Have you heard? Muffin trays aren't just used for muffins anymore! Considered a single-use player in the kitchen for years, home chefs and parents are learning all sorts of creative things to do with them today. Did you know you could fix broken crayons in a muffin tray? How about hard boil eggs without boiling a gigantic pot of water? Read on to find out all the hidden tricks you can use your muffin pans for!
The Perfect Snack Tray
Do have trouble with over-snacking? Maybe you never know how much of every snack to put out at a party? Try this: use your muffin tin to perfectly portion your snacks. Each cup gets filled with one thing. You can be as healthy or as devilishly decadent as you want.
This trick is great for anyone putting snacks out for the family during the holiday season. Set out the perfect amount of cheese and crackers. Want some grapes as well? There's a cup for that! You can even decorate your tray to make it more festive.
Pre-Freeze Your Smoothies
Here's a great tip that will save you tons of time. After you go to the store and come home with all your greens for power smoothies, blend them and portion them in a muffin tray. Then freeze the tray to have your smoothies pre-frozen and ready to go.
Using this trick, you'll have no excuse not to stick to your New Year's resolution to eat better! All you have to do is pop out a few frozen cups and blend them up. Delicious and nutritious!
Delicious And Easy Stuffed Peppers
We don't know about you, but there aren't many foods we love more than stuffed peppers. The only problem is they can be a real pain to make. The good news is now you can eat them every day by making them in muffin trays!
Just cut the tops off your peppers, clean out the insides, then put one in each cup and fill it to your heart's desire. You can do the classic meat, rice, and cheese; or you can try something new. Might we recommend fajita-style!
Dye Easter Eggs The Easy Way
This is the best way for you to dye a ton of Easter eggs all at the same time. Take a few muffin trays and fill each cup with a different color. Use delicious hard-boiled eggs and dip them in the colors you want.
Trying to make each egg more than one color? Put one tray aside with extra colors for extra decorative eggs. The only question left to ask now is where are you going to hide them all?
Now You Have The Perfect Creative Succulent Planter
Use an old muffin tray to help out in the garden with this hack. Succulents are drought-tolerant plants that can add texture and color to any corner of your garden or in a window. They're also unique in that you can snap off a piece and propagate it to create more.
Succulents make great gifts, so use a muffin tray to get them organized and separated out. You'll be glad you have them on hand next time you need a small gift for a friend.
Use It As A Mess-Free Snack Carrier
Another great way to keep the kids from causing a mess is to use your muffin tray as a snack carrier. Put your perfectly portioned snacks in the indentations, then place the tray in an organizer tray. It's a perfect solution for snack time!
If you want to get extra crafty, go ahead and make your own carrier. Take a board and glue some lightweight rope to create handles. Or do whatever you can come up with to create the absolutely perfect snack tray!
Frozen Lemon Cubes Are A Perfect Summer Hack
Here's a perfect way to enjoy ice cold lemon water during the hot summer months. Cut a lemon into slices and place them in the muffin tray. Then cover the slices with water and freeze overnight. Make as many as your trays will allow.
Then, as the temperature hits it's summer high, pop some lemon cubs out of the tray and enjoy as your boring old plain water is slowly flavored with delicious citrus. Suddenly summer doesn't sound so bad, does it?
Make It Into A Condiment Holder
This is one may look a little odd to you, but we tried it and couldn't believe how easy it made our lives. It's a great way to create a mixed dipping tray for pretzels or french fries. If you're really into it, go ahead and dip your hot dog too!
Okay, maybe don't go that far. Still, if you have kids and they need ketchup for mustard to dip their chicken tenders in, this trick will keep the mess contained to one dish! You can thank us later.
Use It As A Drawer Organizer
Tired of opening your drawers and digging through a giant mess to find one paperclip? Use your extra muffin tray as a drawer organizer to keep your blood pressure low. Each cup holds just the amount of supplies you need. Now you'll never lose another thumbtack.
This is the perfect hack for anyone who works from a home office. Keep your paperclips, staples, thumbtacks, and other little knick-knacks nice and neat. Using this trick will save you a ton of time to catch up on other, more important things.
The Perfect Place For Your Nails And Screws
Are you a manly man who can't stay out of the shed on weekends working on projects? Using a muffin tray to keep your nails and screws from flying all over the place will leave you extra time to finish your next great project!
