{Tips & Tricks} Removing Muffins from Pan + Caramel Apple Muffins Recipe - How To: Simplify (2024)

{Tips & Tricks} Removing Muffins from Pan + Caramel Apple Muffins Recipe - How To: Simplify (1)

Have you ever found yourself angrily staring at a muffin pan, close to tears wondering how in the world you were ever going to get your beautiful muffins out of the muffin cups? Don’t worry…I’ve been there too.

Sometimes there’s nothing worse than removing a muffin tin from the oven that is filled with gorgeous muffins only to realize that they are completely cemented into the tin. Next thing you know, your muffins go from cookbook photo-worthy to mangled and crumbled in a matter of minutes.

After enduring this pain and suffering a few times, I quickly adapted a few helpful ways that have allowed me to remove muffins from the tin with tear-free ease.

  • Use a high-quality muffin tin. It’s best to bake muffins using a non-stick pan.
  • Go crazy with the grease. If you’re not using muffin paper cups, then make sure you grease every nook and cranny before you pour the batter into the tin cups. Also, be sure to grease the surface of the tin just in case the batter rises higher than the depth of the cup and reaches onto the surface.
  • Allow the muffins to cool in the pan. Usually five minutes is long enough to allow the muffins to cool slightly and regain their composure before you pop them out of the tin. Longer than 5 minutes could result in soggy muffins so be sure to watch the clock.
  • Use a wet towel. Placing a wet towel under the hot pan tends to help ease the muffins out of the tin.
  • Have trust in a pairing knife. Whenever I find myself in a horrible stuck-to-the-pan-I-don’t-think-these-babies-are-ever-coming-out moment, I turn to my handy dandy pairing knife. I carefully slip this knife between the muffin and the tin and carefully separate the two. It works like a charm.

Now…onto the fun part…the perfect muffin recipe for fall: Caramel Apple Muffins!

One of my all-time favorite muffin recipes to bake is the Doughnut Muffin recipe. If you haven’t made these yet, then you must. They are sinfully delicious and I bet you won’t be able to eat just one. Trust me. They’re that good.

My friend over at Sugarcrafter agreed with me that these Doughnut Muffins were one of the best muffin recipes out there…until she made this Caramel Apple Muffins recipe. As soon as she posted this recipe on her site and said that they rivaled the Doughnut Muffin recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. These muffins made the house smell absolutely amazing and after one bite I was hooked. These doughnuts are amazing. The mixture of caramel, cinnamon and apple is a winner in my book…and these are the perfect muffins for fall.

Caramel Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk (at least 1%)
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped peeled tart apple
  • 12 caramels, chopped

For the topping

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Whisk the egg, milk, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in apples and caramels.
  5. Combine all of the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork.
  6. Fill the muffin pan cups 3/4 full and sprinkle the topping over the batter.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  8. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
  9. Cool slightly and serve warm.

* Recipe adapted from Sugarcrafter. She has an amazing site filled with countless recipes that are both easy to prepare and delicious! Be sure to stop by her blog and check out her impressive work!

    More from my site

    • Tips for Using Puff Pastry Sheets
    • Pumpkin Spice Muffins
    • Tips on How to Zest Citrus Fruit
    • Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Crumb Topping
    {Tips & Tricks} Removing Muffins from Pan + Caramel Apple Muffins Recipe - How To: Simplify (2024)

    FAQs

    How do you get muffins out of the pan easily? ›

    Also, be sure to grease the surface of the tin just in case the batter rises higher than the depth of the cup and reaches onto the surface. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan. Usually five minutes is long enough to allow the muffins to cool slightly and regain their composure before you pop them out of the tin.

    How long do you cool muffins before removing from the pan? ›

    Allow your muffins to cool for 2 to 5 minutes in the pan before trying to remove them. Any shorter and they will stick, any longer and they will begin to get mushy. Loosen muffins from the side of the cup by running a butter knife carefully around the edges.

    Should you let muffins cool before removing? ›

    Allow Your Muffins to Cool

    Allowing them to cool slightly in the pan before removing them will help keep them from falling apart. This being said, you only want to leave them in the pan for a short amount of time—about five minutes. Any longer, and you run the risk of your muffins going soggy as they cool off.

    Why are my muffins stuck to the pan? ›

    The amount of fat in the muffin batter affects how easily the baked muffin can be removed from the pan. Lightly spray the bottom of each muffin cup with no-stick cooking spray or use paper or aluminum foil cup liners. Use aluminum foil cup liners. Spray the foil cup liners with no-stick cooking spray.

    Is it better to take muffins out of pan hot or cold? ›

    Instead of immediately starting to cool, the hot pan will continue to cook the muffins, which might cause them to dry out. → Follow this tip: After removing the muffins from the oven, give them a couple minutes to cool off a little, and then remove them and transfer to a cooling rack.

    What not to do when making muffins? ›

    Common Muffin Making Mistakes To Avoid
    1. Over mixing the batter.
    2. Overfilling the muffin tray.
    3. Leaving the muffins in the pan after they have baked.
    4. Berries, nuts, and chocolate chips sink to the bottom.
    Mar 12, 2019

    What is the secret to making moist muffins? ›

    Chilling your muffin batter overnight in the fridge is the BEST thing you can do for amazing muffins. It makes them more moist, tender, and TALLER! It's very similar to chilling cookie dough, which if you know me you know I'm obsessed with chilling cookie dough. Think of it like marinating.

    Can you leave freshly baked muffins out overnight? ›

    If you'd prefer to put them in a container, you can (once fully cooled) put them into an airtight container and leave at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If muffins are left exposed, the moisture starts to leak from them and they dry out.

    Should you leave muffins in pan after baking? ›

    The Best Way to Store Muffins

    Let them cool for no more than five-to-10 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. STEP TWO: Line an airtight storage container with paper towels. The paper towels will act like a “sponge,” absorbing the moisture the muffins emit as they age.

    How do you keep eggs from sticking to muffin pans? ›

    Grease the muffin pans and skip the liner. My egg muffins comes out clean every time. Most muffin trays are made with non-stick materials now anyway, so a tiny bit of oil is enough to keep it from sticking at all.

    How do you unstick baked goods from a pan? ›

    Wet a Dishcloth

    To try it, soak a dishcloth (or kitchen towel) in warm or hot water and then wring out excess water. Wrap the towel around the bottom of the pan, leave it there for about 15 minutes, and then remove the cake from its pan.

    What tool do you use to remove muffins from a pan? ›

    Use a Thin-Bladed, Soft Silicone Spatula and run it around the edges of the muffins and under the bottom and lift the muffins from each cavity and lift them out one at a time. The thin-bladed spatula trick is easy. You can use paper liners, but your muffins won't rise as high.

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