Name: Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Optional: 2 Tablespoons sugar for topping (granulated, demerara, or coconut sugar)

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These gingerbread pumpkin muffins are a delightful holiday treat that come together easily and disappear fast.

Whether you need an easy holiday breakfast or dessert, these pumpkin gingerbread muffins are full of warm spices and the sweetness of molasses.

close-up view of pumpkin gingerbread muffins on a white plate

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During the holidays, our days can easily become more chaotic than we’d like.

Between decorating and planning, attending parties and gatherings, and shopping and wrapping, it’s easy to get busy without even trying.

That’s why it’s super important to have easy recipes up your sleeve! We all love foods that taste comforting and delicious, but don’t take all day to prepare.

These pumpkin gingerbread muffins fit the bill for an easy recipe that can carry you from pumpkin season into Christmas, satisfying your sweet tooth no matter what time of year!

close-up of a gingerbread pumpkin muffin with a bite taken out of it, showing the moist interior

Making Muffins with Pumpkin and Gingerbread

The great thing about these muffins is that they use pumpkin puree, which keeps them moist and tender, plus warm spices and molasses, providing classic gingerbread flavor as well.

It’s the perfect recipe for both fall and winter!

You can serve these for a Christmas morning breakfast alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee, or add them as a fancy offering on your cookie tray.

You can even leave one out for Santa on Christmas Eve–the perfect addition to cookies and milk! 🙂

Not only that, but you could use these muffins as an easy homemade gift, wrapped in pretty cellophane packaging with a festive ribbon.

You can also serve them warm, paired with a scoop of gingerbread ice cream for an “a la mode” dessert.

No matter how you serve them, they’re sure to disappear fast!

More Holiday Quickbreads:

overhead view of six homemade pumpkin gingerbread muffins on a white rectangular platter.

How to Make Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins for the Holidays

It’s easier than you think to whip up this homemade delight.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Pumpkin puree
Vegetable Oil
Brown Sugar
Unsulphured Molasses
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Ginger
Optional: Sugar for Topping

mise en place view of ingredients for pumpkin gingerbread muffins

How to Make Them:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Prepare the pan. Prepare a muffin pan by greasing it well or lining with muffin cups or paper liners.

Mix wet ingredients. To start, you’ll combine pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.

You can mix these together by hand, or use an electric mixer to combine them until smooth.

wet ingredients of pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract in a white mixing bowl.

Mix dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger.

Whisk together to incorporate.

dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ginger in a white mixing bowl.

Combine into batter. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, mixing just until incorporated.

Again, you can do this by hand or with a mixer if desired.

dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Bake. Divide the batter among the wells of a greased muffin tin. Using a cookie scoop for this step is helpful, if you have one!

If you’d like, you can sprinkle the tops with some granulated sugar, or a coarse sugar such as coconut sugar or demerara sugar.

pumpkin gingerbread muffin batter in the pan, topped with granulated sugar, ready to be baked.

Transfer the muffin pan to a preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Or, you can serve these warm if you’d like!

pumpkin ginger muffins cooling on a wire rack

Notes and Adaptations:

Unsulphured molasses is readily available at most grocery stores, typically in the baking aisle. I use the “Grandma’s” brand of unsulphured molasses. I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses, as it’s typically not as sweet.
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also freeze these muffins–simply cool completely, then wrap with plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container.
If desired, you can use melted coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.

close-up view of pumpkin ginger spice muffins served on a white platter

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 12 Muffins

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

Warmly spiced and perfectly sweet, these tender pumpkin gingerbread muffins are a delightful holiday treat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: 2 Tablespoons sugar for topping (granulated, demerara, or coconut sugar)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 12-well muffin pan (or line with muffin liners, if preferred).
In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Mix the wet ingredients together by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing (by hand or with electric mixer on low speed) just until incorporated.
Divide batter among the wells of the prepared muffin tin.
If desired, sprinkle sugar over the tops of the muffins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool slightly before serving. Can serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Unsulphured molasses is readily available at most grocery stores, typically in the baking aisle. I use the "Grandma's" brand of unsulphured molasses. I don't recommend using blackstrap molasses, as it's typically not as sweet.
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also freeze these muffins--simply cool completely, then wrap with plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container.
If desired, you can use melted coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

More Holiday Recipes to Try:

Be sure to save this recipe to your holiday board on Pinterest!