One of my favorite everyday treats for winter? These gorgeous, fluffy, perfectly sweet healthy gingerbread muffins.
Bake them up and your home will quickly fill with an incredible ginger molasses aroma. These beauties have wonderful sugar crusted tops that make them extra special and are truly perfect with a morning or afternoon cup of coffee.
Get these gingerbread muffins on your baking menu asap! You won’t regret it (and neither will Santa).
Ingredients in these gingerbread muffins
These healthy gingerbread muffins use simple, wholesome ingredients that give them the perfect amount of sweetness. They’re tender, fluffy and absolutely delicious. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Flour: we’re using whole wheat pastry flour to give these healthy gingerbread muffins a dose of whole grains while keeping them nice and soft.
- Spices: you’ll need cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice (or cloves) and a pinch of salt for the perfect flavor.
- Sweeteners: these healthy gingerbread muffins are sweetened with a bit of pure maple syrup and blackstrap molasses.
- Wet ingredients: you’ll need an egg, a little plain Greek yogurt, milk (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk) and coconut oil to give these muffins the perfect amount of moisture.
- Baking staples: you’ll also need baking soda and vanilla extract.
- Topping: I love sprinkling coarse sugar or sparkling sugar on top for a pretty, festive look!
Optional ingredient swaps
Need to make some changes? Here’s what I recommend:
- Mix the flours: instead of whole wheat pastry flour, you can also use white whole wheat flour or half whole wheat and half all purpose flour.
- To make gluten free: try a GF 1:1 all purpose flour, or you could try doing half oat flour and half almond flour. Please note I have not tested these to be gluten-free.
- To make vegan: feel free to make these muffins vegan by using a flax egg instead of an egg. Be sure to also use a dairy free yogurt in place of the plain greek yogurt.
- Swap the coconut oil: instead of coconut oil, feel free to use melted butter or melted vegan butter.
Healthy gingerbread muffins in 4 easy steps
- Prep your tin. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line your muffin tin with muffin liners. I also highly recommend spraying the inside of the liners so that your muffins don’t stick.
- Mix the dry. Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk until they’re combines.
- Mix the wet & combine. Add all of your wet ingredients (except the coconut oil!) to a separate bowl and mix until smooth. Then add your dry ingredients, mix until just combined, and fold in the coconut oil last.
- Divide and bake! Lastly, add your gingerbread muffin batter to your prepared muffin tin, sprinkle with sugar, bake & enjoy!
Pro tips
- Follow the recipe. The best way to ensure the success of these easy, healthy gingerbread muffins is to follow the recipe and use the exact ingredients as written (unless I note specific substitutes).
- Use room-temperature ingredients. If your egg is too cold or coconut oil is too hot you risk them coagulating. To bring your egg to room temp, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 3-5 minutes before you use it.
- Do not overmix the batter. If you overmix batter you’ll end up with gingerbread muffins that are more dense and gummy instead of fluffy and soft.
- Use fresh baking soda. If your baking soda is older than 3 months, I suggest grabbing a new one for best baking results.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: let the gingerbread muffins cool completely and then store these muffins in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4-5 days. If you find that your fresh baked goods tend to get soggy at room temp, simply store the muffins with a paper towel in the container.
- To freeze: These healthy gingerbread muffins are freezer-friendly! Simply wrap muffins individually in freezer-safe bags or store them in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, reheat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave or simply thaw them at room temperature.
The healthy gingerbread muffins are wonderful for anyone who LOVES all things gingerbread or even molasses ginger cookies. They would be lovely to bake up on Christmas morning, or anytime you need a treat. I love them the most with a cup of coffee.
More gingerbread recipes to try
I hope you LOVE these healthy gingerbread muffins as much as I do! If you make these, please leave a comment below letting me know how you liked them, or upload a photo to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen!
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Ambitious Kitchen
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125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Gingerbread Muffins
Incredibly fluffy, healthy gingerbread muffins made with whole wheat flour, cozy spices and delicious molasses flavor. These easy, healthy gingerbread muffins come together in just 30 minutes and are the perfect breakfast or snack with a cup of coffee! One of my favorite muffins to enjoy during the winter.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (any milk will work)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled to warm
- Optional: Coarse sugar or sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners; spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the muffins do not stick.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add maple syrup, molasses, egg, vanilla, yogurt and almond milk. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the melted coconut oil (we do this last so that it doesn't harden when mixed with other wet, cold ingredients.)
- Divide batter evenly between muffin liners, filling about 1/2 of the way full. Sprinkle with a little coarse sugar or regular sugar (this will create a beautiful muffin and a delicious crunch on the outside). Bake muffins for 18-22 minutes until a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!
Recipe Notes
Feel free to use white whole wheat flour, or you can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.
To make muffins vegan: Instead of an egg, replace with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water), be sure to use a dairy free yogurt too!
To make dairy free: Sub coconut, almond or soy yogurt for the greek yogurt.
To make gluten free: try a GF 1:1 all purpose flour, or you could try doing half gluten free oat flour and half almond flour. Please note I have not tested these to be gluten free.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffinCalories: 134calCarbohydrates: 21.7gProtein: 2.8gFat: 4.2gSaturated Fat: 3.1gFiber: 2.2gSugar: 8.5g
Recipe by: Monique Volz | Photography by: Sarah Fennel
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Do you think substituting some buckwheat and spelt flour would work?
