Updated Gingerbread Muffins

Happy Monday! After making my first batch of gingerbread muffins, I had a few ideas to update the recipe a bit and bake them up a totally different way.

Although the first recipe was very delicious, these muffins were packed full of even more flavor and slightly more moist (sorry).

Gingerbread Muffins
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from A Beautiful Bite
Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray or line each cup with muffin papers.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, unsweetened applesauce, molasses and egg. Mix until well combined.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture into the batter, mixing until well combined. Slowly add in the milk, mixing well.
5. Spoon the muffin batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. In the meantime, make the glaze: Mix all ingredients together until there are no clumps. Add milk as desired for a thinner consistency. Add powdered sugar as desired for a thicker consistency.
8. Once the muffins have baked, remove each muffin from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Drizzle the glaze over each muffin and enjoy!

Read More →

Gingerbread Muffins

Nothing says Christmas like the smell of freshly baked gingerbread. And nothing puts a smile on my face faster than a muffin for breakfast or mid-morning snack. These muffins are just the right balance of sweetness to ginger spice. Not too cakey, but moist and light. With a drizzle of sweet vanilla glaze over the top, they're irresistible. They're highly freezable, so in less than a minute, you have a perfect quick and easy breakfast.

These muffins are the perfect seasonal treat. Or in the middle of July. Whatever works for you. You can even skip the glaze, go bakery style and top the muffins with coarse sugar!

Gingerbread Muffins
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from The Sisters Cafe
Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Glaze (Optional):

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place a muffin paper in each muffin cup, or spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, molasses, milk, oil, and egg until well combined.  Stir in the remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened.  Fill each muffin cup with batter, just until 3/4 full.
3. Bake 18-20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. In the meantime, make the glaze: Mix all ingredients together until there are no clumps. Add milk as desired for a thinner consistency. Add powdered sugar as desired for a thicker consistency.
5. Immediately remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Glaze and enjoy!

Notes: To freeze the muffins: When the muffins are cooled completely, place the muffins on a baking sheet and set the baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours. After two hours, put the muffins in a freezer bag. Putting the first freezer bag in a second freezer bag will help prevent freezer burn. Muffins will stay good in the freezer for months! To reheat frozen muffins: Place muffins in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Let cool for a couple of seconds, and you have a quick and easy breakfast in no time!

Read More →

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins

Happy Monday!

I've spent the last couple of days working on the perfect coffee cake muffin recipe. Which means I've made a few batches trying different ingredients... The muffins were either too salty because I forgot to get unsalted butter... Too chunky because the butter wasn't at room temperature, or they expanded way too much. But I've finally got it down! These coffee cake muffins are soft, packed with comforting flavors, and topped with a crumbly, buttery, sweet streusel topping. And it has a gooey cinnamon-y layer... Deep breaths...

Muffins like these are perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning while you scroll through Pinterest. You know, if you're into that sorta thing.

Classic coffee cake flavors in a warm little muffin form. Because muffins just seem to be oh so irresistible.

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins
Author: Organic Cafe, Adapted from On Sugar Mountain
Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
For the muffins:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxmeal

For the Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Swirl Filling:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin pans with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. Make the cinnamon filling: In a small bowl, combine together all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
4. Make the muffins: combine flour, sugar, baking powder, ground flaxmeal and salt in a large bowl. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and milk. Pour wet ingredient mixture over dry ingredient mixture and stir until well combined.
5. Fill each muffin cup 1/4 of the way with batter. Then add about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon filling over the first layer of batter. (I used a butter knife for an easier way to spread the cinnamon filling over the muffin batter). Add another layer of batter over the cinnamon filling, until the muffin cups are 3/4 full.
6. Cover muffins with streusel topping, then bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Read More →

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

It's Muffin Monday again! This week's theme will be apples, because, lately, my three favorite foods are apples, anything with cinnamon and... muffins. Annnd because fall is almost over and I'm not exactly mentally prepared for winter.

These muffins are light with a hint of cinnamon and bits of apple in each bite, with a drizzle of cinnamon glaze over the top. They're the kind of muffins that are comforting and give you the "warm fuzzies". Cozy fall flavors in one little perfect muffin? Yes please.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from Add a Pinch
Makes: 18 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

For the apples:

• 2 cups diced apples (about 2 small apples, I used Red Delicious)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons flour

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray or line each muffin cup with muffin papers.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, toss together the diced apples, 2 teaspoons of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to coat apples; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and room temperature butter until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, fully incorporating it into the mixture before adding the other. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Fold in the flour mixture, and then the milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. In the meantime, make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well until there are no clumps. Add milk for a thinner consistency. Add powdered sugar for a thicker consistency.
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and transfer to a cooling rack. Drizzle the glaze on each muffin and enjoy!

Read More →

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze

This year I was a little late on my "pumpkin flavored everything phase". But then I remembered how awesome pumpkin flavored everything is. And then I remembered that pumpkin muffins exist. Warm, soft pumpkin muffins covered with this wonderfully sweet cinnamon glaze exist.

So maybe I had three one of these for breakfast this morning while I watched the snow fall...

But with the warm, comforting fall flavors of the pumpkin muffin, with the ooey-gooey cinnamon glaze drizzled over the top, it's so hard to stop at just one.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze
Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

For the pumpkin muffins:

• 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

For the cinnamon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

For the pumpkin muffins:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all dry and wet ingredients separately.
2. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, slowly.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
4. Glaze and enjoy!

For the cinnamon glaze:

1. Mix all ingredients together until there are no clumps. Add milk as desired for a thinner consistency. Add powdered sugar as desired for a thicker consistency.

Read More →