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Croissant Muffins (Cruffins)

    Croissant muffins, also called cruffins, mash up some of the most iconic breakfast foods. A croissant, shaped like a muffin, but flavored like a cinnamon roll? There is no better dish to make when you can’t decide what you want for breakfast.

    A fluffy dough is transformed with the addition of cinnamon and brown sugar, then rolled and baked in a muffin tin. What emerges is an elegant, sweet, and flaky treat. Too beautiful not to share, make these when you have company and want to spend a slow morning together drinking coffee, chatting, and eating delicious treats.

    Cruffins are filled with a sticky cinnamon sugar filling that is cozy, warm, and inviting. Eat one with a warm cup of coffee or tea and consider serving a bowl of berries dusted with powdered sugar on the side. The textures of this recipe are complex – soft, and gooey yet with an unmistakable croissant crispness and flake. For that reason, I don’t like to add too many competing flavors or textures when I serve these. 

    close up of croissant muffins (cruffins)

    If you play around with fillings, make sure not to overfill your dough. You only need a small spread of whatever you add. If you add too much, the filling will ooze out and all over your oven. Also, while these are freshest on the day you bake them, cruffins last for 2-3 days on the counter.

    What You Need to Make Croissant Muffins

    This recipe requires an egg, puff pastry dough, dark brown sugar, salted butter and ground cinnamon. I used pre-made puff pastry dough here rather than traditional croissant dough because croissant dough takes many hours to make.

    This recipe is something you can whip together in a matter of minutes and still get the flaky layers you’re used to in a croissant. If you can’t find puff pastry dough, you can also roll out crescent dough.

    ingredients to make croissant muffins (cruffins)

    Ingredients:

    • Large egg
    • Puff pastry dough
    • Dark brown sugar
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Salted butter

    Tools:

    Cruffins require a rolling pin, a sharp knife, a muffin tin, a cutting board, two small bowls, a pastry brush, and a whisk. You can experiment with this recipe. Try different fillings and different shapes when you roll the dough. Have fun with it! 

    How To Make Cruffins (Croissant Muffins)

    Create the cinnamon brown sugar filling: In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

    Shape the dough: Defrost your dough (if using frozen). Roll out the first puff pastry dough into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar.

    sprinkling sugar onto cruffin dough

    Roll up the dough lengthwise. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half into two logs. Then, cut each log lengthwise.

    slicing cruffin dough
    slicing cruffin dough lengthwise

    Roll each section of the dough into a spiral and put it in a greased muffin tin. Repeat this process with the other dough. Whisk an egg and brush it onto the exterior of each cruffin.

    rolling cruffins

    [Step-8-Cut-Cruffins.jpg]

    putting cruffins into muffin tin

    Bake the cruffins: Preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. 

    croissant muffins (cruffins)

    Recipe FAQs

    What other fillings can I try?

    You can try other fillings besides the brown sugar and cinnamon if you want too, like a jam or nutella. Really anything you want! Just make sure it’s not too wet or it may ruin your bake.

    Why salted butter rather than unsalted?

    I recommend using salted butter here just for ease. If you do use unsalted butter, then you should whip a pinch of salt to the butter before you spread it. 

    croissant muffins (cruffins)

    Croissant Muffins (Cruffins)

    Arielle Hess
    Cruffins are a delicious, fun, and beautiful breakfast bake mashup. A cross between a croissant, muffin, and cinnamon roll, these bakes are flakey, ooey gooey, and soft. Make these the next time you want to share a special morning with family or friends.
    No ratings yet
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 197 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large egg
    • 2 sheets of premade puff pastry dough
    • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter

    Instructions
     

    • Defrost your dough (if using frozen).
    • Preheat the oven to 400ºF
    • In a bowl, mix together ¼ cup of dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
    • Roll out the first puff pastry dough into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle.
    • Spread 2 tablespoons of softened salted butter over the dough.
    • Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-brown sugar.
    • Roll up the dough lengthwise into a log.
    • Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half, creating two logs.
    • Cut each half, lengthwise.
    • Roll each section of the dough into a spiral.
    • Put in a greased muffin tin.
    • Repeat with the other dough.
    • In a bowl, whisk an egg and brush it on each cruffin.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    If you play around with fillings, make sure not to overfill your dough. You only need a small spread of whatever you add. If you add too much, the filling will ooze out and all over your oven. Also, while these are freshest on the day you bake them, cruffins last for 2-3 days on the counter.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 17.55gProtein: 2.5gFat: 13.33gSaturated Fat: 4.13gFiber: 1.5gSugar: 3.32g
    Keyword croissants, muffins
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    Arielle is a food and drink photographer based in Washington, D.C. She was previously a social science researcher before she fell in love with photography.

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