This Cruffin recipe is a vegan version of a famous Croissant Muffin - a beautiful and delicious sweet pastry. Unlike a traditional Cruffin that features homemade laminated dough, my Cruffin is made with yeast which makes the whole process so much easier.
Also, try my Banana Chocolate Muffins and Chocolate Cruffins - the same great dessert loaded with chocolate ganache.
Cruffin
It took me and my mom a few shots to perfect this Cruffin recipe, but the result was so worth it.
Now imagine this: soft and flavorful yeast dough that is filled with raisins, shaped into a muffin, baked, and then topped with chopped walnuts, drizzled with melted chocolate, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Sounds good, isn't it? Let me assure you - it really is delicious!
And given the fact that these Cruffins are prepared with vegan ingredients, it makes them a little bit healthier.
What is Cruffin pastry?
If you love croissants and muffins, let me introduce you to the simplified version of them - Cruffins.
Originally created in 2013 in Australia for a local pastry shop, this beautiful dessert then obtained its widespread popularity when was trademarked by Mr. Holmes Bakehouse from San Francisco.
Typically, Cruffins are made with the laminated dough which is a sophisticated term for puff pastry.
Making puff pastry is a whole different story and is not a very quick thing to do.
Enter sweet yeast dough - easy to make with pantry ingredients and no need to laminate.
In addition, Croissant Muffins are always filled with something sweet. More on that later.
These Vegan Cruffins are great for breakfast, dessert, or even a special occasion.
Ingredients
The wonderful part about this Cruffin recipe is that you can make them with pantry ingredients. Here's what you need:
- almond milk
- active dry yeast
- apple sauce
- olive oil
- Maple syrup
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- raisins
- chocolate chips - I love using Hu Chocolate Gems. They're the only plant-based chocolate "chips" that I recommend. Sugar-free, Oil-free, and Soy-free. Enter the code IRYNA15 for 15% off on all Hu Kitchen products.
- chopped walnuts
- powdered sugar
If you're trying to limit refined sugar, feel free to omit powdered sugar. It is used only for decoration and is not an essential ingredient.
Instructions
1. Proof the yeast
In a large bowl combine warm (105-115 F) almond milk and active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Combine milk-yeast and remaining liquid ingredients
Whisk in apple sauce, olive oil, and Maple syrup in a bowl with milk and yeast.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients
In another large bowl mix together flour and salt and stir in wet ingredients. Knead the dough by hand until it is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with the dough with a clean kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm place until it doubles in size. This should take about 40-60 minutes.
4. Divide the dough and roll it out
After your dough has doubled, divide it into 6 even size balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a rectangle (or oval) approximately 5 by 15 inches long. Brush the rectangle with some olive oil and sprinkle a handful of raisins on top. Starting from the short end, roll the dough into a log. Now, roll out the log until it's about 10 inches long.
5. Shape the log into a Cruffin
Now, comes the easy part. Using a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise into 2 smaller logs. Roll each log into a spiral and place it into a muffin cavity. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
6. Let the dough rest and bake
After you fill out all muffin cavities, let the unbaked Cruffins rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. After that, bake in a preheated 395 F oven for 20 minutes.
Immediately, remove Cruffins on a cooling rack and let them cool for 15 minutes. Finally, drizzle Cruffins with melted chocolate, sprinkle with some chopped walnuts, and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
How to store Croissant Muffins?
These delicious treats will keep well on a counter for 1 or 2 days.
You can also freeze them. Just wrap them up tightly in a parchment paper or freezer-friendly bag and store them in a freezer for up to 1 month.
Recipe Variation
Raisins. If you don't have them, you can fill these Cruffins with chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or ever unsweetend dried cherries, yum! Use a minimum of 2 tablespoons per piece of dough. The more filling - the juicer Cruffin will be.
Olive oil. I also tried this recipe with almond butter and coconut cream.
Despite that, the olive oil version was the most flavorful, almond butter or coconut cream are decent substitutes as well. I imagine, using a fruit jam as the main spread will also be delicious.
Recipe
Cruffin Recipe {Vegan Croissant Muffin Recipe}
Ingredients
- ½ c + 2 tbsp almond milk divided
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ c applesauce
- ½ c + 5 tbsp olive oil divided
- 5 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 3 ½ c all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7.5 oz raisins
- 4 tablespoon powdered sugar optional
- 3 oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ c walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
Proof the yeast
- In a large bowl combine warm (105-115 F) ½ c + 1 tablespoon of almond milk and active dry yeast. Let is sit for 10 minutes. (I always use food thermometer to check the temperature).
Combine milk-yeast mixture and the remaining liquid ingredients
- To a bowl with yeast whisk in apple sauce, ½ cup + 1 tablespoon of olive oil and Maple syrup.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
- In another large bowl mix together flour and salt and stir in wet ingredients. Knead the dough by hands until it is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a dough with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 40 to 60 minutes.
Divide the dough and roll it out
- Divide the dough into 6 even size balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a rectangle (or oval) approximately 5 by 15 inches long. Brush the rectangle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil (at this point you have 4 remaining tablespoon of olive oil) and sprinkle 2 tablespoon of raisins on top. Starting from the short end, roll the dough into a log. Now, roll out the log until it's about 10 in long.
Shape the log into a Cruffin
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise into 2 smaller logs. Roll each log into a spiral and place into a muffin cavity. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Note 1
Let the dough rest and bake
- Preheat the oven to 395 F. After you fill out all muffin cavities, let the unbaked Cruffins rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. After that, bake Cruffins for 20 minutes. Remove Cruffins on a cooling rack and let them cool for 15 minutes.
Prepare the "topping"
- Place chocolate chips and the remaining 1 tablespoon of almond milk in a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds and whisk until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Using a fork or a pastry bag fitted with a thin tip #1, drizzle melted chocolate over Cruffins. Top with chopped walnuts and dust with a powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Josefina B. says
This is yummy!
Jo says
Ur recipe states 5 tbsp maple syrup but u only use 1 tbsp. What about the rest?
Iryna says
Hi Jo! The instruction says "To a bowl with yeast whisk in apple sauce, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of olive oil and Maple syrup." The "1/2 cup + 1 tbsp" refers to the amount of olive oil. In this step you add all 5 tbsp of Maple syrup. Sorry for the confusion. I'm gonna make a note in the recipe.
M says
Can I sub the flour for almond or coconut flour? Same for the olive oil, with coconut oil instead?
Iryna says
Hello! I haven't tried this recipe with other flours and not sure how Cruffins would turn out. In terms of oil, you can absolutely use coconut oil instead of olive oil.
Hayley Michelle Miller says
If you're looking for gluten free, I would highly recommend cassava flour as a replacement. Coconut flour is very dense and almond flour can be tricky. I have four cassava to be a really good 1:1 ratio replacement to regular flour.