Craving something that’s equal parts flaky croissant and cinnamon-sugary churro? These Churro Cruffins are your new breakfast obsession — crispy, buttery, and rolled in that classic churro coating we all grew up loving.
Okay, real talk — the first time I made these, I ate three before they even had a chance to cool down. No regrets. These little guys hit that sweet spot between a lazy weekend baked dessert and an impressive “I totally have my life together” breakfast sweet. And the best part? You’re working with store-bought puff pastry, so the effort-to-payoff ratio is absolutely unhinged in the best way.
Table of Contents
What You’re Getting Into (In the Best Way)
This cruffin recipe takes the flaky, buttery magic of a croissant and wraps it in the warm cinnamon-sugar soul of a churro.
The layers puff up in the oven into these gorgeous, golden spirals — crispy on the outside, tender and airy on the inside. Add an optional dulce de leche filling and you’ve basically invented dessert for breakfast, which honestly should be a constitutional right.
There’s no yeast, no proofing, no stress. It’s the kind of recipe that looks wildly impressive on a brunch table but takes maybe 35 minutes start to finish.
Churro Cruffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry brush
- Knife
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
The Dough
- 1 sheet Puff pastry, thawed
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter, melted
The Coating
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
The Filling (Optional)
- Dulce de leche or chocolate spread as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a muffin tin generously.
- Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to smooth creases, then brush evenly with melted butter.
- Roll the pastry tightly into a log from the short end, then slice into 1-inch pieces.
- Twist each slice slightly and place into the muffin tin with the cut side facing up.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Brush warm cruffins with butter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Optionally fill each cruffin with dulce de leche or chocolate spread using a piping bag.
Notes
Ingredients
| Category | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Dough | Puff pastry, thawed | 1 sheet |
| Unsalted butter, melted | 1/4 cup | |
| The Coating | Granulated sugar | 1/2 cup |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 tbsp | |
| The Filling (Optional) | Dulce de leche or chocolate spread | As needed |
A quick tip on ingredients: make sure your puff pastry is fully thawed before you start — cold, stiff pastry cracks when you roll it and nobody has time for that. Let it sit at room temp for about 30–40 minutes and you’re golden (literally).
Let’s Make Some Churro Cruffins
Step 1: Get That Oven Going
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a muffin tin generously. Don’t skip the greasing — puff pastry has a way of fusing itself to pans like it’s got something to prove. A good spray of cooking oil or a little butter brushed into each cavity will save you a lot of heartache later.
Step 2: Roll Out the Puff Pastry
Lay your thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and give it a gentle roll with a rolling pin to smooth out any creases. You’re not trying to dramatically change its size here — just make it nice and even so everything bakes uniformly. Think of it as a light massage for the pastry. Gentle, purposeful.
Once it’s smooth, brush the entire surface with melted butter. Don’t be shy — butter is basically the whole personality of this recipe.
Step 3: Roll It Up Tight
Starting from one of the short ends, roll the buttered pastry up into a tight log. The tighter you roll it, the better those gorgeous layered spirals turn out in the oven. It’s like rolling a cinnamon roll, except this one’s going to get way more glamorous.
Once you’ve got your log, use a sharp knife to cut it into 1-inch slices. You should get about 9–12 depending on how thick you cut them.
Step 4: Twist and Shape
Here’s where it gets fun. Take each slice and give it a gentle twist to create a spiral shape. Don’t overthink it — even imperfect twists bake into beautiful little cruffins. Place each twisted slice into a greased muffin tin cavity with the cut side facing up so those layers show off.
Pro tip: If your slices keep flopping over, just tuck the end underneath. The oven will do the rest.
Step 5: Bake Until Golden
Slide the tray into your preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cruffins are puffed, deeply golden, and your kitchen smells like a bakery. Keep an eye on them around the 20-minute mark — every oven runs a little different and you want golden brown, not “welp, those are bricks now.”
Step 6: Coat in Cinnamon-Sugar Magic
While the cruffins are baking, mix your granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Once the cruffins come out, let them cool for just a couple of minutes — enough that you don’t burn yourself, not so long that the butter stops sticking. Brush each cruffin with a bit more melted butter, then roll it generously in the cinnamon-sugar coating.
This is the churro moment. Lean into it.
Step 7: Fill ‘Em (If You’re Feeling Extra)
This step is technically optional, but also — why wouldn’t you? Fill a piping bag with dulce de leche or chocolate spread, insert the tip into the center of each cruffin, and squeeze gently. You’ll feel the cruffin puff slightly when it’s full.
