French Breakfast Puffs, Sugar and Spice Muffins, Donut Muffins, Baked Sugar Donut, The. Best. Breakfast. Muffin. Ever! Many names, but only one description: “Oh wow – this is good!”

This is truly a time honored favorite, no matter what name it has. Everyone love, love, loves this tender muffin with a crunchy spicy coating. Time honored because I first made it in college. I was a member of a women’s housing co-op where we shared the household duties in exchange for reduced housing costs. Work was set up on a two week rotating basis and included a stint as assistant cook and then chief cook. The chief cook planned the meals and could include anything she wanted as long as it was within the budget and reasonably nutritious.

Except! French Breakfast Puffs. It was house tradition that each head cook had to have French Puffs for one breakfast during her two week command of the kitchen. Everyone checked the menu to see when the Puffs were slated and no one missed that breakfast. Some cooks would serve it with a double or triple batch and nothing else but a serving of fruit. Others would make it a side for a more elaborate breakfast. Either way the muffins were always the star!

Sugar and Spice Muffins have always been a treat at our house. Whenever I serve it to overnight guests, at a tea party or bring it to a breakfast pot luck, the recipe is always requested. In fact, I have two recipes for the same muffin. One uses biscuit mix as the base (the French Puff version) and the other is totally from scratch (Sugar and Spice Muffin or Sugar Donut Muffin). They are both good – some prefer one recipe over the other, but at our house they disappear with equal dispatch. I’m going to share both below. (Yes, two recipes in one post! Take your pick according to what you keep on hand!)

Remember that muffin batter is a tender batter and should have as little mixing as possible. Stir until all ingredients are just mixed. Too much stirring and you will have tough muffins. Treat with tenderness and your love will show great returns – now there’s a post in a whole different direction! Mixing butter evenly into muffin batter is a challenge, so it works best to cut it into the dry ingredients before adding the liquids or to melt it and add it with the liquids. Have your cinnamon sugar mixed and the butter melted while the muffins are baking. I roll the whole muffin in butter and then cinnamon sugar according to house tradition, but you can just coat the muffin top. You can freeze the muffins and thaw at room temperature the night before or a few seconds in the microwave while gathering your “gone for the day” things. But for a real treat, schedule them when you have time to enjoy them with good friends and family.

Print Print

Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!

Shared with these awesome link parties here

Discover more from A Pinch of Joy

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Sugar and Spice Muffins – Best Breakfast Muffins Ever

French Puff – Best Breakfast Muffins Ever

Ingredients

Topping

Instructions

Nutrition