How to Store Muffins: 3 Ways to Store Muffins

In the United States, muffins are a type of quick bread baked in a muffin tin. While they are cupcake-shaped and typically sweetened with sugar, fruit, or chocolate chips, they can also come in more savory varieties. The dough rises in the oven thanks to the addition of baking powder or baking soda rather than yeast.

In the United Kingdom, “muffins” refer to an unsweetened, circular, yeast-leavened flatbread that is baked and cooked on a griddle. Though the sweeter quick bread version of the muffin is much more popular in the U.S., flatbread muffins were reintroduced in the U.S. in the late 1800s as “English muffins.”

It isn’t necessary to refrigerate fresh muffins. With the exception of homemade muffins that contain meat or cheese, you’ll almost never want to refrigerate muffins, since freshly baked muffins will get rapidly dried out in the cooler temperatures of your fridge. You’ll also want to avoid storing them in plastic wrap since this can trap moisture and leave you with soggy muffins.

There are a few tried-and-true ways to store freshly baked muffins.

1. 1. Room temperature: Keeping muffins in an airtight container on your kitchen countertop is the best way to store muffins for up to four days. First, let the muffins cool out of the oven on a wire rack. Letting them cool off is important, as hot muffins in an airtight container can produce condensation that causes the muffins to become soggy. Line the bottom of the container or plastic bag with a paper towel before placing the muffins inside in a single layer. Cover the tops of the muffins with another paper towel to help absorb excess moisture.
2. 2. Freezer: To freeze muffins, place them in a single layer in a freezer bag. Frozen muffins will keep for up to three months. To reheat your muffins, thaw them at room temperature or use a thaw setting on your microwave. You can also wrap each muffin in aluminum foil and heat it for ten minutes in an oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. 3. Refrigerator: Typically, avoid refrigerating muffins. However, if your muffins are a savory variety that includes cheeses or meats in the recipe, store them in the fridge where they will remain fresh for up to six days.

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