These homemade cruffins are made with store-bought puff pastry filled with butter + cocoa powder baked in a muffin tin. Coat them in cinnamon sugar while they're still warm & enjoy this sweet breakfast in under one hour!
Cruffins are the World's Best Breakfast Invention
Cruffins are made when you combine the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the shape of a muffin. Hence the name, cruffin. They taste similar to churros, except they're baked instead of fried. With the cinnamon sugar filling and coating, they also taste similar to cinnamon rolls, except they're not as gooey and soft.
While traditional cruffins require several days to laminate pastry dough, I prefer the ease of using store-bought puff pastry dough. Which means you can be enjoying hot, buttery, sugar-crusted cruffins in just one hour! All you need is a rolling pin (or a large, heavy bottle) and a muffin tin.
For more puff pastry recipes, try German puff pastry chocolate twists, which also taste great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.
Let's Bake Cruffins at Home Together!
1. Roll out the thawed puff pastry.
3. Sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar.
5. Bake them in a muffin tin.
2. Spread with butter & cocoa powder.
4. Cut & shape the cruffins.
6. Top with more cinnamon sugar.
My Homage to the Original Cruffin
Back in 2015, my family and I spent a few days in Northern California, which was when I first tasted a cruffin at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. The line outside their door to get a taste of their fresh cruffins was insane, and we had line up an hour before the bakery even opened! Everyone was allowed just one cruffin, and by the time we left the bakery that morning, they were already sold out!
Less than a month before our visit to the famed bakehouse, they experience a grand theft. But the thief left the cash in the till. The iPads and computers remained untouched. The only stolen items were the prized recipes for cruffins and a few other pastries. I told you these cruffins are good! They are worth stealing over, apparently! Mr. Holmes Bakehouse bounced back after the theft and the news stories did nothing but crank up the public obsession over cruffins to a new height.
Fast forward years after that love-at-first-bite, and I'm still drooling over those beloved cruffin memories, which is why I created this recipe to bake a simpler version at home.
My Baking Tips
- I recommend coating your cruffins right after baking by gently rolling them in a shallow bowl of cinnamon sugar or by sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on top with a spoon. The cinnamon sugar will stick the best to the cruffins while they're warm.
- I always set my box of frozen puff pastry dough in the fridge the night prior, to slowly thaw.
- If you plan to fill your cruffins (like Mr. Holmes), I suggest to bake them in a high-walled muffin tin to obtain the height required to hold the filling inside. Once your cruffins are baked and cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a hole in the top about two-thirds down into the cruffin. Then use a piping bag to fill the hole with your desired filling.
Homemade Cruffins with Puff Pastry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed to room temperature (about 17 ounces)
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a muffin tin.
- Use a rolling pin or a large bottle to roll out the puff pastry. Each sheet should be rolled out to about 11 inches by 15 inches.
- Combine the softened butter and cocoa powder in a bowl. Use a spatula or pallet knife to spread the cocoa butter mixture evenly on both sheets of puff pastry dough.
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle 1 to 1½ Tablespoons of the cinnamon and sugar onto each sheet of puff pastry dough to evenly coat them.
- Starting at a longer edge, roll the first puff pastry sheet into a tight log. Cut the log three times width-wise into four equal pieces. Repeat with the other sheet of dough so you have a total of eight pieces. Cut each of the eight pieces once length-wise to get a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece around your finger with the layers of cocoa butter and cinnamon sugar on the outside. (See photo in blog post for reference)
- Place the rolled-up cruffins into the muffin tin. Keep any cruffins that don't fit in the muffin tin in the fridge covered with plastic cling wrap until you're ready to bake them. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are golden brown.
- While still warm from the oven, toss them in the remaining cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storing: Store cooled cruffins in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days. I don't recommend storing baked cruffins in the fridge, since they'll lose their flaky texture.
Shanon says
I saw these in your newsletter, can't wait to try them!
Carissa Erzen says
Thank you so much for reading the newsletter! Let me know how you like them!!
Lina says
Very delicious!
Carissa Erzen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these cruffins!
Maria says
These were a hit!! We have a local bakery that makes cruffins but it was so much more fun to make them at home with the kids!! And I especially love that this recipe uses puff pastry sheets so it made it even easier!! Next time I'm going to try making these with one of your filling suggestions 🙂
Carissa Erzen says
Yay! Puff pastry from the store is such a time saver! I'm so glad you enjoyed making these at home with your kiddos!
Monica says
The texture of these homemade cruffins was absolutely perfect! And I could eat that cinnamon sugar topping all day lol
Carissa Erzen says
Oh I definitely could eat the topping on its own too lol
Lisa says
I've also been missing cruffins ever since I first tried them. This homemade version with puff pastry was so easy to make! And absolutely delicious!!
Carissa Erzen says
That's exactly why I developed this recipe, I was missing them too! Thanks!!
Yum-number1 says
I was in SF last week, wouldve definitly stood in line for these bad boys. That's okay though I'll definitely try your recipe instead, maybe you're the one who broke in and stole the recipe…?? Jk
Humbly Homemade says
Caught red handed... 😜 Let me know how they turn out for you!!
Jim says
I loved cruffins and morned the passing of Mr. Holmes Bakeshop.
Humbly Homemade says
RIP Mr. Holmes. His legacy of sweets lives on. ðŸ˜
Azilde Elizabeth says
Wow! These look amazing! First time hearing of this combo. I wonder if Massachusetts has it. I'll have to do some research. Or I could attempt yours! 🤤
Humbly Homemade says
They're so yummy! Let me know if you find them or try them!! ðŸ˜
Azilde Elizabeth says
I definitely will! 🤤