This is the kind of filling that turns a good breakfast sweet into a full-on experience. For more indulgent baked dessert ideas in this vein, check out this no-bake chocolate orange cheesecake — it’s basically dessert goals.
Tips, Tricks & Variations
Make Them Even More Flaky
The layering in puff pastry is what gives churro cruffins their magic texture. For extra flakiness, chill your shaped cruffins in the muffin tin for 10–15 minutes before baking. Cold pastry = more dramatic puff. It’s science, and it’s delicious.
Flavor Variations Worth Trying
Swap the cinnamon-sugar coating for cardamom sugar if you want something a little more exotic and aromatic. You can also add a pinch of cayenne to the coating for a subtle kick — it’s unexpected and surprisingly addictive. For the filling, Nutella works beautifully, or try a vanilla pastry cream if you want to go full fancy bakery mode.
Make It a Full Brunch Spread
These cruffins pair beautifully next to something bright and citrusy. Honestly, I’d put them right next to a plate of lemon crumb bars — the tang from the lemon plays perfectly against the warm spice. Or if you want something savory to balance all the sweetness, this Italian chopped salad is a surprisingly perfect brunch sidekick.
Common Troubleshooting
Cruffins unrolling in the oven? Make sure you’re rolling the log tightly and tucking the ends under when you place them in the tin. A tight shape holds better as the pastry puffs.
Not golden enough? If your cruffins look pale at the 25-minute mark, give them another 3–5 minutes. Puff pastry needs real heat to brown up properly.
Cinnamon-sugar not sticking? Roll them while they’re still warm and freshly brushed with butter. The coating adheres best in that little window right after they come out of the oven.
Storage & Reheating
| Storage Method | How Long | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature (airtight) | Up to 2 days | Best eaten day-of for max crispiness |
| Refrigerator | Up to 4 days | Reheat before serving |
| Freezer (unfilled) | Up to 1 month | Freeze before coating, coat after reheating |
To reheat: Pop them in the oven at 300°F for 5–8 minutes to revive that crunch. The microwave works in a pinch but they’ll lose some of their crispiness — worth knowing going in.
No-waste tip: If your cruffins start to go stale, cube them up and toss them in a skillet with a bit of butter and extra cinnamon-sugar for a quick churro crouton situation. Unhinged? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Serve over vanilla ice cream and feel like a genius.
Nutritional Information (Per Cruffin, Approximate)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~220 kcal |
| Total Fat | 13g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
| Carbohydrates | 24g |
| Sugar | 10g |
| Protein | 2g |
| Sodium | 115mg |
Note: Nutritional values are estimates and will vary based on specific brands and whether filling is added.
FAQs About Churro Cruffins
Can I use homemade puff pastry instead of store-bought?
Absolutely — if you’ve got the time and energy, homemade puff pastry will give you even more flaky, buttery layers. That said, store-bought is genuinely excellent for this cruffin recipe and makes the whole process weekday-friendly. Use whatever makes your life easier.
Can I make churro cruffins ahead of time?
You can prep and shape the cruffins the night before, then cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Bake them fresh in the morning for the best texture. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the bake time since they’ll be starting cold.
What filling works best?
Dulce de leche is the classic churro move and it’s chef’s kiss here. Chocolate spread is equally amazing if you’re more of a chocolate person. If you want something a little lighter, a whipped vanilla cream or even a fruit jam works beautifully — though for pure indulgence, dulce de leche wins every time.
Can I make these without a muffin tin?
You can place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, but they won’t hold their shape as well — they’ll spread out more. A muffin tin is really what keeps them tall and spiral-shaped, so it’s worth grabbing one if you don’t already have one. They’re also great for lemon poppy seed cupcakes so it’s a solid investment.
Are these the same as regular cruffins?
A traditional cruffin is made with croissant dough and is usually filled with cream or jam. Churro cruffins take that same rolled-and-baked concept but use puff pastry and a cinnamon-sugar churro coating — so it’s more of a lovechild between a cruffin and a classic breakfast sweet churro situation. Easier to make, just as fun to eat.
Go Make These Right Now
Seriously — if you’ve been looking for a reason to do something a little extra on a weekend morning, churro cruffins are it. They’re flaky, sweet, warm, and covered in cinnamon sugar. What more could you possibly need in life?
Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes in the comments! And if you’re into easy, crowd-pleasing snacks, these frozen Greek yogurt blueberry bites are another fun one to add to your rotation.
If your batch turned out amazing (which it will), save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again — and share it with a friend who deserves a little churro magic in their morning.
