Gingerbread Cupcakes
These gingerbread cupcakes are everything we love about the holidays—rich molasses and warm spices of ginger and cinnamon. The cream cheese frosting adds the perfect touch of tangy sweetness, creating a balance that feels both festive and comforting. Simple, classic, and full of holiday cheer—these cupcakes belong on every dessert table this season.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Grab your coziest sweater (bonus points if it’s Griswold-approved) because these gingerbread cupcakes are bringing peak ’80s holiday cheer.
Warmly-spiced gingerbread cake meets tangy cream cheese frosting — sweet enough to rival Clark’s twinkle-light obsession and way easier to pull off than stapling Christmas lights to the roof.
One bite and you’ll be grinning wider than Cousin Eddie in a Santa hat. So plug in the lights, pour some eggnog, and get ready to serve a dessert that’s truly the gift that keeps on giving.
If you love cozy holiday cupcakes, check out my peppermint mocha cupcakes, hot chocolate cupcakes, and pumpkin Biscoff cupcakes.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Simple steps and ingredients mean you can whip up these cupcakes without any holiday stress.
- Warm spiced cake: Each cupcake is soft, tender, and infused with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and all the cozy flavors that make gingerbread a seasonal favorite.
- Sweet cream cheese frosting: Silky, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet—this frosting pairs perfectly with the warm spices and gives each bite a festive finish.
- Cozy & festive: These cupcakes taste like a holiday hug, filling your kitchen with nostalgic, spiced aromas that feel straight out of a Christmas movie.
- Perfect for holiday gatherings: Whether it’s a cookie swap, office party, or family dinner, these cupcakes are crowd-pleasing, portable, and guaranteed to disappear fast.
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder + salt
- Ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- Milk – Room temperature.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Additional Ingredients
How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes
Make the gingerbread cupcake batter.
Portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
Bake and cool the cupcakes.
Make the cream cheese frosting.
Frost the gingerbread cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and an Ateco 869 piping tip.
Decorate with Christmas nonpareil sprinkles and mini gingerbread cookies.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Stick with unsulphured molasses—it gives that classic warm gingerbread flavor without turning bitter.
- Don’t overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing = tough cupcakes instead of soft, fluffy, spiced perfection.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter for uniform cupcakes. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full – this ensures beautiful domes without overflowing.
- If you are making homemade mini gingerbread cookies, you can make them a day ahead to save time on your cupcake baking day. Store the cookies in a storage bag at room temperature for about 2 days.
- Check out my posts on tips for making the best cupcakes, best buttercream frosting, and my favorite cupcake baking supplies for even more helpful tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! That’s a great way to save time (and work)! Or just leave them off entirely. Chocolate covered espresso beans would also make a fun and delicious garnish. If you want to make the cookies homemade, check out my gingerbread cookie recipe and use a mini gingerbread cookie cutter.
It’s not recommended. Blackstrap molasses is very bitter and can overpower the flavor. Stick with unsulfured molasses for classic gingerbread sweetness and moisture.
I already made that happen! Check out my gingerbread cake recipe which is very similar to these cupcakes with moist and tender gingerbread cake layers and cream cheese frosting.
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Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) ground ginger
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cloves
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (24 g) sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (20 g) molasses
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk (room temperature)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (10 g) holiday nonpareil sprinkles
- 14 (14) mini gingerbread men (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the egg, sour cream, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Then, pour in the milk and mix. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is fully combined with the butter and cream cheese mixture. Then, add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are well combined.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Then, mix the frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 869 piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe two large dollops of cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with holiday nonpareil sprinkles and mini gingerbread man cookies.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer: Store the frosted or unfrosted cupcakes wrapped in plastic wrap and in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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