A simple, one bowl recipe for gingerbread muffins full of brown sugar, molasses, warming spices, and a hint of citrus. Perfect for winter holiday breakfasts!

This past week or so has been a whirlwind, and though I’ve baked all sorts of delicious goodies (sooo many cookies!), I’ve neglected to provide you with any evidence.
I turned twenty eight years old at the beginning of the week, and we celebrated with a fancy dinner out, and a surprise ice skating date. Watching my big, tall husband, who had never ice skated before, slowly and awkwardly making his way around the rink, gripping the rail with every step as elementary school kids lapped him, and falling more than once in front of the crowd, cemented all the love in the world that I have for my wonderful man. Side note: this was also the first time ever, that I’ve out-performed him in any activity even remotely athletic.
The rest of the week is a blur of flour, butter and sugar. Until Thursday.

I was getting ready for a black-tie holiday ball for my Honey’s office, running terribly late with the hair and nail and makeup efforts that I always think will take less time than they do, when my mom called.
Instantly, from the tone for her voice, I knew something was wrong.
Oliver, my childhood dog, our fourteen year old, black English labrador retriever, our barrel chested, broad-faced, happy pup, had taken a downturn. Nearly blinded by cataracts, and partially (and often selectively) deaf, Ollie had been geriatric for several years, moving slowly due to age and some arthritis in his back legs. Despite being approximately 117 in dog years, and on a daily regimen of vitamins and medicines, he was happy. Happy to go on his daily neighborhood walks, happy to play with his toys and bark at the deer, and always, in typical lab fashion, happy to eat.
But in the last week, he had stopped eating. He could not longer get in and out of his crate, or very well stand up. He seemed disoriented, barking and growling upon being touched, as his body failed him. Arrangements with the vet had been made.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, our own two-year pup asleep at my feet, as my mom gave me the details. “…we had hoped he would make it a few more weeks until Christmas… I know you wanted to say goodbye… we made sure Dr. Wallace could be there…”
I remembered, a decade and a half ago, in the throes of my gangly, awkward adolescence, picking out our sweet little lab puppy, the puppy we had begged for, bringing him home on the way back from Thanksgiving. He shared a birthday with my brother, and the breeder promised us a calm, submissive, mild-mannered pup. Instead, we brought home an oft wild dog, with a penchant for string cheese and avocado foraging, who spent half his life as a teenage version of Marley.
We fell hard for that crazy, happy, knuckle-headed, sweet dog. He became a member of the family (though didn’t always sit still long enough for Christmas cards), and I already miss him.



I needed to fill the house with warming spices, the sort that remind me of home, of my parent’s kitchen around the holidays. Of Ollie’s domain. We still had that party, so I wiped my eyes, reapplied makeup, stepped into my new gown and put a smile on my face.
But the next morning, I set about creating a new gingerbread recipe, packed with cinnamon, ginger and cloves, the sort of heavenly, holiday spices sure to help bolster my spirits. Something about the process of baking, my apron dusted with flour, always seems to cheer me up. Maybe it helps to fill a little bit of that void. At the very least, it’s hard to accurately measure baking ingredients while teary, so maybe the process is just a good distraction.
What you’ll love about these gingerbread muffins
This gingerbread muffin recipe starts out loosely-based on my one-bowl dark chocolate banana muffins, but deviates a bit, incorporating deeply-flavored molasses and loads of cinnamon and ginger in lieu of the cocoa.
The result is a moist, flavorful muffin that beams with holiday spice, a hint of orange, and makes a hearty winter breakfast treat. I didn’t here, but I think you could also add some chocolate chips to the batter to make the mix that much more excessive and fabulous.
Or, you can drench the muffin tops in a maple glaze – akin to a baked gingerbread doughnut – for an even more indulgent sweet.


One Bowl Spiced Gingerbread Muffins
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Prep Time: 20 mins
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Cook Time: 20 mins
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Total Time: 40 mins
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Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
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Category: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert
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Method: Baking
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Cuisine: American
Description
A simple, one bowl recipe for gingerbread muffins full of brown sugar, molasses, warming spices, and a hint of citrus. Perfect for winter holiday breakfasts!
Ingredients
Gingerbread Muffins
- 1/2 cup (1 small/medium) very ripe banana, mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- zest of half an orange (optional)
- 1–1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or sub 2% dairy milk)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2–1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Maple Vanilla Glaze or Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Gingerbread Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use the back of a fork to mash the banana together with the egg until completely combined and only small lumps remain. Use a spatula to stir in the vanilla, orange zest, spices and salt.
- Add the oil, molasses and milk, stirring until completely combined between each addition. Add the sugars and stir to combine. Add the baking powder and baking soda and stir to combine. Fold in the flour until just mixed. Do not overbeat.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F., turn the muffin pan around, and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes until the muffin tops are set and a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room-temperature.
