These gingerbread muffins are a MUST! You’re going to love the moist texture and delightful gingerbread flavor. It will be nearly impossible to stop at just one.
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I am a big fan of gingerbread during the holiday season. The combination of fragrant holiday spices and rich molasses makes a truly indulgent treat. You can make it into gingerbread Rice Krispie treats, a cake, or my newest favorite – muffins!
This gingerbread muffin recipe includes a vanilla bean glaze to enhance the sweetness of each muffin. They’re perfect for any morning with a hot cup of tea or coffee, but I also like them for a sweet treat in the middle of the day.
These muffins also work great for holiday parties. Everyone will be begging for the recipe! They’ll be gone in the blink of an eye as they’re the perfect festive treat.
Why You Will Love This Gingerbread Muffin Recipe
These are easily the best gingerbread muffins I’ve tried. Here’s why you’re going to love these flavorful muffins:
- Topped with a delicious glaze – I prefer a vanilla glaze over sprinkling coarse sugar. You will love the flavor with the gingerbread!
- Easy to make – It’s a matter of mixing and baking. It’s a perfect, easy recipe for this busy time of year!
- Perfect Christmas morning breakfast – A great breakfast recipe for Christmas morning! Enjoy a delicious muffin while opening presents brought by Santa.
- Make memories – I can remember fond memories of baking with my grandma around this time of year. Kids will love to help bake these delicious spiced muffins!
Ingredients & Substitutions for Gingerbread Muffins
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted gives the best control over the flavor. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature.
- Sugar – A must for a sweet gingerbread muffin recipe!
- Egg – Eggs are a great binder in muffin recipes. Make sure to bring it to room temperature.
- Molasses – Adding molasses will give you the flavor profile of classic gingerbread—the perfect balance of sweetness without overpowering the spices.
- Flour – The main ingredient needed to make gingerbread muffins! I used all purpose flour but you can also use almond flour.
- Baking soda – An essential ingredient for light and fluffy muffins!
- Cinnamon – Just a bit of cinnamon adds some delicious flavor to the ginger.
- Ginger – The flavor that brings the gingerbread together.
- Salt – This will help balance out the flavors in the baking process.
- Water – Liquid used to mix ingredients but you can use milk, if you prefer.
- Powdered sugar – Used to make the glaze for muffins as it breaks down into a glaze easily. You can also blend standard sugar to make your own!
- Vanilla bean paste – Adds a delicious vanilla flavor to the glaze. I like this vanilla bean paste but you can also use Vanilla extract.
- Milk – Just a bit of milk to bring your glaze together! You can also use almond milk if you prefer.
How To Make Gingerbread Muffins
Step 1. Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
Step 2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Cream until smooth.
Step 3. Add in the eggs and mix on medium speed. Add the molasses and mix on medium speed to combine. Stop periodically to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 4. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk until well combined.
Step 5. Add half the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the remaining dry mixture and mix on medium speed.
Step 6. Slowly add the water and mix at medium to low speed until well incorporated. Add more water a little at a time until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed in between mixing.
Step 7. Fill each prepared muffin cup with the muffin batter 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full. Leave enough room for them to rise in the oven.
Step 8. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the center of the muffins are fully baked and the edges are browned. Set aside on a wire rack for them to cool completely.
Step 9. Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and milk in a medium bowl with a whisk.
Step 10. Drizzle the glaze for muffins over the top of your cooled muffins. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Baking Gingerbread Muffins
This delicious recipe for gingerbread muffins is pretty easy, but here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Avoid overmixing – Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until they are combined. Avoid mixing more than that as it can cause muffins to be tough or bake unevenly.
- Use fresh spices – You want your cinnamon and ginger to have a strong flavor. If the aroma isn’t strong, they might need to be replaced.
- Allow time to cool – You want to wait until they are completely cooled before adding the glaze. The texture of the muffins will be very fragile fresh out of the oven.
Variations for Gingerbread Muffins
- Use decorator sugar – While I love a good glaze, decorator sugar is a popular choice with this Christmas muffin recipe.
- Make it a bread – Instead of adding to muffin liners, try adding to a loaf pan. You may need to adjust baking time if you choose this option.
- Try with mashed banana – A ginger banana bread could be a delicious variation of this recipe!
- Make these healthy gingerbread muffins – Use coconut oil and whole wheat flour for an added healthy component.
Gingerbread Muffins Recipe FAQ’s
The best way to get moist gingerbread muffins is by mixing them correctly. Make sure to mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Then, be careful not to overmix.
The secret flavor combination is the cinnamon, ginger, and molasses. Don’t skip on these ingredients!
Butter is best for muffins as it gives it more structure and allows air to flow during baking. Oil can give moisture but butter is the best option.
Gingerbread muffin recipes are best with water as it avoids adding too much moisture. You want a thin liquid to mix the ingredients without accidentally making a cupcake instead!
It’s likely you overmixed the batter or combined all ingredients into a single bowl. This can cause the muffins to bake unevenly in the oven.
Equipment Needed for Gingerbread Muffins
Do you love the flavor of fresh ginger? It’s one of my favorites, and I use fresh ginger to make this soothing Ginger Honey Tea. It’s very soothing and relaxing to drink.
You won’t need much extra equipment for this gingerbread muffin recipe, but here are a couple of my recommendations:
- Muffin pan – My favorite 12-muffin pan that I use for all kinds of recipes!
- Cupcake liners – I love the colors on these and they hold up well.
Serving & Storage Tips for Gingerbread Muffins
These gingerbread muffins are great for Christmas morning laid out for everyone to enjoy! They will also make a great addition to an upcoming holiday party. You can also try serving these up with some fresh fruit options.
Add these to an airtight container to store leftovers for up to 3 days.
If you’d like to freeze to make ahead of time, these will last for up to 3 months.
More Muffin Recipes
Try out these other delicious muffin recipes:
More To Make And Eat
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Gingerbread Muffins With Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Muffin ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 3 cupsq AP flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Muffin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees. Line the cupcake pan(s) with liners, set aside.
- Combine the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand. Cream until smooth.
- Add in the eggs and mix on medium speed to incorporate. Then add the molasses and mix on medium speed to thoroughly combine – stopping the mixer to scrape the sides and mix again.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt In a separate bowl, whisk to combine.
- Add about half of the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the molasses mixture and mix on medium speed. Add in the remaining flour and mix well again.
- Mix in the water slowly on medium-low speed, ensuring that it combines well before adding more. Continue adding water until all of it is incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Fill each cupcake liner until about ⅔ -¾ full. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the cupcakes are done in the center and the edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool.
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and milk in a small bowl and whisk them together. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.
Storage
- Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or can be frozen for 3 months.
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Nutrition
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About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Yum!! Perfect fall treat!