Our favorite thing about this trick is that you know how much of everything you have before you get to work. Do you really want to be one screw away from finishing only to find out you have no screws? Check before you sit down to see if you need to run to Home Depot first!
Never Buy A Planting Grid Again
Why spend money on a fancy planting grid when you can just grab the muffin tray from your cupboard? Heck, if you don't make muffins and have been trying to find a use for it for years, we just solved your problem.
Take the tray outside to your yard with lightly packed dirt. Press the tray into the dirt to create perfectly spaced indentations for whatever herbs you want in your garden. Hey, with how easy it was to make the grid, go ahead and plant every herb! You've earned it!
Did Anyone Say, "Mini Taco Bowls"?
The perfect family dinner night can be achieved by using your muffin try to make mini taco bowls! Flip your tray over and place tortillas between the spaces. Pop it in the oven until the bowls are crispy and golden brown.
Put the mini bowls on the table and fill them with all the taco love you can handle. Make sure you have it all; seasoned ground beef, cheese, onions, salsa, guacamole, and jalapenos. The perfect dinner night can be all yours with this amazing hack.
BACON BOWLS!
Who needs mini taco bowls when you can go ahead and make bacon bowls!? There is no better vessel to eat food from than one made from the perfect food itself. Of course, this trick only works if you like your bacon crispy. If you like it floppy your should probably reassess your life.
Using a bacon bowl makes for the perfect breakfast bowl too! Crack an egg with some cheese in the bowl and start your day out the right way. Add whatever you want to the bowl, as well; peppers, onions, and maybe even crushed bacon bits. Why not?
Hard Boiling Eggs Has Never Been Easier
There is absolutely no reason to boil a big pot of water to make hard boiled eggs anymore. Pre-heat your oven and place one egg into each cup. When the light goes off, put the tray in the oven and wait for the magic to happen.
With oven cooked hard boiled eggs, the only thing you need to worry about is what you want to mix them with. Now that you've broken with tradition, it's okay to step away from mayonnaise and find a new condiment to compliment your eggs in ways you never though possible.
Fix Broken Crayons
Instead of buying another new box of crayons for the kids, do yourself a favor and put all the broken crays on a muffin tray to create brand new ones. Once the crayons are in the oven, they'll melt together to create a brand new crayon.
If your really want to get crazy mix broken colors together to create crazy crayons! The kids will love it and you'll love it too. Imagine all the money you'll be saving not having to go to the craft store again.
Turn It Into Wall Art
Thought we'd run out of good ideas by now? Not at all. Take your muffin tray and turn it into beautiful wall art! Let's be honest, do you really use your muffin try anyway? Paint whatever picture you want in the bottom of the tray, then stick it on the wall.
Your friends won't believe their eyes when they see your new decorations. They'll be so impressed you'll have to show them exactly what you did. Do we smell a hot new trend starting?
Pre-Scooped Ice Cream
Thinking this one sounds odd? Trust us, it will save you a ton of time at the holidays when all the kiddos ask for ice cream. By pre-scooping ice cream into muffin trays, you save yourself the mess of pulling cartons out of the freezer that eventually melts and gets sticky goop everywhere.
Just make sure you pre-scoop plenty of flavors. Don't assume every kid wants chocolate or vanilla. Mix it up with some mint chocolate chip or spice it up with some Neapolitan. Maybe avoid coffee ice cream, though; kids already have enough energy without caffeine!
Create Homemade Watercolors
If you have some creative kids in the house, you can teach them how to make their own watercolors. If they already take pride in their artwork, you can show them how to make their work even more original with custom colors!
Combine 4 tbsp baking soda, 2 tsp white vinegar, 1/2 tsp light corn syrup and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Mix it together very, very well, then divide among the muffin cups. Next, you'll need 6 drops of your choice of food coloring. Drop them in and mix, mix, mix. Finally, stick it in the fridge for 24 hours. You'll have custom colors tomorrow!
The Best Impromptu Candle Holder
Did you ever realize that muffin trays make the world's best candle holders? If you have too many tea candles to know what to do with, put them in a tray and make your house smell amazing. Like some other hacks here, it also adds a rustic look to your dining room.
The only problem we see with this particular hack is that once you start using them as candle holders, you can't stop until the candle is melted down entirely. Then you have to clean wax out of the tray. We think the hassle is worth it, though.
