1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Muffin Tin:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven is heating up, prepare your muffin tin by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. This ensures that your cruffins will come out easily after baking. You will need a standard 12-cup muffin tin for this recipe.

2. Roll Out the Crescent Roll Dough:
Place the crescent roll dough sheets on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough sheet into a 12×16-inch rectangle. If you’re using perforated dough, make sure to pinch the seams to ensure the dough forms a continuous sheet without any holes. The goal here is to create a uniform, rectangular shape for even rolling.

3. Spread the Butter:
Once your dough is rolled out, spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter evenly over each dough sheet. The butter will give the cruffins their signature flakiness, so don’t skimp on this step. Make sure the butter is spread all the way to the edges of the dough.

4. Prepare the Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. This mixture will provide the signature flavor of the cruffins. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over each buttered dough sheet. Use your hands to gently press the cinnamon-sugar into the dough to ensure it sticks.

5. Roll the Dough:
Starting at one long edge of the dough, tightly roll the sheet into a log. This tight roll will help create the flaky layers that make cruffins so irresistible. After rolling up the dough, slice the log in half, creating two shorter logs. Then, slice each of those logs in half lengthwise. This will give you four shorter sections of dough per sheet. Repeat the process for the remaining two sheets of dough.

6. Form the Cruffins:
Now it’s time to shape the cruffins! Working one section of dough at a time, roll it tightly into a cinnamon roll shape, ensuring that the cut sides face outward. This will create the beautiful cinnamon swirls visible in the finished pastry. Once shaped, place the cruffin into the prepared muffin tin. Repeat this process with the remaining dough sections, arranging them neatly in the muffin tin.

7. Bake the Cruffins:
Place the muffin tin into the preheated oven and bake the cruffins for 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of baking, as they should be golden brown and slightly puffed up. The cruffins are done when they are crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.

8. Cool and Coat with Cinnamon-Sugar:
Once the cruffins are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the tin for a few minutes. While they’re still warm, roll each cruffin in the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. This final step ensures the cruffins are coated in a sweet, crunchy layer that adds to their irresistible flavor.