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Witch Hat Breakfast Muffins Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Witch Hat Breakfast Muffins Recipe

I stumbled onto this idea last October when I wanted something fun for my kids' breakfast without spending my whole morning in the kitchen. I had a package of sausage patties and a box of pancake mix sitting on my counter, and somehow the combination turned into these little witch hat muffins.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 breakfast sausage patties — the base of your witch hat so pick a size that fits snugly in your muffin tin
  • 1 cup pancake mix — any store-bought variety works fine buttermilk gives the fluffiest results
  • ¾ cup milk in place of water called for on the pancake box — makes the batter richer and gives the tops a nicer golden color

Method
 

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit so it's fully hot by the time your muffins go in. Press one sausage patty firmly into the bottom of each muffin cup, making sure it sits flat. A snug fit here keeps the pancake batter from sliding underneath later.
  2. Slide the muffin tin into the oven and bake the sausage patties alone for about 5 minutes. This step firms them up and renders a little extra fat, which actually helps the pancake batter bond to the sausage as everything finishes baking together.
  3. While the sausage bakes, prepare your pancake mix according to the package instructions, but swap out the water for milk instead. Whisk until the batter is smooth and mostly lump-free, since a smoother batter pours more evenly over each patty.
  4. Pull the tin out of the oven once the sausage has firmed up, then pour the pancake batter directly over each patty. Fill each cup close to the top, since the batter will puff up slightly but won't overflow much during baking.
  5. Return the tin to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops turn a deep golden brown. You'll know they're ready when a toothpick inserted into the pancake portion comes out clean.
  6. Let the muffins rest in the tin for 2 to 3 minutes once they come out of the oven, since this brief rest makes them far easier to remove. Run a butter knife gently around the edge of each one before lifting them out onto a cooling rack.

Notes

  • I always spray my muffin tin with a little nonstick spray first, even though the sausage has some fat, since it still helps everything release cleanly.
  • I like using thicker sausage patties because thinner ones tend to shrink too much and leave a gap around the edges.
  • I never skip pre-baking the sausage for those first 5 minutes, since it keeps the finished muffin from tasting undercooked in the center.
  • I pour my batter slowly around the edges of the patty rather than straight on top, which helps it sink in evenly instead of pooling on one side.
  • I keep a close eye during the last five minutes of baking, because ovens vary and mine tends to run a little hot.