Molasses Refrigerator Muffins

Warmly spiced molasses muffins with a five-spice lineup of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, plus plump raisins in every bite. The batter stores in the refrigerator, so you can scoop and bake fresh muffins whenever you want them.

Molasses gives these muffins a deep, bittersweet richness that plain sugar can’t touch. Combined with sour milk and all those warm spices, the flavor leans toward old-fashioned gingerbread in muffin form.

The key to tender muffins: add the dry ingredients all at once and stir just enough to moisten. You should still see a few streaks of flour in the batter. Overmixing activates the gluten and turns soft muffins into tough, domed hockey pucks.

Serve these hot from the oven with butter and jam. The warmth makes the spices bloom and the raisins soft.

Kitchen Tips

• Fill the muffin cups only half full. These rise significantly thanks to the baking soda reacting with the molasses and sour milk.
• Sift all the dry ingredients together before adding. Five different spices need even distribution or you’ll get hot spots of clove or ginger in individual muffins.
• The batter thickens as it chills in the fridge. That’s normal. Scoop it cold directly into the muffin pan without stirring it again.
• Check at 18 minutes. These go from golden to over-browned quickly because of the sugar and molasses.

Variations

• Replace raisins with dried cranberries or chopped crystallized ginger for a sharper bite.
• Drizzle a simple lemon glaze over the tops after cooling for a tart contrast to the spice.
• Add a tablespoon of orange zest to the batter for a citrus-spice twist.