Make a batch of these cozy Gingerbread Muffins on Christmas morning for the perfect holiday breakfast! They're topped with a maple glaze to compliment the warm spices, making these bakery style muffins the ultimate treat!
Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together all purpose flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, sugar, eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and molasses. Whisk for 1-2 minutes, then add sour cream and continue to whisk until mixture is nice and smooth.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover the muffin batter with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a muffin pan with muffin liners in every other cup. Add 1/3 cup of muffin batter to each cup. Sprinkle with a little turbinado sugar (coarse sugar) and bake for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 12-14 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffin.
While the muffins bake, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, maple extract, and a pinch of salt to make the maple glaze.
Allow the muffins to cool completely.
Once the muffins have cooled completely, drizzle the glaze on top for the perfect breakfast!
Notes
Substitutions
If you don't have molasses, you can use honey or maple syrup instead. Use the exact amounts listed in the recipe card.
Use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for healthy gingerbread muffins!
No buttermilk? No problem! Here's my guide on how to make your own buttermilk from home (spoiler - you only need two ingredients - milk and lemon juice)
Dairy-Free / Vegan option - use almond milk and lemon juice to substitute for buttermilk and use your favorite vegan sour cream and vegan butter instead. Substitute eggs for a flax egg.
Gluten Free option - use your favorite 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour.
Tips
Be sure to use room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream. This will help the batter come together smoothly without breaking apart.
For a thicker glaze, add less milk. conversely, add more if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Get creative with the glaze! Add a little orange zest or lemon zest and make a lemon glaze instead of maple. Citrus and the comforting spices of cinnamon go so well together!
Measure your flour properly! Adding too much or too little flour can really throw off the outcome of this recipe. Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.