Boston Brown Bread Toaster Cakes/Muffins (Simple & Delicious

 

There’s something wonderfully old‑fashioned and comforting about Boston Brown Bread, with its deep molasses richness and hearty whole‑grain texture. These Boston Brown Bread Toaster Cakes/Muffins capture all that nostalgic New England flavour in a quick, modern format you can bake in minutes. 

No steaming, no fuss — just tender, wholesome little cakes perfect for  toasting, and slathering with butter. They’re ideal for breakfast, alongside baked beans, or as a cozy anytime treat that brings warm, homey goodness to the table.

 

When the kids were growing up we often popped across the border into the US to go shopping, especially when the Canadian dollar was almost on par.   We got a lot of bang for our bucks then!  Food in American was always a lot cheaper and we got tons of bargains.   We would come home with our car boot absolutely bursting with goodies.

One of the things we used to like to buy was the Thomas's Toaster Cakes/Muffins. They were almost like a muffin top, and shaped like a muffin top,  and were very easy to heat up by popping them into a toaster!  We loved these.

I have made corn and cranberry ones before and they are lovely, but today I thought I would make a version based on good old fashioned Boston Brown Bread.  Who doesn't like Boston Brown Bread! It has always been a traditional bread enjoyed on Saturday nights with our baked beans.

You used to be able to buy it in a tin can that you steamed. Oh so tasty steamed and then served warm with lashings of butter and perhaps a drizzle of honey or molasses.  It is something we really love.

Today I decided to try to make a Toaster Cake/Muffin version.  I was really pleased with the end result. They came out beautifully light and moist. Perfect for popping into the toaster to heat up and serve along side of your baked bean supper. Not too sweet, just right. There is no steaming involved.  Just a simple recipe, using simple ingredients, and very low in fat. Just pop into the toaster to reheat and then enjoy warm with lashings of butter on top.

We enjoyed our with some pan-fried ham, baked beans and some of the salad left from the other night.  Delicious!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

BOSTON BROWN BREAD TOASTER CAKES

Simple every day baking cupboard ingredients put together in the most delicious way.

• 1/4 cup (31g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (31g) whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup (40g) yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of salt
• 3 TBS molasses
• 1 TBS cider vinegar
• 3 fluid ounces (90ml) whole milk
• 1/2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (37g) raisins

   

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

• Do not be tempted to use self-raising flour. It works best with all-purpose plain flour. 
• Whole wheat flour is flour that is made by grinding the entire wheat kernel, including the bran, germ, and endosperm, retaining all its natural nutrients. In the U.K. this would be called Whole Meal flour.
• Cornmeal is a coarse flour made by grinding dried maize (corn), used in a variety of dishes worldwide. Do not use self-rising cornmeal. In the U.K. you can use polenta.
• Baking soda is also known as bicarbonate of soda.
• Molasses is a by-product of the sugar refining process. It has a lovely almost smokey flavor. If you cannot get it where you live (U.K.) you can combine equal parts of dark and light treacle to use in it's place.
• By cider vinegar I mean apple cider vinegar.
• I used whole milk.
• I used salted butter.
• If you don't like raisins, feel free to use another dried fruit such as cranberries, blueberries, currants, chopped dates, etc.

 

  

HOW TO MAKE BOSTON BROWN BREAD TOASTER CAKES

These go together very simply. You will need a muffin top pan to make them. Alternately you could spoon them in puddles on top of a greased baking sheet, but a muffin top pan works best.  If you are in the U.K. you can use Yorkshire Pudding tins.

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F.200*C/gas mark 6. Have ready a 6-hole muffin top pan that you have buttered really well. (Alternately you can spray it well with non-stick cooking spray.)
2. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the raisins. (I use a wire whisk to do this, alternately you can sift the dry ingredients together.  Stir the raisins in with a fork or a spoon.)
3. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together. (Again, I use a wire whisk to do this. You will note that the baking powder immediately begins to react with the vinegar.)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Quickly mix together to combine. (It doesn't have to be completely smooth.)
5. Immediately spoon into the prepared muffin top pan, dividing the batter equally amongst the holes. (Work quickly so that you can take full advantage of the reaction between the soda and vinegar.)
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (They should also spring back when lightly touched.)
7. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool.
8. To serve, warm lightly in a toaster and pass the butter! (They only take about a minute or so in the toaster.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS 

FOR QUICK BREAD SUCCESS

If you follow my hints and tips there is no reason why you can't bake a really great quick bread successfully!

1. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise specified.

2. Use the best quality ingredients that you can afford and at your disposal.

3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl and your wet ingredients together in another bowl/beaker before combining together.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together quickly and do not over mix. They need only be combined until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened without any large pockets or streaks of dry ingredients. 

5. Do not over combine the dough.  A light hand is preferable.  A few lumps are perfectly okay and quite acceptable. Over combining yields a tougher bake.

6. Spoon into your baking pan/tin and pop into the oven as soon as possible after combining in order to gain the maximum lift from the leavening used.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT MAKES THESE  SIMILAR TO THE TRADITIONAL BOSTON BROWN BREAD?

They use the same classic trio of whole wheat flour, plain flour, and cornmeal, plus molasses for that deep, old‑fashioned flavour reminiscent of steamed brown bread 

DO THESE NEED TO BE STEAMED LIKE REGULAR BROWN BREAD?

Not at all — that’s the beauty of this recipe. These muffins skip the steaming entirely and bake like a simple muffin. Once baked you can freeze or store in an airtight container, ready to pop into a toaster to warm up for eating.

CAN I LEAVE OUT THE RAISINS?

Yes, if you don't like raisins, you can swap them for dried cranberries, blueberries, chopped dates, currants — or simply omit them.

WHAT CAN I SERVE THESE TOASTER CAKES WITH?

They’re incredibly versatile — perfect with baked beans, soups, stews, hash, salads, or simply warm with butter. They’re even lovely at breakfast with a glass of orange juice and your eggs and bacon.

CAN I FREEZE THESE TOASTER CAKES?

Yes, they freeze very well, making them great for small households or make‑ahead baking 

IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MOLASSES IF I CAN'T FIND IT?

If you’re in a place where molasses is hard to find, you can use half golden syrup and half treacle as a reliable substitute .

HOW SWEET ARE THESE TOASTER CAKES?

They’re gently sweetened with molasses and a bit of natural sweetness from the raisins, giving them a warm, comforting flavour without being overly sweet.

 

A FEW OTHER QUICK BREAD RECIPES TO ENJOY

We love savory quick breads in this house.  Quick and easy to put together and always delicious. Perfect when you don't have time to make a yeast bread to enjoy with your meal!

EASY BISCUIT MUFFIN BREADS - A cozy, small‑batch bake, these Biscuit Muffin Breads deliver all the tender, fluffy goodness of a homemade biscuit in an easy, 30‑minute muffin form. Made with just six simple pantry ingredients, they whip together in minutes and bake up soft, golden, and perfect for serving with soups, stews, salads — or simply warm with butter and jam. A true little comfort bake you’ll want to make again and again.

YEAST FREE NAAN BREADS - Soft, warm, and ready in minutes, these Yeast‑Free Naan Breads are a quick stovetop flatbread made from simple pantry ingredients. With no rising or kneading required, the dough mixes together easily and cooks up into tender, golden naan perfect for curries, soups, grilled meats, or brushing with garlic butter. A fast, foolproof recipe that delivers fresh, homemade naan any night of the week.

 

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Yield: Makes Six

Author: Marie Rayner

Boston Brown Bread Toaster Cakes

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

All the deliciousness of Boston Brown Bread, except in a handy form that you can pop into the toaster for instant gratification. Delicious with baked beans, soups, salads, for breakfast with eggs, etc.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (31g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (31g) whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup (40g) yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of salt
• 3 TBS molasses
• 1 TBS cider vinegar
• 3 fluid ounces (90ml) whole milk
• 1/2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (37g) raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F.200*C/gas mark 6. Have ready a 6-hole muffin top pan that you have buttered really well.
2. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the raisins.
3. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Quickly mix together to combine.
5. Immediately spoon into the prepared muffin top pan, dividing the batter equally amongst the holes.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. They should also spring back when lightly touched.
7. Tip out onto a wire rack to cool.
8. To serve, warm lightly in a toaster and pass the butter!

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