What’s better than gingerbread at the holidays? Why, glazed gingerbread muffins, of course! Bake up a batch with this easy recipe.
Well, tis the season for sure! And while I am always ready for the next gorgeous chocolate dessert, here and there I like to settle down with a cup of tea and something, well, not chocolate.
A cup of holiday tea with a friend, a snowy Sunday morning, even taking a break from wrapping the umpteenth present (and where IS that emergency roll of scotch tape that I KNOW I have somewhere?)…all perfect times to have one of these sweet and scrumptious gingerbread muffins.
Now, not only do these festive muffins involve the wonderful taste of gingerbread, they also include…get ready…PUMPKIN.
And molasses. And cinnamon and allspice and ground cloves. I know, it’s like the perfect storm of holiday ingredients! You practically don’t even need the sweet and simple glaze that gets drizzled on top.
Except you do. Because come on, just look at it. Or them. Or whatever…let’s get to baking them up!
Here’s how you make glazed gingerbread muffins!
Your batter is a glorious mix of all those good things I just mentioned, along with a few more spices (ginger, of course!), the usual suspects of flour and eggs, and some buttermilk. Because we are using pumpkin puree (yes, the regular old kind in the can) you don’t need to add oil or butter, so this is practically health food we are talking about here.
Once your muffins are baked and cooled, you really do need to add that glaze. It’s a simple mixture of powdered sugar, water and vanilla, and I like to stir mine up in a small measuring cup with a spout. That way you can simple pour it on right from the measuring cup.
So go ahead…make yourself a present of these babies. You deserve it!
Glazed Gingerbread Muffins
What’s better than gingerbread at the holidays? Why, glazed gingerbread muffins, of course! Bake up a batch with this easy recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin cups
- 2 1/3 cups flour, plus more for muffin cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix – check the label to make sure)
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12 cup muffin tin (you may have extra batter, so if you want to have a second tin at the ready, you might have enough for another four muffins or so).
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree until smooth, then stir in molasses, eggs, and buttermilk.
- Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture in three stages, stirring well.
- Divide batter to muffin cups, filling cups about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool and then remove from pan.
- Mix confectioner’s sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a spouted measuring cup. Drizzle over muffins and let the glaze set, about 15 minutes.
caviar says
This looks soooo yummy! Thanks for sharing. I just might make it tonight.
Hurray! Hope you love them.
Kelli says
Just made these tonight to give away with my holiday treats. The muffins turned out great! We had to sample one and they were moist and delicious. Will make again!
Thanks for the recipe.
Kate says
I made them for Christmas Eve – aren’t they merry? :)
Hillary @ The Mama Review says
Call me crazy, but I actually seek out desserts WITHOUT chocolate. And I tease my husband that he’s really the woman in our relationship because he loves chocolate so much more than I do! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Kate says
Yay, fellow “life is more than chocolate” person! :)
Joanne says
Pumpkin AND gingerbread?? You are really rockin the holiday spirit this year!
Kate says
Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. :)
Mary says
Now I know what I’ll be doing with my afternoon! Wow, these look good!
Do you know offhand if cultured buttermilk is necessary to the end product, or could I use real buttermilk with no ill effect?
Kate says
Hmm….I’ve only used the regular cultured buttermilk that I get in the supermarket so I don’t know for sure. If you use the other kind and it works will you let us know? :)
Mary says
For science! I will see what happens and report back =)
Mary says
Alrighty! So, the cultured buttermilk is a little bit springier and a tiny bit saltier. The homemade is slightly sweeter. Aside from that they came out about the same.
Kate says
You are wonderful – thanks for letting us know! :)
Karen Nelson says
Good Sunday morning Kate!
These simply look amazing:-)
I bet they make the house smell wonderful!
Kate says
You are so right about that – just like Christmas!