with other banana bread recipes.

Today I can tell you that there is the best banana bread recipe that has stolen my heart. This loaf cake has a charm: it has a streusel on top!

Jump to:

• What is streusel?
• Banana bread streusel topping
• Banana bread toppings
• What to add to banana bread
• What bananas to use in banana bread
• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make streusel-topped banana bread
• Expert tips
• Frequently asked questions
• Love cakes? Try these next!
• Recipe
• Comments

What is streusel?

Streusel is a crumble topping made of fat, flour, and sugar that baked on top of cakes, muffins, pies, etc.

The streusel adds crunchiness, richness, and texture to the baked goods. As for the origin, it was first popularized in Germany.

Banana bread streusel topping

Experimenting with lots of streusel topping recipes, I found that equal amounts of the only four ingredients give the right sweetness and crumble texture on top of the baked banana bread.

These are semi-salted (or salted) chilled butter, almond flour, icing (powdered) sugar, and all-purpose flour.

Banana bread toppings

The most common variation of streusel topping is the cinnamon crumb topping.

Betty Crocker adds ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon while making the crumbly topping for Streusel-Topped Banana Bread.

The Latina Homemaker and A Latte Food also offer cinnamon crumble topping for banana bread, and both add brown sugar.

Jovita from Yummy Addiction went further and experimented with adding chopped walnuts to her crunchy streusel topping while Martha Stewart added chopped pecans.

Chopped nuts truly add more texture to banana bread topping.

You can even add old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats to the streusel topping as per King Arthur Baking Company or Ashton from Something Swanky, who made this Brown Sugar Banana Streusel Bread.

Want to have more fun creating your own streusel topping?

Add a dash of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice, or bring a tangy taste by adding finely chopped lemon rind.

What to add to banana bread

Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts to the batter to increase banana bread's crunchiness.

You are free to experiment with this loaf cake by adding dried pineapple or shredded coconut.

If you are a chocolate lover, mix in chocolate chips or swirl the Nutella through the cake batter before baking.

To make a healthy variation of banana bread, add ground golden flaxseed.

Do you want more ideas? Blend in a little allspice, cinnamon, or nutmeg. Just be creative to make your own banana bread!

What bananas to use in banana bread

The answer is simple: the ripest ones! The bananas ready to go to the trash are the perfect ones to make banana bread.

Look for bananas with black/brown spots; they look ugly, but they taste sweeter and improve the cake's flavor.

If you only have yellow bananas, and you have no time to wait for them to ripen, bake the unpeeled bananas at 250 F/120 C for 20 minutes.

You will need to mash bananas. The easiest way is to use a fork. You can use an electric mixer or a potato masher instead.

Allrecipes suggest placing ripe bananas into a large plastic zipper bag, seal it, and smoosh the bananas with fingers until they are mashed. It is up to you which way of mashing bananas you use.

Why you should try this recipe

1. Streusel (aka crumble topping) baked on top of banana bread adds crunchiness and intractable charm to the dessert. This banana bread with crunchy topping stands apart from the ordinary.
2. Brown sugar brings a caramelized flavor and compliments banana sweetness. 
3. Rum infuses the loaf with a fruity flavor.
4. Using ripe bananas adds moisture and an additional boost of sweetness.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Butter: use unsalted butter to make the cake butter and semi-salted (or salted) butter to make the crumb topping for banana bread. Soften butter by taking it out of the fridge 2 hours before you start.

Brown sugar: use golden or dark brown sugar interchangeably, but take into consideration that golden brown sugar gives a milder caramel flavor than the dark one that contains more molasses.

Replace brown sugar with an equal amount of granulated sugar if you desire. 

Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs.

Flour: all-purpose flour is used to make the cake butter and the streusel.

Baking powder: use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.

Bananas: ripe and even over-ripe bananas with black spots or streaks on the peel are the best ones to make this banana bread.

Bananas help make this bread moist! Please, try to avoid green or all yellow bananas.

Dark rum: it brings a fruity flavor to banana bread; it upgrades a regular banana bread to the next level. Replace rum with some juice if you serve the cake to kids.

Almond flour: use blanched finely ground almond flour.

Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or buy powdered sugar.

Flaked toasted almonds: these are optional and used for the decoration of the cake.

To toast flaked almonds at home, bring them in the oven at 300 F/150 C for about 10 to 15 minutes.

How to make streusel-topped banana bread

Preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C. To make the cake batter, in a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar 5 minutes, using an electric mixer (photo 1).

Add all-purpose flour (1 ⅔ cup + 4 tablespoons/240 g) mixed with baking powder, eggs (photo 2)...

and delicately mix with a rubber spatula (photo 3). Mash bananas with a fork and fold them into the main preparation (photo 3).

Add rum and mix with the spatula just until combined (photo 5). Place the cake batter in the refrigerator while making the streusel.

To make the streusel topping in a separate small bowl, mix all-purpose flour (40 g) and almond flour.

Add icing (powdered) sugar and chilled semi-salted (or salted) butter cut into pieces and make the crumbly dough with your hands (photo 6). It has to look like wet sand.

Butter and flour a silicone loaf pan or line a nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper.

Pour the cake batter into the pan, sprinkle the streusel on top (photo 7), and bake for 90 minutes.

The cake is ready when a tester/a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean (photo 8).

Sprinkle top of the cake with flaked toasted almonds and dust with icing (powdered) sugar.

Expert tips

1. Soften unsalted butter by taking it out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking.
2. Replace dark rum with some juice if you serve the cake to kids.
3. Crush bananas with a fork, an electric handheld mixer, or a potato masher.
4. Do not over-mix the cake batter when you add crushed bananas. Gently mix just to combine.
5. Split the recipe into two smaller loaves or make banana muffins if you prefer.
6. Adjust your oven's baking time: it has been tested and re-tested by me that the cake is ready in 90 minutes.
7. Test the cake for readiness! Use a toothpick: if it is inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean, the bread is ready. If it still has the batter on it, add another 3 to 5 minutes and test again.
8. Cool the baked banana bread completely before slicing.
9. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone or slabs of salted butter.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.lacuisinedethomas.fr It was originally published on January 22, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.