The Sad Frozen Truth About Starbucks Muffins

We know how it goes. You head to Starbucks for a morning pick-me-up with the intention of only getting a latte, only to be tempted by the shiny glass case filled with sandwiches, cake pops, sweet loaves, and more. Starbucks' sweets go hand-in-hand with its coffee drinks, making them almost impossible to resist, and one of our absolute favorite Starbucks pastries is the muffin. With its classic crunchy cinnamon streusel topping and those vibrant berries scattered throughout, the Blueberry Streusel Muffin is the perfect accompaniment to a warm cup of coffee. But there's a sour side to many of your favorite sweets at Starbucks, including the muffins, that you might not be aware of: All of them are frozen and shipped to each Starbucks location where they're thawed out and served.

Disappointing, right? We don't mean to ruin your day, but it's true. Those warm blueberry or Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins you thought were freshly baked every morning in the back of the store were probably baked weeks or even months ago, and they come packaged in plastic with a best-by date, too. Every night during the closing shift, Starbucks baristas pull those frozen baked goods from the freezer and let them thaw overnight so that they're ready to be served "fresh" the next day. Once they're left out of the freezer, they're good for about two days. If you've worked in food service, this may not be shocking; frozen food saves lots of time and allows for quicker service. But even though it's convenient, it's still not ideal for those who want to consume the freshest food possible.

While there's nothing wrong with enjoying a Starbucks treat once in a while, making muffins from scratch is a way to feel a bit better about what you're consuming — and you'll save some money, too, since Starbucks is notoriously expensive. Luckily, we have a ton of tips for making the absolute best muffins that are sure to give the frozen ones at Starbucks a run for their money. No matter what type of muffins you're making, measuring your ingredients with a kitchen scale is a super important step that you don't want to skip.

You should bake with a scale instead of measuring cups to get better, more accurate results each time you make your favorite muffin recipe. This simple step is sure to lead to professional, bakery-style muffins. Another tip for making muffins with that signature crunchy topping, like the Blueberry Streusel Muffin at Starbucks, is to mix your streusel topping with a fork rather than with a food processor. A food processor will leave you with sandier, smaller pieces of sugar, but when you use a fork, you'll be able to control the size of those nuggets for an ultra-delicious muffin from start to finish.