If you love the rich flaky layers of a croissant but want something fun, handheld, and indulgent, these Cheesy Garlic Cruffins are going to be your new favorite. Imagine crescent roll dough filled with garlic, chive butter and mild cheddar cheese — every swirl packed with flavor. Then they’re rolled up, cut, baked, and finished with more garlic butter. Golden, savory, cheesy, and slightly crispy on the outside — pure comfort food in muffin form.
They’re the kind of pastry that makes your kitchen smell amazing, easy enough to put together for brunch, a snack, or serving guests, yet they have a look and taste like they came from a boutique bakery. Perfect for pairing with soup, salad, or enjoying on their own with coffee or tea. Plus, there’s something satisfying about pulling apart those layers and tasting the garlic‑chive butter with melty cheddar.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Combines buttery, garlicky, cheesy flavor with flaky texture
- Uses crescent roll dough for ease and speed (no laminate dough required)
- Fun shape and presentation — each cruffin is like a bite‑sized swirl of deliciousness
- Perfect for brunch, snacks, dinner sides, or party pulls
- Shared easily — each muffin tin holds 12; ideal for feeding a crowd
Ingredients
(Makes 12 cruffins / serves 6 as a side/snack)
Dough
- 3 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll sheets
Filling
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 3 cups (339 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
Garlic Butter Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
1. Preheat & Prepare Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lightly spray a standard 12‑cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Shape the Dough & Layer Filling
Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out each crescent roll sheet to a roughly 12 × 16‑inch rectangle. If using perforated crescent dough, pinch the seams to seal so it doesn’t split.
In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, and chopped chives. This is your garlic‑chive butter filling.
Spread about one‑third of that butter mixture evenly over the top of the first dough sheet. Then sprinkle one cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese over the buttered dough.
Starting from the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight log. Once rolled, cut the log in half, giving two shorter logs. Then cut each short log lengthwise into two strips to make four sections. Repeat this for all three dough sheets so that in total you have 12 sections of dough.
3. Form into Cruffins
Take each section of dough, layer facing outward, and roll it like a cinnamon roll, tucking the end under to secure the shape. Place each shaped cruffin into one cavity of your prepared muffin tin. Repeat until the tin is full.
4. Bake
Bake for 20‑25 minutes, or until the cruffins are golden brown and the dough is fully cooked through.
5. Make Garlic Butter Topping
While the cruffins are baking, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, chopped chives, and salt in a small bowl.
6. Finish & Serve
Once the cruffins are baked, remove from the oven and brush the warm tops liberally with the garlic butter mixture. Let them rest slightly in the muffin tin for a minute, then remove and serve warm.
Tips for Success
- Keep butter softened but not oily so it spreads well on the dough
- Use mild cheddar for melting comfort; sharper cheese adds tang if you prefer
- Make sure dough seams are sealed so filling doesn’t leak out during baking
- Give muffin tin cavities a little space between cruffins if your pan allows — they’ll puff and spread slightly
- Brush on the garlic butter while the cruffins are hot so topping melts in and soaks a bit
Final Thoughts
These Cheesy Garlic Cruffins are that satisfying blend of something savory, something cheesy, and something bakery‑worthy without the effort of making croissants from scratch. The crescent dough shortcut works beautifully here, giving flakiness and pull‑apart layers, while the garlic, chives, and cheddar fill in all the flavor.
They feel fancy, but they’re not. They’re perfect for weekends, gatherings, or whenever you want a treat that tastes elevated. Serve them with soup, salad, or as the star of brunch. Warm, buttery, cheesy — these cruffins are destined to become your go‑to when you want something special.
Share Your Creations
Tried making these Cheesy Garlic Cruffins?
Leave a comment and tell me how they turned out!
Did you change the cheese, add extra garlic, mix in herbs, or tweak the topping? I’d love to see your version and hear your tweaks!
Cheesy Garlic Cruffin
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 tubes 8 oz each refrigerated crescent roll sheets
Filling
- ½ cup 1 stick / 113 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 3 cups 339 g mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
Garlic Butter Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chives finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat & Prepare Pan
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly spray a standard 12‑cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Shape the Dough & Layer Filling
- Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out each crescent roll sheet to a roughly 12 × 16‑inch rectangle. If using perforated crescent dough, pinch the seams to seal so it doesn’t split.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, and chopped chives. This is your garlic‑chive butter filling.
- Spread about one‑third of that butter mixture evenly over the top of the first dough sheet. Then sprinkle one cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese over the buttered dough.
- Starting from the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight log. Once rolled, cut the log in half, giving two shorter logs. Then cut each short log lengthwise into two strips to make four sections. Repeat this for all three dough sheets so that in total you have 12 sections of dough.
Form into Cruffins
- Take each section of dough, layer facing outward, and roll it like a cinnamon roll, tucking the end under to secure the shape. Place each shaped cruffin into one cavity of your prepared muffin tin. Repeat until the tin is full.
Bake
- Bake for 20‑25 minutes, or until the cruffins are golden brown and the dough is fully cooked through.
Make Garlic Butter Topping
- While the cruffins are baking, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, chopped chives, and salt in a small bowl.
Finish & Serve
- Once the cruffins are baked, remove from the oven and brush the warm tops liberally with the garlic butter mixture. Let them rest slightly in the muffin tin for a minute, then remove and serve warm.
Leave a Comment