Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Muffins
Yes, you can freeze muffins just fine. Freezing muffins is actually a great way to preserve them for an extended period of time, especially if you have leftovers or even if you have made a large batch you would like to keep for a while. The most important thing to note is to protect the muffins from the freezer airs and other flavors, which can ruin them. Those aside, muffins freeze fine!
This guide tells you how to freeze muffins easily and successfully at the ease and safety of your home.
Taking from time-tested experience along with expert opinion and hours’ worth of research, this guide tells you everything when it comes to freezing muffins successfully!
Without further ado, read on right into the first method!
How to Freeze Muffins
The advantage of working with store-bought muffins over their homemade counterpart is that the former is usually known to have a significantly longer shelf life in the refrigerator in comparison to the latter.
However, if you are looking to store your muffins for longer than that time period (always check the manufacturers' instructions and advice regarding the 'use by' and manufacture date), freezing is a considerably safe bet. It is not too complicated a process and quite fail-safe.
Do note, that it is tricky and not usually recommended to freeze store-bought muffins in the packaging or container it came in, as the chances are that the original packaging does not provide your muffins with enough protection during freezing.
Materials
- Cling film
Tools
- Large airtight resealable airtight freezer bag or container
Instructions
Wrap each muffin tightly and securely in cling film – Wrapping individually gives them the essential protection they require in the freezer, and also helps you to take and use only the few you require at a time without having to thaw and then refreeze the rest.
Pack them in tightly in the airtight freezer bag or container – Packing them in tightly will ensure no space remaining for any excess air.
As for what you will be packing the muffins in, I would recommend using a rigid, freezer-safe, airtight container over a freezer bag, but in case your freezer does not have the space to accommodate a whole Tupperware, you can use a large freezer bag as well.
Seal tightly and freeze – Sealing the airtight freezer bag or container is essential in making sure the muffins freeze well. Squeeze out all the excess air from the bag before sealing, and snap the lid tightly on the container. Label and freeze!
Freezing Homemade Muffins
Time Taken: 20-30 minutes
What You Need:
- Aluminum foil/plastic wrap
- Airtight resealable freezer bag
Freezing homemade muffins works quite well as you can prep the ingredients on your own to an extent and make them more suitable for freezing.
This obviously includes making the muffins itself as a part of the method, so if you want a quick refresher on the ingredients and other things you need to remember, you can refer to this video:
Note that because homemade muffins will not have the preservatives that are in a lot of cases added to store-bought muffins, homemade muffins will have a pretty short shelf life. Freezing is your best option for long-term storage.
Prepare your muffins as per recipe
Once baked, make sure the muffins cool down completely before you prep to freeze it. Tossing hot muffins into the freezer will lead to spitting and will ultimately ruin them for good.
Allow the muffins to cool down entirely on a cooling rack.
Wrap the muffins individually tightly in aluminum foil
Once cooled down, your muffins have to be packed in and wrapped individually, very tightly and securely in aluminum foil for them to freeze well. You can also use plastic wrap or cling film.
Make sure no part of its surface is exposed and that it becomes completely airtight and watertight as well.
Pack the wrapped muffins into an airtight resealable freezer bag
Once wrapped securely in aluminum foil, pack the muffins inside an airtight resealable freezer bag or container.
Seal securely and freeze
Make sure you squeeze out any excess air from inside the freezer bag and then seal it securely. Label the bag or container with the storage date, and it is ready to freeze!
Freezing Flash-Frozen Muffins
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Aluminum foil/plastic wrap
- Airtight resealable freezer bag or container
- Baking tray
Lots of experts recommend flash-freezing the muffins before freezing them. Aside from that the method is quite similar to the ones described before, and can be used in case of both homemade as well as store-bought muffins.
Just in case these different methods are a little confusing to you and you would like a more visual guide, feel free to refer to:
And now, on to the method!
Flash-freeze the muffins in a single layer on a baking tray
If prepared at home, wait until the muffins are cool. Then, arrange them in a single layer with adequate space between each, on a baking tray.
Then, place the baking tray inside the freezer and allow the muffins to flash-freeze for at least four to five hours. You can also leave them to flash-freeze for longer.
The flash-freezing ensures added, utmost protection for your muffins. Once flash-frozen, it should be safe to keep your muffins in the freezer for up to even 3 months.
Wrap the muffins individually tightly in aluminum foil
Once frozen hard, your muffins have to be packed in and wrapped individually, very tightly and securely in aluminum foil.
Make sure no part of its surface is exposed and that it becomes completely airtight and watertight.
Pack the wrapped muffins into an airtight resealable freezer bag
Once wrapped securely in aluminum foil, pack the muffins inside an airtight resealable freezer bag or container.
Seal securely and freeze
Make sure you squeeze out any excess air from inside the freezer bag and then seal it securely. Label the bag or container with the storage date, and it is ready to freeze!
