French Breakfast Puffs (Cinnamon Sugar Muffins)

Fluffy muffins coated in butter and cinnamon sugar - French breakfast puffs are buttery puffs of heaven. This classic recipe, one I found in my Great Gram's old recipe book, is straightforward. Like cinnamon cake donuts in flavor and texture, these cinnamon sugar muffins are hard to beat.

Beginning with a cake-like vanilla muffin batter that is subtly flavored with ground cinnamon, the muffins are dipped into melted butter and then cinnamon sugar. As you probably have guessed, French breakfast puffs are the perfect baked treat to serve with coffee.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

French breakfast puffs are essentially cinnamon sugar muffins, aka cinnamon donut muffins. Thanks to simple flavors, these muffins are a crowd-pleaser. They are a portable breakfast for weekday mornings, perfect for sharing at brunch or holiday breakfasts. You will love this easy recipe.

• The simple muffin batter is easy to make and uses kitchen staples - you can whip these up any day of the week.
• Warm muffins are dipped in melted butter and coated in cinnamon sugar.
• With a flavor profile like a snickerdoodle, these cinnamon donut muffins are DELICIOUS with coffee or tea.
• Serve any day and time- weekday mornings, weekend brunch, or special occasions. (Your guests with adore these delectable muffins.) Enjoy one of these sweet breakfast puffs for breakfast, as a snack, or after-dinner treat.

French Breakfast Puffs Origin

Despite their name, there is nothing French about this classic recipe, which originated in the Betty Crocker Test Kitchen. The original calls for shortening, but this recipe uses butter for better flavor. Cinnamon is added to the batter alongside the cinnamon sugar coating. Unlike classic muffins, breakfast puffs are made with the creaming method (like a cake).

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar
• Unsalted Butter (softened)
• Egg (room temperature)
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Ground Cinnamon
• Milk

See the recipe card for ingredient quantities.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 12-portion muffin tin and set aside.
2. Cream the softened unsalted butter and ½ cup granulated sugar. Add the egg, mixing until well incorporated.
3. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry. Mix well after each addition.
5. Portion batter to fill each prepared muffin tin, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.
6. While the muffins are still warm, dip the top of the muffin into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar blend until coated. Serve warm.

Variations

• Gluten-Free - Use a cup-4-cup gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
• Mini - French breakfast puffs can be made mini, too - bake them in a mini muffin tin. Cut the baking time down to approximately 11 minutes.

Suggested Equipment

• KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Series Stand Mixer
• DI ORO Seamless Series 11.2 Inch Large Silicone Spatula
• USA Pan Bakeware Muffin Pan
• Standard Paper Cupcake Liners

Storage

Store breakfast puffs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Can you freeze French breakfast puffs? Muffins are freezable. Transfer cooled muffins to an airtight container or freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

How do you reheat French breakfast puffs? Best served warm, microwave a muffin for 15-30 seconds for that fresh-out-of-the-oven feel.

Other Delicious Muffin Recipes

• Mixed Berry Muffins with Buttermilk
• Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
• White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Expert Tips

1. For the smoothest batter, sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
2. Use paper muffin cups or grease the tin before adding the muffin batter.
3. Dip the top of the muffin in butter or coat the entire thing.
4. Do not over-mix the batter - the more you mix, the more gluten is developed—over-mixing results in tough, dense muffins.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do French breakfast puffs taste like?Breakfast puffs taste similar to cinnamon sugar cake donuts. A fluffy vanilla muffin is infused with cinnamon, dredged in butter, and coated in cinnamon sugar.

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