COOKIE CUPS
If you like the idea of food cups, think about trying these treats. Take the cookie dough and form it over the back of each tray. Bake it in the oven and enjoy the perfect dessert cup.
Now that you have a cookie cup made you should take one of your pre-scooped ice cream balls and put it in the cup. We dare you to tell us a better dessert. We sure can't think of one. And you can make any combination of flavors you want!
No-Spill Picnic Tray
Picnics are sweet, that is, until your food and drinks are spilled all over your cozy blanket. Grass isn't known for being a stable surface, so this hack is genius if you love snacking in the park.
Stick your cups and snacks in the muffin tray cups to create the perfect picnic tray. This also helps with pouring drinks one-handed, like shown in the photo. You can also pick up the tray and set it in your lap, which is helpful.
Adorable Mini Pies
Instead of baking a big pie that everyone will take a slice out of, why not give everyone their own mini pie? Tablespoon posted a mini pie recipe that you can make in a muffin tin that looks delicious.
Take two Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, 4 cups of can pie filling and 1 egg. Fit the dough into the muffin tins like a mini pie crust, add your filling, and lay down the top crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F and you've got yourself some mini pies!
It Can Be Used As An Educational Tool
Here's something you probably didn't realize you could with a muffin tray and scrabble pieces. Combine the two to help teach your kids the alphabet. Put each collection of letters in their own cup so your young one can learn the letters in a fun new way.
This can be used for more than just the alphabet. You can create tons of unique lesson plans using the muffin tray as an educational organizer. The possibilities are endless. What are you going to do?
A Twist On Mini Corn Dogs
You've probably never thought about making corn dogs in a muffin tin, but now you will. Surprise your guests with this fun twist on mini corn dogs. It's the same taste that everyone loves but with a spin that no one is expecting.
Just whip together cornbread mix and and pour into a greased muffin pan. Slice up some hot dogs and stick one slice in each of the muffin cups. Bake them for a delicious snack during the next football game.
Breakfast, All In One Bite
Everyone loves breakfast and this idea takes America's favorite meal to the next level. We've touched on how you can create bacon bowls in muffin tins. Start with the same process, then add your favorite breakfast ingredients into the bacon bowl to create delicious breakfast muffins.
There's a lot of different ingredients you can combine here: sliced ham, cut-up bell peppers or tomatoes. Just be sure to include some eggs as you stir all your favorites together in a bowl (gotta include cheese, right?) and pour out portions into each of the bacon-wrapped muffin cups. Bake it, then yum!
Pancake Poppers
Why didn't we think of this? Eat pancakes in an entirely new way with this hack. Instead of flipping pancakes on the stove, bake them into small pancake bites in the oven. Begin by whipping up the pancake mix as you usually would in a bowl. Don't forget to grab and grease that muffin tin!
Distribute the pancake mix between the muffin cups, keeping in mind that they'll rise into fluffy mini pancakes. At 400°F, they should take about 8-10 minutes. Serve on a plate with a pour of syrup.
Create a Puzzle for Your Pup
This idea is too cute not to share. You can even use a muffin tin to create a puzzle for your dog. (Seriously, the possibilities with these muffin trays seem endless!) You'll need enough tennis balls to cover each muffin cup in the pan.
Randomly select one or more cups to place a treat in for your dog to find. Then cover it with a tennis ball. Set the tray down in front of them and watch as they go crazy trying to find the treat!
Mini Cinnamon Buns
You can also use a muffin tin to create perfect little cinnamon buns for everyone to enjoy. This is a good hack if you're trying to stick to smaller portions. You can get a taste of the sweet cinnamon goodness without subjecting yourself to 1,000 calories.
The main difference with this recipe than the others using the muffin tin is that you'll need to add clippings of wax paper into each of the muffin cups to prevent them from sticking.
Pizza Muffins?!?
You can't go wrong with pizza. It's worth repeating. You can't go wrong with pizza. This hack allows you to enjoy one of the best foods on earth in a new form. Spray down a muffin tray and preheat the oven to 425°F. Take a can of buttermilk biscuit dough and, separate the biscuits and flatten them. Press each into a muffin cup.
