I love to transform my favourite recipes into something new. Often, it’s not too far of a stretch to take a solid recipe base and create something different and fresh. Maybe I’m a baking nerd, but I just love the process of calculating measurements, swapping new ingredients for others, figuring out new baking times, and streamlining the method. My goal with recipe writing is to provide as many pertinent details as I can so you feel like I’m in the kitchen with you, but I also try to simplify and condense, too. It gives me great joy to refine and improve a dish and the written recipe itself over multiple trials.
Yup, I’m definitely a baking nerd. There’s no denying it.
My Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with Spiced Buttercream is a bit of a legend on this blog. I created the recipe for a blogging competition, Project Food Blog, five years ago (side note: my recipe writing style has clearly changed since then!). Despite being buried in the archives, this loaf has stood the test of time and remains popular during the fall and winter seasons. I’ve had requests for a muffin version – something a bit lighter and more wholesome that could pair with breakfast or an afternoon snack. (Wait a second. The original loaf with frosting doesn’t count as breakfast? I’ve been doing it all wrong.)
Joking aside, it’s a great idea. So maybe it’s a few years late, but I’m not a miracle worker! Ok, maybe I am. I made the original loaf more wholesome by using whole-grain spelt flour rather than all-purpose white flour. Despite using this heavier flour, I was astonished by how light and fluffy the muffins turned out! Spelt flour is incredibly tasty with a lightly sweet and nutty flavour that works so well in a muffin. Actually, I kept saying to Eric that these muffins taste a bit like a spiced bran muffin (in a very good way!). In just 1/4 cup of whole-grain spelt flour you’ll find 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fibre, too. Look for whole-grain spelt flour in the natural foods or specialty section of grocery stores or you can find it online. Keep in mind that it’s not gluten-free so it won’t work for those with gluten allergies. You’ll also find pumpkin, blackstrap molasses (a great source of iron), pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and more. It’s like a big fall hug. Get ready, because your place is going to smell like a gingerbread house. No joke.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins
Yield
12 large muffins
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Despite using whole-grain spelt flour, pumpkin purée, and molasses, these muffins rise beautifully and they are so light and fluffy! I think you’re going to love them. They are perfectly spiced (not too strong and not too light) and great for fall and winter baking. You won’t believe how incredible these muffins will make your house smell, too. Throw a batch in the oven before company comes over and your entire place will smell like a gingerbread house! This recipe is adapted from a reader-favourite recipe: my Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with Spiced Buttercream.
Ingredients
For the wet ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
- 1 cup (240 g) unsweetened pumpkin purée*
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil**
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (105 g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) blackstrap molasses
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 2/3 cups (260 g) whole-grain spelt flour***
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Heaping 1/2 cup (70 g) toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin pan with large paper liners. My favourite brand of liners is “If You Care” brand as they never stick!
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chia seeds and water. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (spelt flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).
- In the same bowl as the chia mixture, whisk together the wet ingredients (chia mixture, pumpkin purée, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses) until smooth.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. No patches of flour should remain. Be sure not to overmix the batter as spelt is a delicate flour. The batter will be quite thick.
- If using, stir in the chopped walnuts. You can also reserve some for garnish on top, like in the photos.
- Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin liners. They should be about 3/4 full or a bit more. Add any reserved walnuts on top and gently push down (optional).
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 24 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer each muffin onto a cooling rack until completely cool. Serve with homemade almond milk.
Tip:
- * If your pumpkin purée is a bit grainy, try throwing it into a food processor and processing it until smooth before making this recipe. Or you can beat it with electric beaters. This will simply prevent clumps in the dough.
- ** If using melted coconut oil, make sure that the rest of the wet ingredients are all at room temperature (do not use refrigerated pumpkin, maple syrup, etc. as they will harden the coconut oil).
- *** I haven't tried these muffins with any other flour, but I expect that regular all-purpose flour will work (like in the loaf recipe).
