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Warmly spiced Gingerbread Muffins are cozy, festive, and perfect for the holiday season! These are easy to make and come together quickly. Finish with a sweet vanilla yogurt glaze for a delicious breakfast or snack to enjoy this winter!
These moist and fluffy healthy Gingerbread Muffins made with a perfect blend of cozy spices and just the right amount of sweetness, always get me excited for the holidays! Not only are they super flavorful and delicious, but they smell so good baking. One bite and you’re sure to be in a festive holiday state of mind! These are great to enjoy for breakfast, snacks, and as an addition to Christmas morning brunch!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy: This gingerbread muffin recipe is an easy winter breakfast or snack that can be ready with very little effort!
- Healthier: These are more nutritious than your average bakery muffin. The ingredients, like whole wheat flour, are simple and wholesome, yet come together for wonderful texture and taste.
- So much delicious flavor: Brown sugar and molasses add moisture and just the right amount of sweetness. Warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger give these a complex flavor, and the optional vanilla glaze is the perfect finishing touch.
- Versatile recipe: You can easily customize the recipe by mixing in chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips to the batter for a different flavor. See below for more variation ideas!
Ingredients needed
This easy gingerbread muffin recipe includes a blend of seasonal spices, which is complemented by rich molasses and brown sugar. You’re going to love how flavorful these taste! Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour provides a hearty boost of fiber and nutty flavor. You can use all-purpose flour instead, if preferred.
- Baking staples: Baking soda and baking powder help the muffins rise a bit while baking.
- Spices: Stir in a mix of ground ginger and ground cinnamon for that signature gingerbread flavor.
- Salt: To balance the sweetness and enhance the overall taste.
- Eggs: Two large eggs will give these stability, and structure and add richness.
- Brown sugar: To perfectly sweeten each muffin! Use dark brown sugar for a deeper, richer flavor.
- Oil: Vegetable oil or melted coconut oil keeps the muffins nice and moist.
- Milk: Feel free to use any milk you’d like to give these plenty of moisture and ensure the batter is the right consistency.
- Dark molasses: This is an essential ingredient for deep, rich gingerbread flavor.
- Vanilla yogurt glaze: A simple mixture of Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar add an extra dimension of flavor!
How to make this recipe
Follow these simple steps for an incredible holiday treat in no time! These homemade gingerbread muffins are sure to become a family favorite and one you’ll want to make every year. Here’s the easy process:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a standard 12-tin muffin pan with cupcake liners. Or use silicone liners placed on a sheet pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar until fluffy, creamy, and double its size, around 2 minutes. Add the oil, and milk, and incorporate them into the mixture. Add the molasses and whisk just until combined.
- Stir dry with wet ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients and whisk with the mixer on low speed just until incorporated. Add the remaining half and use a spatula to fully incorporate.
- Fill pan: Divide the batter among your prepared cupcake liners, filling them at about 3/4 each.
- Bake: Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue to bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Make the glaze: Using the electric mixer, whisk the yogurt together with vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
Expert tips
- Molasses variety: Use unsulphured molasses or dark molasses for a robust flavor that’s not too strong. We do not recommend blackstrap molasses for baked goods because it is too intense.
- Measure flour: It’s important to measure out the flour correctly. Adding too much or too little can keep your baked goods from having the right structure. Spoon it into the measuring cup, and without shaking it, level off the top with the straight side of a butter knife.
- Room temperature ingredients: Set out the ingredients about 30 minutes before you start baking. Using room temperature ingredients, like eggs and milk, helps everything to easily mix and will give these the best texture.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: If you continue to mix the batter even after the ingredients are combined, these will turn out dense and tough and not be as delicious.
Frequently asked questions
You will taste that signature gingerbread flavor from the spices, brown sugar, and molasses. To make these even more spiced, try adding in ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ½ teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves.
A neutral oil like avocado, canola, or vegetable oil is great for keeping muffins perfectly moist without being overly heavy. We also often use melted coconut oil in our muffin recipes, although some people may detect a subtle coconut flavor.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue to bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Starting with a high oven temperature lifts the muffin tops up quickly and creates a nice dome.
Variations
Feel free to add up to about 1 cup of any mix-in to change up the flavor and texture! Here are some tasty options:
- Fold chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips into the batter.
- For a nutty crunch, add chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter.
- To add chewy sweetness, the addition of raisins or dried cranberries would be delicious and extra festive.
- Instead of or in addition to the glaze, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar or sparkling sugar on top before baking.
Storage recommendations
- To store leftovers: Store at room temperature for up to about 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. If you need to keep them for a longer period of time, store them in the fridge for up to about 5 days, or in the freezer. You can microwave refrigerated muffins for about 10-15 seconds to make them taste like they are fresh out of the oven.
- To freeze: Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, then place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Label the bag with the date! Let the muffins thaw at room temperature or rewarm gently in the microwave to enjoy.
More muffin recipes
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Healthy Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
Vanilla yogurt glaze: (optional, but recommended)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a standard 12-tin muffin pan with cupcake liners. Or use silicone liners placed on a sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs and sugar until fluffy, creamy, and double its size, around 2 minutes. Add the oil, and milk, and incorporate them into the mixture.
- Add the molasses and whisk just until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and whisk with the mixer on low speed just until incorporated.
- Add the remaining half and use a spatula to fully incorporate.
- Divide the batter among your prepared cupcake liners, filling them at about 3/4 each.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue to bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the glaze: Using the electric mixer, whisk the yogurt together with vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
Notes
- To store leftovers: Store at room temperature for up to about 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. If you need to keep them for a longer period of time, store them in the fridge for up to about 5 days, or in the freezer. You can microwave refrigerated muffins for about 10-15 seconds to make them taste like they are fresh out of the oven.
- To freeze: Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, then place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Label the bag with the date! Let the muffins thaw at room temperature or rewarm gently in the microwave to enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