Maple Vanilla Glaze or Frosting
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and milk until the glaze is smooth and creamy. Add more or less milk to create a thicker/thinner consistency if preferred. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla.
- If Glazing: While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops of each in the glaze, then place on a baking rack to cool/harden.
- If Frosting: Wait for the muffins to fully cool, then use a knife or small offset spatula to spread on frosting.
Keywords: gingerbread muffins, one bowl, easy, banana, dairy free, spice muffins
Make this recipe? Let us know what you think!
88 Comments
Peyton
December 11, 2018 at 4:42 pmJust made these, very good! Next time I may decrease the sugar and skip the glaze to make them a breakfast muffin. Very tasty! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
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December 10, 2018 at 4:03 am[…] Gingerbread Muffins […]
Connie
December 9, 2018 at 1:41 pmI made these into mini-muffins and they were fantastic!! They tasted and smelled incredible! Definitely will be making them again!!
★★★★★
Dorine
November 7, 2018 at 4:50 pmI have a quick question. I have someone in my family who’s very allergic to bananas. I was wondering if there’s anything I can substitute for that?
Laura
November 14, 2018 at 7:22 pmPumpkin works really well! And perfect for this season 🙂
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November 1, 2018 at 1:20 pm[…] One Bowl Spiced Gingerbread Muffins […]
Kim
October 19, 2018 at 6:43 amMy special needs students made this recipe as a cooking lesson and the muffins were a huge hit! The students loved smelling the different spices and vanilla. They all took turns “zesting” the orange. They ate them for snack and wanted more. This recipe goes into our classroom cookbook to be made again.
★★★★★
Laura
October 19, 2018 at 7:06 amOh my gosh, I love that! Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂 Happy to hear the muffins were a hit with the kids.
Merrill
September 18, 2018 at 12:54 pmI am not a gingerbread fan, but my husband and sister (home recuperating from a broken ankle) are, and I will make these for them.
I was sorry to read about “Ollie”. We had an almost 16 year old Cocker Spaniel that we adored. In her later days, she became deaf and almost completely blind. We took her in the car (something she once loved) to our favorite beach, and she just wasn’t happy. Her last night, I learned over and kissed her and in turn, she turned to me and split my lip open (my fault, I didn’t warn her by touching her first). But it didn’t matter to me, because we knew we had to take her to the vet the next morning. Saying goodbye to our girl, was quite possibly the hardest thing we had to do, but the best thing for her, since she just didn’t enjoy life, anymore. Of course we stayed and talked to her, until there was nothing else to say. The vet came in to administer the medication to help her sleep and I held her until it was over. My husband and I cried all the way home and it was tough but the best thing for our Molly. It took us a few years and now we have a white 11 pound Yorkie that holds our heart. We are lucky to be pooch parents and I know you feel that way too.
I have pinned a few of your recipes. They all sound so good. Thank you for sharing your recipes. You have a wonderful gift!
★★★★★
Laura
September 24, 2018 at 12:51 pmThank you so much for your kind comment, Merrill! I’m sorry to hear about your Molly. Always such a hard thing to lose a furry member of the family. We have a rescue lab mix named Macaroni now who we love – and I’m happy to hear you are also pooch parents again! Hope you enjoy these muffins and any of my others you try. Happy baking!! 🙂
William Morgan
September 18, 2018 at 11:39 amJust made these for the first time. It is now my go to recipe for ginger bread!
★★★★★
Laura
September 24, 2018 at 12:47 pmOh, that makes me so happy. Thanks, William!!
María Eugenia
January 26, 2018 at 11:35 amThank you for the recepie, i couldn’t follow it extacly because here in Uruguay i was not able to find molases, i end up using honey, and let me tell you everyone in my house loved them!
Including the two hardest people i know to please in terms of cooking my italian grandmother Odema, and my german grandfather Ernest
Maria
December 27, 2017 at 11:09 amI brought these muffins to my work Christmas party and they were a hit with both my co-workers and their picky kids! I omitted the orange zest and the glaze and they were still delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Lynette
December 25, 2017 at 10:20 amYum! Thank you so much for the recipe! I decided to use applesauce instead of banana and I can’t stop eating them.
Olivia
December 24, 2017 at 2:50 pmMy mom and I can’t eat gluten; my brother can’t eat gluten or dairy. After attempting a gingerbread muffin recipe that turned out rather gluey in texture, I found your recipe and hoped it would work. Thank you for a recipe that converts beautifully to gluten and dairy free! The muffins taste great and have an excellent texture!
★★★★★
Laura
December 24, 2017 at 3:13 pmOh, I’m so happy to hear that! That’s really good to know. Which gluten free flour blend did you use? Have a wonderful holiday!
