These Mini French Breakfast Puffs are soft, fluffy mini muffins brushed with warm melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. They bake in about 13–15 minutes, come together quickly, and make a perfect grab-and-go breakfast or weekend treat.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make the Recipe
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- More Breakfast Sweets to Enjoy!
- Mini French Breakfast Puffs Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
This family recipe, passed down from my aunt and grandmother, yields about 18 mini muffins. I adapted it into mini portions because small, buttery treats are irresistible. They take roughly 10–15 minutes to prep and 13–15 minutes to bake. Fresh from the oven, dip each puff in melted butter, roll it in cinnamon sugar, and enjoy warm.
Ingredients Needed
Below are the ingredients for these miniature cinnamon sugar breakfast muffins. Notes clarify a few key items.
- All-Purpose Flour. Any brand works; King Arthur is a good choice.
- Nutmeg. Optional—substitute extra cinnamon if needed.
- Vegetable Shortening. Can be swapped 1:1 with softened unsalted butter.
- Milk. 1% was used, but 2%, whole, or fat-free are fine.
- Unsalted Butter. Melted for dipping the finished muffins.
- Cinnamon Sugar. The coating added after dipping in butter.
How to Make the Recipe
Overview of the process: prepare cinnamon sugar, whisk dry ingredients, cream shortening and sugar, add egg, alternate adding milk and dry mix, scoop into mini muffin tin, bake, then dip in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Recipe Tip: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and arrange the rack in the middle or one above center. Generously spray 18 cavities of a 24-cavity mini muffin pan with a flour-based baking spray.
Step 1. Whisk 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
Step 2. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; set aside.
Step 3. Beat 1/3 cup vegetable shortening and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add 1 large room-temperature egg and mix until combined.
Step 4. Lower mixer speed and alternate adding the milk and dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick but scoopable.
Recipe Tip: The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape but easy to scoop.
Step 5. Use a medium cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter into the prepared mini muffin cavities.
Step 6. Bake at 350ºF for 13–15 minutes, until light golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined cooling rack.
Recipe Tip: Melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter near the end of baking so it’s ready for dipping.
Step 7. Dip each warm muffin in melted butter (use a spoon or tongs if preferred).
Step 8. Roll the butter-coated muffins in the cinnamon sugar, place them back on the cooling rack, and serve warm.
Storage
These are best enjoyed the same day. Stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, they will keep up to 2 days. Reheat individual puffs in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Use the same oven temperature, 350ºF, but bake for 23–25 minutes. Fill each cup about two-thirds full to yield roughly 12 regular muffins.
Yes. Substitute softened unsalted butter for shortening at a 1:1 ratio.
Yes. Store them in a tightly sealed container for up to two days and reheat briefly if desired.
More Breakfast Sweets to Enjoy!
Chocolate Croissant Loaf
Mini Chocolate Banana Blender Muffins
Homemade Baked Chocolate Donuts
Lemon Blueberry Streusel Scones
If you try this Mini French Breakfast Puffs recipe, please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Mini French Breakfast Puffs
Equipment
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24-cup mini muffin or cupcake tin
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Hand mixer
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Mixing bowls
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Whisks and spatula
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Medium cookie scoop
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Mix
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
French Breakfast Puffs Muffin Batter
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Shortening room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter melted – for dipping after baking. DO NOT add to the batter.
Instructions
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Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 24-cavity mini muffin pan with a flour-based baking spray.
Cinnamon Sugar Mix
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Whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
French Breakfast Puffs Muffin Batter
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In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
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Using a mixer, beat the shortening and 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately add the milk and dry mixture, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick but scoopable.
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Using a medium cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly into the mini muffin cavities.
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Bake 13–15 minutes at 350ºF or until light golden brown. Transfer the puffs to a wire cooling rack lined with paper towels.
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Right before the puffs finish, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
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Dip each warm muffin in the melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon sugar. Return to the cooling rack and serve warm.
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Best eaten the same day. Store in a sealed container at room temperature up to 2 days and reheat for about 15 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Video
Notes
- To make regular-size muffins, use the same temperature but bake 23–25 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 18 mini puffs, so you won’t need all 24 cavities.
- You can double the cinnamon sugar and store it for other recipes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients used.