How to Thaw Frozen Muffins : 5 Useful Methods

Muffins are amazing for not only dessert but also for breakfast and afternoon tea breaks. Muffins have gained popularity not only because of their amazing taste but also because of their convenient preparation. Muffins are easy to preserve in the freezer and also easy to thaw and be eaten at a later time.

There are various methods of defrosting or thawing frozen muffins. I will show you all of the methods so that you can very easily thaw and enjoy your muffins just as they were when you first baked them. The methods are procured carefully to ensure that the muffins do not spoil and the taste remains the same.

You can use a microwave oven, regular oven, refrigerator, or water, and keep it at room temperature to thaw frozen muffins. Each of these methods has its usefulness and limitations which will also be described thoroughly so that you can pick the method that works best for you. 

How to Thaw Frozen Muffins? 

You can use numerous methods to safely but surely thaw your frozen muffins. No matter what method you choose, you have to make sure three fundamental things are maintained.

The first is that the muffins cannot go bad or spoil. The defrosting methods have to be monitored carefully so that the muffins do not get infested by any bacteria, fungus, mold, or other harmful microbes and get spoiled. Spoiled muffins will not only taste bad but it can also cause sickness.

The second thing that you have to ensure is that the muffins do not lose their taste. The methods have to make sure that the taste of the muffins remains at least close to how it tasted when it was first baked. Although keeping the taste the exact same would be impossible, we should try to keep the taste as intact as we can.

The third and final thing is the texture of the muffins. We have to ensure that the texture of the muffins does not get ruined because of our defrosting process. The muffins cannot get too dry or too soggy when we defrost them.

The muffins will defrost nicely and taste delicious if we can ensure that these three things are maintained. The defrosting methods that I mention here are all designed to make sure that the taste and texture of the muffins remain well and the muffins do not spoil.  

Using a Microwave Oven

The quickest and easiest method of defrosting muffins is using a microwave oven. Microwave oven emits microwave radiation that vibrates the water molecule present in the food, causing it to get heated. The best thing about microwave ovens is that it does not apply heat on any surface of the food which mitigates the chances of burning the food.

Put the muffins inside an airtight container but leave the lid partially open. This will help the moisture to go out from the container. Set the microwave oven to defrost mode and blast the muffins for 2 minutes. Use a low wattage of 350-400 watts if your microwave oven does not have different defrosting settings. Check the muffins after 2 minutes and microwave for 2 minutes again if it is still cold.

Repeat this process until the muffins are sufficiently hot to your liking. Make sure that moisture or water vapor is not accumulating inside the container or under the muffins because they will make your muffins soggy. 

Thawing Using Water

Using water directly would make your muffins soggy, wet, and completely ruined. So you cannot just submerge your muffins in the water to defrost the muffins. The best method of using cold water to thaw or defrost muffins is using a Ziploc bag.

Put the muffins in the Ziploc bag and make sure that there are no air bubbles in the bag. Now take a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Put the Ziploc bag in the water and try to keep it fully submerged. You can use additional weight on top of the Ziploc bag but make sure that the weight does not put too much pressure on the muffins.

Change the water after 15 minutes and check the muffins to see if they have gotten softer and warmer. It will take about an hour for the muffins to get completely defrosted using this method considering you change the water every 15 minutes.

Keeping Them in the Refrigerator

Defrosting the muffins by keeping them in the refrigerator is the safest method of defrosting them. Take out the muffins from the freezer, put them in an airtight container or a bowl, and keep them in the regular refrigerator.

The muffins will slowly get defrosted inside the refrigerator. This process is the safest because the texture of the muffins does not get ruined because of the sudden change of temperature and at the same time it is the safest method. After all, the food-spoiling microbes cannot attack the muffins in the refrigerator.

It will take about 6-8 hours for the muffins to get completely dethawed depending on how frozen they were in the freezer. I would suggest keeping them in the refrigerator overnight if you want to have the muffins during breakfast.

Thawing at Room Temperature

You can also thaw the muffins at room temperature. This method is a bit risky because if you are not careful, the muffins might spoil as harmful microbes get inside them. Simply take out the muffins from the freezer, put them in an airtight container, and leave them on the countertop at room temperature.

Make sure that ants, cockroaches, or other insects cannot get inside the muffins as they will increase the chances of the muffins going bad. The muffins should get to room temperature within 1-2 hours. Keep an eye on the muffins and check frequently to make sure that they are not spoiling or going bad.

Using an Oven

The muffins can also be defrosted by using a regular oven. A regular oven will heat the muffins and defrost them slowly. Preheat the oven to 356 F or 180 C. Place the muffins in the middle rack and heat them for 15-20 minutes. That should be sufficient for the muffins to get defrosted. Take the muffins out before they get heated too much or get burnt.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Defrost a Muffin at Room Temperature?

It takes about 1-2 hours for muffins to defrost at room temperature. The timing may vary depending on the temperature of your room.

Can I Freeze Muffins in Tupperware?

Yes, you can freeze muffins in a Tupperware. Make sure that the muffins do not get pressed or deformed as you keep them in the Tupperware.

Can I Reheat Frozen Muffins Directly From the Freezer?

No, you cannot reheat frozen muffins directly straight from the freezer on the stove. This is because the middle parts of the muffins will not get the heat as you put them on the pan. This will result in the outside of the muffin burning and the inside remaining cold. Defrost the muffins first before heating them.

How Long Do Thawed Muffins Last?

Thawed muffins will last about 2 days on the countertop considering you keep it covered and safe from insects or microbes. Thawed muffins will stay for longer in the refrigerator, about a week.

Can You Refreeze Frozen Muffins Once Thawed?

Yes, you can refreeze frozen muffins once thawed but doing so might ruin the taste and texture of the muffins and you might also run into the problem of spoilage as the internal temperature of the muffins will fluctuate a lot.