These Gingerbread Muffins are gluten-free and made with a homemade Christmas spice blend that's full of warming spices. The muffins are perfect for the holidays, but they make a delicious breakfast or snack any time during winter! You can prep them in just about 10 minutes, and the oven does the rest! They're freezer-friendly as well.
Jump to:
What Makes These Gingerbread Muffins Special
Flavor of Christmas - The difference between these muffins and other gingerbread muffins out there is the spices I used. My family has been using this Christmas Spice Mix for as long as I can remember for anything gingerbread flavored. In Europe, a lot of "gingerbread" doesn't actually have ginger! The heat comes from black pepper instead, and the blend has more spices than the classic you may be used to.
What's in my version of gingerbread - It's a mix of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, star anise, coriander, cardamom, fennel, and nutmeg. You can always add some ginger as well if you prefer! It's such a good spice for anything and everything Christmas themed, and I can promise you you'll love it too!
Easy and freezer-friendly - These muffins are really simple to make, they store well, and you can even freeze them! Once defrosted and reheated in the oven, they'll taste like they're freshly baked again!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - You can use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free alternative. This recipe was developed using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour, so that's what I recommend you use.
- Eggs - Large eggs help bind everything together and make the muffins rise as well. I haven't tested any vegan alternatives, so I can't guarantee results.
- Avocado oil - Cooking oil adds moisture. You can use any vegetable oil, but I always recommend pure avocado oil. It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point.
- Almond milk - You can use any kind of milk (whole milk or any non-dairy milk, except for canned coconut milk, because it's too thick. I like almond milk or cashew milk because that's what I always have on hand.
- Greek yogurt - The acidity in yogurt works similarly here as buttermilk does in pancakes. It helps them rise, and it makes them extra soft and moist. I recommend full-fat Greek yogurt or a thick, creamy dairy-free alternative.
- Brown sugar - I used regular brown sugar here, but dark brown sugar should also work if you want a stronger molasses flavor. Make sure your sugar isn't dry, and you can pack it into your measuring cup.
- Turbinado sugar - This is optional, but I like sprinkling coarse sugar on the muffins before baking. It makes them look like they're from a fancy coffee shop, it helps the tops caramelize, and it adds a nice crunch!
- Molasses - This is optional. I'm not a big fan of molasses, so I usually skip it, but I know it's a big part of any gingerbread cookies, so I added it to the recipe. You can use any kind of molasses, even blackstrap if you like yours extra robust.
- Spices and vanilla - You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. I highly recommend making my Christmas Spice blend for this recipe; it's what I always use! It's a little different, but it's my favorite holiday flavor for everything, and I promise you'll love it too! You can also use a more classic homemade Gingerbread Spice if you prefer.
Variations and Substitutions
- Vegan yogurt - You can use a creamy dairy-free yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt to keep the muffins dairy-free. I tested this recipe with cashew milk and almond milk. I like the Elmhurst brand, but any good quality creamy non-dairy milk works.
- Butter - If you prefer to use butter or don't have enough oil, add unsalted melted butter instead. Make sure the butter isn't too hot so it doesn't cook the eggs. It's also important to use room-temperature eggs to avoid them solidifying the butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cacao powder, and Christmas spice, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar.
- Add molasses if using, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. Whisk again until well mixed.
- Whisk in Greek yogurt and milk.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and fold them in until just mixed. Don’t overmix it. It's okay if there are a few small lumps; they'll disappear when the muffins bake.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each muffin with about ½ teaspoon of turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake them in the preheated oven at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to 350°F without opening the door and bake the muffins for another 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire rack.
- Serve them warm and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Don't overmix the batter - This is important because overmixing takes more air out of the batter and yields denser muffins with less rise.
- Add coarse sugar - Sprinkling some turbinado sugar on top of the muffins before baking makes them look extra fancy without really doing any extra work! It caramelizes the tops and adds a tiny bit of crunch.
Storing and Reheating
- Room temperature: You can store the muffins at room temperature for 1-2 days in a cool, dry place. Wait for them to cool completely before closing your container with a lid to avoid any condensation and mold.
- Refrigerator: My preferred way to store them is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the muffins in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for 3-4 months.
Reheating: I recommend eating the muffins at room temperature or warmed up in the oven. If your muffins are frozen, either defrost them in the fridge overnight, on the counter for a couple of hours, or in the oven using a defrost setting first. Once defrosted, preheat your oven to 300°F and warm up the muffins on a small baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.
FAQs
I don't have one, so I haven't tried it, but you should be able to. Though they might end up more dried out than they would be from the oven.
You can, but they'll most likely stay frozen in the middle. Slice your muffin in half once it's soft enough, and place it back in the oven to defrost the middle.
Baking powder: Is your baking powder fresh? This is usually the reason for denser muffins. If your baking powder has been sitting in your cupboard too long, it may have lost some of its strength. Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda!
Flour: It could also be due to overmixing the batter or adding too much flour. Make sure to never scoop it with your measuring cup. Use a spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup and level it with a knife. That way, you don't add too much.
More Gingerbread Breakfast Recipes
Don't know what else to make with your gingerbread or Christmas spice? Try any of the five recipes linked below! They're all made with my homemade spice, and they're perfect for the holidays!
Or if you just want to see other muffin recipes, head over to Bread and Muffins for all the latest ones!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you tried these Gingerbread Muffins? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my Newsletter for a free recipe e-book and new weekly recipes straight to your inbox. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram to always stay in the loop!
Print📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 28 mins
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Gingerbread Muffins are gluten-free and made with a homemade Christmas spice blend. The muffins are perfect for the holidays, but they make a delicious breakfast or snack any time during winter! Freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp Christmas Spice (or Gingerbread Spice)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp molasses (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup almond milk (sub whole milk, or other non-dairy milk)
- 1-2 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cacao powder, and Christmas spice, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar.
- Add molasses if using, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. Whisk again until well mixed.
- Whisk in Greek yogurt and milk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and fold them in until just mixed. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups and sprinkle each muffin with about ½ teaspoon of turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to 350°F without opening the door and bake the muffins for another 22-24 minutes.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan and transferring them to a cooling rack. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Store the muffins either at room temperature in a cool dry place for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the muffins for 2-3 months in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container.
Reheating: I recommend enjoying the muffins warm. Reheat refrigerated muffins in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. If frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature first or reheat from frozen at 300°F for 20-30 minutes. You may have to cut them in half to get them to defrost all the way in the middle.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Betsy Perry says
Your long-description recipe ingredients list avocado oil or butter. But when I click on the Recipe link (near the top) to get a more concise recipe for copying/pasting (and, if I click on the Print link for that), both those formats do NOT include oil of any kind. So, oil or not oil?