Cozy gingerbread cupcakes are fragrantly spiced cupcakes, festively flavored for the holidays, dairy-free and with a gluten-free option, and delicious with or without the 2-ingredient glaze.
These gingerbread cupcakes are light and spicy, and will fill your kitchen as fragrantly as gingerbread baking in the oven. Frosted with a white glaze, you have a festive holiday treat perfect for festive events.
Just like my hot chocolate cupcakes, and my healthy chocolate cupcakes, these spicy cupcakes are a must to make during the holidays or to warm a cold winter night.
Why You'll Love These
Perfect for all diets. These gingerbread cupcakes are dairy free, vegan, gluten free, paleo and perfect for all diets.
Ingredients
Flour. Use all purpose or a gluten free baking flour.
Sugar. I used organic cane sugar because it tastes better.
Unsweetened cocoa powder. The essence of chocolate in these cupcakes
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Molasses. Use original or Grandma's brand, not blackstrap which is too bitter.
Dairy free milk + lemon juice. Helps with leavening.
Applesauce. Instead of eggs.
Olive oil. Or use more apple sauce, but this oil gives the cupcake texture a velvety feel.
Flavors & leaveners. Gingerbread spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, lemon juice.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Steps to Make
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
1. Add lemon juice to milk and line cupcake pans with liners. Either mix up homemade gingerbread spice mix or use store bought gingerbread mix.
2. Add wet ingredients and sugar to the milk and stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add in the dry ingredients. Don't overmix the batter, a typical warning when using all purpose flour.
4. Bake the cupcakes. Then let them cool before frosting.
5. Make your glaze by stirring powdered sugar and milk together.
6. Decorate the cupcakes. Slather the frosting on the cupcakes, and sprinkle with tiny teddy bear sprinkles, or grab a frosting bag, fill it and pipe on swirls. Either way, you will have a fun and deliciously festive cupcakes to share.
Storage
These cupcakes keep about two days at room temperature if unfrosted. If frosted, refrigerate in a sealed container for about a week.
More Holiday Cupcakes
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Dipped Cupcakes
- Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
- Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- tiny gingerbread men sprinkles
Ingredients
Cake recipe
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour or gluten free baking flour
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon Gingerbread spice store bought or use my recipe
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gingerbread spice mix
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vanilla glaze
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
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Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Make gingerbread spice mix1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Add lemon juice to the milk and allow it to steep for 5 minutes.
Mix the batter
- Combine wet ingredients and sugar, mix until combined.⅓ cup applesauce, 3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Through a sieve, add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup organic cane sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon Gingerbread spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Spoon batter into the cupcake cups, filling each ¾ full.
- Bake in the oven until the cupcakes test clean, about 18-20 minutes.
Brandi says
These cupcakes look amazing Dee! I love that you added chai spices to the chocolate flavor, what a fabulous idea! The cupcakes look so healthy and wholesome too!
Dee says
Thank you so much! I love chai flavors!
Ela says
I LOVE the look of your festive cupcakes! The recipe sounds very easy and healthy too, that's amazing.
Dee says
Ela! Thank you !