Quick and Easy Cinnamon Sugar Cruffins for Busy Weekends
Table of Contents
Let me tell you about the first time I spotted a cruffin at a bakery.
It was sitting behind the glass case like it owned the place — tall, spiraled, dusted in cinnamon sugar, with layers you could practically count from three feet away. I paid way too much for it, took one bite in the car, and immediately thought: I need to figure out how to make these at home.
That was the beginning of a minor obsession.
The good news for you is that I’ve already done all the trial and error. The failed batches where the dough got too warm. The ones that collapsed in the tin. The glaze experiments that went sideways. You get to skip all of that and go straight to the part where you pull something genuinely beautiful out of your own oven on a Saturday morning.
And here’s the thing nobody tells you about cruffins — they’re not actually hard. They look like they require some serious pastry skill, but with store-bought puff pastry, you’re mostly just spreading butter, sprinkling cinnamon sugar, rolling things up, and waiting. The oven does the dramatic part for you.
So grab your coffee. Let’s make some cruffins.
First Things First — What Even Is a Cruffin?
The Backstory (It’s a Good One)
The cruffin came out of San Francisco around 2013, courtesy of a bakery called Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. They took croissant-style dough, rolled it up, baked it in a muffin tin, and somehow created something that felt entirely new. Lines formed. Food writers lost their minds. Instagram did what Instagram does.
The idea spread fast — and for good reason. The cruffin solves a real problem: croissants are extraordinary, but they’re a two-day project at home. Muffins are easy but not exactly thrilling. The cruffin lands right in the middle. You get those shattering, buttery, laminated layers in a compact little package that’s way more forgiving to make and way more fun to eat.
How Does It Compare to Its Pastry Cousins?
| Feature | Croissant | Muffin | Cruffin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Crescent | Round / Domed | Tall, Swirled |
| Texture | Flaky, Layered | Dense, Cakey | Flaky outside, Soft inside |
| Skill Level | Advanced | Beginner | Easy–Intermediate |
| Baking Time | 25–30 min | 20–25 min | 25–30 min |
| Filling Options | Limited | Moderate | Extremely Versatile |
| Wow Factor | High | Moderate | Very High |
Why Cinnamon Sugar Specifically?
Honestly? Because it’s perfect and nothing needs to be complicated.
Cinnamon sugar is already in your pantry. It melts into the butter layers while the cruffin bakes, creating these little pockets of caramelized sweetness that you can actually see when you pull the pastry apart. The cinnamon blooms in the heat and fills your kitchen with that smell — the one that makes people wander in from other rooms asking what you’re making.
You can absolutely fill cruffins with Nutella, lemon curd, custard, or cream cheese. But for a busy weekend when you want maximum reward for minimal effort, cinnamon sugar is the move every single time.
Why This Recipe Works for Real Life
It Respects Your Saturday
Most weekend baking recipes that claim to be “easy” still ask a lot of you. Rest the dough for an hour. Proof overnight. Make your own laminated pastry. Cool completely before serving.
This one doesn’t do that.
Start to finish, you’re looking at around 45 to 60 minutes. You can put these in the oven before your second cup of coffee is done. They come out while the morning is still fresh, still quiet, still yours. That matters.
If you want to be even more ahead of the game, you can assemble everything the night before, stash the tray in the fridge, and bake them in the morning. Fresh, warm cruffins with essentially no morning effort. That’s the kind of trick worth knowing.
What You’re Actually Getting Here
- Layers that genuinely shatter when you bite into them — not just “kinda flaky.”
- That cinnamon sugar filling caramelized right into the pastry, not just sitting on top.
- A golden, almost lacquered exterior from the egg wash
- A soft, pillowy center that contrasts beautifully with the crisp outside
- Zero specialist equipment, zero advanced technique
- A recipe that works on your first try
What You’ll Need
The Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | A Few Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Puff pastry sheets, store-bought | 2 sheets | Thawed completely — cold but pliable |
| Unsalted butter, softened | 4 tbsp | Needs to spread easily, so room temp matters |
| Granulated white sugar | ¼ cup | The base of your filling |
| Brown sugar, packed | 2 tbsp | Adds a deeper, almost caramel note |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 tsp | Go up to 2½ if you love cinnamon |
| Salt | ⅛ tsp | Small amount, big difference |
| Egg + water (egg wash) | 1 large + 1 tbsp | Beaten together |
| Powdered sugar | For dusting | Optional but highly recommended |
| Vanilla glaze | As needed | Optional — recipe in the tips section |
Easy Swaps If You Need Them
| Original | What Works Instead |
|---|---|
| Puff pastry | Crescent roll dough — slightly softer result, still delicious |
| Granulated sugar | Coconut sugar works well here |
| Unsalted butter | Vegan butter or coconut oil if needed |
| Cinnamon | Pumpkin pie spice for an autumn version |
| Egg wash | A splash of whole milk does the job |
Let’s Make Them — Step by Step
Before You Start: What You’ll Need Out
- 12-cup muffin tin (standard) or 6-cup jumbo tin
- Non-stick spray or butter for greasing
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Small bowl for the filling
- Wire rack for cooling
Step 1 — Mix Your Filling
This takes sixty seconds. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Stir it together. Done. Set it aside and try not to snack on it directly, which is harder than it sounds.
