9 Easy Ways to Get Muffins Out of a Stuck Pan

Muffins aren’t simply for breakfast any more, at least not at our home. Muffins are a favorite of my family at any time of day, for any event, sweet or savory. But nothing is more aggravating than making some of my favorite muffins and having trouble taking them out of the pan.

So, whether you used a paper liner or cooked your muffins directly in the pans, I’ve compiled a few of the easiest methods to remove muffins from the baking pan.

Everything you need to know about getting muffins out of the pan and onto a platter is right here!

How to Get Muffins out of a Pan

1 – Top Quality Muffin Tins

Whether you bake your muffins directly in the tin or with a paper liner, the quality of the muffin pan you use is critical. Avoid using dollar store pans and instead invest in a high-quality muffin tin that will evenly distribute heat across the pan.

My nonstick muffin tray is my particular favorite. Despite the fact that I have to be cautious when cleaning the nonstick surface, muffins come out effortlessly without the need of a paper liner, and the bottom of the muffin is attractively browned without being over-baked.

2 – Muffin Paper Liners

Using a muffin paper liner is probably the best and simplest method to pull muffins out of the pan. These are available in plain white or with patterns and colors for special events.

When I bake muffins with a lot of fruit, I generally use a paper liner since the fruit makes the batter slicker and more likely to adhere to the muffin pan no matter how thoroughly I oil it.

Simply lay the liners in the pan and fill with muffin batter. After that, bake!

3 – Silicone Muffin Liners

Silicone muffin liners are an alternative to paper liners. They’re easy to use, reusable, and clean and store. You will need to condition them the first couple of times you use them; just wash in warm soapy water and dry well.

Then, using a nonstick baking spray or a small coating of vegetable oil, coat each liner. There is no need to condition the muffins beyond the first two batches. You may condition the muffins again if they start sticking.

Place the muffin liners in a muffin pan or on a cookie sheet, then fill each liner with muffin batter and bake. When the muffins are done, remove them from the oven and immediately take them from the liners.

Voila! You should have no trouble removing the muffins off the pan.

Tip: I’ve discovered that silicone muffin liners don’t work well with thick muffins like bran, where I want a lovely browned muffin bottom.

4 – Greasing Well Matters

If you aren’t using muffin paper cups, oil the muffin pan thoroughly. This includes lubricating the pan’s bottom borders as well as the pan’s rim to prevent the muffin top from sticking.

Dense muffins work well with only greasing, but for lighter muffins that are nearly like cupcakes, I flour the pans after greasing to ensure that my muffins come out of the pan undamaged.

If you don’t tap the pan upside down over the sink to remove any extra flour, you’ll wind up with muffins with a floury bottom.

5 – Let Baked Muffins Cool

Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. Remove the muffins from the pan after 5 minutes. This not only allows the muffins to cool, but also allows them to relax and draw away from the edges of the muffin pan.

Tip: Do not leave muffins in the pan for more than 5 minutes, otherwise they will get mushy!

6 – The Wet Towel Method

If the past few of batches of your favorite muffins refused to come out of the pan, try using a moist cloth. Place the muffin tin on top of a moist towel on the counter after removing it from the oven.

Allow the muffins to cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. This method is often used for sweet muffins with a lot of butter in the batter.

7 – Easing Muffins from the Pan

Sometimes, no matter what you try, those muffins will simply refuse to come out of the pans. To get the muffins out of the pan, use a device like a thin paring knife, but be cautious not to destroy them.

Carefully run the knife along the edge of each muffin tin, being careful to push into the edges of the pan to keep the pressure off the muffin.

Before attempting to remove the muffins again, lightly shake the pan. I’ve had luck with this approach while using a tiny paring knife; alternatively, a metal skewer or crochet needle may be used!

8 – Use a Warm Oven

If you’ve used enough oil or butter to coat the pan, tried the wet towel approach, and ran a thin knife around the edges and your muffins still won’t come out, try putting them back in the oven. Not a hot oven, but a warm one with a pan of water on the bottom to produce some steam.

Turn the oven to low and place the muffin tray on the center shelf. The warmth of the oven and the moisture from the water may assist in easing the cooked muffin away from the pan’s edges.

Allow for another 5 minutes in the oven before attempting to remove the muffins. This way of removing muffins from the pan works great for me when I’ve cooked a muffin with a lot of moist fruit, such as my peach streusel muffins.

9 – Freezing Out Stubborn Muffins

When muffins refuse to come out of the pan no matter what, the first one you take breaks apart, with half of it adhering to the pan. If this occurs, it may be time to use this strategy.

Wait for the muffins and pan to cool fully or the muffin tops will become wet and mushy. Place the whole muffin tray in the freezer, covered gently with plastic wrap.

Remove from the freezer after approximately an hour. Run a small knife along the edges gently.
Remove the muffins gently.

Whether you’re making delicate blueberry muffins with fresh berries from the garden or spicy cornmeal and jalapeño muffins, you can follow my suggestions here to get muffins out of the pan every time!

Of course, you can prevent all of this by baking your muffins without a pan in the first place.