Rise and Shine Spice Muffins

Start your morning with Rise and Shine Spice Muffins! These soft, fluffy molasses muffins are topped with crunchy raw sugar and bursting with warm spices.

A Delicious Fall Morning Treat

If you’re looking for the ultimate breakfast treat, these Rise and Shine Spice Muffins are it! Soft, fluffy, and packed with cozy flavors of molasses, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, they’re the perfect way to brighten your morning. 

But don’t let the name fool you! These muffins are delicious in the morning, but they’re loaded with enough sweetness that you just might find yourself offering them as a mid-afternoon snack or a dessert after dinner. (They’re that good!) 

These would also be lovely on a holiday platter at a women’s event or potluck. And why not? A sprinkle of raw sugar on top adds sparkle and crunch, giving these muffins a bakery-worthy finish. 

Enjoy them warm with a cup of coffee or tea, and you’ll see why they’re destined to become a family favorite.

Rise and Shine Spice Muffin Ingredients

I’ve prepped a recipe card at the bottom of this post with all of the measurements but he’s a glance at what you’ll need. These are simple to make! I didn’t have some of these spices so I reached for my pumpkin spice blend. It always hits the spot when it comes to fall baking. 

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk for extra tang)
• Raw sugar for topping (about 2 Tbsp)

How to Make Rise and Shine Spice Muffins

These are homemade but they’re very simple to make. They come together in no time and are relatively fool-proof. 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin or grease well.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and milk until smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring gently until just combined — batter will be thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups (about ¾ full).
6. Sprinkle each with ½–1 teaspoon raw sugar for sparkle and crunch.
7. Bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Serve and enjoy!
10. Store at room temperature, tightly wrapped, up to three days.

What to Expect from These Muffins

When I say these pack a punch, I mean it! See that dark brown color? That’s a combination of the molasses, brown sugar, and spices. Those three things merge forces to create a powerful muffin that bakes up soft and fluffy with a gorgeous crunchy top — these are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even dinnertime dessert!

Variations to this Recipe

I can’t stop thinking about all of the add-ins I’d like to pair with this muffin. Since we’re talking breakfast and all, let’s get creative. 

Bacon. I know. But bacon would be amazing in these cupcakes. I’ve used bacon in my baking before and it worked beautifully. 

Walnuts: You could chop up a half cup of walnuts and add them to the mix. 

Chocolate Chips: We already discovered with my Chocolate Molasses cookies that chocolate and molasses pair beautifully together. So, why not stir in a cup of chocolate chips? (Delicious!) 

Streusel. If you really want these to look and feel like a breakfast treat, consider a streusel, but also add some pumpkin pie spice to it before applying to the tops of the muffins. 

Coconut: Talk about another great way to sweeten up this spicy muffins! 

Other Molasses Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cake: This one has a delicious Brown Sugar Buttercream. So yummy!

Chocolate Molasses Spice Cookies: Recipe coming soon on this one, folks!

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies: I took these to a friend and he loved them!

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That’s it for this post, friends. You’re going to love this simple recipe. Please leave a comment if you make it! 

Before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?

About the Baker:

Janice is a writer, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She's the author of over 170 books for the Christian market, including cookbooks and more! Learn more about Janice at JaniceAThompson.com.