Full of warm spices, these Gingerbread Muffins are perfect for cozy winter mornings, serving on Christmas day, or anytime during the holiday season. Choose from a crunchy sugar topping or a simple glaze. Either way, they are amazing!
If you’re a big fan of gingerbread, don’t miss my gingerbread latte recipe too!
Easy Gingerbread Muffins
These gingerbread muffins may become my favorite breakfast during the holiday season. They make the perfect Christmas muffins for Christmas morning but are easy enough to be enjoyed all winter long.
Unlike many other muffin recipes, these are not heavy or uber-sweet. Though still tender and moist, they’re more on the light side, filled with warm gingerbread flavors.
I’ve included two topping options in the recipe – decorator’s sugar for some textural crunch and a simple glaze made with powdered sugar and milk for a sweeter option. Both are amazing and we often split the batch and top half each way.
Ingredients Needed
These gingerbread muffins are made with a handful of pantry staples, plus warm spices and other ingredients to create the gingerbread flavor.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled for accurate measuring.
- Baking soda & baking powder – Helps the muffins rise to create the light, fluffy texture.
- Spices – The gingerbread flavor comes from a combination of ginger, cinnamon, sea salt, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Brown sugar – I recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe, as it has more of the rich molasses flavor that is classic in gingerbread.
- Molasses – A key ingredient in the classic gingerbread flavor.
- Butter – For moisture and richness.
- Egg – Gives the batter structure.
- Vanilla extract – For added flavor.
- Buttermilk – Using buttermilk in muffins helps to create a light, tender crumb.
- Decorator’s sugar – Optional
- For the glaze – If you choose to add the optional glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar and whole milk.
Mix-In Ideas
Want to take these muffins up another level? Feel free to add in an extra ingredient for added flavor and/or texture. Here are a few things that pair well with gingerbread:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chopped apples
- Chopped nuts
- Dried cranberries
- Butterscotch chips
- Cinnamon chips
How to Make Gingerbread Muffins
This easy muffin recipe comes together in just a few easy steps.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Prepare the batter. Stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, molasses, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Combine, then add half of the buttermilk. Repeat.
- Bake. Divide the batter equally into 12 muffin cups. Top with decorator’s sugar if desired. Bake at 425F for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350F for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk. It should be thick but pourable. Add more milk if needed.
- Serve. Allow the muffins to cool then drizzle the glaze on top (if using). Let sit for 10 minutes, then serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making the best Gingerbread muffins.
- Measure the flour carefully. Adding too much flour can cause the muffins to be denser or more crumbly than desired.
- Do not overmix the batter. After all the dry ingredients and buttermilk are added, mix the batter just until combined. Overmixing can also cause dense muffins.
- Do not open the oven door. When you reduce the temperature, resist the temptation to peek at the muffins as it can cause them to deflate.
Topping Ideas
The glaze included in this recipe is totally optional. We like to enjoy half of them with the crunchy sugar topping and half with the glaze when we have guests over, so everyone gets something they like. However, there are other toppings that are super yummy on these gingerbread muffins, like cream cheese glaze or a rum glaze.
Proper Storage
These light, moist muffins are best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature. You will want to allow them to cool quite a bit before adding any icing or it will just melt, but enjoying these slightly warm from the oven is *chef’s kiss*.
- Storing leftovers. Leftover gingerbread muffins will last for up to 3 days at room temperature, in a covered container.
- To freeze. These muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Just allow them to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe ziploc bag or container. Thaw on the counter and enjoy at room temperature.
More Easy Muffin Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar , packed
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/3 cups buttermilk
- decorators sugar , optional
Optional glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, cloves, and nutmeg until combined; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, molasses, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet and stir to combine. Add half of the buttermilk and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.
- Divide the batter among the 12-count muffin tin. Top each muffin with the decorator's sugar, if using.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The muffins will appear dry on the top and puffed up.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Take them out and cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the optional glaze, stir together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk until smooth. (You want the glaze to be thick yet pourable, add up to another tablespoon of milk if needed.)
- Once the muffins are cooled, drizzle on the glaze if using. Let set for 10 minutes and serve.
I enjoyed this recipe. We use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk; which gave this recipe added protein. The flavor was fantastic. Quickly becoming a favorite in our house.
Delicious muffins!! A little ginger definitely goes a long way, next I make them I might do 1tsp; other than that I wouldn’t change anything else! Will be saving this recipe!
Do you have to use buttermilk?
You can substitute with 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, then add milk to equal 1 1/3 cups.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I did make a few changes because of what I had on hand. I did have to make my own butter milk. I omitted the cloves and nutmeg. I used Orange Ginger and added 3 Tbs. of orange zest. I made them for my friends as part of a gift for Christmas. Scrumptious goodies! Thanks again.