These Gingerbread Cupcakes are simple cupcakes with a delicious gingerbread-flavored dough to celebrate the festive season. It has a moist crumb and it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
I love cupcakes like my Easy Vanilla Cupcakes, Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes, or Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes, but for the Christmas season, I love to make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies. Today I wanted to combine both of these – easy healthy plant-based cupcakes but with a classic gingerbread flavor.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need a few wholesome ingredients for this delicious recipe.
- Self-Rising Flour – Self-rising flour makes the cupcakes rise well. If you just have regular flour, mix 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use 1 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour, ¾ cup almond flour, and 2 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder. You can’t use just almond flour (too moist) or just gluten-free flour (too dry).
- Light Olive Oil – Olive oil adds moisture without overpowering the dough. You can replace it with sunflower oil or melted vegan butter. Avoid coconut oil, which can solidify when mixed with cold ingredients.
- Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk – Almond milk adds moisture and a subtle vanilla note. Substitute with oat milk, soy milk, or any dairy-free milk. If using plain milk, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for flavor.
- Soft Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds sweetness with some moisture and enhances the deep, molasses-like flavor. Coconut sugar or muscovado sugar work as alternatives, though they may darken the batter further.
- Molasses – Molasses add moisture and the classic gingerbread flavor. If unavailable, substitute with maple syrup, coconut nectar, or an extra ¼ cup of brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla boosts the flavors of the spices. It’s optional if using vanilla-flavored milk.
- Ginger – Ginger brings some zing to the batter. You can also use fresh grated ginger.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds a sweet Christmassy flavor that balances the spiciness of the ginger. Swap with pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg for a variation.
How to Make Easy Gingerbread Cupcakes
This recipe is really easy to make. Here’s how in pictures.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl.
Stir until the batter is consistent. I used a whisk, but you can use a spatula.
Transfer the batter to a 12-hole muffin pan lined with parchment paper.
Frosting Options
These cupcakes are, of course, even better when loaded with frosting. I have many healthy frosting options, all dairy-free and egg-free:
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting – This classic vanilla frosting is made with just 4 plant-based ingredients.
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting – This slightly healthier frosting is even simpler, with just 3 ingredients.
- Vegan Chocolate Frosting – If you want a chocolate version of my vanilla frosting, this is the one!
- Protein Powder Frosting – This frosting adds 3g of protein per slice and tastes just like classic frosting.
- Cashew Frosting – This frosting is made without any plant-based butter.
- Vegan Royal Icing – While it’s not quite frosting, adding my royal icing makes these cupcakes amazing.
- Vegan Ganache – This is another slightly left-field option, but a little chocolate ganache on the top is delicious!
Carine’s Baking Tips
I’ve compiled below a few more tips that didn’t fit in the recipe card.
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients – Cold almond milk or oil may affect the batter’s consistency. Allow all ingredients to reach room temperature for a smooth blend.
- Mix Gently – Stir the batter just until the ingredients are combined to prevent overworking the gluten, which could make the cupcakes dense.
- Adjust the Spice Level – Add a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, or ground cloves for a spicier cupcake. If you prefer milder flavors, reduce the ginger to 1 ½ teaspoons.
- Bake a Test Cupcake – If unsure about the baking time or if your oven might be uncalibrated, bake a single cupcake first to determine the exact timing. Oven temperatures can vary, so checking early can help avoid overbaking.
- Make Mini Cupcakes – Divide the batter into mini muffin tins and bake for 10-12 minutes. Mini cupcakes are perfect for parties or holiday gatherings.
- Storage – Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze well; just thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Holiday Pairing – Enjoy these cupcakes with a warm cup of Pumpkin Pie Spice Chai Latte, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, or mulled cider.
More Ginger Recipes
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Gingerbread Cupcakes
These Gingerbread Cupcakes are simple cupcakes with a delicious gingerbread-flavored dough to celebrate the festive season. It has a moist crumb and it's ready in under 30 minutes!
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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 185.9 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
- ⅓ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 2)
- 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk - (note 3)
- ¾ cup Soft Brown Sugar - (note 4)
- ¼ cup Molasses - (note 5)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffin paper cases. Lightly oil the paper cases with oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add self-rising flour, soft brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the oil, molasses, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
- Whisk to form a smooth cupcake batter with no lumps.
- Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin holes.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool down completely on a cooling rack before frosting. Frost using my dairy-free vanilla frosting recipe.
- Decorate with a homemade cookie using my easy gingerbread recipe or gluten-free almond flour gingerbread recipe.
Notes
Note 1: To make your batch of self-rising flour, whisk 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder in 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
Gluten-Free Option: Use 1 cup of 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour, 3/4 cup of almond flour, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder.
Note 2: You can use any oil with a light flavor. Avoid melted coconut oil, as it forms lumps when it comes into contact with cold almond milk.
Note 3: Any dairy-free milk works in this recipe. I am using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which adds a vanilla flavor to the batter. If your almond milk is unflavored, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to flavor the cupcakes.
Note 4: Darker sugar, like coconut sugar or brown sugar, works best in this recipe. This makes the cupcakes darker in color and enhances the gingerbread flavors.
Note 5: If you don’t have molasse, add an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar or 1/4 cup of liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or coconut nectar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake (no frosting) | Calories: 185.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.9g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g | Sodium: 27.7mg | Potassium: 18.6mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 16.7g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 4.6mg | Phosphorus: 17.7mg | Zinc: 0.2mg
So good I loved them, thanks for the recipe