These gingerbread muffins are made with dried fruit for extra sweetness, texture and flavour. They are light and fluffy thanks to my (tried and tested) combination of regular flour and ground almonds (almond flour) and can be enjoyed throughout the holiday season for breakfast, snack and dessert.
For me gingerbread spices are an essential part of the holiday season and as Christmas is only a few weeks away I thought I’d share a simple recipe for gingerbread muffins. These muffins do not contain treacle/molasses or honey. Instead I used a bit of cocoa (you won’t taste it), which along with the dark brown sugar and the spices give these festive muffins a lovely golden brown gingerbread colour. Another recipe you might like where I’ve also used this method is my Polish gingerbread loaf.
The addition of the dried fruit means that I didn’t have to add too much sugar so these muffins are not overly sweet. I also used low fat milk and a moderate amount of oil so these gingerbread muffins don’t contain much fat, either.
Another holiday muffin recipe you might also like are dried cranberry muffins with pecans I made a while ago.
Equipment you’ll need
- Kitchen scales/measuring cup and spoon
- 2 large bowls, whisk and large spoon
- 12-hole muffin pan and paper cases (if using)
How to make gingerbread muffins: step-by-step
1.Preheat the oven to 180 C and lightly grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases. In a bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking powder, spices, cocoa and pinch of salt. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.
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2. Stir in the dried fruit.
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3. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until well combined.
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4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overstir.
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5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 28 minutes.
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6. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes then transfer onto a rack.
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7. In the meantime prepare the icing. Combine the icing sugar with the lemon juice and stir until smooth. Pour over the muffins (once they’ve cooled a little). Enjoy!
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Top tips for making gingerbread muffins
- Gingerbread spices: Use either mixed spice (UK) or pumpkin spice (US) along with the ground ginger and cocoa.
- Batter: Do not overstir the batter as the muffins may be a little flat. Stop stirring when all the ingredients have been incorporated.
- Dried fruit: I used a combination of raisins, sultanas, currants and cranberries but you can just use one of these.
- Serving suggestions: I like these muffins with a little icing on top but it’s optional. They are delicious, with or without the icing.
- Best served warm on the day. Store leftover muffins in a plastic container to enjoy later. Pop in the microwave for a few seconds before serving, if possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Keep in touch
If you make these spiced gingerbread muffins I’d love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Gingerbread Muffins with Dried Fruit
Ingredients
- 180 g flour (1.44 cups)
- 100 g ground almonds/almond flour (0.89 cups)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp mixed spice/pumpkin spice
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 70 g dark brown soft sugar (0.32 cups)
- 60 g granulated sugar (0.3 cups)
- 1.3 tbsp cocoa/cacao powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 medium eggs
- 80 ml vegetable oil
- 250 ml semi-skimmed milk/1% milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
For the icing
- 7 tbsp icing sugar/powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C/ gas mark 4 and lightly grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases. In a bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking powder, spices, cocoa and pinch of salt. Whisk together until thoroughly combined. Stir in the dried fruit.
- In another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overstir.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes then transfer onto a rack.
- In the meantime prepare the icing. Combine the icing sugar with the lemon juice and stir until smooth. Pour over the muffins (once they’ve cooled a little). Enjoy!
Notes
- Gingerbread spices: Use either mixed spice (UK) or pumpkin spice (US) along with the ground ginger and cocoa.
- Batter: Do not overstir the batter as the muffins may be a little flat. Stop stirring when all the ingredients have been incorporated.
- Dried fruit: I used a combination of raisins, sultanas, currants and cranberries but you can just use one of these.
- Serving suggestions: I like these muffins with a little icing on top but it’s optional. They are delicious, with or without the icing.
- Best served warm on the day. Store leftover muffins in a plastic container to enjoy later. Pop in the microwave for a few seconds before serving, if possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
Recipe link parties
I am bringing this gingerbread muffins recipe to #CookBlogShare.
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
These muffins sound really festive and a perfect winter treat with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. I can almost taste them now. thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
I love gingerbread too especially this time of year! And the bonus of making the house smell lovely too.
Cheers, Michelle
Oh I am sold on anything gingerbread! Your muffins look fab
Thank you Kat!
Yunm!
Thanks!