These pumpkin gingerbread muffins are a cozy treat perfect for the holiday season, combining the warm and spicy flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses with a moist and tender crumb.

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I love the flavor of gingerbread and since I’ve also been on a pumpkin kick lately, I decided to combine the two and make pumpkin gingerbread muffins! I’m so thrilled with how these turned out. They’re sweet and slightly spicy with all the flavor of gingerbread. They have a tender, moist crumb and they’re really easy to make. I hope you will give them a try!

If you’re looking for more pumpkin recipes, try my vegan pumpkin cookies, pumpkin chili, or pumpkin oatmeal cookies. For a tasty gingerbread recipe, try these no bake gingerbread cookies or these gingerbread sandwich cookies.

pumpkin-gingerbread-muffin

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Flour: The primary dry ingredient, it provides structure and body to the muffins. The protein in flour forms gluten when mixed with wet ingredients, giving the muffins their structure.
  • Baking Powder: A leavening agent that helps the muffins rise and become light and fluffy by producing carbon dioxide gas when combined with moisture and heat.
  • Salt: Enhances the flavor of the muffins and helps to balance the sweetness while also strengthening the overall structure of the muffins.
  • Ground Ginger, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Ground Cinnamon: These spices add warmth and a flavorful, aromatic complexity to the muffins, contributing to the signature gingerbread and pumpkin spice flavor.
  • Pumpkin Purée: The main wet ingredient, it imparts moisture, natural sweetness, and a distinct pumpkin flavor to the muffins. It also adds a pleasingly moist texture.
  • Avocado Oil: Adds moisture to the muffins, keeping them tender and contributes to their rich, moist texture. You can substitute with vegetable oil, if needed.
  • Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and a hint of caramel flavor, enhancing the overall taste and moisture content of the muffins. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
  • Unsulphured Molasses: Gives the muffins their characteristic gingerbread flavor, adding depth, color, and a slightly spicy, and sweet taste. Be sure to use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses because the flavor is much less strong than blackstrap molasses.
  • Eggs: Act as a binding agent, providing structure and stability to the muffins, while also contributing to their moisture and tenderness.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile, imparting a subtle and sweet vanilla essence to the muffins.
  • Sugar: This is used to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking, creating a sweet and slightly crunchy topping that adds extra sweetness and texture to the finished muffins.

How to Make Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, avocado oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients and stir to mix until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
pumpkin gingbread muffins
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is molasses? Molasses is a thick, dark syrup produced as a byproduct of sugar refining, derived from sugarcane or sugar beets. It’s commonly used in cooking and baking to provide a rich, robust sweetness and a distinctive flavor, often found in recipes like gingerbread and barbecue sauces.
  • Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin purée? No, pumpkin pie filling has added sweeteners that would make these muffins too sweet, and would alter the texture.

Tips for Making Muffins

When making these muffins, there are a few key tips to ensure your baked goods turn out perfectly. First, be mindful not to overmix the batter; gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined to avoid dense muffins. Additionally, using room-temperature ingredients like eggs and dairy helps the batter come together more smoothly and evenly.

To prevent sticking, use high-quality non-stick muffin liners or grease the muffin tin well. Finally, keep an eye on the oven temperature, using a thermometer for accuracy as it ensures even baking and a nicely risen muffin.

Pumpkin gingerbread muffin

How to Store Leftover Muffins

Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep well for 2-3 days, but if you want to store them longer, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze. To thaw, microwave for 20-30 seconds until heated. These freeze really well so they’re great for meal prep!

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pumpkin gingerbread muffins

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 2 from 1 review
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 18 muffins 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

These pumpkin gingerbread muffins are a cozy treat perfect for the holiday season, combining the warm and spicy flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses with a moist and tender crumb.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 15oz can pumpkin purée
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper liners. This recipe makes 18 muffins, so you’ll need two muffin trays.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, avocado oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and stir to mix until just combined.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.