Muffin Club for Moms
Do you know you want in the next Muffin Club for Moms?
You can skip the post below and sign up here.
A book club still seems like a distant dream, but one thing I can commit to in the realities of life right now is baking once a week. This will both keep me accountable to introduce new variety each week and afford us healthy snacks always on hand in our home.
The idea for Muffin Club started when I was planning for postpartum after my third was born in August 2018. I casually mentioned it on my Instagram, “Hey, if you want me to share the recipes I choose and make, let me know.” It was after 9 PM that I posted this and by the time I crawled into bed, I literally had hundreds of DMs asking for me to share.
So I hopped right back out of bed with my giant 32 week pregnant belly and got to work. I posted a sign up for my fellow moms (slash families as I love all you dads who bake too!), and over the past two years now, it has been so much fun watching thousands of you bake with me.
Whether you are expecting a little one soon, early on in your pregnancy and wanting to find some tried-and-true muffins for future postpartum prep, already wanting to get a jumpstart on healthy snacks for at or after-school, or are a fellow busy mama who just wants to make life a liiiiiittle more streamlined, efficient, and low-stress over Summer, this Muffin Club is for you.
Here is What You Can Expect:
Each week, I will:
Search, find, and organize muffin recipes that I personally approve of as a dietitian-mom. I have personally tried each of these in advance and think they are enjoyable to eat and easy to make (with or without kids). As a dietitian mom, I also have vetted these recipes as ones that offer worthwhile nutrition for you and your family.
Send out ONE email with the recipe for the upcoming week. I will send this on Saturday mornings, only to those who have joined the Muffin Club. Join here >>
Share on my Instagram a picture and/or story about the muffins we are making for the week using the hashtag #muffinclubformoms. The plan is to post it every Monday for the six-weeks of Muffin Club.
Each week, I ask that you will:
Check the recipe for the upcoming week so you can make sure you have the ingredients on hand. You can find this recipe on the email I send out each Saturday morning titled, "New Recipe for Muffin Club: ________." To join this email list and get this recipe to your inbox, make sure to sign up here.
Recognize that each recipe may or may not suit your family’s dietary needs. Whenever possible, I have tried to select recipes that offer options to modify based on dietary preferences and/or allergen needs. In each week’s recipe, I also include modifications that I use (based on my own family) and share any other modifications or allergen-friendly alternatives you all have submitted (that other families have previously shared). If you try a substitution of your own, would you please share via email with me or on social media? Last year this proved to be very helpful among our muffin club community.
Use this time to bond with your child(ren) over baking or for a much-needed mom break when you can bake in peace! You can make this a family affair and double batch it so you have some to freeze and save, or many families have also enjoyed baking and swapping with another family/mom friend. This gives you both more variety of muffins for less actual effort on each end. Plus, it becomes an easy play date snack swap that I’m pretty sure most of us would be happy to do!
Whenever you decide to make the muffins (be it on Monday or anytime!), please share a picture or a video on your social media. When you do, I would really appreciate it if you would tag me (@veggiesandvirtue) and include #muffinclubformoms. This makes a more fun "community" feel for our super official Muffin Club for Moms :)
Enjoy the muffins! This is meant to be fun and ultimately help fuel your family - especially amidst the chaos of real life when sometimes we only have one hand to grab something healthy-ish while heading out the door. This isn’t intended to be a burden nor a baking competition. It is meant to fuel you - mind, body, and soul!
You are doing great, mama, and I hope each bite of muffin brings you one more much needed deep breath each day.
FAQs for Muffin Club
I have received several questions about making muffins in advance, the logistics of doing so to freeze and enjoy again later, as well as this being round two to muffin club. To address some of these questions, I have provided the questions and my answers below.
If I signed up in previous years, do I need to sign up again?
Yes. If you would like the most current series to be delivered to your inbox again, you need to join here. This signs you up for the next Muffin Club.
Will there be new recipes this year?
Sort of. Most of the recipes will be the same as those shared before as they are tried and true favorites that I enjoy coming back to each year. I have split up the recipes into Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasonal flavors for two, 6-week Muffin Club series. This was based on feedback from you all!
Can I get all the recipes in advance?
No. Muffin Club recipes will be sent out via email once weekly to those who sign up here. If you sign up after we officially start, you will have access to the former weeks in the footer of each email.
What if I haven’t joined yet? Can I still get the recipes?
