These gingerbread muffins are moist butter based muffins with cozy gingerbread spices like nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, with rich and deep molasses, and brown sugar.
This is one of my favorite times of the year, filled with brightly colored leaves, mugs of warm cocoa, and warm spices filling the air.
These gingerbread muffins are the perfect fall treat for breakfast, brunch, or as a treat!
They’re a butter based batter, mixed with familiar gingerbread spices like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon, mixed with sweet brown sugar and rich molasses, with all the other usual suspects like eggs, baking soda, and flour.
They’re the perfect combination of sugar and spice, and have that unmistakable holiday taste that everyone loves!
Trust me, if you’re ready to celebrate the holidays, you’re going to love these gingerbread muffins.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for gingerbread muffins
- Unsalted butter – I’ve decided to use butter in these gingerbread muffins for both its delicious flavor and to add moisture.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar will add sweetness to the muffins.
- Eggs – Eggs will help all of the ingredients in the muffin batter emulsify.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract will add a sweet vanilla flavor.
- Molasses – Molasses will add a rich and complex sweetness and moisture.
- All-purpose flour – A common baking ingredient that will make up the majority of the batter.
- Baking soda – Baking soda will keep these gingerbread muffins nice and light and fluffy.
- Gingerbread spices – I’ve used the usual ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves to create that classic holiday gingerbread flavor.
- Milk – Milk will help add moisture and make sure our batter is the perfect consistency.
How to make gingerbread muffins
Whipping up a fresh batch of gingerbread muffins couldn’t be easier!
You simply mix the wet ingredients with the brown sugar (leaving out the milk, that will come later).
In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients, and alternating between the dry mixture and the milk, slowly mix them into the bowl of wet ingredients.
The key here is to not overmix!
Take it slow and steady. It’s ok if there are clumps at the end! It does not need to be a smooth batter.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and enjoy!
Freeze ahead
Did you know you could freeze these gingerbread muffins ahead of time?
Bake as directed, and let gingerbread muffins cool completely.
Wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil, and add to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months!
To eat from frozen, simply let them thaw either on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Storage and leftovers
For all of your other leftover gingerbread muffins, simply store them on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
More muffin recipes
- Want something lower in sugar? Try my Applesauce Muffins
- Love sweet potatoes? Try my Sweet Potato Muffins
- Craving something tart and tangy? Try my Cranberry Orange Rosemary Muffins
- Looking for something sweet and herbaceous? Try my Blueberry Lemon Thyme Muffins
Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap molasses
- 2-½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners.
- Add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until they are well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Next add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the molasses and mix until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, kosher salt, and cloves.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk in batches – ⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour, last ½ milk, last ⅓ flour.
- Mix just until combined. You don’t want to overmix!
- Divide the batter between the muffin pans, filling each one ¾ of the way full. Top with a sprinkle of coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins to a wire rack and cool before storing. Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Nutrition
Nellie Tracy
Monday 4th of December 2023
These are so delicious! Might start a tradition of making these each Christmas morning
Taryn
Monday 4th of December 2023
Moist with great flavor. I added cream cheese icing. Yum!