Name: Exactly How To Reheat English Muffins
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Ingredients: 1 portion English muffin

Table of Contents

In this article, I go through every possible way to reheat English muffins.

Whether you’re looking to toast your muffin or you want to keep it soft, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

In a rush? Here’s the best method.

The best way to reheat an English muffin is in the oven. Use your oven’s broiler setting (on high) or a toaster oven (set to 350°F/180°C). Slice your muffin in half and heat it for 2-3 minutes. If you want a softer English muffin, sprinkle it with water and wrap it in foil before reheating.

A note on my experiment

6 english muffins after being reheated using different methods

I’m a creature of convenience, which is why I always have a stock of English muffins in my freezer.

Over time, I’ve explored multiple ways to reheat them, including:

In the microwave (best for softening stale muffins)
In the oven/broiler (good for all types of muffins)
In a skillet (nice and crispy coating)
In the toaster (quick and convenient)
In an air fryer (similar to the toaster)

If you want to toast your English muffin and add some crunch, use your broiler or a toaster oven.

A traditional toaster or a skillet will also work well.

If your muffins are hard and you need to soften them, opt for the microwave or the oven. The skillet is also suitable for re-moisturizing muffins.

Reheating English muffins in the oven/broiler

To toast your English muffins, use your oven’s broiler setting (on high) or a toaster oven (set to 350°F/180°C). Slice your muffin in half and heat them for 2-3 minutes. If you want a softer English muffin, sprinkle it with water and wrap it in foil before heating for 5-10 minutes at 350°F/180°C.

How to toast English muffins in the oven:

Set your oven’s broiler to high, or set your toaster oven to 350°F (180°C).
Slice your muffins in half.
Place the muffins under your broiler/in the toaster oven for 2-3 minutes, checking halfway.
Once toasty, serve immediately.

Take care not to place your muffin too close to the heating element or parts can start to burn.

How to soften English muffins in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Sprinkle your English muffins with water (don’t be shy with the water if your muffins are stale).
Wrap the muffin in foil.
Heat the muffin in the oven for around 5 minutes.

Once you’ve softened your muffin, you can toast it under the broiler to add some crisp.

Tip: this is a great way to reheat filled breakfast sandwiches too.

My verdict

I love the oven method because it serves the dual purpose of both softening and toasting leftover English muffins.

It’s a bit slower if you’re using a conventional oven but useful if you’re trying to reheat several English muffins at once.

Softening English muffins in the microwave

Place your English muffin on a microwave-safe plate and cover it loosely with a piece of damp paper towel. Microwave in 10-second intervals on full power until warm and soft. Serve immediately.

Try buttering each half lightly before warming. The fat will soak into the bread and give it a richer flavor.

How to reheat English muffins in the microwave:

Place the English muffin on a microwave-safe plate.
Optional: Lightly spread butter on each piece.
Cover with a damp paper towel.
Heat on medium in 15-second intervals until warm and steamy.
Serve immediately.

Covering your muffin halves with a damp paper towel will help remoisturize them, particularly if they have gone slightly stale.

Use short heating intervals to avoid overcooking your muffins and turning them into cardboard.

Once hot, serve or eat your muffins immediately.

They’ll become stale very quickly as soon as they start cooling down.

My verdict

The microwave is fantastic for softening up stale English muffins.

However, they won’t toast or crisp up (in fact, I felt they were a little chewy).

You’ll need to pop them under the broiler or into the toaster for a toasted effect.

Reheating English muffins in the toaster

Slice your English muffin in half horizontally. Place the slices in your toaster slots on high (if you have different settings). Toast the halves for 1-2 minutes, depending on the level of toasty you’re going for. Once crispy, serve immediately.

How to reheat English muffins in the toaster:

Slice your English muffins in half.
Place the slices in your toaster (on high).
Toast for 1-2 minutes or until crunchy.
Serve immediately.

Knock the halves lightly against your counter or a plate after cutting them to shake off excess crumbs.

Toaster slots can be a bit awkward size-wise.

If your muffin halves get stuck, use a toothpick or kebab stick to gently lift them out.

Never use metal utensils in your toaster – you could shock yourself.

Tip: butter your muffins after toasting them, or your toaster might start smoking from the burning fat!