Yes, you can still join here! Even if we are a week or two “ahead” of you, you will still receive access to each of the weekly recipes as well as those from former weeks. If Muffin Club is not currently running, the best ways to access past recipes are by checking out my Muffin Club highlights on Instagram.
What kind of muffins will be included?
These are better-for-you, homemade muffins made with as many wholesome ingredients as possible. Set your expectations for them to taste delicious AND be nutritious as a nutrient-dense breakfast, snack, or anytime option! If you are wanting a muffin that is delicious but not so nutritious, I am probably not your gal nor is this going to bring you the type of more coffee shop kind of muffin you might have in mind.
Additionally, if you want these muffins to be zero added sugar, paleo-, keto-, or meet any other kind of specific dietary standards, that might be difficult to achieve with this Muffin Club. I do my best to suggest lower sugar options and how to substitute, as needed, for items like gluten, dairy, eggs, and other common allergens/food intolerances. This club does not adhere to any one type of diet, however.
What type of ingredients will these muffins be made from?
Since I personally can't consume gluten, I usually bake gluten-free to ensure I can eat whatever I make*. When possible, I use oats/oat flour or a gluten-free all purpose flour (as a substitute for a whole wheat flour or when specified). Many of these muffins will also use almond flour, or coconut flour as the base (making them naturally gluten-free). You are welcome to make your muffins with whatever flour is called for or is your preference, but please note I can’t ensure that the exchange is always 1:1 so you need to check the recipe notes and comments to verify what works (or doesn’t).
*I am by no means endorsing a gluten-free diet is appropriate for everyone; this is simply how I cook for my family so the recipes chosen will naturally reflect that.
Otherwise, I am not looking to make anything fancy here! Every recipe has been selected with the home kitchen and pantry staples in mind. Some of what I consider “staples” might be new to you, however. My goal is not to send you out shopping or spending unnecessary money on any of the ingredients included each week. Rather, the ingredients included are ones that I, as a dietitian mom, think are worthwhile having in your home and becoming familiar with - even if Muffin Club is your first chance! I want you to learn how to use the ingredients you already have on hand to make healthy, family favorites.
What is the best way to store muffins?
For the muffins that I plan we will eat the week of, I usually store them in a glass Pyrex with a snapware lid (as seen on my Amazon shop - affiliate link). If I don't want to tie these glass storage containers up long term however, so for freezing I use a gallon-sized freezer Ziplock, Stasher bags (when I have some free to use), and/or a metal disposable container with heavy duty foil top (I find the best size options and price for disposable metal pans at Dollar Tree).
What is the best way to freeze muffins?
Ideally, I recommend allowing the muffins to cool and come to room temperature. Then, transfer them on a cooling rack (or in the original muffin tin) and place them in the freezer for 30+ minutes to flash freeze individually. Once quick-frozen, transfer muffins to a sealed, freezer-safe container (see question above). This will help them to not stick together but prevents you from having to waste the time or product to wrap each muffin individually.
What is the best way to label these?
Be sure to include the name, date made, and any allergens you might need note of in the future. For our family, I noted if they were nut and/or banana-free as those were items that were restricted in one of my child’s preschools (due to another child’s allergies). This helped come the school year, so I knew which ones were safe to send to school.
What is the best way to keep muffins tasting fresh?
Especially during hot summer months, I recommend you keep your fresh batch of muffins in the fridge (once they have cooled). Most will mold at room temperature if left out for more than 1-2 days, so I suggest storing them in the fridge and then pulling them out in advance to bring them to room temp on their own before eating or by quickly warming them up in the microwave (~10 seconds).
What is the best way to thaw frozen muffins?
When you go to thaw your muffins from the freezer, simply transfer the container of them to the fridge. For muffins with more moisture, you may want to consider putting a paper towel inside of the container/Ziplock to absorb it as the muffins thaw. Allow them to thaw on their own or take one and put it on a paper towel to microwave (~15-30 seconds depending on how frozen they are). You should be able to transfer the whole container to the fridge to enjoy, or you can remove one muffin at a time from your freezer stash and thaw in the microwave.
How long do the muffins last in the freezer for?
From my experience and the notes I have read on many muffins recipes, most muffins are fine to be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months (assuming they have been well-sealed). When you put each batch in, just be sure to label with the name and date and then rotate using First In, First Out (FIFO) method. This said, in real life, we had so many muffins when my third was born we ate them after the three month mark and as far as I can tell, we all still turned out okay!