I haven’t tested it, so I’m not 100% sure!
Recipe is easy and delicious! I did not use the blackstrap molasses. I used one cup of maple syrup instead. I am going to top them with an easy cream cheese and maple syrup frosting. But they don’t NEED any frosting! Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Perfect! I’m glad you loved these (and great idea to add frosting!)
I made these muffins twice within one week, they came out perfect, they are delicious and not too sweet. Thank you for this recipe!
Amazing! Glad you love them!
This recipe is awesome! I have made this 5 times in the last month. I always use half oat and half white whole wheat flour. It works great. Today I tried half oat flour and half almond flour, which tastes good but they didn’t rise and are more crumbly. My 9 month old and 2.5 year old LOVE these. I will be making these all winter!
Good to know about the flour! Glad the kiddos love them 🙂
These were so beautiful I didn’t have any coconut oil so I used organic extra-virgin olive oil. They were the most moist muffins with great flavour and once I took them out of the oven I put a tiny bit more of maple syrup on top. Thank you for sharing
Perfect! Glad you love them!
So tasty and fluffy. I used regular whole wheat flour, added a T. If pea protein, and used Brer Rabbit Full Flavor molasses. Because I used the
food processor to blend wet and dry ingredients, I was able to add 2 c of spinach leaves for extra nutrition. Made a glaze of dry whole milk and maple syrup. Magical, low sugar, super nutritious!
I’m glad those swaps worked out well!
These turned out amazing! I used one third almond flour, one third all purpose and one third spelt flour because they were all I had. My coconut oil did coagulate a bit but it didn’t matter, the crumb on this is 🔥🔥🔥! Whole family is gobbling them up, including my 3 yo. I didn’t have coarse sugar so I sprinkled mine with hemp hearts for the colour contrast. I think next time I’ll add raisins because my family loves them. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
I’m not sure if I’ve rated this recipe before, but I’ve made it so many times and it’s one of my absolute favorite muffin recipes!! So full of flavor and a delicious, moist cakey texture!! Works with honey in the place of maple syrup too!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Can I make this as a sheet pan cake?
Hi! I’m not sure what the baking time will be in a sheet pan, but let me know if you give it a try! You’ll just have to watch very closely.
These turned out perfectly! I might add a bit more ginger next time, but that’s just a personal preference.
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
I loved this recipe! Being gluten intolerant, I wanted to see if I could make it gluten free. Instead of the whole wheat pastry flour I used 3/4 cup almond flour and 3/4 cup oat flour. Before adding in the melted coconut oil the consistency seemed a little thin, so I added a few spoonfuls of 1:1 gluten free flour (I used Cup4Cup). I mixed, let it sit a few minutes to absorb, then checked the consistency again, it still seemed a tad thin/liquidy. I added a few more spoonfuls of the flour. It seemed good, so I mixed in the coconut oil. I’m guessing overall I used maybe 1/4-1/3 cup of the 1:1 GF flour. I made 12 muffins, they were definitely filled over halfway, but it turned out just fine. When baking, I started checking a few minutes before the recipe called for. A great experiment, wish I had the exact proportions, but I will be repeating soon! So delicious and feel guilt-free eating them!
So glad those swaps worked out for you! Perfect snack 🙂
Not a keeper in this house. Staring at the untouched batch as I type this. The feedback is that it’s bland. I live in a house where a winner is gone in a blink of a an eye so you know when it’s a stinker.
Sorry to hear that these weren’t a winner! I would double check the measurements and make sure you added enough sweetener and spices as these should be delicious with all of those.
What’s your favorite brand of blackstrap molasses? I’ve never purchased it but noticed the reviews vary.
I love using Wholesome Sweeteners!
Is it okay to use full fat instead of nonfat yogurt? I always have full fat yogurt on hand
Hi Julie – I haven’t tried it, but full fat should work! Let me know how they turn out for you.
Best. Ever. Muffin. Recipe.
I literally crave these on repeat, Christmas season or not. Best batter, best texture, unique and outstanding nostalgic flavor. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Ah this is seriously the best, I am so glad you’re loving these muffins. Thanks so much for your comment – I appreciate it ❤️
These were so dang amazing. Gone immediately! So, a few days later … I doubled the batch and made more! Unfortunately, I doubled ANOTHER recipe and it was horrible! So I’ve save this one and pinned it.
Lite and delicious! It’s not overly sweet. I sprinkled powdered sugar after they cooled down. 😋
Can I use regular molasses instead of blackstrap?
Yes! That should work! Enjoy 🙂
Can I swap some wheat germ for the flour? Increase fiber content?
Thanks so much for this recipe! I actually omitted the egg, used regular whole wheat flour, and plant based yogurt and they came out beautifully. My family loves gingerbread cookies and this is basically a gingerbread cookie but in muffin form. I will be making these a lot through the holiday season. And the recipe was so quick and easy too!
Love this recipe. Added golden raisins and a little chopped candied ginger. Yumm!,
These are great! Followed the recipe as is and they turned out fluffy and with the perfect blend of spices/flavor. I added a little bit of natural PB on top for a boost of protein for breakfast. YUM!
These are so delicious. We followed the recipe without any changes and it was just sweet enough without over doing it, and a really nice texture. Thanks!