Name: French Breakfast Puffs, mini size
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 18 servings
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, airy breakfast muffins coated in warm, melted butter and then rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar. They take less than 15 minutes to bake, taste genuinely wonderful, and are the perfect go-to, quick breakfast treat!

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

Why this bake works

I have a growing number of breakfast sweets here on Sovuh, and next to my Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Butterscotch Bundt Roll recipes, these mini french breakfast puffs are probably the easiest to make!

It's a recipe I got from the Aunt Deb, who got it from her Mom (a.k.a. my Grammy) years ago, and now I'm sharing it with all of you! One small change I made from the Aunt's recipe—I made these minis because who doesn't like mini treats?

This recipe yields approximately 18 mini breakfast muffins using a medium-sized cookie scoop, takes roughly 10-15 minutes to prep, and 13-15 minutes to bake! Fresh and warm from the oven, roll them in the melted butter, coat them with the cinnamon sugar, then enjoy!

That's it—easy peasy!

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.

What goes in

The following ingredients are needed to make these miniature cinnamon sugar breakfast muffins. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit 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. A reliable flour to use is from King Arthur, but use what you have on hand.
Nutmeg. If you don't have nutmeg on hand, you can use cinnamon in its place.
Vegetable Shortening. You can substitute softened, room-temperature unsalted butter (1:1 ratio).
Milk. I used 1%, but 2%, whole, and fat-free are fine as a substitute.
Unsalted Butter. Used for rolling the just-baked breakfast puffs in.
Cinnamon Sugar. The coating that gets added after you've dipped the muffins in the melted butter

How it comes together

Below is a quick overview of how to make these house-made french breakfast puffs. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements, visit the method card below.

Recipe Tip: Before starting, adjust the oven rack to the middle rack (or the one above it) and heat the oven to 350ºF. Generously spray 18 of the 24 cavities in a 24-cavity 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. Whisk the cinnamon sugar mixture together in a small bowl. Set 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. This includes 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. Beat together the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until light and airy. Add in the egg and mix until well combined.

Step 4. Alternate adding the milk and dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Recipe Tip: The breakfast puffs batter will be on the thicker side, but easily scoopable.

Step 5. Scoop the breakfast puffs batter into the mini muffin cavities. Try using a medium-sized scoop.

Step 6. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350ºF or until a light golden brown. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined cooling rack.

Recipe Tip: Melt the butter towards the very end of baking the breakfast puffs.

Step 7. With one hand, coat the mini breakfast puffs in the melted butter. You can also use spoons or mini tongs.

Step 8. With the other hand, coat the breakfast puffs in the cinnamon sugar mix. Place them back onto the paper towel-lined cooling rack or serving platter, then enjoy!

Storage

These are best eaten the same day, but also keep well at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Questions on this bake

Can Use a standard size muffin tin for these breakfast puffs?

Yes, if you don't have a mini muffin tin, you can make these as regular-size breakfast muffins using a standard muffin tin. The oven temp is the same at 350ºF, but the bake time changes to 23-25 minutes. Fill them 2/3 full, which should yield 12 medium-sized muffins.

Can Use butter in place of shortening?

Yes, it would be a 1:1 substitute.

Can breakfast puffs be kept at room temperature?

Yes, these breakfast puffs will keep well at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for up to two days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.