Christine @ myblissfulmess
December 7, 2017 at 9:51 amThese muffins sound heavenly, particularly with a glaze. I’m planning on making some for my family. I just know we’re all going to love this!
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December 5, 2017 at 9:05 pm[…] Gingerbread Spice Muffins by Fork Knife Swoon — My kids gobble up anything in muffin form, so these look like a win! […]
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November 27, 2017 at 2:04 am[…] One Bowl Spiced Gingerbread Muffins […]
Karen
November 10, 2017 at 3:24 pmDelicious muffins. I added butterscotch chipits and made them as mini muffins.
Laura
November 11, 2017 at 12:27 pmThanks, Karen! So glad to hear it 😉
george leitch
October 4, 2017 at 10:54 amWe had to have our 14 year old Lab put to sleep two years ago and we still miss the big lunk. Perpetually hungry, perpetually playful and the best finder of baseballs we have ever met. Each year, we gave a bag of around 30 balls he retrieved from the deep woods behind first base at our local field to the local little league team for practice.
BTW, your muffin recipe is pretty good too. LOL
Elaine
September 18, 2017 at 6:53 amHi Laura – thank you so much for sharing this. I just want you to know that you’ve inspired me to make it on my own now and share it on my blog. Thank you – your recipe is simply fabulous!
★★★★★
Delores
July 31, 2017 at 10:43 amI made the muffins without the bananas. I didnt have any orange zest, ground ginger and clove, so l substituted essential oils. The muffins were perfect! My husband loved them.
Laura
August 10, 2017 at 5:40 pmThanks so much, Delores!! 🙂
TerryLee
May 30, 2017 at 5:39 amSorry to hear about Ollie, he sounds like he was a wonderful pet. Labs make the most wonderful family pet. I am going to make these wonderful sounding muffins this week. Thank you for the recipe.
TerryLee
Alex
May 28, 2017 at 5:44 amI substituted half of the oil with puréed prunes and added half of the total sugar and 1/4 less flour. They were kid friendlier and my toddler loved them as mini muffins!
Sheryl
May 13, 2017 at 6:37 amFirst it listed my four favorite spices. Then it listed molasses. I knew I had to make these. I did add some black strap molasses for some of the regular molasses. Also chopped some crystallized ginger. I am thinking maybe some raisins next time. Not really sure because these were sooo good. I did not glaze them . They were awesome without the glaze. My husband said they were so good, he had to eat a second one. Did I mention how wonderful my house smelled while these were baking. A very easy, quick, and yummy recipe. Thanks
★★★★★
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Rufina
February 6, 2017 at 10:42 pmHello! I like this recipe and I want to cook it. But can you tell me how many miligramms (1/2 cup oil, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/3 cup milk)?
Rebecca Blackwell
January 21, 2017 at 3:13 pmThese look delicious! But then, I love all things gingerbread. One of my family’s favorite breakfast treats is a gingerbread recipe that’s been passed down through our family for years, so I know they’ll love these. Definitely going to make them this week!
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Kelly | Maverick Baking
December 10, 2016 at 11:26 amHi there! Just wanted to say that I adore this recipe, and I was inspired by it to make my own version. I’ve posted my version using a few ingredient tweaks, and British conversions on my blog, you can find it here if you want to take a look. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Laura
December 17, 2016 at 2:58 pmThanks, Kelly!!
Jody
December 8, 2016 at 1:17 pmThese muffins are so good! I didn’t have a banana so I substituted with applesauce and used coconut oil in place of the canola oil. They turned out awesome, plus the house smelled amazing while they were baking.
Laura
December 17, 2016 at 2:58 pmThanks so much, Jody!!
Danica
December 7, 2016 at 10:30 amCould this be made into a loaf? I’m looking for a recipe to give as neighbor gifts and a loaf would be much easier to pass out than muffins (I will be trying the muffins out for us at home though!). If so can you recommend adjustments to the baking time and temperature? Thank you!
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carrie
November 12, 2016 at 4:03 amWould you advise its ok to freeze them? just to save some time I wanted to make them today and freeze them for Thanksgiving weekend.
Laura
November 13, 2016 at 12:35 pmHi, Carrie! I haven’t tried freezing these, but I have good luck with freezing dense quick breads (like pumpkin or banana bread loaves), so I’m thinking they would work well. Hope you enjoy!!
Annika
December 10, 2017 at 10:51 amI am thinking of making these ahead of time for christmas and freezing them as well! Did you have success with this?
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Lori
November 4, 2016 at 8:05 pmThese muffins weren’t my favorite gingerbread muffins. They were dry & not very flavorful.
★★★
Doreen Frost
November 4, 2016 at 5:35 amI’m so very sorry to hear about the passing of your family pup. We have a yellow english lab…named Oliver..who is the love of our life…. Sending hugs!