How to Freeze Tarts
Time Taken: 10-20 minutes
What You Need:
- Tightly covered airtight freezer-friendly container
Tarts make quite the delightful desserts! They are also pretty easy to make! You can find the detailed, step-by-step recipe guide here:
What’s more, you can also freeze them! Read on to find out how.
Allow the tarts to cool down completely after cooking
Once prepared as per the recipe, allow your tarts to cool down completely before attempting to freeze them.
Always remember that any prepared (cooked/baked) food will not freeze well if put inside the freezer if it is still hot or even warm. Your tarts must cool down completely.
Transfer the tarts into an airtight freezer-friendly container with a tight-fitting lid
Our favorite method is to simply stack the tarts in the container, but you can do it any way you prefer, as long as the container is freezer-friendly and is clean.
Secure container tightly, label and freeze
As mentioned, try to make sure the container has a tight-fitting lid that cuts off any entry of air. Secure the lid tightly and properly.
Label the container. Your tarts are ready to freeze! While they can be kept in freezer storage for up to a month, it is wise to finish them up by the earliest time possible within freezing.
Here’s another tip: after thawing, sprinkle the tarts with a little bit of additional powdered sugar before serving. They should taste as good as fresh tarts. Enjoy!
How Long Can You Freeze Muffins?
Muffins can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. While they can technically be frozen for longer, a lot of the time their ingredients affect the process. Hence, for optimum flavor, it is advised that you eat and use up your muffins within not more than 2 months.
The longer you keep the muffins in the freezer, the more they are going to lose their texture, consistency, flavor, and taste as the ingredients will start to lose moisture, separate, and get spoilt. So, make plans to eat them up at the earliest.
How to Store Frozen Muffins?
Muffins can be kept in freezer storage in airtight freezer bags, as prescribed in the methods above, whether homemade or store-bought, when securely wrapped first individually in cling film or tin foil.
Other freezer storage tips include ensuring that the temperature in the freezer remains consistent and that the sealing has been done securely and carefully. Only then will your muffins freeze well.
How to Defrost Frozen Muffins?
Defrosting muffins is a fairly easy process. Make sure you thaw them very carefully so that they do not get mushy.
Simply transfer the frozen muffins from the freezer to the refrigerator and leave them to thaw overnight. Once thawed, serve and eat the muffins immediately.
If necessary, reheat once before serving. You can give it a run in the microwave for around ten seconds, twenty if necessary.
Can You Refreeze Frozen Muffins?
This is actually one of the best things about freezing muffins! It is completely safe to refreeze muffins that have been defrosted in the refrigerator. However, you should avoid refreezing them more than once.
Avoid refreezing more than once at all costs; once thawed, serve immediately, and do not refreeze any leftovers. It is best to discard them as chances are that they are simply not suitable to be eaten anymore.
Also, refreezing (even once) always includes the risk of turning out soggy muffins with slightly distorted textures, so do be mindful of that before you decide to refreeze muffins.
Do Muffins Freeze Well?
The answer to this question comes down ultimately to the type of ingredients used in your muffins. However, on a general note, it can be said that muffins freeze fine, as long as they are consumed within a maximum of 1 to 2 months within freezing.
One of the most important factors to ensure is that the muffins are made well. If your muffins have not been prepared well in the first place, it would be hard for them to freeze well.
Also, do keep it in mind to leave out any toppings or decorations you may have for the muffins; these tend to affect the texture and flavor of the muffins considerably during the freezing process. It is a better idea to just add them after freezing, thawing and reheating.
FAQs
Yes, absolutely. You can freeze all kinds of muffins. Blueberry muffins can be frozen successfully at home following the same processes described in this guide.
Yes! Whether blueberry, banana or cherry, all kinds of muffins can be frozen with no worries or hassles. Just follow the instructions, tips and hacks given in this guide very carefully for best results.
Sure you can. However, I would advise that you avoid adding any chocolate chips as topping, or adding any icing. But apart from that, the methods to freeze and defrost remain the same as the ones illustrated in this guide.
The process is simple! First, wrap the thawed muffins in tinfoil, and heat them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the muffins.
The muffins should be kept in the freezer, below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, or below -18 degrees Celsius.
It is of course, very important that the temperature remains steady and low enough, minimizing chances if repeated thawing and refreezing, which may create ice on the surface of the muffins.
Bottom Line
We hope this comprehensive, step-by-step guide covering the best methods to freeze muffins, along with tarts successfully at the safety and ease of your home, as well as the tips, hacks and tricks described, has helped you!
For any further questions you may have regarding freezing muffins, please do let us know by reaching out to us, we would love to help you out!
If you have any other tips and tricks that you have discovered and would like other people to also know, feel free to reach out and let us know; we will add them to this guide so they can help more people!
If this has helped you, please do share it with your friends and family so that they can also use it.