How To Freeze Extra Costco Muffins So None Go To Waste

If you went to Costco, blacked out, and emerged with $200-worth of stuff that you didn't necessarily need, no worries — that's pretty much everyone's experience. Except now, you have three packs of Costco muffins and there are only two or three people in your household. The remedy? To freeze the majority of them.

First of all, don't just wait and see if you can finish your oversized haul of baked goods — Costco muffins thaw (and taste) better if they're put in the freezer on the first day you bring them home. For best results, individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or aluminum foil (heavy-duty foil if you have it) and then place in a zip-up freezer bag; if you're pressed for time or energy, you can just put the muffins straight from the Costco package and into the bags. They may not keep their quality quite as well and will be more prone to freezer burn, but they'll still stay edible for a long while.

Muffins are good for up to a year in the freezer, but for the very best quality, thaw and eat them within four months. After that, the quality may deteriorate a bit, though they will still be safe to eat. Make sure to write the date on the bag; having no idea how long food has been in the freezer is an annoying food storage mistake you can avoid.

Because they don't need to be refrigerated when fresh, you don't have to thaw your muffins in the fridge, either. You can leave your Costco treats out on your counter, still wrapped up or bagged, and let the room temperature air do its thing. If you remember to take them out the night before you want to eat them, you'll wake up to perfectly thawed muffins for breakfast.

If you need your muffins to be un-frozen in a hurry, you can zap them individually in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute on high, and add additional time in increments of five seconds, if they're not thawed all the way through after their initial heat-up. If you prefer to use the oven or air fryer, you can wrap the frozen muffins in foil (yes, it is safe to put foil in the air fryer) to prevent their moisture from escaping, and heat them for up to 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.