Gingerbread Muffins

Hey, home bakers. There's so much to love about these quick and easy holiday-friendly muffins! A deep molasses sweetness, just like hot squares of perfectly spiced fresh gingerbread. A moist and delicate crumb but somehow still muffins, not cake. Mixed in a flash with a few pantry ingredients, whenever a craving takes hold. But most of all, Gingerbread Muffins are a sort of A Christmas Carol from the oven, entwined with memories of Christmases Past, filled with hopes for Christmases Future, all possible today in Christmas Present. No more Scrooge. Bake muffins!

Memorable Morning Muffins Made from Scratch, Especially for the Holidays. Mini or Classic-Size Muffins. A Long-Time Family Favorite. One (Bowl) & Done (In Under One Hour). No Mixer Required. Budget Friendly. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. Rave Reviews. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

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COMPLIMENTS!

• "YUMMY." ~ Roberta
• "They are wonderful!" ~ Anonymous
• "... delicious!" ~ Sabina

BEST RECIPES!

• Gingerbread Muffins Made the List!
• Best Recipes of 2003

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Muffin Wakeup Call

BZZZZZZ.

The alarm buzzed with insistence until groping fingers located the snooze button. Still half-asleep, my mind began to sketch out a busy Saturday just days before Christmas. Exercise! I promised. Then stops at the grocery, the shoe man, the car wash. A Secret Santa gift, flowers for a neighbor with a December birthday.

I checked the weather with just-opened eyes. The sky was unmistakably threatening, the wind unseasonably fierce. Those sounded like blizzard winds!

Muffins! I thought. Postponing the day’s busy-ness, I jumped from bed and headed for the kitchen where I knew the pickings were slim. But what about that recipe for gingerbread muffins, a family hand-me-down? Surely those few ingredients were on hand?

Thirty minutes later, warm muffins and hot coffee were on the table. Ah, there’s nothing better than a busy Saturday kicked off by muffins-as-motivation.

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Recipe Overview: Gingerbread Muffins

• Gingerbread Muffins lock in the holidays with little effort, either as a bite-sized mini muffin or the more typical but regular size muffin. They're quick and simple to make — no need for fancy equipment or fuss, not even a mixer or a trip to grocery store. These festive muffins have been a holiday staple in my kitchen for almost 25 years!

• When to Serve = As warm muffins for breakfast or a holiday brunch, as a lunchbox or after-school treat, even an after-supper snack.
• Diet Needs & Choices = Vegetarian. I think these would easily convert to gluten-free with the use of a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour developed for cookies, quick breads and similar non-yeast baked goods.
• Distinctive Ingredients = Molasses + Ginger
• Short Ingredient List = all the above + butter + 1 egg + sugar + flour + cinnamon + baking soda + salt
• For Garnish = None is needed. I've tried sprinkling the tops with raw sugar for a crisp, sparkly muffin top but no such luck.
• Filling or Frosting = None needed but I sure do love these muffins with a spoonful of lemon curd, especially my family's signature Brown Sugar Lemon Curd.
• Kitchen Tools = Mixing Bowl + Whisk or Large Fork + Mini Muffin Pan or Classic Muffin Pan
• Hands-On Time = So fast! Just 15 minutes.
• Baking Time = About 10 minutes for mini muffins and 20 minutes for classic-size muffins.
• Appearance = The muffins are a dark, molasses brown in color.
• Texture = The crumb inside is moist and tender, the outer edges a little bit chewy.
• Taste = A nice balance of molasses and spices.
• Techniques = Mixing muffins by hand + Baking muffins in the oven
• Shop Your Pantry = This is a pantry-friendly recipe.
• Watching Our Waistlines = This is a calorie-friendly recipe. A mini muffin racks up fewer than 60 calories, a classic size fewer than 175.
• Staying Cost Conscious = This is a budget-friendly recipe, especially for a baker who keeps molasses and spices on hand.
• Makes = Makes 24 mini muffins and about 8 classic-size muffins.
• So good! I hope you love these!


