The cozy combination of ginger, nutmeg, cloves and molasses in these Gingerbread Muffins with Banana will make your house smell and feel like you’ve walked into a holiday movie! Naturally sweetened and made with white whole wheat flour, these muffins are sure to be a seasonal family favorite.
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Healthy Gingerbread Muffins
Looking for a quick holiday muffin that the whole family will love? I’ve got you!
When I think of the holidays, I always think of one of my favorite flavors – gingerbread! Whether it’s gingerbread lattes, making gingerbread man cookies, or decorating gingerbread houses, the lovely combination of these sweet and simple spices just seems to put everyone in a good mood.
An added bonus of these healthy gingerbread muffins is that they’re made with bananas – a familiar flavor for my little ones who might not be as head-over-heels about gingerbread as I am.
Plus, they’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup and a touch of molasses, which keeps them a little healthier than traditional store-bought holidays treats made with refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy muffin recipes for kids and toddlers, then be sure to check out my Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins, Healthy Hidden Zucchini Muffins, these reader fave Spinach Muffins for Kids, or these delicious Healthy Blueberry Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Reasons to Love Gingerbread Muffins
- baby, toddler, kid and adult-friendly
- easy to make
- great for school or packed lunches
- healthy
- freezer-friendly
- great for breakfasts on the go
- can be made gluten and dairy-free
- naturally nut-free
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour.
- Eggs: to bind all ingredients together
- Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. Melted butter is preferred but you can also use coconut, avocado, vegetable, or olive oil.
- Bananas: use very ripe, spotted ones for added sweetness. You can also sub in plain yogurt or applesauce.
- Maple syrup: real maple syrup
- Milk: dairy or any plain plant-based milk
- Molasses: this helps keep muffins soft and tasting like gingerbread
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- Salt
Allergy Tips: to make these muffins gluten-free, you can use any one-for-one gluten-free flour blend. If you are looking for a dairy-free muffin option, you can use any plant-based milk you prefer such as almond, soy, hemp, oat, etc.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed banana, maple syrup, butter/oil, molasses, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar, if using.
- Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve.
Gingerbread Health Benefits: Gingerbread is full of carbohydrates that provide energy for our bodies, and if using whole wheat flour, you’ll get more nutrients including fiber. Ginger, which gives gingerbread its name, has antioxidants and is known to help with digestion and reduce nausea.
Tools Needed
Toppings
These cozy gingerbread muffins are perfect as is, but if you want to experiment with adding some toppings, here’s several of our favorites to try.
- chopped walnuts
- chopped pecans
- chocolate chips
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- diced apples
Mini Muffins
You can easily make these into mini muffins by adjusting the bake time by about half, or 9-11 minutes. This recipe will make about 24 mini-sized muffins.
How to Store & Freeze
Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
To freeze the muffins, place the muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.
Thaw frozen muffins overnight in the fridge or gently warm them in the microwave.
Gingerbread for Toddlers & Kids
These quick and easy muffins are great for toddlers and kids. You can serve them as is or with a smear of cream cheese, butter, or almond butter for breakfast, snack, or packed into a school lunch.
Expert Tips
- Do No Overmix: I can’t stress this point enough – do not over mix the muffin batter, if you do they won’t rise in the oven and will become dense and hard. The dry ingredients should be just combined with the wet ingredients.
- Preheat Oven: Ensure the oven is fully preheated so the muffins cook through evenly.
- Let Cool: let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying them and let them cool completely before storing.
- No Sticking: make sure you generously grease the mini muffin molds or use mini muffin liners so that the muffins don’t stick to the pan.
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose, 50/50 whole wheat and white flour, unbleached flour or a gf blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup mashed bananas, or plain yogurt or applesauce
- 1/3 cup melted butter, or mild olive oil, vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, avocado oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup milk, dairy or any plant-based milk
- 3 tbsp natural or turbinado sugar (optional) for topping
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Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
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Whisk: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
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Stir: In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed banana, maple syrup, butter/oil, molasses, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
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Combine: pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar, if using.
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Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
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Eat: Let cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve.
Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular-size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.
Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour.
Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive, or melted butter.