Oat & Berry Muffins Recipe with Frozen Fruit (2024)

FAQs

Can frozen fruit be used in muffins? ›

When mixing frozen fruit into cake or muffin batter, small, still-frozen pieces work better. Keeping the fruit frozen eliminates the possibility of smushing them into your batter while mixing (ultimately turning your beautiful batter red or purple), and keeping the fruit small keeps that distribution even.

It is generally better to use fresh blueberries in a muffin recipe, as they tend to have a sweeter and more flavorful taste than frozen blueberries. Fresh blueberries are also less likely to release excess moisture into the batter, which can make the muffins soggy and dense.

Fresh OR frozen blueberries work great in this blueberry muffin recipe. If using frozen berries, don't thaw first! What is this? Toss the blueberries with a teaspoon or two of flour before gently stirring them into the batter.

Too little fat will result in dry, less tender muffins. Carefully cut on lines found on the butter/margarine stick wrapper. Or, pack it into dry (nested) measuring cup, then use a spatula or straight edge of a knife blade to level even with the top of the cup.

Frozen fruit should work fine in anything baked or cooked. Keep in mind that some recipes may require additional thickener to balance the extra juice. Rinse frozen fruit to prevent colors from bleeding. Thaw frozen fruit first if what you're making has a short baking or cooking time.

Tip #1: Keep your frozen fruits frozen

First, most fruits are about 90% water and usually frozen at their peak ripeness. If you defrost them, thawed fruits will add excess liquid to your ingredients, making pies and desserts runny right from the start.

But anyone who's ever put frozen blueberries into the mix knows—whether pancake, muffin, or cake batter—even if you go straight from the freezer and they don't thaw, the juice that's collected on the outside of them will immediately turn your batter purplish-blue.

The best part it that you don't even need to thaw them. Toss frozen blueberries in some flour to coat and prevent sticking and sinking to the bottom of the muffins. Then use blueberries following the directions. Baking time may differ, when using frozen blueberries, muffins need to be baked for about 5 minutes longer.

The light coating of flour around the berries will absorb some of the fruit's liquid, making them less likely to sink. This is especially helpful when the batter is thin; thicker batters are a little better at cradling the fruit and keeping it suspended.

Gently and quickly stir the frozen berries into the batter. You'll see a few inevitable streaks of blue, but the entire batter shouldn't turn blue. If that starts to happen – stop stirring, you're done! Make sure not to overmix the muffin batter, or the blueberry juice will still bleed.

Can I add frozen blueberries to a box muffin mix? ›

We recommend adding 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) fruit. Gently fold into the batter. Bake as directed.

Answer. Washing fruits and vegetables is important because it gets rid of excess dirt and bacteria. Although most frozen fruits and vegetables are washed before packaging, it is still important to wash them before use. Just rinse frozen or thawed fruit in a colander under cool water and then enjoy.

If you're hoping to create extra moist muffins or aren't going to eat them for a while, consider using paper liners instead. Paper liners will help keep the moisture inside of the baked goods, allowing the muffins to remain fresher for longer.

Refrigerating the muffins will alter their flavor and texture. Room temperature is the way to go from maximum freshness.

The right amount of butter or oil, or a combination of both, is important to get a moist muffin. This fat is essential for producing a beautifully moist muffin with a tender crumb - so don't reduce the amount stated in the recipe.

Generally, speaking, you can use fresh and frozen berries interchangeably in your baking recipes, but you may need to make a few tweaks to ensure it comes out perfectly.

Most fruit can be added to recipes straight from the freezer, but you might prefer to use fresh fruit to garnish. Now you know how to freeze and defrost fresh fruit, it's time to put your skills to practice and try out one of these delicious fruity recipes.

You can use fresh or frozen berries for berry cupcakes.

If using frozen berries, do not thaw them before adding to the batter. You can also mix up the types of berries you use.

This means frozen fruit is safe to eat for 8-10 months beyond the printed date on an unopened package. But… the fruit will not stay safe indefinitely. Signs that frozen fruit has gone bad, rotten, or spoiled include discoloration (dull color) and a frostbitten appearance with white colored ice crystals.