Step 2 — Butter and Season the First Sheet
Lightly flour your work surface and unfold your first pastry sheet. Roll it gently with your rolling pin just to smooth out the fold lines — you’re not trying to make it thinner, just flat and even.
Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter across the whole surface. Get all the way to the edges. Don’t be shy with it. Then, take half your cinnamon sugar mixture and scatter it evenly over the butter. It should look generous. This is not the moment for restraint.
Step 3 — Add the Second Layer
Lay your second pastry sheet directly on top of the first. Press it down gently so it sticks. Now spread the remaining butter over this top sheet and add the rest of your cinnamon sugar. Same deal — all the way to the edges, nice and even.
Step 4 — Roll It Up and Slice
Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the whole thing up tightly into a log. Think cinnamon roll energy — you want it snug, not loose. When you get to the end, press the seam lightly to seal it.
Now take your sharp knife and cut the log into 6 equal pieces. The keyword here is sharp — a dull knife will drag through the layers and compress them. If yours isn’t great, run it under hot water, dry it off, and try again. Clean cuts equal better layers.
Step 5 — Shape and Pan
This is where it gets satisfying. Take each round and very gently fan the top layers open just slightly — like you’re barely starting to unwrap a rose. You’re not pulling it apart, just giving the layers a little breathing room so they can bloom upward in the oven.
Place each one cut-side up in a greased muffin cup. Don’t worry if they look a little rustic at this stage. The oven sorts everything out.
Step 6 — Egg Wash and Into the Oven
Brush the top of each cruffin with your egg wash. Get into all the little crevices if you can — that’s where the beautiful color really shows up. Slide the tray into your fully preheated 400°F (200°C) oven.
Set a timer for 22 minutes and don’t open the oven door before then. Seriously. That trapped heat is working hard for you right now.
Bake for 22 to 26 minutes total, until the cruffins are a deep amber gold. If yours look done at 22 minutes, pull them. Ovens vary.
Step 7 — Cool, Finish, Eat
Let them sit in the tin for 5 minutes before you try to remove them. They’ll be fragile straight out of the oven and will firm up as they cool slightly.
Move them to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with vanilla glaze while they’re still warm. Eat one immediately. You’ve earned it.
Tips From Batches That Didn’t Go Perfectly
The Ones That Actually Help
- Cold dough is your friend. If at any point the dough feels warm, soft, or sticky, stop and refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Warm butter melts before it hits the oven, and you lose your layers. This is the number one reason cruffins come out flat instead of puffed.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. It’s not just for looks — though it does make them look like they came from a proper bakery. It also adds a slight crispness to the exterior that you’d miss without it.
- Jumbo muffin tin = more dramatic cruffins. Standard tin gives you a great result. Jumbo tin gives you something genuinely show-stopping.
- A little gap at the top of each cup. The cinnamon sugar bubbles as it bakes. If you overfill the cup, it runs down the sides and burns on the tin. Leave a centimeter or so of space.
- Rotate the pan at the halfway mark. Most ovens have a hot spot. Rotating at around the 12-minute mark means everything browns evenly.
- Five minutes. Don’t rush it. Lifting them out too early means they lose their shape. Those five resting minutes in the tin aren’t optional.
Storing and Reheating
| Method | How Long | Best Way to Reheat |
|---|---|---|
| Counter (covered) | Up to 2 days | 5 min in a 325°F oven |
| Fridge | Up to 4 days | 8–10 min in a 350°F oven |
| Freezer, unbaked | Up to 1 month | Bake from frozen at 375°F, add 8 min |
| Freezer, baked | Up to 2 months | 30 sec in microwave, then toast briefly |
The oven reheat genuinely brings them back. The microwave alone makes them soft and a bit sad. Use the oven whenever you can.
