Description
Warm, spiced gingerbread muffins perfect for breakfast, snacks, or holidays. Easy to make, moist, and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot water
- Optional: Pearl sugar for topping
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate bowl (or using a stand mixer), cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add Molasses and Egg: Beat in the molasses until well combined. Then, add the egg and beat until smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add Hot Water: Slowly pour in the hot water and mix until just combined. The batter will be fairly thin.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with the batter.
- Add Topping (Optional): If desired, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with pearl sugar before baking.
- Bake: Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Spice it Up: Adjust the spices to your liking.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- Add Nuts: Add about ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Top the cooled muffins with cream cheese frosting.
- Molasses Type: Use dark molasses for the richest flavor and color.
- Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and then filling it with milk to equal 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes