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This gingerbread recipe makes 12 large bakery-style muffins, or a 9 inch cake. An old fashioned, comforting recipe that’s perfect for dessert, breakfast, or a snack.
This gingerbread recipe has that classic tangy yet sweet taste that feels just right for the season. The muffins turn out moist, full of warm spice, and the steps to make the batter are simple. It’s an old fashioned recipe that brings a very special touch to holiday baking.
Gingerbread Recipe Ingredients
- All purpose flour: provides structure and keeps the muffins tender.
- Baking soda, baking powder: these work together so the muffins rise evenly.
- Salt: balances the sweetness and brings out the warm spices.
- Ground ginger, ground cinnamon, allspice: these add classic gingerbread flavor and warmth.
- Butter: gives the muffins a soft texture and rich taste.
- Brown sugar: adds sweetness, moisture, and depth.
- Eggs: bind the ingredients and help with lift.
- Molasses (unsulphured): adds traditional gingerbread flavor and color.
- Milk: keeps the batter smooth and the muffins soft.
- Pure vanilla extract: rounds out the flavor and adds a hint of sweetness.
The Easy Steps
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare a 12-well muffin pan with paper liners or nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and allspice. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, add the softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, molasses, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- In two increments, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well between additions. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure the molasses and flour are mixed in well.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter into the 12 wells in your prepared muffin pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 6 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F.
- Bake muffins for 15 minutes more or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. Let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes.
- Move muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm, or cool completely before storing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Molasses Tip: spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before pouring in the molasses. It will glide right out with little to no scraping.
Gingerbread Recipe (Muffins or Cake)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick very soft or slightly melted)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses (unsulphured)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sanding Sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare a 12-well muffin pan with paper liners or nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and allspice. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, add the softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, molasses, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- In two increments, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well between additions. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure the molasses and flour are mixed in well.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter into the 12 wells in your prepared muffin pan.
- Generously sprinkle each well with sanding sugar. (This is optional, but it adds that classic gingerbread sparkle to these muffins.)
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 6 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Bake muffins for 13-15 minutes more or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. Let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes.
- Move muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm, or cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Make sure to use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap.
- This recipe can be baked at 350 degrees F in a 9 x 9 inch square pan for 25-30 minutes. Cake is done when a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Do not overbake.)
- Store at room temperature for 2 days. After that, refrigerate any leftover muffins/cake.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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I’m so excited to try these! Do you know if they freeze well or are they best made day of? I’m trying not to leave everything to do Christmas morning. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the recipe. The muffins look delicious!
Also thank you for the Max Lucado book “In the Manger” that you
recommended. It is the perfect book for Advent as we await the
birth of Jesus.
I look forward to giving this recipe a try. Years ago, a friend of my mother’s gave me a recipe for lemon sauce to serve over gingerbread and I have lost her gingerbread recipe. This might be similar. She would love to know that somebody is still thinking of her and baking treats similar to hers!
BeverlyO, If you have a Pillsbury hard covered cookbook, a very good Gingerbread recipe with Lemon Sauce is included. I love Gingerbread cake and it is delish.
Thank you again, these look yummy!
These look so yummy! It’s a snowy day in PA and these look perfect to bake. Thank you for the recipe!!