Baking

Nutella Cruffins: Croissant + Muffin + Nutella = Obsession

3 min

Warm the Nutella for about ten seconds before you spread it. Cold from the jar, it drags and tears the puff pastry, and once you've rolled a torn sheet into a log there's no fixing it. From there it's brushed butter, a scatter of brown sugar, a tight roll, and three slices per log set cut-side up so the spiral layers puff open in the muffin tin. These bake in around 20 minutes and come out somewhere between a croissant and a sticky bun.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

The cruffin is a real bakery invention, often credited to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco, which popularized it in the mid-2010s and had people lining up before dawn. The original is laminated croissant dough proofed in a muffin tin, so this puff-pastry version is the shortcut home cooks landed on once the idea spread. It skips the lamination, so treat it as the easy cousin rather than the bakery article.

Croissant. Muffin. Nutella. Together at last.

Flaky, buttery puff pastry. Swirled with creamy Nutella. Baked in a muffin tin. Dusted with sugar. 35 minutes. You’ve been warned.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 6-cup muffin tin.

Roll each puff pastry sheet slightly into a 10×12-inch rectangle.

2 2

Add Nutella

Brush pastry with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Warm Nutella slightly (10 seconds in microwave) until spreadable. Spread evenly over both sheets.

3 3

Roll and Cut

Roll each sheet tightly into a log. Slice each log into 3 equal pieces.

Place each piece cut-side up into a muffin cup.

4 4

Top and Bake

Optional: Brush tops with beaten egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

5 5

Coat and Serve

Roll warm cruffins in granulated sugar. Dust with powdered sugar.

Drizzle with extra melted Nutella. Serve warm.

Summary

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 18-22 minutes | Total Time: 35-40 minutes

Yield: 6 cruffins

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Best Fresh:

Cruffins are best the day they’re made. Reheat in oven for crispiness.

Reheat:

Oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Microwave for 15 seconds but less crispy.

Pro Tip:

Warm Nutella before spreading. Cold Nutella tears the pastry.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

18-22 minutes

Total

35-40 minutes

Yield

6 cruffins

Ingredients

Makes 6 cruffins.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (thawed)
½ cup Nutella (plus extra for drizzling)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash, optional)

For Topping:

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp coarse sugar (turbinado, optional)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1
Preheat and Prep. Preheat and Prep. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 6-cup muffin tin. Roll each puff pastry sheet slightly into a 10×12-inch rectangle. 2 2
2
Add Nutella. Add Nutella. Brush pastry with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Warm Nutella slightly (10 seconds in microwave) until spreadable. Spread evenly over both sheets. 3 3
3
Roll and Cut. Roll and Cut. Roll each sheet tightly into a log. Slice each log into 3 equal pieces. Place each piece cut-side up into a muffin cup. 4 4
4
Top and Bake. Top and Bake. Optional: Brush tops with beaten egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. 5 5
5
Coat and Serve. Coat and Serve. Roll warm cruffins in granulated sugar. Dust with powdered sugar. Drizzle with extra melted Nutella. Serve warm
6
Best Fresh:. Best Fresh:. Cruffins are best the day they’re made. Reheat in oven for crispiness
7
Reheat:. Reheat:. Oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Microwave for 15 seconds but less crispy
8
Pro Tip:. Pro Tip:. Warm Nutella before spreading. Cold Nutella tears the pastry

Swaps & Substitutions

Puff pastry → homemade rough puff works if you have it, but all-butter store-bought puff gives the best lift; avoid the oil-based sheets, they bake greasy
Nutella → any chocolate-hazelnut spread swaps in one-for-one; a thick cookie butter or a chocolate-tahini also works, just warm it the same way so it spreads
Unsalted butter → salted butter is fine here; the brown sugar and Nutella carry the flavor and a little salt actually helps
Brown sugar → white sugar plus a few drops of molasses, or just white sugar on its own for a cleaner sweetness
Turbinado sugar → any coarse or sanding sugar for the crunch on top, or skip it and lean on the granulated-sugar roll after baking
Egg wash → brush with a little cream or milk for color, or leave it off; the tops still brown from the butter and sugar

Questions & Answers

Why did my cruffins unravel or flatten in the oven?

Usually the log wasn't rolled tightly enough, so the spiral has room to relax and slump. Roll firmly, and set each piece cut-side up so the layers stand and puff vertically instead of spreading.

Can I make these ahead?

You can slice and seat the pieces in the tin, then refrigerate covered for a few hours and bake straight from cold, adding a minute or two. They're best within an hour of baking; the sugar coating goes from crisp to tacky as they sit.

How do I store leftovers and bring them back?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for five minutes to re-crisp the pastry, then dust with powdered sugar fresh since it dissolves on standing.

Do I roll them in sugar before or after baking?

After. Roll the cruffins in granulated sugar while they're still warm, around the five-minute mark out of the oven, so the sugar grips. Save the powdered sugar and Nutella drizzle for right before serving.

The Nutella leaked out and burned on the pan. What happened?

Too much spread near the cut edges, or the oven running hot. Spread a thin even layer and leave a small border at the end of the sheet, and line the tin or grease it well so the escaped sugar lifts off.

Nutella Cruffins: Croissant + Muffin + Nutella = Obsession