Top each of them off with 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce, mini pepperonis and 1 tablespoon of mozzarella. Bake them for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them until they have a light brown top. Let them cool then let them eat pizza muffins!
PB & J Muffins
Peanut butter and jelly muffins are a delicious and decadent treat for everyone. You'll need to pick up the muffin ingredients, including unsalted butter, flour, baking soda, salt, egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk and greek yogurt. You'll also need peanut butter and jelly, of course.
Microwave the butter and peanut butter together for just 30 seconds to get the mixture started, then add in the remainder of the ingredients and whip together. Be sure to add cupcake liners to the muffin tin for this one, and pour the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes at 350°F.
Mini Chicken and Cheese Pies
Even if you have a hard core sweet tooth, you still need to indulge in the savory sometimes. This chicken and cheese mini pie recipe is tasty and hearty in every bite. Combine shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded pepper jack cheese, peppercorn ranch dressing, cilantro, and diced green chiles.
In a separate bowl, whisk together Bisquick original baking mix, milk and eggs. Pour this mixture into the greased muffin cups first, then spoon the chicken mixture on top. You'll bake this at 375°F for 30 minutes.
How About Some BBQ Chicken Pizza?
Keep the pizza recipes coming! If you want to take it a step beyond pepperoni pizza, try bbq chicken. You'll need frozen pizza crust, shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped red onions, shredded mozzarella, BBQ sauce and some cilantro for garnish.
Roll out the pizza crust and mold into each of the muffin cups. Spoon in the bbq sauce and spread around the inside of the cup you made. Add in some chicken and onions, and top with cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 450°F. Once they're lightly browned, take them out and top with cilantro.
Mashed Potato Cups
If you ever have leftover mashed potatoes, you must try this hack. This muffin tray hack will give your leftovers a new life. Just take the mashed potatoes that you have leftover from dinner and grab that muffin tray!
Spray down the muffin cups then scoop the mashed potatoes into each. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. You can also add cheese and fresh parsley if you have it handy.
Elementary School Teachers, Use This Hack!
When things are all different shapes and sizes, it can be hard to get organized. Save yourself a messy drawer by placing all its contents into plastic see-thru cups. Using cups that you get see-through allows for even easier access to what you need.
Place the cups in muffin trays to easily carry everything to a table. This a great hack for elementary school teachers to save time and keep everything organized. You can easily take these away and store them when they're done.
Create Heart Shaped Cupcakes Like This
Heart-shaped cupcakes sound like a cute idea, but very difficult to achieve, right? Wrong. This is one hack that couldn't be easier. All you'll need is some marbles! After you distribute the baking cups throughout the muffin tin, grab the marbles.
Place one marble in each of the cups, so that it sits against the paper cup, causing it to sink in, like the shape of a heart. Just take care when you're scooping in the mix.
Store Your Paints Like This
Here's another hack to storing craft supplies. Keep your paints fresh and organized by using plastic sauce containers. Pour the contents into a sauce container and stick a lid on it. You can then place them in the muffin tray cups to keep them sitting upright and prevent spilling.
Having them all together on one tray makes it easy to stack them up, set them on a table, or take them away. And you'll save yourself from a messy paint splattered table, too!
Homemade Mini Brownies
If you've ever been tempted by those brownies sitting behind the glass at the coffee shop, this hack is for you! Create your own mini brownie bites at home. This is great hack not only because they look adorable and create smaller portions, but because they're less messy.
Unless you're a seasoned pro, it can be quite difficult to cut and lift the square-shaped brownies out of the tray. This hack allows you to easily pop them out of the muffin cups to keep their shape. Genius.
Let's Get Fancy
Not all recipes take a lot of ingredients and work to make it look fancy. This recipe will make you look like a skilled baker to your friends and family, even if you don't happen to be one. Take frozen pie crust and flatten it out.
Cut them into portions and mold them around the muffin cups. Then fill them with your favorite jelly and bake them until they're golden brown- around 15-20 minutes at 375°F.
Birds Nests For Easter
How cute is this idea? Everyone in the family will gush at these treats for Easter. After making rice crispy treats, you can use a muffin tray to create these birds nests. Take the rice crispy treats and work them into the shape of the cup by pressing firmly.
One you get the shape down, simply fill them with little chocolate eggs. This is a cute idea that doesn't take a lot of work. Muffin tin hack for the win!
