A moist, soft, and delicious muffin bursting with holiday flavor… that’s what makes these grain-free gingerbread muffins a must-try recipe this holiday season! Of all the holiday flavors, gingerbread is probably one of my favorites, and these muffins hit the spot. They were so delicious I could have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and even dessert! They truly are a classic Christmas recipe, made even better by the fact that they are allergy-friendly!
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Pioneer Recipe
Gingerbread is a classic Christmas flavor. While I’m not sure how common gingerbread was in the early pioneer days, I do know that sorghum molasses was a common staple ingredient in the pioneer chuck wagon and along the west-bound trails. Molasses is an important ingredient in gingerbread recipes. It gives the gingerbread its classic flavor when combined with fresh ground spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove.
The early pioneers would make sorghum cakes and molasses cookies, add molasses to their pies, puddings, and cornbread and even have it with their meats like corned beef, pork, and venison. Use it to top flapjacks or sweeten up baked beans, molasses was a common sweetener that was favored by pioneers and cowboys alike.
So it only makes sense that I would consider these gingerbread muffins to be a pioneer recipe! However, they are also a modern pioneer recipe too! I wanted to create a gingerbread muffin recipe that was allergy friendly so that I could stick to my anti-inflammatory diet throughout the holiday season. These muffins fit the bill because they are…
- grain-free
- gluten-free
- tree nut free
- corn free
- no refined sugars
- dairy-free option
Tis’ the Season
Tis’ the season for gingerbread, peppermint, and cinnamon flavors! And don’t forget the white chocolate and sugary treats that accompany the holiday season too! If this list of goodies sends you into withdrawal or causes you to panic at all the temptations that will be around, don’t worry!
When I first went on an anti-inflammatory diet, I was at my whit’s end just thinking about not being able to enjoy any holiday goodies. I should never have panicked though, knowing that I am kitchen experimenter and recipe creator. Over the years I have come up with some pretty delicious substitutes that I can enjoy guilt free!
So if you are looking for some allergy-friendly and diet-restriction approved recipes for the holiday season, you have come to the right place! Here are some of my favorites:
Gingerbread Recipes
Peppermint Recipes
Cinnamon Recipes
Other Holiday Treats
- Gluten-free chocolate caramel pretzel crack
- Grain-free vanilla winter cake
- Dairy-free coconut cranberry pie
Serving Gingerbread Muffins
While I don’t think you should have a problem with coming up with a way to serve these delicious muffins, I wanted to give you a few ideas.
First off, you can feel free to decorate these gingerbread muffins however you like! They would be delicious with a maple sugar glaze on them, or drizzled with some white chocolate, or if you want to make them more like a dessert, slather on some dairy-free frosting. The options are endless when it comes to making these muffins both look and taste delicious!
To get the snow-dusted look like the muffins in the pictures, use a loose-leaf tea ball and shake powdered sugar or tapioca flour on the muffins after they have cooled.
Now, for the serving ideas. These muffins would make a great addition to any holiday feast or an accompaniment to cozy, winter soups. They also make a great allergy-friendly recipe to make for family or friend gatherings when you have people who have diet restrictions.
Like I mentioned earlier, I could have these muffins for a festive, holiday breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon, or I could I pair them with some leftover soup for a cozy winter lunch. They make a great holiday snack, and when decorated with frosting, they could even be a dessert!
Recipe Tips
These grain-free gingerbread muffins are pretty simple to make. They only require a few dishes and the batter mixes together in minutes. There’s not to much prep work to do and the ingredients are simple, grain-free holiday ingredients that you probably already have on hand. However, just to be on the safe side, I would like to answer a few recipe questions you may have before you get started:
Can I do any ingredient substitutions?
Yes! The butter can be substituted for coconut oil or your favorite dairy-free butter alternative. Just make sure that you can melt it or that it is in a near liquid state to ensure the consistency of the batter stays the same.
You can also use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour. Any granulated sugar will work in place of the coconut sugar, however, coconut sugar is your healthiest option.
Do I have to use applesauce?
Yes! The applesauce helps keep these muffins moist and soft. It adds some sweetness to the muffin and makes the texture of these muffins perfect. I highly recommend you use homemade applesauce that doesn’t have any added ingredients or additional sugar.
Can I make these without eggs?
Unfortunately, these muffins cannot be made egg free. The eggs help balance out the coconut flour in this recipe as well as give the muffins some loft and help them stay together. I have not tried these muffins with an egg substitute either.
What should the final consistency be like?
The final batter should have a moist consistency but should not be soupy. When scooped up with a spatula, the batter should pour off the spatula but still partially keep its shape.
How full should I fill the muffin cups?
This recipe makes 9 muffins and you should fill the muffin tins almost full when you are dividing up the batter.
What brands of baking powder are corn free?
I have found two brands of baking powder that are gluten-free and corn free. I like Pamela’s gluten-free baking powder the best, but Hain Pure Foods gluten-free baking powder is also good too.
These grain-free gingerbread muffins are bursting with holiday flavor! They have the perfect balance of sweetness with hints of ginger and molasses. The moist, soft texture is what sold me though! Go ahead and give this holiday recipe a try!
Grain-free Gingerbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic, grass-fed butter melted
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup organic applesauce
- 4 medium pasture-raised, organic eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup organic molasses
- 1 tsp. Pamela's baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 9 parchment paper muffin liners in a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, coconut sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Stir until combined.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, sea salt, and molasses. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add the tapioca flour and coconut flour and stir until the batter is smooth.
- If the batter seems to moist at this point, let it set for a few minutes. Once the batter is at the right consistency, use a 1/3 cup measure and divided the batter evenly amongst the 9 muffin liners.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. The muffins should bounce back when pressed gently. Let them set in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Decorate and enjoy!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- Nutiva coconut flour
- Navitas coconut sugar
- Wholesome organic molasses
- Hain Pure Foods baking power
- Thrive Market baking soda
- Simply Organic ground ginger
- Simply Organic ground cinnamon
- Supplies: parchment muffin liners, standard muffin pan
These grain-free gingerbread muffins have a wonderful soft and moist texture and the perfect holiday gingerbread flavor! They can be made festive and fancy or eaten plain-jane, both ways are delicious! I love making these muffins and enjoying them with a cup of holiday tea or cozying up with a warm bowl of soup and one of these muffins. They are a pioneer recipe that is perfect for modern pioneers with dietary or allergy restrictions!
Make sure you get all our chuck wagon recipes when you join our modern pioneer newsletter community! You don’t want to miss any of the other holiday recipes I have planned for this holiday season!
by Alexa
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