These gingerbread muffins are spiced just right and the zesty orange glaze seeps into the crackly tops. There’s nothing like the combination of ginger and orange— underrated but highly delicious!
Today I’m sharing with you a muffin recipe that knows no season. It’s a recipe that I’ve made over and over again but never got around to actually sharing it. I’m certain that you will love that just as much as I do!
Meet the perfectly spiced gingerbread muffins with orange glaze. I know what you’re thinking— orange glaze?! It may sound off, but this combination works. Think of it like peanut butter and jelly. It just WORKS. It’s that spicy sweet gingerbread paired with a bright and fresh orange flavor.
Currently drooling.
What Makes These Gingerbread Muffins So Special?
I love making muffins because they are quicker than bread— pretty much the easiest baked good out there. It’s just a few steps: prepare the batter, spoon into the muffin liners, and bake.
The muffins themselves aren’t overly sweet, so they are perfect for anytime of the day. Want them for breakfast? Perfect. Want them for a quick snack? Perfect. Want a lighter dessert? PERFECT. ?
How To Make Gingerbread Muffins
- Whisk the dry ingredients together. Nothing complicated here— just flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Whisk the coconut oil, egg, molasses, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla. Then, add in the mashed banana. You want the banana mashed very well. Then whisk in the milk,
- Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Stir together until no flour pockets remain— remember to avoid overmixing.
- Spoon into muffin liners. Fill the muffin tins all the way to the top. I use an ice cream scoop to make this clean and simple.
- Bake the muffins. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F degrees. Leaving the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F degrees and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before glazing.
- Top with orange glaze while the muffins are warm. More on that below!
Let’s Talk About That Orange Glaze
Let’s shine the spotlight on that tangy orange glaze for a second— a sweet coating that pairs perfectly with that spiced muffin underneath.
The glaze is simple. Grab the powered sugar, a tiny bit of milk, and the zest and juice of an orange. You can control the orange flavor and the thickness of the glaze: use more/less orange juice, more/less orange zest, more/less sugar. You get it. It’s up to you.
The Trick To Tall Muffin Tops
I’ve mentioned this before in my other muffin recipes: fill the muffin tins all the way to the top. You will first bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F degrees, then at 350°F degrees. That initial high temperature lifts the muffin top up quickly while the lower temperature finishes baking the muffins.
Gingerbread Muffins with Orange Glaze
Description
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 medium mashed ripe banana, about 1/2 cup*
- 1/3 cup milk*
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- zest from an orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, molasses, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until no lumps remain. Whisk in the banana. Then, slowly whisk in the milk. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined and no flour pockets remain— do not over mix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F degrees. Leaving the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F degrees and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to glaze.
- While the muffins bake, making the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, juice and zest from the orange. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops of each muffin in the glaze, then place back onto the cooling rack to harden.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The muffins can be made in advance with/without the glaze. Place the cooled muffins in a bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Banana: Don’t worry! The muffins don’t taste like banana, it’s there to add a bit more sweetness without adding more sugar.
- Milk: I’ve used a few types of milk for this recipe— whole milk, lower fat milks, and nondairy.
Looks yummy! This Muffins looks amazing! Definitely going to try this.
These look fantastic. My kids would love these muffins!