Before I dove head first into the holiday muffin series, I ran a poll asking readers of what their favorite holiday muffin was. The first round was limited to Muffin Monday Bakers. This then was followed by extended discussion with my tweeps.
So what we’re featuring today is a kind of winner: Gingerbread Muffins. While almost no one asked for gingerbread muffins most felt they related gingerbread to the holidays. So here we are, spreading the joy with the warmth of spices and these magically delicious gingerbread muffins.
I’m featuring a healthy muffin with indulgence as an option based on Betty Crocker’s original.
Adapted from the prototype recipe, I baked Wholewheat Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins. Using honey in place of molasses, I cut down the sugar by half making for an excellent healthy option for these pumpkin-puree based gingerbread muffins.
You could glaze the muffins with melted vanilla baking chips, white chocolate, or sugar crystals like the original recipe suggests but I added a maple cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon and candied ginger. The sweetness of the frosting pairs perfectly with the spicy muffins.
We still have another 7 weeks of the holidays muffin series to go, so leave a comment and tell us your favorite or better still bake it with us!
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 oz cream cheese
- ¼ stick butter
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, cinnamon and all spice. Set aside.
- In large bowl, beat brown sugar, honey, milk, oil and egg with spoon. Stir in dry ingredients just until flour is moistened. Gently mix the pumpkin puree.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- For the frosting: Mix together ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle with maple cream cheese frosting (optional) and dust with candied ginger and cinnamon.
Holiday Muffin Monday: Round Up
I have also got 8 gorgeous bakers with spreading the holiday joy. Be sure to go check out their variations too.
Happy Baking!
This is gorgeous, An! I’ve been waiting for you to post yours since I saw Yuri’s! I was hoping I could make a batch to bring to the office, but I have never worked with molasses. You didn’t use any on yours though! However, I am curious what molasses is all about so I’ll go get some tomorrow.
Hey sweets so happy to see your muffin holidat take off with a classic gibgerbread, though it is not th eofficial kick off lol.Never baked anything gingebread not even cookies:( but now I will thx to you my dear!
Great idea for a muffin. I think my favourite is lemon and poppyseed, but have no idea how to make them. My muffins always turn out flat!!
I’d like a muffin.
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yum, your muffins look great!!!
and pumpkin puree and frosting? so much seasonal holiday spirit:) these were great!
Love your variation of this week’s recipe :) pumpkin and cream cheese frosting sounds wonderful!
Now, don’t those sound delightful?
Everything in balance. Nice.
LL
These look GREAT! I can’t wait to give these a try!
These look amazing. Great photography as well.
Smart move cutting back on the sugar in these, they look amazing. Nothing like these sweet gems for breakfast during the holidays. Another delicious treat-thanks for sharing your creation and sponsoring this wonderful roundup!
I absolutely love how creative you were with these! I love that you used a tried and true topping – made even more enticing with the maple syrup – to compliment such a unique twist on gingerbread. I bet these were to die for! Picture perfect, too!
What a great adaptation! Pumpkin mixed in and cream cheese frosting drizzled over the top with candied ginger? Yum!
These gingerbread muffins look delicious!! gloria
Interesting! I’ve never had gingerbread in muffin form, but I’d imagine it pretty holiday-y. :) Sounds delicious!
Oh wow – I love your changes to the recipe…especially the maple cream cheese frosting & dusting of cinnamon and candied ginger. Must have tasted amazing! Gingerbread definitely reminds me of the holidays :)
I had my first lovely bite of gingerbread yesterday and I’m hooked for the season. This is a great muffin and I’m in love with the toppings. Yummy.
Wow, I think I shoulda stuck to honey, I didn’t know I could substitute one for the other! These looks so light & very healthy. Love the topping. I think mixing it with pumpkin is a unique choice.
At first I felt that these would not be *real* gingerbread muffins without the molasses but after reading your recipe I think you really did pull it off. With all the spices remaining they are sure to taste just a great as ones would with the molasses. Adding the pumpkin puree was perfect for this time of year too.
