French Breakfast Puffs with Fresh Strawberries

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French breakfast puffs are light and fluffy vanilla muffins with a deliciously buttery cinnamon-sugar topping. Serve with fresh strawberries for the perfect breakfast treat. 

Breaking off a piece of french breakfast puff with fresh strawberries.

I’m sharing this easy french breakfast puffs recipe with you as part of my White Lily series. A family-friendly company, White Lily encourages folks to share their knowledge in the kitchen and help pass on their cooking heritage.

This recipe is perfect for that because my mother taught me how to make these when I was a little girl. They are a simple muffin, perfectly suited to a cup of coffee or juice, and especially delicious when paired with fresh fruit like I’m doing here.

Despite the name, french breakfast puffs are not French. The recipe first appeared in a Betty Crocker cookbook decades ago and immediately became a favorite Southern breakfast treat. They’re super quick and easy to make and I bet you already have most of the ingredients at home.

The lightly cinnamon-spiced vanilla muffins are perfectly tender with a golden brown top, which we then dip in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Serve them with some fresh strawberries and you have yourself a winning breakfast.

If you like snickerdoodle cookies or cinnamon toast, I just know you’re gonna fall head over heels for these breakfast puffs as well. So let’s make some french breakfast puffs today and make sure you share the results with someone you love!

Labeled ingredients for French breakfast puffs.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsalted butter (or margarine)
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Shortening

How to Make French Breakfast Puffs

Place 1/2 sugar, egg, and shortening in mixing bowl.

Place 1/2 of the sugar, egg, and shortening in a medium bowl.

Mix ingredients together.

Mix.

You saw that coming, didn’t ya?

Gradually add in milk, vanilla extract, and flour.

Gradually add in milk, vanilla extract, and flour.

Or just dump it all in like I do.

Now mix that up.

French breakfast puff batter

Boom! Here is our muffin batter.

Grease muffin pan.

Spray a muffin tin with some cooking spray.

This recipe makes 15 but I fill mine a little more and just spread it out over 12.

Fill each muffin cup with batter.

Divide batter evenly into each muffin cup and then bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Wash and cut strawberries and toss with sugar.

While those are cooking, wash and chop up some fresh strawberries if you’d like. Sprinkle them with a little sugar to taste.

Let sugared strawberries sit to release juices.

Stir to coat and set aside for a bit so the strawberries can release their juices.

Mash strawberries roughly with pastry cutter.

Then, to make them even saucier, smash them up a wee little bit with a fork or pastry cutter.

Mashed strawberries.

Like so.

French breakfast puff topping ingredients: melted butter and cinnamon sugar.

Stir remaining sugar together with cinnamon and place in a small bowl.

Melt butter in another small bowl.

Dip each French breakfast puff in melted butter.

Dip the top of each muffin in the butter.

Dip the buttered top into the cinnamon-sugar mixture

And then dip the buttered top into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Cinnamon sugar topping on French breakfast puff.

Like this.

Plain French breakfast puff.

Serve warm muffins plain…

French breakfast puff with fresh strawberries.

With fresh strawberries…

French breakfast puff with strawberries and whipped cream.

Or add some whipped cream!

Storage

  • Store puff leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can quickly reheat them in the microwave or air fryer.
  • You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before reheating as above.

Recipe Notes

  • The original recipe calls for ground nutmeg, and I note that I don’t use it in my first cookbook (page 190), so I’ll note it here as well. I don’t personally like ground nutmeg (although I’m sure it’s very nice and comes from a lovely family and all that), so I use ground cinnamon in its place. 
  • If you have mini muffin tins and want to make mini french breakfast puffs, they’ll take between 12 and 14 minutes to bake instead. They’ll resemble delicious baked doughnut holes.
  • Instead of only dipping the tops, go ahead and roll the entire muffin in butter and then cinnamon sugar.
  • For nutty french breakfast puffs, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped nuts to the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Recipe FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely! It’s so easy to double this recipe and make 24 breakfast muffins. Enjoy!

Check out these other scrumptious muffin recipes:

Monkey Bread Muffins

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins No Dairy or Eggs

Easy Apple Pie Muffins

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

Pecan Pie Muffins

French breakfast puff with strawberries and whipped cream.

French Breakfast Puffs

French breakfast puffs are light and fluffy vanilla muffins with a deliciously buttery cinnamon-sugar topping. Serve with fresh strawberries for the perfect breakfast treat. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: muffins
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 231.1kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg I substitute cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Topping

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup or 1 stick of melted margarine or butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 and grease 12-15 medium muffin cups (I just divide it among 12).
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the egg thoroughly. Mix in the flour and nutmeg (or cinnamon as a substitute) alternately with the milk and vanilla (if using vanilla).
    1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
  • Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
  • In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon together. Immediately after baking, dip the puff tops in the melted margarine and then in the sugar mixture. Serve hot.
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup or 1 stick of melted margarine or butter

Nutrition

Calories: 231.1kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 “On days when warmth is the most important need of the human heart, the kitchen is the place you can find it”

~E. B. White

Submitted by Jackie. Click here to submit your own.

Special thanks to White Lily for sponsoring this post.

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58 Comments

  1. Hey Christy,
    Love your books, recipes and articles in the “Taste of the South”. I am all about
    Southern cooking…..each time I need something I refer to “Southern Plate” first.
    Having known you and your family for so long……..feel as though I am a part
    Of your family. You are an inspiration to me. Love your heart felt thoughts!
    Barbara Ingram

  2. Christy, thank you for bringing the past to the present; and reminding us all that the real joy in life is our family and how wonderful it is to see the smiles on their faces as we bring the food to the table (or in some cases of our family; they are dipping out of the pots with the food still on the stove). Our sons are all grown, but will call and say “MaMa, do you think you could make some chicken and dumplings one day?” We were so poor when they were little, but chocolate gravy and homemade biscuits made us seem rich. By the way, I made “chocolate toast” by letting 4 pats of butter melt on sliced bread as it toasted in the oven, and then put cocoa powder and sugar on the butter and spread it all around and those little boys ate it up! Take care and continue to be the sweet person you are and let’s all thank God for our blessings. Your friend in Tennessee, Barbara

  3. I think I have made a similar recipe but made with butter. I’m definitely going to try yours (including the nutmeg – love the depth of flavor it gives everything). I’ll use the crushed berries too, because who can resist taking a recipe and making it even more delicious. Always love reading the comments, you can learn so much here and everyone is always very upbeat. Glad that there have been no residual problems with your injuries. And, as so may always write, thank you for the daily words that inspire us to do our best!

  4. How do you think Almond milk would be in place of regular milk? I have a huge container of strawberries from a neighbor and would love to try this recipe…look yummy…saw you on “The Talk”…want to try those recipes, too.

      1. Well, I made them…didn’t realize they had vanilla flavoring in them (till I looked at the pictures)…I did use the Almond milk (vanilla unsweetened)…they were good but they looked small compared to yours)…they have a very light, fine texture; I used a 12 medium muffin size pan – next time I will use whole milk and see how they…they are tasty.

  5. I saw you on The Talk today. It was wonderful!! ! You looked and did great. My husband walked through and said, “write down those recipes!!!!!”

    I have my tv set to record the Hallmark show tomorrow. I will be at work. I am so sorry that I had to miss your signing at Malaprop’s in Asheville. I had to work. Hope that you had a wonderful time!!!

    How excited I am for you. I know that you are having a wonderful time but miss your precious family.

    Have a safe trip home!
    Pam

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