Morning buns made with a tender, croissant-style dough can be prepared the night before—perfect for holiday mornings. Filled with orange-cinnamon sugar, they perfume the kitchen with a festive aroma that will have everyone eager to wake up.
TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: A flaky, croissant-like morning bun filled with buttery orange-cinnamon sugar—bakery-quality and impressive.
- Why you’ll love it: Can be prepped ahead, offers an outstanding texture and flavor, and makes a special breakfast or brunch centerpiece.
- How to make it: Prepare a laminated croissant dough, spread with orange-cinnamon sugar, roll, cut into portions, proof, and bake in a muffin tin until golden.
When making the dough, avoid overmixing—overworked dough becomes tough. The butter mixture used for laminating should be pliable but not melted; it should spread smoothly, with a texture similar to cream cheese. If the dough becomes too cold in the freezer, let it sit at room temperature until it’s rollable. The laminating steps strengthen the dough’s layers. For best flavor and structure, let the shaped buns rise overnight in the refrigerator when possible. —Sarah Kieffer
Featured Review
Chef David is the best! Not only is this recipe amazing (even when using plant butter), but he helped fix the problem I was having with seeing the recipe and steps! Thank you so much, Chef! I’d give you ten stars if I could!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Jean Bartels
Your Morning Buns Questions, Answered
For a panettone-style variation, add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the filling and stir in about 1 cup (170 g) of mixed dried or candied fruit—cranberries, candied orange peel, golden raisins, dried pineapple, apricots, or cherries all work well.
Assemble the buns and place them in the prepared pan, but skip the 2-hour room-temperature rise. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and allow the chilled buns to sit at room temperature (still covered) until puffy—about 1 1/2 to 2 hours—then bake as directed.
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Chocolate Muffins
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Monkey Bread from Zoë François
7 hrs 5 mins
Now that your kitchen smells like a bakery, consider pairing these buns with other standout brunch items. A classic banana bread, a sweet-tart rhubarb jam to dollop on slices, gooey monkey bread for sticky-sweet decadence, or rich chocolate muffins are all excellent complements for a memorable weekend spread.
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, consider leaving a review, star rating, and a photo in the comments. I love hearing from you. –David
Featured Review
My partner went to Costco to find some morning buns, but couldn’t find them. So I made them myself. This was my first time making morning buns! Instructions were easy and straightforward; folding was the hardest part, but the buns came out looking great—super tasty!
Karina
Morning Buns
David Leite
Ingredients
For the croissant dough
- Butter, for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F or 35°C to 45°C)
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted
For laminating the dough
- 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for the bowl, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the morning buns
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating the muffin pan
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, preferably organic
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the muffin pan and spatula
Instructions
Make the croissant dough
- Butter a large bowl. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the warm water and active dry yeast; let sit until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Start the mixer on low and add the water-yeast mixture, then the melted butter.
- Mix until combined, 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be rough but should form a single mass. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a 10-by-12 inch (25-by-30.5 cm) rectangle on plastic wrap, cover, place on a sheet pan, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Prepare the butter for laminating
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon flour until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into a 12-by-20 inch (30.5-by-50 cm) rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the butter-flour mixture evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Perform a letter fold: fold one-third of the dough onto itself, then fold the remaining third on top. Rotate so the seam faces right and roll to a 10-by-18 inch (25-by-46 cm) rectangle. Repeat the letter fold. Chill on a floured sheet pan in the freezer for 6 minutes.
- Repeat the letter fold and roll to an 8-by-16 inch (20-by-40.5 cm) rectangle; perform a final letter fold and gently compress the dough. If not using immediately, wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before using.
Shape the morning buns
- Butter and sugar-coat a twelve-cup standard muffin pan, tapping out excess sugar.
- In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the sugar with the orange zest, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Roll the croissant dough into a 10-by-24 inch (25-by-60 cm) rectangle on a generously floured surface. Brush with the melted butter, then sprinkle the orange-cinnamon sugar evenly and gently press it into the butter.
- Starting at a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder, seam-side down. Cut into twelve equal pieces, about 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
- Place each piece cut-side down in the prepared muffin pan. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled and puffy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Bake the buns
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Remove the plastic wrap and gently press the top of each bun with a lightly greased spatula. Place a sheet pan on a lower oven rack to catch drips. Bake for 15 minutes, press the tops again, rotate the pan, and continue baking until golden, about 20 minutes more.
Coat the buns
- While the buns bake, place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. When the buns are done, flip them immediately onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Using tongs, toss each hot bun in the sugar until evenly coated. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Morning buns are best the day they are made.
Adapted From
Baking for the Holidays
Nutrition
Calories: 631 kcal
Carbohydrates: 83 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 29 g
Sugar: 21 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Only a portion of tested recipes make it to the site; this one passed rigorous blind testing and earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval. Here are a few tester notes.
Jessie Hagan
These buns are worth the time—flaky and gooey in the right places. They require patience and breaks between steps, but the payoff when you flip hot buns into sugar is unforgettable. They reheat well and make excellent leftover bread pudding.
Denise McCormick
The texture is croissant-like with a subtle orange note. The first 15 minutes yield a beautiful rise; a little extra baking after rotating produced a gooey, cooked center with a deeper brown top.
Trisha T.
These would fit right into a café. Crispy tops, soft caramelized bottoms, and great flavor. Freezing the dough ahead and thawing it the night before made the process manageable and rewarding.