Why Food With A Crumb Topping Should Never Be Frozen

Apple streusel, blackberry crumble, or even ooey mac and cheese with toasty breadcrumbs on top. Crumb toppings take these dishes from good to great, providing a buttery, crunchy texture that offsets the gooeyness of the dish underneath. There's nothing like a fresh crumb topping, but preserving that crumb topping for later becomes much trickier, especially if you need to store the food for a long time. Unfortunately, the nature of crumb topping means it can easily turn to mush when frozen. 

Unlike pies and other pastry-top dishes, the colder the temperature you store crumb toppings in, the more likely the crumbs are to deteriorate in texture. When you reheat your meal, you'll be left with a limp, soggy layer on top — that's the opposite of appetizing. These dishes should be stored in the refrigerator whenever possible to prevent loss of quality, or better yet, eaten fresh straight from the oven.

If you just can't avoid having to store that crumb-topped dish or dessert, there are a few ways you can preserve the integrity of your topping and prevent a mushy disaster. One way is to store the crumb on the side, rather than topping the dish with it directly. If you freeze the crumb separately from the rest of the dish, the moisture from the dish itself won't soak into the crumbs, and you'll be able to reheat it to crispy perfection much easier in the oven.

Another way to get that crumb to stay crisp? Simply make some fresh crumbs when you're ready to reheat and use it to top your defrosted frozen casserole or dessert. Either way, if you don't plan on eating the entirety of your crumb-topped food immediately, it's best to add the topping right before serving instead of letting it sit in the freezer. (We know that doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing, but your taste buds will thank you.)

All this talk of crumb toppings getting you hungry? We've got plenty of recommendations for delicious crumb-topped meals and desserts. For savory dishes, you can't go wrong with a classic baked mac and cheese coated with toasty, golden buttery breadcrumbs. That same breadcrumb mix goes well on any sort of casserole that could use a bit of crunch on top — from tuna noodle to creamy chicken bake. For a good standard breadcrumb topping, just mix 1 tablespoon of melted butter with a half cup of breadcrumbs (either store-bought or homemade will do).

For desserts, you can make a delicious crumble out of many different types of fruit. Berries, plums and peaches, and apples lend themselves particularly well to the sort of baked desserts that crumb toppings pair excellently with. For a sweet crumb topping, combine half a cup of flour, half a cup of sugar, half a stick of melted butter, and a touch of cinnamon and mix until wet and crumbly.