• No time to mix muffins in the morning? Try my Make-Ahead Bran Muffin Batter, mix once, then bake in small batches over a few weeks.
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other muffin recipes.

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Hungry Yet?
A Holiday Breakfast At Home

Broiled Grapefruit

Baked Bacon
Simple French Eggs

Gingerbread Muffins
(recipe below)
with
Brown Sugar Lemon Curd

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Why I Love This Recipe & You Might Too

• ... such an easy way to "bake" for the holidays
• ... just the right balance of molasses and spices
• ... leans on the pantry, no need to run out for or order special ingredients
• Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!

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How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe inspires you, please do save and share! I'd be honored ...

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GINGERBREAD MUFFINS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes for mini muffins, 40 for regular muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins or about 8 classic muffins

• Baking spray


• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) salted butter


• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt


• 1 cup all-purpose flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring or 125g

PREP Heat the oven to 350F/175C. Spray the muffin tins with baking spray.

MELT THE BUTTER Place the water and butter in a small microwave dish (such as a Pyrex measuring cup). Heat them in the microwave in ten-second increments until the water boils and the butter melts.

MIX THE BATTER BY HAND Meanwhile, whisk the egg well in a mixing bowl. (No whisk? Just use a large fork such as a meat fork.) Add the sugar and molasses and mix well.

TAKE CARE Before adding the water/butter mixture to the egg/sugar/molasses mixture, make sure it's cooled down enough that it won't cook the egg. But once it is cool, stir in the water/butter mixture and stir well. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, combining well.

Stir in the flour, just until combined, no more; avoid over-stirring the flour into the batter, if you happen to, don't worry, after baking, the muffins will taste just as good but might have small holes.

BE AWARE The batter is much more liquid than other muffin batters, you may even feel tempted to add more flour. But don't!

BAKE Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 10 minutes for mini muffins and 20 minutes for regular muffins.

Remove the muffins from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.

ALANNA'S TIPS No baking spray? No problem. Just mix your own, or use this amazing DIY Substitute for Baker's Joy. The batter will be quite thin, don't worry, it will bake up just fine. The method of mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients is unorthodox but I've used it successfully with cookies and quick breads for many years. If you like, however, stir the dry ingredients separately before adding to the butter-molasses mixture. For a recent batch, I stirred finely chopped dried apricots into the batter. Yummy! Currants or raisins would work too.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2003/06/gingerbread-muffins.php .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Mini Muffin/Regular Muffin: 57/171 Calories; 2/6g Tot Fat; 1/4g Sat Fat; 13/40mg Cholesterol; 81/283mg Sodium; 9/26g Carb; 0/1g Fiber; 8/13g Sugar; 1/3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 1/2 & PointsPlus 2/3 & SmartPoints 2/5 & Freestyle 2/5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 & future WW points.

Adapted from my late cousin Diane's muffin recipe published in our family cookbook back in 2002.

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Seasonal Baking: Up to Your Elbows in Sugar and Flour?

KITCHEN PARADE
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If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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Special Breakfasts for the Holidays

• THE COLLECTION Christmas Morning & Other Holiday Breakfasts Morning drinks, breakfast casseroles and more.
• AND ANOTHER New Year's Morning-After Breakfast & Brunch Drinks & smoothies, hearty eggs and more.

• THE RECIPE Holiday Oatmeal with Cranberries & Orange Morning oats all dressed up for Christmas. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Swiss Bircher Muesli Healthy overnight oats inspired by a hotel breakfast buffet in the Alps. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Eggnog French Toast with Apple-Cranberry Compote Perfect(ly easy) for Christmas morning. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Apples & Caramelized Onions A make-ahead breakfast casserole, layers of sausage, apple and caramelized onion.

• THE RECIPE Potato Blintzes An old family recipe, rich mashed potatoes wrapped in tender crepes. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Light Tomato Basil Quiche Make-ahead, light and healthy. (PIN This)

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ molasses ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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