Food and Recipes Recipes Gingerbread Muffins 2.3 (3) 3 Reviews By Micah A Leal Micah A Leal Micah Leal is a chef and recipe developer with more than 5 years of professional experience in restaurants and bakeries such as Husk Restaurant and Harken Cafe & Bakery in Charleston, South Carolina. Micah Leal is an enthusiastic chef with a special interest in the food science and culinary histories that shape the recipes people make today. His reputation for making recipes accessible and thoughtfully teaching difficult kitchen techniques is informed by his experience as a pastry chef as well as his background as a high school teacher. He has also developed nearly 200 recipes for southernliving.com and Southern Living Magazine. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 29, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Micah A. Leal Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins Spiced with the traditional blend of ginger and cinnamon and rich with the complex sweetness of molasses, these Gingerbread Muffins are a hybrid of your favorite gingerbread style cake and an easy-to-grab muffin. Definitely leaning into the "cupcake category" with the addition of a decadent cream cheese frosting, the muffin itself is a mix of salty and sweet as the spices, butter, and salt balance each bite and prevent it from being overwhelmingly sweet. Another gingerbread ingredient that often goes overlooked is baking soda. Lending its own kind of "saltiness" to the gingerbread, the baking soda acts just as much as a flavoring agent as it does a rising agent in this recipe. The domes that rise in the center of each muffin as they bake will collapse slightly, making a perfect crater for a piped swirl of the velvety cream cheese frosting enhanced by a splash of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. The use of dark brown sugar and the addition of vegetable oil to the batter make the interior of these muffins extra moist and exceptionally easy to eat. Whether you need help getting in the holiday spirit or you simply want a taste of one of winter's most beloved flavors, our gingerbread muffins will do the trick! Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses 2 tablesoons vegetable oil 1 large egg 2 tablespoons hot water Frosting 2 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 tablespons butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 Pinch cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Line standard size muffin tin with paper liners. Make Muffins: In a bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vegetable oil, egg, and hot water until smooth. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and whisk until no dry pockets of flour remain. Divide batter among 10 of the lined muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until the center of the muffins springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Make Frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium high and beat until lightened and fluffy. Transfer Frosting to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe small swirls in the center of each crater on the top of each muffin. Rate it Print