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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Holiday

    Banana Gingerbread Muffins

    Published: Dec 7, 2020 · Modified: Sep 14, 2022 by MaryAnne · 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Light and fluffy banana gingerbread muffins are flavored with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Ready in less than 30 minutes, they make a great holiday breakfast, tea-time snack, or edible gift. Be prepared for your house to smell like the holidays when you bake these beauties!

    muffins in a muffin tin with a napkin and cup of coffee in the background.

    One of my favorite things to eat around the holidays is gingerbread-flavored anything. I love the warm spices, along with the deep, complex flavor of molasses.

    This banana gingerbread muffin recipe is a marriage of gingerbread and banana bread; it's moist, spicy, easy, and healthy. The rich flavor from molasses pairs so well with the warm spices and bananas (don't worry - the muffins don't taste like banana muffins!), and the whole-wheat flour adds a touch of nuttiness.

    We use both sour cream and yogurt for added moisture and creaminess, bananas for their natural sweetness, and a healthy dose of fresh ginger to really make the flavor ginger-forward. Orange zest and candied ginger are added as the final festive touch to make these muffins unforgettable.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why This Recipe is the Best
    • 🍌 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥄 How To Make Banana Gingerbread Muffins
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • ☕️ Related Recipes
    • Banana Gingerbread Muffins Recipe

    ⭐️ Why This Recipe is the Best

    • Moist, rich, and spicy with flavors of cinnamon, ginger, and molasses
    • A great way to use up your ripe bananas
    • Quick, easy, and healthy breakfast or snack
    • No special equipment needed
    • Makes a great holiday gift
    • Freezer-friendly

    🍌 Ingredient Notes

    muffin ingredients arranged on a table.
    • Unsulphured molasses - provides a deep and complex flavor that's often found in gingerbread
    • Whole-wheat flour - Gives nutty flavor and added health benefits.
    • Ripe bananas - Provides moisture as well as extra nutrition. If you have more ripe bananas to use up, try my oat milk smoothies, peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies, 3 ingredient banana oat pancakes, or french toast with caramelized bananas.
    • Orange zest - Adds bright citrus notes
    • Ground ginger - Provides zesty spicy notes that are key to gingerbread
    • Ground cinnamon & ground cloves - Warm and subtle notes of spice

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Make dairy-free/vegan: Substitute 1 flax egg for the egg, and use any dairy-free/plant-based alternatives for the yogurt, sour cream, and milk.
    • Make gluten-free: I have not tested this recipe using gluten-free flour, but you should be able to swap all-purpose gluten-free flour 1:1 without a hitch. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out!
    • Nuts. Add ½ cup of chopped and toasted nuts of your choice to add nuttiness and crunch. Walnuts or pecans would taste great!
    • Yogurt and sour cream. You can use one or the other, or both, for excellent results.
    two muffins stacked with cinnamon sticks on the side.

    🥄 How To Make Banana Gingerbread Muffins

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the molasses.

    olive oil and molasses whisked in a small bowl.

    In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add the olive oil and molasses and stir until well combined.

    wet ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

    Add the flours, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves. Stir a few times until just combined.

    muffin batter combined in a mixing bowl.

    Scoop into muffin tin and sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar on top of each muffin.

    muffin batter in tin with a napkin.

    Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the tops are puffy and firm to the touch. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

    freshly baked muffins resting in a muffin tin with cinnamon sticks.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Don't overmix. Overmixing your muffin batter can lead to tough and chewy muffins, and we want light, fluffy, and airy. When adding your dry ingredients, stir just until combined.
    • Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality, and is the type that most grocery stores carry.
    • Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because these banana gingerbread muffins contain so much moisture, their shelf-life will not be as long if stored at room temperature.
    • How to freeze: Wrap your completely cooled muffins individually in foil and place in a freezer bag. Muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Use ripe bananas. In this recipe, we use bananas to provide natural sweetness as well as moisture. Therefore, we want to use bananas that are quite ripe.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is my banana bread so dry?

