This isn't just another gingerbread muffin recipe; it's been tested by my whole family, and they would say these muffins are moist from the pumpkin, full of flavor from the cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. These are also mom-approved because they are made with whole wheat flour and are freezer-friendly. You will not regret making these gingerbread pumpkin muffins!
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Ingredients needed
Things to note about some of the ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour: I like to use whole wheat flour in this recipe to increase the nutrient density in each bite. I use organic whole wheat flour because as someone who has studied nutrition, I feel this is best for our bodies and our kids. Read more on this here.
- Molasses: Use regular unsulphured molasses, as blackstrap molasses is quite strong and bitter-tasting.
- Sugar: My go-to sugar is organic cane sugar, however, any sugar will work for these muffins. (And no stress, because if you are making muffins at home, you are winning - so much more wholesome than the grocery store!)
- Coarse sugar: This is also called turbinado sugar, and it is sprinkled on top of the muffins in this recipe. If you do not have this sugar, you can use regular sugar or skip the sugar on top.
- Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree works for this recipe (I haven't tested this recipe with pumpkin pie filling).
- Spices: I think ginger is essential, cinnamon makes the pumpkin pop, and cardamom is so fun! However, cardamom is optional.
For the full details and quantities, scroll down to the recipe card for these ginger molasses muffins.
How to make ginger molasses muffins
Follow along with these step-by-step photos from my kitchen. It's kinda like we are making these muffins together!
- Preheat & wet ingredients: Set the oven to 425°F (215 °C) . Place all the wet ingredients in a bowl:
pumpkin, molasses, eggs, olive oil, vanilla and orange juice, stir together well.
- Dry ingredients: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, if using, in a bowl. I believe using a whisk to mix everything together well is key to good distribution of the spices, baking powder and soda.
- Fold batter together: Pour the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Use a spatula to fold the batter together just until combined, about 12 -15 folds. It's important not to overmix the muffin batter, so it rises well and becomes fluffy rather than dense.
- Scoop & bake: Line a muffin pan with liners or grease the pan well. Place about ⅓ cup of batter in each muffin cup to fill them all the way up. Sprinkle with coarse sugar as desired.
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven at 425°F (215 °C) to bake for 9 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375°F (190 °C) and bake for another 9-11 minutes until the muffins are no longer gooey. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan (this prevents the muffins from breaking when removing them).
Tips for gingerbread muffins with pumpkin
- Use fresh spices for the best flavor! Sniff your spices and take a second to see how old they are.
- Make sure the baking soda and baking powder are fresh to get a good rise in your muffins.
- Bake at a high temperature to start, 425 Fahrenheit (215 °C), to create a higher muffin dome, then turn the oven down to 375 Fahrenheit (190 °C) and finish baking them completely without drying them out.
- Use cupcake liners. For the big bakery-style muffin tops it makes them easier to remove from the pan without breaking them! I have used silicone liners or paper liners for this recipe. I find that when the muffins are in a silicone liner, they will need to bake 2-3 minutes, then when in a grease pan or with paper liners.
Storage for healthy gingerbread muffins
- Storing muffins: Place these molasses muffins out of direct sunlight in an airtight container. They will last three days on the counter. If you want to make them last longer, place them in the fridge for another 4 days. Here are all the details on keeping muffins fresh.
- Freezing muffins: These muffins are freezer-friendly. Place muffins in an airtight bag or container, remove as much air as possible and freeze. To thaw, leave muffins on the counter at room temperature for a few hours or overnight. Enjoy within 3 months of freezing; after that, they won't go bad, they just may not taste as fresh. Read more details about the best tips on freezing muffins here.
Other healthy bites you may like
For other top fall and winter favorite wholesome bites, next, can I convince you to make these healthy pumpkin cheesecakes with gingerbread crust, and these gingerbread energy balls?
❄️ Did you make these gingerbread pumpkin muffins? Would you take 5 seconds to give a star rating and review just below the recipe? That means a lot to me and helps the growth of the Beside the Mountain blog (your email address will not be shown).
Gingerbread Pumpkin Muffins
These soft and moist pumpkin gingerbread muffins are INCREDIBLE! The flavor is delicate with hints of orange and cardamom and bold with fall flavors like ginger and pumpkin. You will not regret making these easy muffins! This is perfect for anyone needing dairy-free gingerbread recipe.
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamon (optional)
Optional Topping:
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (215 °C).
- In a large mixing bowl, place the pumpkin, molasses, eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Whisk together until well combined.
- In another bowl, place the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom if using. Use a whisk to mix everything together until well combined.
- Pour the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Use a spatula to fold the batter together just until combined, about 12 -15 folds.
- In a muffin pan lined with muffin liners or greased, fill each muffin cup all the way up (about ⅓ cup). Bake at 425 Fahrenheit (215 °C) for 9 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 °C) and bake for another 9-11 minutes until the muffins are no longer gooey. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan.
Notes
For notes about the ingredients I used and to see step-by-step photos scroll into the blog post above.
10 or 12 muffins: I either make 10 big muffins, where I fill the batter all the way up to the top of the muffin cup. Or I can get 12 smaller muffins if I evenly distribute the batter among all muffin cups.
If you love ginger make these energy balls.
For another moist pumpkin baking try this snack cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 228mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 2gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 1148IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
Did you love this recipe?Make sure to leave a comment below!
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Lauren says
I made these today but all my pumpkin purée was frozen so I subbed directly for mashed banana and they turned out amazing. The texture is perfect! I also took out about 2 tbsp of sugar. So yum!
Danika Vanderpyl says
So glad you liked these Lauren!
Abby C says
Muffins that taste like gingerbread? Yes please!! These muffins are so yummy. Thank you so much, Danika for such delicious and healthy recipes!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed these muffins Abby!