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Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Cruffins (Croissant Muffins)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.2 from 86 reviews
  • Author: Elina
  • Prep Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 hours, 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cruffins 1x
  • Category: Breakfast, Pastry
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French-inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Homemade Cruffins combine the flaky, buttery delight of croissant dough with the fun, portable shape of a muffin. This recipe uses a laminated croissant-style dough twisted with cinnamon-sugar, baked in a 12-cup muffin pan for an accessible bakery treat that can be filled with Nutella, jam, lemon curd, or pastry cream. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, cruffins offer a crunchy exterior and tender layers inside, bringing together two beloved pastries in one.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted or salted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 3 pieces
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
  • 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt

Lamination

  • 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) salted butter, slightly softened (between 60–64°F/15–18°C)
  • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Filling & Coating

  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • Optional fillings: 6 Tablespoons Nutella, jam, lemon curd, or pastry cream

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: Whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook until foamy (~5 minutes). Add butter, 2 cups flour, and salt. Beat on medium for 2 minutes, then add remaining 1 cup flour and mix on low until a soft dough forms. Add up to 2 more tablespoons flour if very sticky.
  2. Knead the dough: Knead with mixer on low or by hand for 5 minutes until dough passes windowpane test and is slightly tacky but not sticky.
  3. First rise: Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough inside turning to coat, cover tightly, and let rise in warm place for about 2 hours or until nearly doubled.
  4. Flatten and chill dough: Punch down dough, place on floured silicone mat or parchment, and gently press into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  5. Prepare lamination butter: Beat softened butter and 1 tablespoon flour with mixer paddle until combined. Keep flour nearby for rolling to prevent sticking and tears.
  6. First lamination fold: Spread butter layer over center third of dough. Fold edges over butter like a business letter. Seal ends. Roll to 9×12 inches, fold like a letter again, cover, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
  7. Second lamination fold: Repeat rolling (9×12 inches) and folding twice more, covering and refrigerating 20 minutes each time.
  8. Shape and fill: Lightly grease 12-cup muffin pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 8×12-inch rectangle, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar pressed into dough. Cut into twelve 1-inch strips. Layer 3 strips at a time, roll into a spiral, tuck ends under, and place into muffin cups. Repeat for all dough.
  9. Second rise: Cover cruffins lightly and let rise for 1 hour until puffy.
  10. Preheat and bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake cruffins 25–28 minutes until internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Cool slightly in pan on a rack.
  11. Coat and optionally fill: Roll warm cruffins in remaining cinnamon-sugar. Fill as desired with Nutella, jam, lemon curd, or pastry cream using a piping bag and long narrow tip. Poke hole about 3/4 down cruffin before filling.
  12. Storage: Store leftovers at room temperature up to 3 days, loosely covered.

Notes

  • Overnight Dough: After shaping, cover and refrigerate cruffins up to 12 hours. Remove 2 hours before baking to rise 1 hour at room temperature. Or refrigerate dough overnight after first rise and continue after warming and rising 2 hours.
  • Freezing: Freeze baked cruffins wrapped individually up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Do not freeze dough before or during lamination, or shaped unbaked cruffins.
  • Butter: European-style salted butter is recommended for lamination for superior flavor and rollability.
  • Popovers Pans: For taller cruffins, use popover pans and cut 2-inch strips, swirling 2 strips together instead of 3. Bake time similar.
  • Egg Wash: Optional—brush cruffins with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp milk) after rising for glossy, golden finish.
  • Milk: Use whole milk or lower-fat/non-dairy (avoid nonfat milk).
  • Yeast: Instant or active dry can be used; slight differences in rise time.

Find it online: https://recipes.mbeams.com/homemade-cinnamon-sugar-cruffins-croissant-muffins/