    Dry banana bread is often due to an incorrect ratio of wet and dry ingredients, as well as over-baking. In this molasses banana bread muffins recipe, we create perfectly moist muffins with the flavor of gingerbread.

    Why do you put baking soda in banana bread?

    In addition to helping it rise, baking soda also aids in the browning process.

    Can bananas be too ripe to use for banana bread?

    The short answer is no. When making banana bread, the blacker the banana, the better, as it becomes sweeter and softer as it ripens.

    ☕️ Related Recipes

    • Chewy Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
    • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
    • Almond Poppy Seed Muffins with Almond Paste Streusel
    • Chunky Gluten Free Apple Muffins (dairy-free option)

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get my FREE Guide on Money Saving Tips on Buying Groceries, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox!

    banana gingerbread muffins arranged on a blue dish cloth.

    Banana Gingerbread Muffins Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    Light and fluffy banana gingerbread muffins are flavored with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Ready in less than 30 minutes, they make a great holiday breakfast, tea-time snack, or edible gift.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 17 mins
    Total Time 27 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 221 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses
    • 1 egg
    • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
    • ½ cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
    • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • granulated sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or place cupcake liners in tin.  In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the molasses.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add the olive oil and molasses and stir until well combined.
    • Add the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir a few times until just combined. Scoop into prepared muffin tin and sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar on top of each muffin.
    • Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the tops are puffy and firm to the touch, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • Don't overmix. Overmixing your muffin batter can lead to tough and chewy muffins, and we want light, fluffy, and airy. When adding your dry ingredients, stir just until combined.
    • Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality, and is the type that most grocery stores carry.
    • Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because they contain so much moisture, their shelf-life will not be as long if stored at room temperature.
    • How to freeze: Wrap your completely cooled muffins individually in foil and place in a freezer bag. Muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Use ripe bananas. In this recipe, we use bananas to provide natural sweetness as well as moisture. Therefore, we want to use bananas that are quite ripe.
    • Recipe inspired by Pinch of Yum.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 250mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 82IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Vegetarian & Vegan Holiday Recipes

    • Spicy Deviled Eggs
    • Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
    • Fudgy Dairy Free Brownies (no butter)
    • Creamy Oreo Dip (5 ingredients)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea

      November 17, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, these sound amazing! Such great flavors for breakfast.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 17, 2021 at 3:45 pm

        Thanks, Andrea! Yes, a very tasty and healthy breakfast! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Biana

      November 17, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      These muffins look delicious! A great idea for the holidays.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 17, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        Thanks, Biana! I always look forward to them every winter!

        Reply
    3. cyndy

      November 17, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      These were a big hit in my house today. Will definitely be adding this to the family rotation.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:31 am

        So glad to hear they were a hit, Cyndy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kechi

      November 17, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      I can only image the flavors loaded in this Banana Gingerbread Muffins! My little ones would love it!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:31 am

        I hope they do, Kechi!

        Reply
    5. Maria San Juan

      November 17, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      My kids will surely love this! I am very excited about this. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:32 am

        You are welcome, Maria!

        Reply
    6. Mirlene

      November 17, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      I have not tried making gingerbread muffins yet! I need to try these with my kids this weekend!

      Reply
    7. Susan

      December 13, 2022 at 1:40 pm

      Can’t wait to make these! Can I substitute the whole wheat flour with white flour?

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        December 13, 2022 at 1:49 pm

        Hi, Susan! Yes, you can use all white (all-purpose) flour if you like, but I would reduce the amount of milk to 1/3 cup. I hope you give them a go!

        Reply

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    MaryAnne from Gastronotherapy

    Hi, I'm MaryAnne! Gastronotherapy is where I create easy recipes that are mainly vegetarian and vegan. And I have a huge sweet tooth, so dessert is never far behind.

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