Gingerbread Cupcakes

Indulge in the soft and moist Gingerbread Cupcakes this Christmas, a beautiful holiday dessert, decadently spiced and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. These show-stopping treats are sure to be the star of any festive gathering, delivering that perfect blend of warmth and sweetness.

Making a gingerbread house is one of the best parts of the holiday season! These easy cupcakes capture and recreate the iconic gingerbread flavor that you love. You’ll be proud to share them with your kids, family members, and friends, or keep them all to yourself. This easy gingerbread cupcake recipe is made entirely from scratch – no box mixes, no shortcuts. Surprisingly, homemade cupcakes are just as easy as a boxed mix. 

Even better, they are topped with a homemade tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect way to enhance the seasonal spices. Forget about hot cocoa or peppermint, gingerbread cupcakes are about to become your favorite holiday dessert.  

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect cupcakes for the holiday season. They smell just like Christmas! 
• Incredible flavor. The bold gingerbread spices waft through the air as these easy gingerbread cupcakes bake. 
• Perfect texture. This easy recipe makes fluffy gingerbread cupcakes. 
• Popular at bake sales. Everyone loves the spicy ginger flavor. 
• Party-ready. They are the perfect complement to the savory appetizers at holiday parties. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

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These are the tastiest and easiest cupcakes to make at Christmas time. This recipe consists of two parts: the homemade cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes

• Flour: Use your favorite brand or type of all-purpose flour. 
• Brown Sugar: Use either dark or light brown sugar in these cupcakes. 
• Ginger: This is what gives them their distinctive gingerbread flavor. 
• Baking Powder: The baking powder helps the cupcakes rise. 
• Cinnamon: This is the other half of the warm spices that make the cupcakes taste like Christmas. 
• Salt: This enhances the other flavors. 
• Eggs: These bind all the ingredients together. 
• Molasses: Any molasses will work, even blackstrap molasses. 
• Vegetable Oil: This is the fat that makes the cupcakes taste moist. 
• Milk: Use your favorite type of milk, as long as it is unflavored. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese and let it soften first, making it easier to mix. 
• Butter: Unsalted butter is best because it will prevent the frosting from tasting too salty.
• Vanilla: This is the deep flavor that makes the frosting taste good. 
• Powdered Sugar: This ingredient sweetens the frosting while adding a fluffy texture. 

How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

• Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
• Step Two: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, then set aside.

• Step Three: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, molasses, vegetable oil, and milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Fill each cavity in the muffin tin ¾ of the way with batter.

• Step Four: Bake in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Step Five: To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until the mixture is completely smooth. Add additional powdered sugar to get the desired consistency.
• Step Six: Pipe on the frosting or use a knife to spread it on if preferred.

What to Serve with Them

Here are some more cupcake recipes that will look (and taste) incredible with these festive gingerbread cupcakes.    

• Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
• Eggnog Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• Death By Chocolate Cupcakes
• Cherry Cupcakes

Variations and Substitutions

• You can use store-bought cream cheese frosting to save time.
• If you don’t like cream cheese, buttercream frosting is a delicious alternative. Just replace the 8 ounces of cream cheese with ½ cup of butter (don’t forget to include the additional ¼ cup of butter)
• To make cinnamon cream cheese frosting, sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon into the mixture. 
• You can use light or dark brown sugar. 
• You can also substitute the same amount of oil for melted butter.

Storage Instructions 

Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes; they will last longer and be more accessible to store. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag or container. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Let the unfrosted gingerbread cupcakes cool to room temperature before you add the frosting. 
• Add the flour mixture slowly, mixing thoroughly so that it incorporates into the batter evenly. 
• Use a cookie scoop to add the batter to the cupcake pan. This will make sure that cupcakes are the same size. 

Toppings

There are many different things you can add to the frosted cupcakes. Try any of these ideas: 

• Sugared cranberries
• Mini gingerbread men cookies
• Freshly ground cinnamon
• Powdered sugar 
• Christmas sprinkles

How To Make Cupcakes Moist 

If you want your cupcakes to taste extra moist, I suggest adding ¼ cup of sour cream to the batter. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use full-fat plain Greek yogurt. 

Why Did My Cupcakes Sink In The Middle?

The most common reason your cupcakes fell in the middle is that you mixed them too much and added too much air to the batter. Carefully mix all the ingredients together, stopping when everything is completely incorporated. 

Gingerbread Recipes        

• Gingerbread Martini
• Gingerbread Dip
• Gingerbread Muffins
• Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
• Pumpkin Gingerbread Pudding
• Gingerbread Eggnog

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