Best muffin trays 2024, tried and tested

For more expert baking reviews, check out our recommendations for the best loaf tins or the best brownie tins, ideal for sweet traybakes.

Jump to:

• Best muffin trays at a glance
• Best muffin tray for baking 2024
• What type of pan is best for baking muffins?
• Is a cupcake tray different to a muffin tray?
• Do I need to grease a muffin tray?

Best muffin trays at a glance

• Best all-rounder muffin tray: Lakeland 12 hole deep bun tin, £11.99
• Best muffin tray with heatproof grips: Le Creuset 12 cup muffin tray, £35
• Best non-stick muffin tray: GreenPan Bistro muffin pan, £30
• Best for unique design: Circulon Ultimum 12 cup non-stick muffin pan, £22
• Best deep muffin tray: ProCook non-stick bun sheet, £13

Best muffin tray for baking 2024

Lakeland 12 hole deep bun tin

• Available from Lakeland (£11.99), Amazon (£11.99)

Best all-rounder muffin tray

Star rating: 5/5

This muffin tray from Lakeland ticked all the boxes for us on test. With an RRP of £14.99, it's affordable as well as highly functional. The lips on the sides of the tin make it really easy to grip and there's enough room for oven-gloved hands when taking it out of a hot oven. It comes with the standard 12 holes and has a non-stick coating, which we found easily released our muffins without needing a liner.

Le Creuset 12 cup muffin tray

• Available from Harts of Stur (£28), Selfridges (£35)

Best muffin tray with heatproof grips

Star rating: 5/5

Le Creuset might be best known for its casserole dishes, but it has a wide range of cookware and bakeware, including this non-stick muffin tray. The 12-hole tray has a high quality design with a large lip around the edge and a heatproof grip on each side, making it easy to pick up when hot.

The cups are deep and make large muffins. We lined half of the tray and greased the other half with butter and were able to remove both sets easily without any breakage to the sponge.

GreenPan Bistro muffin pan

• Available from GreenPan (£30), Harts of Stur (£30), John Lewis & Partners (£30)

Best non-stick muffin tray

Star rating: 5/5

GreenPan is known for its non-stick cookware and this muffin tray is a great example. We baked half of our muffins without liners in the tin and they released without any sticking. The tin is sturdy, with a lip on either end to make it easier to lift. The deep cups and straight sides ensured our muffins had an impressive rise on test and the cakes in the middle of the tin baked at the same rate as those at the edge.

Circulon Ultimum 12 cup non-stick muffin pan

• Available from Amazon (£18.21), Circulon (£22)

Best for unique design

Star rating: 4.5/5

This tray from Circulon has a unique design, with a swirl at the base of each cup which aids even baking and creates a crisp, golden base. The circle pattern does imprint into the base of each muffin, which we liked, but this effect is less prominent if you use a liner.

The muffins rose easily and came out of the cups cleanly even when unlined.

ProCook 12 non-stick bun sheet

• Available from ProCook (£13)

Best deep muffin tray

Star rating: 4.5/5

This 12-cup muffin tray from ProCook has deep cups which would be great for Yorkshire puddings as well as large muffins. We liked the sleek and minimal look of this tin but would have liked a larger lip around the edge as it was quite difficult to transfer the tin in and out of the oven.

The muffins that were lined with cases released from the tin easily, but those that weren't lined took a little wiggling before coming out, and we had a couple which broke, with the bottom half staying in the tin.

What type of tray is best for baking muffins?

There are broadly two types of trays for baking muffins: silicone and metal. Both have their pros and cons.

We've covered metal muffin trays in this list, but silicone trays can be useful too. They are generally easier to store than metal tins as they can be rolled or compacted. They can also be useful if you're making a delicate dessert or layering different elements, especially if these needs to be chilled before being turned out.

However, for baking muffins, we'd generally recommend a metal tray as they conduct heat most efficiently for an even bake. Metal trays are also better for achieving a domed top to your muffins as they bake; this is harder to achieve in a silicone mould.

Is a cupcake tray different to a muffin tray?

The main difference between a cupcake tray and a muffin tray is the size of the cups. Muffins are larger than cupcakes, so muffin trays will generally have a deeper cup with straight sides, while cupcake or fairy cake trays will have a shallower cup with gently sloping sides.

If you're limited on storage space though you can definitely buy a single tray and use it for both. We'd recommend buying a muffin tray for both muffins and cupcakes, using less mix in each cup for your cupcakes to achieve the smaller size.

Do I need to grease a muffin tray?

Most muffin trays will be made from a non-stick material. However, we'd still recommend either greasing the holes before adding your muffin mixture or using a muffin liner to make sure they release easily. This should avoid any disappointment from your cakes getting stuck, and make cleaning your muffin tray quick and easy.

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