The $1.25 Dollar Tree Find You Need To Get This Fall

You'll use it for all your fall baking needs.

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I'm a summer girl through and through. The only consolidation that allows me to accept cooler weather and the end of my beloved tomato season is the food in the fall.

I love cozy fall baking projects and the warm, fragrant aromas that permeate the house that time of year. Every October, I go through the same delicious dilemma: Should I make apple cider donut muffins; my longtime favorite, Martha Stewart's pumpkin muffins; or try that savory butternut squash quiche I bookmarked?

The problem with fall baking is that I want to make everything, and committing to a full recipe feels like overkill when I want a taste of all the seasonal treats. To remedy this, I bought a few six-cup muffin pans, and instead of choosing between recipes or making massive batches that go stale, I halve my favorite ones and get to have more variety.

So, I was even more thrilled when I discovered that I could buy half-sized (six cups instead of 12) muffin pans at the Dollar Tree for just $1.25, instead of at least $10 (or more) elsewhere.

Read More: Pumpkin Muffins

Dollar Tree Six-Cup Muffin Pans

• Price: $1.25 for one six-cup muffin pan
• Why I Love It: You can't beat the price. These muffin tins allow you to cut a muffin recipe in half (or just use two pans to make 12 muffins). Plus, they save space because they nest perfectly.
  

Simply Recipes / Dollar Tree

Why I Love Dollar Tree's 6-Cup Muffin Pans

I used to make a standard batch of muffins each week, but if I didn't get around to freezing them, they'd sadly end up in the garbage after a few days. It's such a waste of money, time, and food. For this phase of life where my kids still have smaller appetites I love the compact size of these tins. They're perfect for the small-batch baking I need when I want fresh treats but don't need to feed an army.

It's not hard for me to deplete six muffins. They disappear quickly enough that nothing goes stale and nobody gets tired of them. Plus, they can easily be customized. For example, my daughter is allergic to certain tree nuts, so if I do want to make a batch of banana muffins, I can make one with walnuts without having to worry about cross-contamination.

The pan's size makes it perfect for toaster ovens, so I don't have to heat my full oven for a small batch of treats. Also, the lightweight aluminum conducts heat well, giving me evenly golden tops and bottoms, whether I'm making sweet or savory muffins. And on that note, six cornbread muffins is the perfect number of muffins to pair with chili.

Beyond muffins, I plan to use them for individual quiches or pseudo frittatas filled with fall vegetables, yummy cheeses, and a sprinkling of herbs or bacon; egg bites; mini phyllo apple pies; and leftover stuffing cups for a post-Thanksgiving treat.

One of the best perks of these tins is that they save on storage space. Even though I bought several, they have virtually the same footprint as a single one because of how they nest together. If you're dealing with storage issues, this is a fantastic solution. With two tins, you can still make a standard 12-muffin recipe, and it's the same amount of work, but with the space savings.

For $1.25, I've basically bought myself more variety, less waste, and a whole lot of happy fall mornings.

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