Name: Cinnamon Sugar Mini Breakfast Puffs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 18 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 tsp Cinnamon; 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 the muffins in after they are baked. DO NOT ADD TO THE BATTER.

These Mini French Breakfast Puffs are soft, fluffy muffins dipped in warm melted butter and then coated in sweet cinnamon sugar. They bake in under 15 minutes, taste fantastic, and make a quick breakfast treat you can count on!

Cinnamon sugar coated breakfast muffins randomly placed on a white textured background.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I have quite a few breakfast sweets on my site now, and alongside my Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Butterscotch Bundt Roll recipes, these mini french breakfast puffs are probably the simplest to whip up!

I learned this recipe from my Aunt Deb, who got it from her mom (my Grammy) years ago, and now I'm passing it along to you! The one change I made to her version was baking them as minis, because who doesn't love a mini treat?

This recipe makes about 18 mini breakfast muffins using a medium-sized cookie scoop. It takes roughly 10-15 minutes to prep and 13-15 minutes to bake! Roll them in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar while they're still warm, and enjoy!

That's all there is to it, so easy!

Mini french breakfast puffs placed in vintage metal muffin tin with bowls of cinnamon sugar and melted butter placed around them on a white textured background.

Ingredients You Need

You will need the following to make these miniature cinnamon sugar breakfast muffins. The bulleted items below are the key ones that need a little more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as all purpose flour, milk, vegetable shortening, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, egg, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar on a white marbled background.

All-Purpose Flour. I like the King Arthur brand, but use whatever you have on hand.
Nutmeg. No nutmeg? Cinnamon works in its place.
Vegetable Shortening. Softened, room-temperature unsalted butter can be swapped in at a 1:1 ratio.
Milk. I used 1%, but 2%, whole, or fat-free all work as a substitute.
Unsalted Butter. This is used to roll the freshly baked puffs in.
Cinnamon Sugar. The coating that goes on after the muffins have been dipped in the melted butter

How to Make the Recipe

Here is a quick walkthrough of how to make these homemade french breakfast puffs. For the full printable recipe, which works with US customary or metric measurements, see the recipe card below.

Recipe Tip: Start by moving the oven rack to the middle position (or the one just above it) and heating the oven to 350ºF. Generously spray 18 of the 24 cups in a 24-cup mini muffin pan with a flour-based baking spray.

Cinnamon and sugar whisked together in small glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Mix the cinnamon sugar in a small bowl. Set it aside.

Whisked flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Whisk the dry ingredients together. That means the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.

Vegetable shortening and granulated sugar beaten together in a large glass mixing bowl with an egg cracked on top.

Step 3. Cream the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until fully blended.

Breakfast puffs batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Add the milk and dry mixture to the wet ingredients in alternating batches. Mix only until combined.

Recipe Tip: The batter is fairly thick, but it scoops easily.

Scooping breakfast muffin batter into coated mini muffin cavities on a white marbled background.

Step 5. Spoon the batter into the mini muffin cups. A medium-sized scoop works best.

Baked mini french breakfast puffs in a dark nonstick mini muffin tin on a white marbled background.

Step 6. Bake 13-15 minutes at 350ºF, until lightly golden brown. Move them to a cooling rack lined with paper towels.

Recipe Tip: Wait to melt the butter until the very end of baking.

Coating mini breakfast muffins in melted butter in a small glass bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 7. Using one hand, dip each mini puff in the melted butter. Spoons or mini tongs work too.

Coating mini breakfast muffins in cinnamon sugar mix using a spoon in a small glass bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 8. Using your other hand, roll the puffs in the cinnamon sugar. Set them back on the paper towel-lined rack or a serving platter, then dig in!

Storage

These are at their best the day they're made, but they stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds to reheat.

French breakfast puffs randomly placed around a bowl of cinnamon sugar on a white textured background.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a standard size muffin tin for these breakfast puffs?

If you don't own a mini muffin tin, you can make these as regular muffins in a standard muffin tin. Keep the oven at 350ºF, but bake for 23-25 minutes instead. Fill each cup 2/3 full, which makes about 12 medium-sized muffins.

Can I use butter in place of shortening?

Yes, it works as a 1:1 replacement.

Can breakfast puffs be kept at room temperature?

Yes, they keep well at room temperature in a sealed container for up to two days. Microwave them for 15 seconds to warm them up.

If you made these Mini French Breakfast Puffs or anything else from my website, please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!