These muffins look delish, love ginger bread too and lovely photos
I love every flavor here…these look amazing!
Muffin Monday is making me have a big gingerbread muffin craving! These look so good…I could eat that frosting straight out of the bowl!
This is just a perfect muffin for this time of year. It sounds delightful!
I must must must make these for my husband! :)
I wouldn’t have thought of gingerbread muffins either, but now it’s like–of course! I love what you’ve done here.
I love the idea of gingerbread muffins!!! They would be great for Christmas.
These sound like the perfect holiday muffins!!
These muffins really are such a great holiday treat! I love gingerbread so much. I could have one of these while sipping on my gingerbread latte…mmmmm
These muffins look so yummy! I’m glad you cut down the sugar. I often avoid muffins because of it!
WOW! From now on… after my morning coffee… I will read your posts to start my day!
honey sounds like a great alternative!
I love gingerbread and muffins. What a combo!
Lovely post and muffin recipe! My darn ginger allergy really gets in the way during the holidays. I’ll be enjoying these vicariously through your pretty pictures :)
YUM! These look awesome!! I like how you cut down the sugar, a lot of recipes just use way too much for no reason at all. Great job!
Oooh, it’s days like this that I hate being allergic to cinnamon and allspice – these are amazing! Beautifully done!
Oooh I love this idea! I love gingerbread and having them in muffins is perfect!
How did I miss this post this morning? These look so good! I must make them soon. Off to bookmark. Thanks for the post!
Heather
Those look so pretty and must aste divine!
heers,
Rosa
I so love the smell and taste of gingerbread. So it’s a perfect combination to make gingerbread muffins and I have all ingredients in house. Just need to make my pumpkin into a purée. Looks really good!
The sound of holiday muffins fills me with cheer. Gingerbread muffins look gorgeous.. Can’t wait to bake something equally lovely next monday
Oh these are lovely! I love gingerbread!!
I love anything gingerbread, well anything ginger for that matter!
I’m not even sure if I like gingberbread muffins, but these look so neat I feel like I have to give it a try. Wonderful photos and recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I love the idea of turning gingerbread into a muffin. Congrats on Top 9 today!! :)
Wow I love gingerbread! I def need to try these muffins!
THE perfect holiday muffin! That’s it, I have to make these… I need my house to smell like gingerbread!
What a creative idea! Love gingerbread in muffin!
I’m not a giant fan of gingerbread but I think these muffins looks absolutely fabulous. Definitely a lot more moist than their typically dry cookie counterparts! :)
These look wonderful, and I am sure they are even more delicious than they appear :)! I love that honey is the main sweetener instead of just sugar.
I have never had a gingerbread muffin before, but it sounds wonderful! Definitely adding this to my list of things to make this holiday season :) Wishing you a great one!
Gingerbread muffins?! That looks so moist and delish :)
Really nice idea substituting honey for the molasses… takes gingerbread to a different place. These muffins looks simply delicious and look like a perfect Christmas morning nosh… don;t want anything too complicated right? Presents and all. The maple cream goes really nicely with gingerbread, too, good choice!
Looks great!
Oh these are such terrific mufins, An! I love love all the flavors here! We use molasses a lot in our baking during the holidays. Must try this new recipe. My sons will love it !
They look delicious! And healthy too! I am a huge fan of gingerbread :)
Glad you did not reserve this spicy treat just for the holidays! I really like that you used honey and pumpkin puree in these, I am sure these ingredients did wonderful things to the texture as well as the taste. Delicious post!
I probably would have picked gingerbread, except I’m allergic to cinnamon and allspice, so I don’t get to indulge any more….but they sure do look amazing!
I am so excited to give this recipe a try! I have been craving something rich and spicy. I really appreciate the thoughtful ingredient use to make these a little healthier. Thank you!