The Sweet Topping That Takes Banana Bread To New Heights

Banana bread is the quintessential go-to recipe when you have a bunch of bananas on the counter that are going over the hill. While the foundational ingredient is, of course, banana, there are almost as many variations on this classic baked good as there are sugar granules in a package of C&H. To change things up, opt for a deliciously crumbly streusel topping.

When making banana bread, the traditional route calls for butter, flour, sugar, and eggs (though final results can still vary widely in terms of mix-in and spice preferences). Some like to use a cake mix hack for a delightfully lazy banana bread, which yields quicker results than a totally from scratch recipe. Others like to create a more grownup boozy banana bread using a sweet liqueur – typically dark rum. Whatever your jam is when it comes to this traditional sweet bread, the addition of decadent, crumbly streusel is the perfect way to top it off. Best of all, to keep your stress low and cooking time short, all you need is boxed cake mix and butter to make a flavorful streusel.

The delightful crunch of streusel is a match made in culinary heaven for moist, hearty banana bread. Once your banana bread batter is ready to go in a loaf pan, simply top it with your favorite streusel mixture. If you're someone who likes nuts in your banana bread, a streusel recipe containing pecans or walnuts is an especially great pairing. Bake the streusel crumble right on top of your raw banana bread batter for a beautiful final result that is moist, soft, crunchy, and sweet all at once.

If your foundational banana bread is a lighter approach using sugar substitutes that elevate banana bread, like applesauce or honey, your streusel can be tailored to match. Other alternative ingredients as your sweetener for making the streusel include coconut sugar, monk fruit, or date syrup. You'll still get that sweet, delightful streusel crust that is the pièce de resistance to take any banana bread over the top.