These tins make adorable, bite-size treats. With so many options on the market, which one is best?
Buy our best-buy mini muffin tin:
Buy our winning mini muffin tin:
Click here to read the review:
ABOUT US: The mission of America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) is to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. Founded in 1992, the company is the leading multimedia cooking resource serving millions of fans with TV shows (America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation), magazines (Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country), cookbooks, a podcast (Proof), FAST channels, short-form video series, and the ATK All-Access subscription for digital content. Based in a state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot test kitchen in Boston’s Seaport District, ATK has earned the trust of home cooks and culinary experts alike thanks to its one-of-a-kind processes and best-in-class techniques. Fifty full-time (admittedly very meticulous) test cooks, editors, and product testers spend their days tweaking every variable to find the very best recipes, equipment, ingredients, and techniques. Learn more at
If you like us, follow us:
41 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Can you please test Yogurt Makers and tell us who the winner is?
I bought a really nice mini muffin tin about 10 years ago. Used it once…..now it just takes up space. Waste of time and energy.
How did you kow I had been asking myself that exact question for the past 2 months?
I disagree, mini silicone muffin pans from Sili are fantastic and we often make the best mini banana muffin bites. Key is tip is to pipe the dough in and put the sili mini muffins on a sheet pan.
Just a comment on the video format, its disappointing to see the complete second half of the video is just ATK plugs. I guess plugs need to be there but for such short videos, maybe you can use a shorter plug.
Perfect timing Lisa! I actually have the Wilton pan, so feeling good about that! I'm planning to try baking those "egg bites" in it – wish me luck!😄
When when did America's test kitchen turn its videos into click-bait???? title of the video suggested. We were going to see whether or not these were worth buying, and that's absolutely not what happens. We're just looking at some woman talk about. Food
Brownies.
Loved discovering the mini-muffin pan. Great tool not just for muffins and bite-sized tarts, but other canapes and appetizers.
"non stick"? you have got to be kidding, how can anyone even recommend that poison to ppl
They make really good ice cube makers for jumbo ice cubes
What is the baking time adjustment from regular size to mini?
I’ve been a huge fan since the 90s on OPB (Oregon). I eat much better thanks to you wonderful people. 🎉
This reminds me. I need to make some little cornbread as to go with the cans of chilie will have over the next few days…..it’s -20 here!
I like to use a silicone mini muffin pan when I make shrimp havarti. It’s much easier to clean up melted cheese
Lisa is the food host I have absolute trust in.
many wealthy individuals maintain their wealth by being frugal with their spending and consistently investing their money. On the other hand, some people who are struggling financially may prioritize impressing others with their spending rather than focusing on long-term investments…
I switched to floppy silicone mini pans several years ago & won't be going back. No problems with browning, but maybe that's due to my specific techniques? (Unlined, with cake release, set on a cheap aluminum sheet, oven preheated to 425F then turned down to normal baking temp after a couple minutes). Cleaning is easy; just dump in a sudsy sink & wipe clean; no seams to catch crumbs & individual wells/cups can be turned inside out for better access.
Do go for silicone muffin cups/tins with smooth sides. The pleated ones are a pain to clean.
Plus storing the silly pans is just a matter of squishing them into a drawer or baking supply box or whatever.
$40 for a "winning" muffin tin?! Um, no.
Any tins that can be popped out for deep-frying purposes.
Peanut butter cookie dough with a Reese's p-butter cup stuck in the middle. Bake until done. Irresistible.
I've used it a ton, but never for muffins!
Love my W-S mini muffin tin. Let it soak a few minutes and it cleans right up.
I used the Wilton mini muffin tin to make Cranberry-Brie Bites in Puff Pastry for New Year’s Eve. They turned out great. ❤️
I use mine for stuffed mushrooms. I don’t have to worry about them sliding all over the place when moving them in/out of the oven.
I never thought I would need one until I made Canadian Butter Tarts!
I use the mini til for bacon wrapped scallops. Pre cook the bacon half way in the microwave.
I use mine for tartlets at the holidays, not muffins. The little tiny pumpkin or pecan pies are amazing. Cut little pie crusts with a biscuit cutter. Press them into the muffin tin, fill, and bake. They're gone before they have time to cool.
The silicone pans are perfect for making egg bites. No sticking and no tedious cleaning too.
I actually like the ones with lower, wider cups for little tartlets. The regular mini cupcake proportions are just not quite right. The shallower pans just seem to work better when you're baking something with a crust and a bit of filling. YMMV, but I've got both types to use as needed.
have a couple silicone mini muff pans and have used them from meatballs to chocolate truffles. very handy things to have on hand. might even use them for muffins someday.
I use the silicone mini muffin pan to freeze small herbs and pumpkin puree for smoothies. It's a great product for that purpose.
Before you buy a muffin tin, ask yourself: How often do you make muffins?
I’d like to know if anyone can recommend a muffin paper that fits these. Bringing treats to work, the option of making something tidy to pick up is key.
I would never buy any gold colored backing dish. I would refuse it if it would be given to me free of charge.
I love mini muffins, but I absolutely prefer the silicone trays for their easy cleanup and I'm happy to sacrafice a bit of evenness.
I'd love some longevity testing on the nonstick metal ones
How about an option for the best release muffin paper liners? My muffins always stick to the paper.
These are just great for portioning out things in general. I do baked oatmeal a lot for my evening post-dinner meal and not having to slice it (no gluten so they're always a little crumbly, even with a bit of xanthan gum and egg added in) is a plus.
I use ours to make mini apple tarts with a crumb topping. My wife likes to take them to her art meetings since they offer a smaller bite than using a standard muffin pan.
Pecan Tassies!
The best use of a mini muffin pan is to cook meatballs. Make them slightly larger than the cup opening, then prop them on top. The grease drains into the cup and the meatballs are very crispy!