Freshly baked homemade muffins are worth waking up for in the morning. To create fluffy perfection with a beautifully domed top and perfectly cooked base, you’ll need a muffin pan that is flexible and easy to use. Silicone muffin pans help home cooks and professional bakers produce delicious muffins, every time.
The best silicone muffin tray set, the SJ European LFGB Silicone Muffin Pan Baking Trays, includes two trays, so you can bake full-size muffins for a bake sale or prepare smaller sizes for children.
Buy a silicone muffin pan that is made out of 100% food-grade silicone. Some of the less expensive silicone muffin pans add a filler chemical that can leave an off-taste in your baked goods.
If you routinely bake muffins for a crowd, you’ll want a muffin pan that bakes a dozen muffins at a time. If you generally bake smaller muffins, you might want to look for silicone muffin pans with 24 cups instead.
Muffin pans come in a variety of sizes. These include:
100% food-grade silicone is BPA-free and is dishwasher safe. The hot water and soap of the dishwasher will not cause chemicals to release from your muffin pans, nor will they cause the muffin pans to degrade. That said, hand washing your silicone muffin pans after each use will help them to last longer.
Silicone is naturally nonstick. This means that you don’t need to grease the muffin pan. Simply press gently on the bottom of each cup to release the muffins once they’ve cooled.
Silicone muffin pans are great for baking delicious muffins and cupcakes, but they can also be used for other cooking tasks, such as freezing homemade baby food, preserving herbs pureed in oil, baking individual egg cups or portioning individual serving sizes of foods (e.g., stuffing and potatoes). Look for silicone muffin pans that are oven-, freezer- and microwave-safe.
Expect to spend between $12-$20 on high-quality silicone muffin pans. There are also higher-end silicone muffin pans that can cost $60 or more.
A. Although muffin liners make cleanup easy, they are not necessary when you use a silicone muffin pan. The nonstick nature of silicone means your muffins should release easily.
If your muffins tend to stick in the muffin pan, you can also try allowing them to cool further before you release them or add a little cooking spray or butter to each muffin cup.
A. Unlike rigid metal muffin pans, silicone muffin pans will need to be placed on a baking tray to move them easily in and out of the oven. The silicone muffin pan is flexible, and when filled with muffin batter may twist, causing the batter to slosh around and bake unevenly.
Once your muffins are baked, allow them to cool, and then release by pressing the bottom of each cavity and gently peeling the muffin out of the pan.
A. Many silicone muffin pans are labeled dishwasher safe. Most manufacturers recommend that they be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher.
However, to preserve the life of your silicone muffin pan, hand washing is best. Hand washing also prevents the discoloration that can occur in some silicone muffin pans when they are washed in the dishwasher. Use warm water and mild detergent to wash, soaking to help release any stuck on food.
When the silicone muffin pan is dry, store flat, not rolled, along with your other baking supplies. If you have metal muffin pans, you can line that metal pan with the silicone muffin pan to help it keep its shape.
SJ European LFGB Silicone Muffin Pan Baking Trays
What you need to know: This set is great for people who want to bake both for large crowds and little hands.
What you’ll love: This two-pack of molds features a standard-size mold with 12 cups and a mini muffin mold with 24. Use in the oven up to 446 degrees and freeze to temperatures as low as minus 104 degrees. This makes them great for not only baking muffins but also for portioning and freezing things like baby food, minced herbs and sauces.
What you should consider: Some users found that these silicone muffin pans became discolored in the dishwasher. Hand wash only to protect against this.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Chef Buddy Nonstick Muffin Pan
What you need to know: This adaptable silicone muffin pan releases easily, time after time.
What you’ll love: This 12-cup silicone muffin pan is made from food-grade BPA-free silicone that stays nonstick.
What you should consider: This muffin pan is thinner than some of the other silicone pans.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Wayfair
Silpat Perfect Non-Stick Muffin Mold
What you need to know: For bakers who already love the magic of Silpat’s silicone baking sheets, this is the best silicone muffin pan for you.
What you’ll love: This silicone muffin pan has a fabric-covered fiberglass center that is oven safe to 500 degrees. It is also safe in the microwave, freezer and dishwasher. Each cavity provides exceptionally easy release, and this pan bakes evenly and quickly.
What you should consider: This silicone muffin pan is very expensive, but it will last for decades. It also requires a baking sheet underneath, as it is floppier than the other choices.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Suzannah Kolbeck writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
