When made correctly, muffins are drool-inducing, tender baked goods that make the perfect breakfast treat. But, sometimes, life happens, and things in the kitchen dont go as planned. Inaccurate oven temperatures, missing ingredients, wrong measurements, stale leaveners, overbaking, overmixing — all can lead to disappointing results and a batch of dry, dense muffins that no one wants to eat.
Of course, theres also the possibility that youre a rock star baker whose muffins always turn out moist and fabulous. But after lingering too long on the counter exposed to air, your once-stellar muffins have begun to lose their wonderful, soft, fresh-baked texture. Or, maybe your recipe yielded far too many muffins for your household to consume fast enough, and theyve begun turning hard and dry. Whatever the case, we have simple ways to bring those muffins back to life so they dont go to waste. Read on to learn how to revitalize stale muffins in a jiffy.
Try this hack to revitalize stale muffins First, spray them with water or pat them with a damp paper towel. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap each muffin in aluminum foil and reheat the whole batch for up to 10 minutes.
Cover with a glaze
Top a muffin with a sweet glaze, and it will undoubtedly improve in flavor and appearance. A glaze is a simple mixture of powdered sugar and a liquid, typically water or milk, used to spruce up and add moisture and flavor to baked treats. A glaze is an easy way to pep up a dry muffin and make it look prettier. The moistness and yummy sugary taste from the glaze will make you forget about any dry texture in the muffin.
Its easy to make a glaze that can be spooned or drizzled over the tops of muffins. One of our favorite sweet toppings for muffins is a lemon glaze. Simply whisk together 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar with about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice until the mixture is smooth and thick yet pourable. If the consistency needs adjusting, add more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed. Then, use a fork to drizzle the lemon glaze over the top, or dip the muffins top directly into the glaze for a full coating. While a sugary glaze wont save you any calories, it will treat you to a delicious muffin-eating experience.
Pan-fry on the stovetop
Muffins are the best. Theyre the perfect amount of sweet (and sometimes savory) packed into a portable treat and also come in many tasty flavors — from pumpkin streusel and cappuccino to chocolate chip and jalapeño corn. Its hard to imagine a way to improve these little baked delights. But were sold on one specific genius hack. This buttery tip will seriously improve muffins, whether fresh or stale.
Warm a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Cut the muffin in half and spread the cut side of each half with butter. Place the halves, butter-side down, onto the hot skillet and allow to cook until the bottoms are golden brown and toasted — which, in our experience, doesnt take long. (Alternatively, you could melt butter directly in the pan and place the muffin halves, cut-side down, in the hot butter.) The result is a warm, crunchy, buttery muffin thats just as good — or better — than the original.
How to Keep Muffins Fresh for Longer
FAQ
How do you reheat muffins the next day?
Can you eat day old muffins?
Can you bake muffins the next day?
Can I put muffins back in the oven after they have cooled?
How do you reheat Muffins in the oven?
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place muffins in an oven safe dish or container and wrap with aluminum foil. Allow the them to reheat for about 15 to 25 minutes (This depends on the size or if the muffins were frozen or refrigerated.) Once the muffins are fully heated up, you can take them out and enjoy.
Can muffins be reheated?
The short answer is that muffins can be reheated with a conventional oven, toaster oven, microwave, stovetop, or air fryer. However, each of these is going to work in different ways, and they all have their own techniques. You can learn how to warm up muffins with all of the above appliances from our handy guide below!
Can You reheat frozen English muffins?
You can simply allow the frozen English muffins to thaw on your counter, or you can reheat them straight from frozen in the oven, toaster, air fryer, or microwave. To use the microwave, place the muffin on a paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals until it’s warm and fluffy.
How do you reheat a breakfast muffin sandwich?
If you want to toast the muffin and add some crispiness, place it under the broiler for a few minutes or use a toaster. You can reheat breakfast muffin sandwiches (frozen or fresh) in the oven or the microwave. To use the oven, preheat it to 350°F (180°C) and wrap your sandwich in foil. Heat for 10-15 minutes until warm to the center.