Ways to Switch It Up
Other Fillings Worth Trying
Once you’re comfortable with the base recipe, the variations get fun fast:
- Apple Pie — Finely dice half an apple, toss with a pinch of cinnamon and sugar, and scatter over the butter layer before rolling. It bakes down into something incredible.
- Nutella Swirl — Spread a thin layer of Nutella before the cinnamon sugar. Don’t go too thick, or it makes the dough slippery and hard to roll.
- Lemon Sugar — Skip the cinnamon entirely and use lemon zest mixed into the sugar. Bright, citrusy, and genuinely refreshing
- Pumpkin Spice — Swap in pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon. A September through November non-negotiable
- Strawberry Jam — A very thin layer of good jam spread before rolling. The jam concentrates as it bakes and becomes almost jammy-candy in the best way.
Glaze and Topping Options
- Simple vanilla glaze: powdered sugar + a splash of milk + half a teaspoon of vanilla. Drizzle while warm
- Cream cheese icing: tangy and rich against the buttery pastry
- Caramel sauce + flaky sea salt: genuinely over the top in the best way
- Chocolate ganache dip: for when you want dessert cruffins
- Just powdered sugar: classic, unfussy, beautiful
Serving Ideas
What Goes Well Alongside Them
- A good, strong coffee or a proper latte
- Fresh orange juice — the acidity cuts through the richness nicely.
- A simple yogurt with honey, if you want something light alongside
- A fruit and cheese board if you’re doing an actual brunch spread
If You’re Serving Guests
Stack them on something with height — a cake stand or a tiered plate. Dust with powdered sugar right before people sit down, so it still looks fresh. Put a little bowl of glaze on the side so people can add as much or as little as they want. It looks effortless and thoughtful at the same time, which is the exact energy weekend hosting deserves.
Nutrition (Approximate, Per Cruffin)
| Nutrient | Per Cruffin |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~285 kcal |
| Total Fat | 17g |
| Saturated Fat | 9g |
| Carbohydrates | 29g |
| Sugar | 10g |
| Protein | 4g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Sodium | 210mg |
These are estimates. Actual values will vary based on your specific ingredients and any modifications.
Questions People Actually Ask
Can I use crescent roll dough instead of puff pastry?
Yes, and honestly, it’s a great option. The texture will be a little softer and less shattering than puff pastry, but the flavor is still there, and the whole thing still looks impressive. If that’s what you have, use it without any guilt.
Mine didn’t rise. What happened?
Three likely causes: the dough was too warm before baking, the oven wasn’t fully preheated, or the cups were too full. Cold dough + properly hot oven = good rise. If your cruffins came out flat and dense, start with those two variables next time.
They’re sticking to the tin. Help.
Grease more generously than you think you need to. If it happens again, cut small strips of parchment paper and line the bottom of each cup before adding the dough. Works perfectly.
Can I make them the night before?
Yes. Assemble, put them in the greased tin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. In the morning, apply egg wash straight from the fridge and bake — just add 2 to 3 extra minutes. You’ll wake up to almost no work and a very good morning.
What’s the difference between these and cinnamon rolls?
Cinnamon rolls are made from yeasted dough and are soft, chewy, and bread-like. Cruffins use laminated pastry dough, which makes them flaky, crispy on the outside, and lighter inside. They’re both great. But cruffins have layers that cinnamon rolls simply don’t, and those layers are a big part of what makes them special.
Can I freeze them before baking?
Yes. Shape them into the tin, freeze until solid, and bag them up. When you want to bake, pop them back in a greased tin, let them thaw for 20 minutes at room temperature, apply egg wash, and bake as normal with about 8 extra minutes added. They come out basically identical to fresh.
Before You Go
These cruffins are the kind of thing that surprises people. Not because they’re complicated — they’re not — but because the result looks and tastes so much better than you’d expect from something this straightforward to make.
You pull them out of the oven golden and slightly puffed, the cinnamon sugar caramelized into the layers, the kitchen smelling absolutely wonderful, and there’s a moment where you think: I made that. That moment is worth something.
This weekend, skip the bakery. Make your own. You already know how.
If you try this recipe, share your cruffins — tag them with #cinnamonsugarcruffins. And if you make any variations that work brilliantly, leave a note in the comments. This is the kind of recipe that gets better the more people play with it.