Thank you so much for this wonderful muffin recipe. I will be trying it out tomorrow morning.
Take care, doreen
★★★★★
Laura
November 10, 2016 at 11:28 amIt’s a great dog name isn’t it? They become our family 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words!
Brittany
October 25, 2016 at 12:03 pmUmmm…I bake a lot. Like A LOT. And these muffins may be one of the best muffin recipes I’ve ever made. My 14 month old son (who doesn’t get a lot of sweet treats) had eyes as big as saucers when he tasted them. Amazing!
Michelle
October 23, 2016 at 8:24 amOMG, just about the easiest and yummiest muffin recipe I have ever tried! I am a gingerbread lover and these are amazing!!! Thanks so much for the recipe. I will definitely be making these again, and again, and again… 🙂
★★★★★
Laura
October 23, 2016 at 10:16 amThank you so much, Michelle!! 🙂
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August 31, 2016 at 10:40 am[…] Spiced Gingerbread Muffins […]
Katie
May 29, 2016 at 9:11 pmI’ve just discovered this awesome website and made these muffins today. They are incredible, I can’t wait to try more recipes! Thanks so much 🙂
★★★★★
Laura
May 30, 2016 at 9:51 amThank you so much, Katie!! Your sweet comment made my day!
april
December 16, 2015 at 7:47 pmAnyone tried to do 24 mini muffins? Would I just half the cooking times? Any suggestions?
Laura
December 17, 2015 at 8:55 amHi April! I haven’t made this recipe into mini muffins yet, but I would would probably reduce the cooking time to around 10-14 minutes? Not sure with the mini muffins if you would need to do the two-stage temperatures (which makes for higher muffin tops), and might just bake these at 375. Let me know what ends up working for you!
April
December 20, 2015 at 8:34 amThanks for getting back to me! I baked at 375 and they were done in 10 mins! This recipe yields 48 mini muffins.
Laura
December 26, 2015 at 9:05 amOh, good to know! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!!
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Devon
December 5, 2015 at 1:41 pmSo sorry about your dog! It’s always hard to lose a pet.
I made these muffins and they are absolutely wonderful. I used whole wheat flour and decreased the sugar to 1/4 cup each. I was also out of molasses so I used maple syrup, didn’t affect the taste at all. Loved them and so did my family!
★★★★★
Laura
December 5, 2015 at 1:45 pmThanks so much, Devon! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed these! They’re one of my favorites this time of year 🙂
Sav
November 30, 2015 at 6:29 amA+
I added coarse sugar on top instead of the glaze. Everybody loved them.
★★★★★
Laura
November 30, 2015 at 8:26 amThanks, Sav! So glad you enjoyed them!
livy
August 13, 2015 at 3:14 pmI made this recipe gluten free, and it turned out amazing!!! I simply substituted the flour with a gluten free blend, and added a little less oil and milk, and i couldn’t be happier with the results! This recipe is full of flavor and is the most moist recipe i have made yet! Thanks for the awesome muffins!
★★★★★
Laura
August 18, 2015 at 4:13 amThanks so much, Livy! Just curious, which GF flour mix did you use?
Chris @ Shared Appetite
December 22, 2014 at 12:07 pmThese are some beautiful muffins!!! And the fact that it’s just one bowl (i.e. less dishes) makes me super happy!!!
Laura
December 22, 2014 at 12:15 pmThanks, Chris!!
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jenna @ just j.faye
December 18, 2014 at 11:14 amOh no, I’m so sorry to hear about your dog! That’s devastating. Baking is always such a good distraction and these look incredible. I’m all about the molasses and gingerbread these days.
Laura
December 22, 2014 at 12:17 pmThank you so much, Jenna!
April
December 16, 2014 at 1:25 pmYour chocolate banana muffins are our most-baked and most-loved muffins, I can’t wait to try this gingerbread version!! Merry Christmas!! 🙂
Laura
December 22, 2014 at 12:19 pmMerry Christmas to you too, April!! Hope you love these ones too!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
December 16, 2014 at 11:17 amAww my eyes were tearing up reading this. It’s so hard to lose a beloved pet, I had to go through that few years ago, and it was just horrible. Glad baking helped cheer you up a bit! And happy belated birthday! I’m in the 28 club as well….Trying to prolong 30 as long as possible…. 🙂
Laura
December 22, 2014 at 12:19 pmI’m sorry to hear you went through the same thing. Even when they’re old, it’s hard to lose a furry member of the family. And thank you for the birthday wishes! (I’m right with you on holding off 30…) 🙂
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
December 16, 2014 at 4:35 amSo much yummy spice in these. Lovely!
Laura
December 16, 2014 at 8:44 amThank you, Katrina!!