My verdict

This method is perfect for breakfast-in-a-hurry, delivering a hot, toasty muffin.

That being said, it’s better for fresher muffins.

Stale English muffins will soften slightly, but not as much as if there was lots of steam involved.

Reheating English muffins in an air fryer

Set your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Slice your English muffin in half and pop it into the fryer basket. Heat for 3 minutes, checking progress halfway. Once crispy, serve immediately. Butter your muffins before heating for extra flavor.

How to reheat English muffins in an air fryer:

Set your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
Slice your English muffin in half.
Optional: Lightly spread butter on each half.
Place the muffins in your fryer basket and heat for 3 minutes, checking halfway.
Once crispy, serve immediately.

I always cut my English muffins in half before putting them in the air fryer because I find whole ones dry out on the outside before the middle is warm.

My verdict

This method, like the toaster, works well for making English muffins toasty and crispy while keeping them soft inside.

However, it wouldn’t be my first choice for staler muffins because the direct heat is harsh and drying.

english muffins in six different reheating vessels

How to store English muffins

Once you’ve opened a pack of English muffins, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or pop them into an airtight freezer bag with the air removed. Keep the muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days. It’s best to avoid the fridge because this will cause the muffins to stale faster.

But if you’ve made a sandwich or stuffed your English muffin with a filling of some sort, you will need to keep it in the fridge (wrapped and covered as above).

Reducing airflow to and around your muffins will keep them softer and fresher for longer.

To remove the excess air from your freezer bag, press down on it to force out air as you seal it (or use a straw/vacuum sealer).

If your English muffins are freshly baked, make sure they’re completely cool before sealing them.

If they’re still warm, condensation can be an issue and leave you with mushy bread. Tip: for the freshest English muffins, I recommend freezing them instead.

Can you freeze English muffins?

English muffins are the perfect candidate for freezing, and this storage method will keep them freshest for the longest (up to 6 months). When you freeze the muffins, you halt the staling process. Double wrap the English muffins tightly in plastic wrap and foil for best results.

How to freeze English muffins:

If warm, cool your English muffins to room temperature.
Wrap individual muffins tightly in plastic, followed by foil.
Mark clearly and use within 6 months.

An alternative: flash freeze the English muffins on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for 2-3 hours before transferring them to a zip lock bag for long-term storage.

Remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag before sealing it.

I recommend keeping your English muffins whole for freezing.

Cutting them in half and exposing the inside will just serve to dry them out.

But, if you’re only planning to freeze them for a short time, cutting them in half first can speed up the thawing process.

Separate each half with parchment paper before freezing so they don’t stick together.

Tip: You can also freeze English muffins prep-prepared with freezer-friendly fillings.

Follow the same process of double-wrapping them with plastic and foil or using a zip-lock freezer bag.

These are great to have for saving time later on.

How to thaw and reheat frozen English muffins

Frozen English muffins are convenient and straightforward to reheat.

You can simply allow the frozen English muffins to thaw on your counter, or you can reheat them straight from frozen in the oven, toaster, air fryer, or microwave.

To use the microwave, place the muffin on a paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals until it’s warm and fluffy.

If you want to toast the muffin and add some crispiness, place it under the broiler for a few minutes or use a toaster.

How to reheat a breakfast muffin sandwich

You can reheat breakfast muffin sandwiches (frozen or fresh) in the oven or the microwave. To use the oven, preheat it to 350°F (180°C) and wrap your sandwich in foil. Heat for 10-15 minutes until warm to the center.

To use the microwave, cover the breakfast sandwich in a damp paper towel and microwave it in 30-second intervals until piping hot.

The microwave is quick and convenient but leaves the sandwich a little chewy. The oven produces a better final result but isn’t that practical during the morning rush.

How to soften a stale English muffin

The easiest way to soften a hard or stale English muffin is in the microwave. Cover the muffin with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 10-second intervals until soft.

You can also use the oven or place the muffin in a steamer for 1-2 minutes.

To use the oven, sprinkle the muffin generously with water and then wrap it in foil. Heat in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes.

Other options include putting the muffin inside a wet paper bag in the oven or using a tray of water to re-create a steam oven.

Anything that will re-introduce moisture into your English muffins will work.