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Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

Banana bread with streusel topping bakes up a classic golden loaf with a thick cinnamon crunch blanket over the moist crumb. This easy banana loaf delivers bakery-style flavor with a crisp, crumbly top and a clean toothpick finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana bread
  • 3 bananas, ripe Mash until smooth.
  • 1 cup butter, melted Use melted butter.
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
For the streusel topping
  • 0.33 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp butter, cold Cut into cubes.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prepare the pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan with a thin coating so the loaf releases cleanly after baking.
Make the cinnamon streusel topping
  1. Mix the streusel flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until large crumbles form, then refrigerate to keep the topping cold for better crunch.
Mix the banana bread batter
  1. Whisk the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the mashed bananas until smooth and glossy.
  2. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon just until the dry ingredients disappear, avoiding overmixing.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread it evenly to the corners.
  2. Top the batter generously with all the streusel so the entire surface is covered in a thick, crumbly layer.
  3. Bake for 60–70 minutes at 350°F until the streusel is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

For the best crunchy top, keep the streusel cold while you mix the batter, and don’t overmix once the flour is added. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze slices for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the refrigerator). For a lighter option, replace half the butter with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce in the banana bread; the streusel will still bake up crisp.