- Make it nut-free: Simply omit the walnuts.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Photography credit: Ashley McLaughlin Photography
Yum Yum, these are Sooo Deliciousss ! Thanks for this great recipe :))
I just made you`re pumkin tart too from you`re cookbook and the filling taste sooo rich and creamy… i will have to wait until tommorow :))
I forgot!
Oh my! These are gorgeous! Pumpkin everything is good with me! I’ve stocked my pantry so full and eat it all year round. I honestly don’t think thereis anything more comforting than pumpkin and the flavors of gingerbread paired together in one. Great recipe, Angela!:)
These are excellent, thank you! I only had 1/3 cup of spelt left, so I used white whole wheat for the rest. They may be a little more dense than yours, but they taste great. Perfect afternoon snack for an autumn afternoon. Some cinnamon butter or cinnamon icing would really put them over the top!
I made these yesterday and they came out amazing :-)!! I love pumpkin and gingerbread, great combination. Thank you Angela.
These are delicious and they’ve got just the right amount of spice, just perfect for fall!!
I made them with a mix of all purpose flour (1 cup) and whole wheat flour (2/3 cup) and they turned out light and tender.
So glad that flour swap worked out for you! Thanks :)
I have been following your blog for a while now and have noticed you use a lot of blackstrap molasses. I bought a jar a while ago for your butternut/pumpkin smoothie but find it tastes like bitter medicine (and ruins everything it touches…). I am just wondering if I have the right stuff (I live in Australia)?
Great to see more regular blog updates – but totally understand your absence. I cant wait for your second book to come out.
Yes it doesn’t taste great on its own – you are right! I find it needs to be balanced with other ingredients for it to work in a recipe. If you give these a try let me know what you think!
Oh yum these are looking so lovely! I’ve put them on my ‘to make-list’ haha, for when I’m having a weekend time to bake yummy treats.
My mom made these today and it tasted really good.
Just wondering .if anyone has tried it with maple syrup or date syrup instead of the brown sugar? Super excited to try this!!! xo
hey friend! I’m postong a GF pancake recipe tomorrow and tagged one of your recipes. If you don’t want me to use a pic, just let me know. I tried emailing but couldn’t find your email. xxoo
Very nice. I used half spelt flour and half all purpose flour. The texture is moist- almost half between a moist muffin and a chocolatey brownie. The taste is wonderful.
Just discovered your site and I am looking forward to trying some of your recipes. The blogosphere needs more food blogs like this. That’s for sure. Gonna give this recipe a try! Thanks!!
I made this into a loaf and it turned out wonderful! I used all purpose flour and baked for about 40 minutes.
These look AMAZING! Can’t wait to try them!
I have no future as a food blogger, but reading you for all of these years is starting to make me think, I could make up something like that! (Which might actually be a scary foolish thought, but I’m going to see it instead as brave and optimistic :-) ) But I hear that baking is not very forgiving. Would you write a blog post about some of the things you’ve learned about playing with recipes? (I want to try to make up a cake for my daughter’s birthday, and I think I might be getting in over my head! She told me she wants a Pink cake. I asked what it would taste like. “Like pink flowers.” Feel free to run with that :-) )
I used an all purpose gluten-free flour. It turned out a little dense, but still delicious.
Thankyou so much for this recipe. I sold these muffins today at my market stall and they sold out. I had to eat my profits too because they were too hard to resist.
Made these last night and loved the light and fluffy consistency! Almost melt in your mouth soft. I made the recipe exactly as stated. The gingerbread flavour is warm without being overpowering. No prominent pumpkin taste in these, which was a win for my partner who’s not into super-pumpkin flavour. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Angela:
This is a great recipe, thank you!
I substituted 2/3 cups oat flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour for the spelt. Then, I let the batter sit for about 5 minutes and baked for the full 25 minutes. They turned out fluffy and moist.
They taste terrific!
Meg
I’m excited to try these, especially since you read my mind and used chia seeds instead of flax (per my doc I need to remove high fiber items for the time being)! :)
Do they pretty much work the same?
I can’t believe how good these tasted :-) My children and I have devoured all 12 of them :-) Thank you so much for recipe.