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Gingerbread doughnut muffins

There’s a doughnut store around the corner from me, and while I’m not usually tempted by their doughnuts (my best strategy is to just look the other way when I walk by their shop), this time of year they sell a gingerbread doughnut that I have been curious about.

Unfortunately, this doughnut shop has a tendency to sell out of their more popular doughnuts, and by the time I finally gathered the courage to actually go to the shop and get a gingerbread doughnut, they no longer had any on hand.

Yes, I say courage because this doughnut shop’s doughnuts are all very appealing and yet they’re also very expensive. Whenever I do make it in there I never make it out without spending a small fortune on fried treats. It’s a dangerous place! In any case, because of this, I decided that I would take matters into my own hands.

Gingerbread doughnut muffins | Homesick Texan

When I first started blogging almost 10 years ago, doughnut muffins were all the rage. It seemed almost every food blogger at the time was doing some variation of these baked little cakes, but for some reason I never got around to making my own. Well, as Christmas is approaching and I like to have lots of treats on hand for breakfast, I decided that a gingerbread doughnut muffin just might be the way to go.

Taking King Arthur’s basic recipe, I loaded it with spices from my family’s gingerbread like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and yes, of course, ground ginger, while also swapping out some of the sugar for molasses. On the otherhand, while gingerbread recipes usually have you add hot water to the batter, the doughnut muffin recipe called for milk, which I decided to keep for the fluffier texture it would bring.

The resulting muffin had a crisp top with a tender crumb that was rich with the dark, peppery notes of gingerbread. A final dusting of powdered sugar, much like my favorite cake doughnuts, gave it a perfect finish.

Gingerbread doughnut muffins | Homesick Texan

While these gingerbread muffins are excellent on their own, if you want to get super fancy you can load up them with chocolate chips or chopped candied ginger—I’m sure no one would complain. And they’re not only simple to make but they’ll also make your home smell cozy and warm. I like to serve them warm with a cup of coffee or tea, but not matter how you enjoy them I know you’ll agree that they’re a fine way to celebrate the season and the end of the year.

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Are you looking for other breakfast ideas for the holidays? Allow me to make some suggestions:
French toast casserole with blueberries and sausage
Jalapeño and cheese breakfast casserole
Lemon bread
Migas with black-eyed peas and bacon
Orange pecan cinnamon rolls

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5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread doughnut muffins

Servings 12 muffins
Author Adapted by Lisa Fain from a King Arthur recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup light packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease 12 regular muffin cups or line them with muffin cups.
  • Cream together the butter, oil, molasses, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs until well combined.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and black pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient and mix until the batter just comes together. Pour in the milk and stir until smooth. The batter should look like chocolate frosting.
  • Fill the muffin cups just to the top and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a knife inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Dust the tops with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Notes

Optional add-ins can include 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger, 1/4 cup chopped cranberries, or 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

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20 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    I have a family recipe similar to this-but uses sour milk(i.e. buttermilk). Mom would make these every Christmas morning as we waited in the kitchen for all 4 of us kids to get up and gather. I love a smear of butter on them while still warm. The thing I love about it is that our batter can keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can make just what you need for a whole week! Linda

  2. Anonymous says:

    I made the muffins this morning and they are so good. Tasty and light. I added a bit of candied ginger.
    Last week I added some sauteed red onion to the Green Bean and Cilantro pesto from your 1st cookbook – served it over fresh herb pasta and topped it with parmesan. It was a great combination. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and cooking inspiration. Carol

  3. Made these this morning since school was closed (brrrrrr!) and they were incredible! Subbed buttermilk in and upped the baking soda to 1/2 tsp to make up for it. They were a huge hit – thanks for the recipe.

  4. What would you reduce cooking time to if using King Arthur texas size muffin pan.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Bon–I would probably increase the time if the muffins are larger. Start checking on them after 20 minutes though you may need to go as much as 30.