COLORFUL
Everyone is going to love this easy cruffins recipe! There’s nothing like warm cruffins to create a warm place in your tummy fast. This flaky pastry is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whenever you want to eat it. I promise you that you’re going to love this easy cruffin recipe! Happy baking – this recipe is addictive!
Easy Cruffins Recipe
First off, can we all just agree that the word “cruffin” is SUPER fun to say? Seriously, it brings a smile to my face every time it leaves my lips. But that feeling is nothing compared to the happiness that enters my body once I take my very first bite. This easy recipe is the perfect combination of a croissant and a muffin – and it’s literally perfection.
This puff pastry is a yummy combination of a traditional croissant paired with a moist muffin. The top of the cruffin is often topped with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or even a light glaze. Seriously – is anyone else’s mouth watering right now?
Try some of my other dessert recipes
If you love croissant muffins and love those flaky layers, you’re going to also love these yummy treats, too: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, Amish Apple Fritter Bread, No Bake Pina Colada Pie
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- The cruffin dough is unlike anything you’ve ever eaten.
- The deep golden brown coloring is eye catching AND delicious.
- You can customize the cruffin top to your liking.
Ingredients for the best croissant muffin
- Puff pastry
- White sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salted butter
*see recipe card for detailed measurements
KITCHEN SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED
- Muffin pans
How to make cruffins with puff pastry
Step One: Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Use non-stick cooking spray (with added flour) and spray the muffin pan or use liners.
Step Two: Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture and set aside 4 tablespoons to be sprinkled on top of the cruffins after they are done baking.
Step Three: Open the puff pastry sheets and lay them flat on the counter (you will have 4 sheets total). Put two aside for later as they’re going to be what is used on top.
Step Four: Spread 1/4 cup of the softened butter on each of the bottom two sheets. Take and divide the larger cinnamon/sugar mixture and sprinkle that on top of the two buttered sheets. Make sure that you’re covering the whole surface.
Step Five: Take the two pastry sheets that you’d set aside and put them on top of the two buttered ones, creating a sandwich.
Step Six: Grab a pizza cutter and cut out 6 strips that are equal in size from each one.
Step Seven: Roll up the slices just like you would a cinnamon roll and pinch the ends so that they stay closed while you’re baking them. Put each rolled cruffin into a lined muffin cup and pop it in the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes.
Step Eight: Sprinkle on the 4 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. If you want to put icing on your cruffins, just whisk together
STORAGE NOTES
If you have cinnamon sugar cruffins remaining, lucky you! This just means that you get to enjoy the entire process of eating them the next day, too! Just be sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the cruffins as well by putting them in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Wanting to add more flavor? You can make variations of the cruffin by adding cocoa powder, more cinnamon sugar mixture, or even turning them into chocolate cruffins. You can even add nuts, chocolate, create a creamy cinnamon sugar filling, or go daring with nutella or even peanut butter. Making a second batch and trying out new ingredients is a great idea!)
Can I use unsalted butter in this recipe for making cruffins? You bet. You can use unsalted butter or mix in 1/8 tsp of salt to your unsalted butter to create that salty taste.
Use crescent dough – If you’re not wanting to use a puff pastry, you can just use crescent roll dough instead. This will create a fluffier texture but still a delicious one!
Want to use brown sugar instead of white sugar? Go for it! A lot of people switch out the two and have awesome results. The brown sugar will cause the pastry dough to have a darker caramel coloring once they’re done baking.
How can I make smaller cruffins?
The recipe as written will make large cruffins so you can make smaller ones if you’d like. Just cut the entire recipe in half for starters. Then, roll out the puff pastry into a triangle that is about 10 inches by 12 inches in size. Then you’ll take one of the sides on the 10-inch and fold it over to make a square. (This will make a sandwich where the cinnamon sugar and butter will be inside)
You’ll then want to cut the pastry into 1-inch slices so that there is a fold at each end. Pop them in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Add some cinnamon sugar on top, while they’re still warm so that it sticks!
How hard is it to change up the flavor of this muffin pastry?
It’s not hard at all! You can add in about 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, star anise, or coriander. The flavors stand out so well in this dough!
What fillings can you add to cruffins?
Cruffin fillings are the best! I love adding in a lemon curd or a nice pudding and filling the muffin shape completely. Use can use a piping bag to fill the muffins completely, making it a breeze.
How to warm up a cruffin?
If you want to eat your cruffin warm, heat it up for a little bit in the microwave or the oven. This works great if you’re enjoying them the next morning and need to soften them up a bit. The flakey layers taste so perfect when they’re warmed up!
If you’ve made this recipe or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how they turned out. We love hearing from you! You can also follow along with me on FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM to see more colorful recipes!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 packages puff pastry
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ cup butter, salted and softened
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Use non-stick cooking spray (with added flour) and spray the muffin pan or use liners.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture and set aside 4 tablespoons to be sprinkled on top of the cruffins after they are done baking.
- Open the puff pastry sheets (there will be 4 in total) and lay them flat on the counter. Put two aside for later as they're going to be what is used on top.
- Spread 1/4 cup of the softened butter on each of the bottom two sheets. Divide the larger amount of cinnamon/sugar mixture and sprinkle that on top of the two buttered sheets. Make sure that you're covering the whole surface.
- Take the two pastry sheets that you'd set aside and put them on top of the two buttered ones, creating a sandwich.
- Grab a pizza cutter and cut out 6 strips that are equal in size from each one.
- Roll up the slices just like you would a cinnamon roll and securely pinch the ends so that they stay closed while you're baking them. Put each rolled cruffin into a lined muffin cup and pop it in the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Sprinkle on the 4 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar while they're still warm.
- If you want to add icing on top, just whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk and drizzle on top.
NOTES
- I find that the puff pastry is tearing – how can I avoid this? I find it best to work with cold puff pastry. I take it out of the fridge just before I am ready to spread the butter on it. (If it is frozen, I allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.)
- Could I use brown sugar instead of white sugar in this recipe? Yes, if you prefer. Brown sugar will give the cruffins a heavier texture and be a little more caramel flavored. And you could use that to sprinkle on them afterward, or use confectioners sugar for sprinkling.
- I usually use unsalted butter in my baking – can I do that with this recipe? Yes, you could mix in ⅛ th teaspoon of salt to the butter (to create a salted butter), or just leave that out.
- What are some other spices that would work in this recipe? You can achieve some tasty alternatives by adding ½ teaspoon of either ginger, cardamom, star anise, or coriander.
- How can I elevate this simple recipe? These truly are delicious as is, but you could add nuts – chopped pecans or pistachios work well. Or you could add a little orange zest, nutella, chocolate chips, jam, apple pie filling, or raisins. They are also delicious topped with cream cheese frosting or ice cream and are perfect for dipping into a chocolate sauce.
- The recipe above makes large cruffins – you can easily cut the entire recipe in half and have smaller cruffins if you prefer. (they will be about half the size as pictured but will need only half the ingredients) Directions as follows:
- Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle (approximately 10 inches by 12 inches).
- Take one of the 10 inch sides of the rectangle and fold the pastry over so you now have a square. (This creates a sandwich, with the butter- cinnamon sugar filling inside.)
- Cut the pastry into 10 (1 inch) slices so that each slice has the fold at one end.
- Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until golden.
- Sprinkle with (or roll them around in) the remaining 4 Tablespoons of cinnamon sugar while they are warm.