How Long Do Muffins Last In The Fridge
Muffins can last for 2 days in the refrigerator. After that, they tend to dry out and stale. They are easy to bake and store. You should store the muffin in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have a lot of muffins, it is best to store them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
After muffins are left for two days at room temperature, they should then be thrown away or stored in a refrigerator or freezer. Generally, you can keep muffins in the refrigerator up to 1 week to keep them fresh and not get soggy. While keeping muffins at room temperature will not keep them fresh nearly as long, it is a better option if you are planning on keeping them only a day or two.
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Storing muffins in your refrigerator and freezer are always good options if you are looking to preserve their freshness as much as possible, but you are still running the risk of freezer burn or them picking up odors from the other foods you are storing. The best way to keep your muffins fresh once they are baked is to allow them to completely cool down before you store them in a sealed container. If you baked overnight and you know that your muffins will be eaten the following day, use this simple technique to help them stay fresh overnight.
| Storage | Shelf life |
| In refrigerator | 2 days |
| In air tight container | 2-3 months |
If you know the muffins are going to be eaten the next day, or are going to go into your morning lunchbox, the best way to maintain the freshness of the muffins is to let them sit on a wire rack with a clean, dry dish towel covering it. You can keep muffins on the wire rack overnight if you know for certain you and your guests can finish them in 24 hours. Well, if you know you are absolutely going to eat them within the next 3 or 4 days, then keep your homemade muffins in a sealed container or zip-lock bag.
If I am making muffins I expect to eat within the next day or two, storing them in an airtight container is generally sufficient. To store muffins for up to 4 days, line a sealed container or zipper-lock bag with paper towels, then store muffins one layer at a time. Muffins are best stored up to 5 days stored airtight at room temperature or refrigerated.
Muffins can last 2 days to 3 months in an airtight container, depending on where they are stored. If stored correctly in an airtight container, muffins last approximately 2 to 4 days at room temperature. Properly stored, fresh baked muffins will last about 1 to 2 days at normal room temperature.
Properly stored, a packet of muffin mix typically stays in good quality for approximately 12-18 months at room temperature. It is recommended that you keep your muffin mixes for no longer than nine months, and they should be kept somewhere cool and dry. Generally, store-bought muffins last anywhere from five to seven days past their expiration date. Muffins stored in this manner will last anywhere between two and four days (without this method, you will notice that the “soggy” factor takes over in less than 24 hours).
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The reason why the muffins become soggy if you keep them longer than one to two days is that moisture begins to percolate into the bottom of the container, creating a soggy mess. Their moisture will try to escape, and if muffins are wrapped in plastic, or stored in a vacuum sealed bag or an empty container, this moisture will soak straight back up on top. When the extra moisture cannot escape or is not absorbed somewhere else, the muffins and quick breads pay the price, becoming soggy quickly.
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this from happening to a home-baked muffin, but we can put off the problem with these paper towels. Put the paper towel in the bottom of your container, as well as the top, to absorb any excess water, avoiding mushy muffins.
Place several salted crackers into the airtight container with your muffins; these will soak up any extra moisture and keep your muffins from sticking. To freeze, put your muffins into a plastic container, layered with a couple pieces of paper towels — be sure this is one layer of muffins, since you do not want them crushed. If the muffins are going to be refrigerated, put them into a baggie lined with paper towels, again, placing them on top of a single layer covered by another paper towel.
It might seem a good idea just to place muffins onto a decorative dish and wrap them with plastic wrap for the day after. If you plan on eating them the day or day after, just tightly wrap muffins with plastic wrap/foil and store them on a countertop. As far as where to store your muffins overnight, the counter of your kitchen is okay, but if you want to make 100% sure the muffins survive overnight, throw them into the freezer. The best practice is to place the cupcakes, one-layered, on the cooling rack straight from the oven.
If you have an overcrowded freezer, you are better off going with a leak-proof container, since that keeps the muffins from getting crushed. It is important that this steam is allowed to escape, otherwise, it will be trapped within the air-tight container and make your muffins soggy. It is best to be the prudent one and throw away muffins that have been sitting too long in their container. You can use a refrigerator, but that is not recommended, unless you are keeping meat-and-cheese-laden muffins.
Stored in a resealable freezer bag, muffins and quick breads will last in the freezer about three months. If you would rather store them in a container, you can (once fully defrosted) place them in a sealed container and let sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Keep in mind, however, you may encounter some texture issues if you keep your muffins in the refrigerator longer than five to six days.
Muffins that have some fruit baked into the dough may keep a little longer since it is not considered to be fresh anymore. For instance, muffins that are decorated with fresh fruit — like blueberries, bananas, or strawberries — only tend to keep a day or two on the counter. Muffins that are coated in chocolate, nuts, oats, dried fruits are mostly dried, and thus, will only last 7 days. Regardless of what kind of savory ingredients you opt for, you will generally be able to make it for up to six days — however, you will need to store the savory muffins in the refrigerator.
Should I freeze muffins with liners?
Muffin liners can be frozen to keep muffins from clinging to one another. Let the muffins cool to room temperature first. After that, spread the muffins out in a thin layer on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer for about 2 hours, then seal the container tightly.
Do homemade muffins need to be refrigerated?
Fresh muffins do not require cooling in the refrigerator. Most of the time, you won’t want to refrigerate muffins because they will quickly dry up in the cooler temps of your fridge, with the exception of homemade muffins that include meat or cheese in them.
Can muffins grow mold?
Muffins can, sadly, go moldy. This is specifically true if they are set down on the counter during warm weather or in an environment with a lot of humidity. Consuming it quickly or freezing it are the best options for preventing muffin mold.