Gingerbread Muffins

These gingerbread muffins are loaded with classic holiday flavors everyone enjoys! Moist, tender, and perfectly spiced for warming up during chilly mornings or afternoons.

Gingerbread muffins in a basket lined with red, white, and green towel.

The amazing aroma of the holidays wafting through your home is reason enough to bake these gingerbread muffins!

For me, gingerbread needs to be strongly flavored with dark molasses and lots of ginger. This recipe hits those notes for me perfectly.

Gingerbread muffins on a wire rack.

Why You’ll Love These

  • Wonderfully spiced and very moist!
  • Deep, rich robust molasses flavor.
  • The beautifully cracked tops.

Key Ingredients

  • Molasses – The key to the dark brown color and rich robust flavor is molasses. I use Grandma’s molasses for most of my baking.
  • Buttermilk – Buttermilk keeps these muffins moist and brings a slightly pleasant tang. It also helps tenderize giving them a softer texture.
  • Spices – This gingerbread muffins recipe uses cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to give them that perfectly warm spiced flavor.

Tips

  • Measure the flour correctly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
  • Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk.
  • Avoid using blackstrap molasses it can be too intense and bitter for gingerbread muffins.
  • Be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can make them tough and dense, instead of soft and fluffy.
  • For a crunchy texture sprinkle some turbinado sugar on the tops before baking.
  • Or you can drizzle a glaze over the tops of the muffins. While the muffins are cooling combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add a little bit more milk if needed until desired consistency is achieved.
Batter in a muffin tin.

How to Make Gingerbread Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium-size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until incorporated.

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Gingerbread Muffins - Super easy recipe for moist, tender, and perfectly spiced Gingerbread Muffins that are perfect during the holidays.

Add the buttermilk and molasses and beat until combined.

Slowly fold in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. There are going to be lumps, it’s ok. You DO NOT want to overmix muffins they will become tough.

Evenly divide the batter into the muffin tin with an ice cream scoop. The muffin cups will be full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake they will dry out.

Gingerbread Muffins in a metal bucket.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Gingerbread Muffin on a white plate.

Super easy recipe for moist, tender, and perfectly spiced Gingerbread Muffins is perfect during the holidays.

Storing

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezing

Place the completely cooled muffins in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months for the best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

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More Muffin Recipes

Gingerbread muffins in a basket lined with red, white, and green towel.

Gingerbread Muffins Recipe

Super easy recipe for moist, tender, and perfectly spiced Gingerbread Muffins that are perfect during the holidays.
4.22 from 126 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American, British, English
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 3/4 cup molasses

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF degrees. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan.
  • In a medium-size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
  • Add the buttermilk and molasses and beat until combined. Slowly fold in the flour mixture just until incorporated. There are going to be lumps, it’s ok. You DO NOT want to overmix muffins they will become tough.
  • Evenly divide batter into the muffin pan with an ice cream scoop. The muffins cups will be full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake they will dry out.
  • Let cool for a few minutes in the pan then transfer the muffins to a wire rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg

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8 Comments

  1. Delicious! I used half fancy molasses and half blackstrap molasses to get a stronger flavour, and it was delicious. I also added about 4 tbsp of apple sauce cause I was worried they might be dry with 3 cups of flour, turned out great, but not sure it was necessary (not sure how much moisture 4 tbsp of apple sauce would add lol). These aren’t super sweet, but my husband and I loved them!5 stars

    1. They turned out great. But the bottom of the muffin paper was a little oil. Idk what I did. I followed the instructions to tee.

    1. You can try: Placing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup then fill the measuring cup with a non-dairy replacement that’s safe for you until you reach the 1 cup measuring line. Let it sit until about 10 minutes or until it curdles. I hope this helps!

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