These gingerbread cupcakes with eggnog frosting are the perfect combination of sweet, spices and creamy flavors. If you are looking for a delicious and festive addition to your holiday parties, give these a try.
If you are looking for a perfect Christmas dessert, these gingerbread cupcakes should do the trick. They are fluffy, moist and super delicious with all the flavors that you know and love from gingerbread cookies, but in cupcake form.
Topped with the creamy eggnog frosting, the spices are smoothed out perfectly. Plus, you can have these ready to serve in as little as 45 minutes.
Easy Christmas cupcakes are always a fun addition, some others include cinnamon cupcakes, cookie butter cupcakes and chocolate peppermint cupcakes.
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cupcakes:
- Brown sugar
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Eggs
- Oil
- Vanilla
- Molasses
- Milk
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Cloves
- Flour
For the eggnog frosting:
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Eggnot
- Sprinkles or mini gingerbread cookies
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
Need to change a few ingredients? Check out these substitutions.
- Use gingerbread spice - instead of adding ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves separately, add 2 tablespoons of gingerbread spice.
- No eggnog - the eggnog frosting is a yummy addition, but if you don't have or dont like eggnog you can skip it and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead OR make it gingerbread flavor with 1 teaspoon of gingerbread spice.
- Use sprinkles - instead of topping with mini gingerbread men cookies, you can just use some sprinkles if you prefer.
Use this gingerbread men cookie recipe to make mini gingerbread men to top the cupcakes with. You can also crumble gingersnap cookies over top if you prefer.
How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes
Use these easy step-by-step directions to bake up a batch of your own delicious gingerbread cupcakes.
Step one: Add cupcake liners to your cupcake tin and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two: add brown sugar and softened butter to mixing bowl and cream together for 2 - 3 minutes on medium/high speed.
Step three: add in eggs, molasses, vanilla and oil. Mix on medium/low until well combined.
Step four: add in milk and mix until well combined. May appear separated or curdled (this is normal).
Step five: add in flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. Mix on medium/low, scraping down sides as needed until well combined.
Step six: Scoop batter into cupcake liners filling each about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes or until center is set. Allow to cool.
Step seven: combine butter, salt, eggnog and half the powdered sugar on low speed until well combined.
Step eight: slowly add in rest of the powdered sugar on low until fully combined. Turn speed up to medium/high for an additional 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Step nine: add frosting to piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Place a large dollop in the center of each cupcake. Then, starting at the outer edge, spiral frosting around until it meets in the center. Top with sprinkles, crumbled gingersnaps or mini gingerbread men.
Hint: make sure your frosting is the right consistency. You should be able to scoop it up without it drooping. But, not so thick that it's difficult to move through the piping bag.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Frosting consistency - to thin frosting, you can add a splash more eggnog. To thicken, add a dash more sugar. Use a paddle attachment for the best consistency.
- Properly baked - cupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick in the center and remove it with nothing sticking to it.
- Cool cupcakes - don't try to add frosting to cupcakes until they have completely cooled or it will melt and slide off.
Storage
You can store these in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 - 5 days. Or, you can freeze them up to 6 months. If you are freezing them frosted, flash freeze them before packaging them up.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cups and spoons
- Cupcake Liners
- Cupcake Tin
- Spoon or Spatula
Ingredients
for gingerbread cupcakes:
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons Butter unsalted + softened
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 tablespoons Molasses
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Allspice
- ½ teaspoon Cloves
- 1 ½ cup Flour
for eggnog frosting:
- 1 cup Butter unsalted + softened
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 - 4 tablespoons Eggnog
- Sprinkles or mini gingerbread cookies
Instructions
for gingerbread cupcakes:
- Fill cupcake tin with liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream ¾ cup brown sugar and 6 tablespoon of softened butter together for 2 - 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of molasses. Mix on medium low until well combined.
- Add ¾ cup of milk and mix on medium low until combined. May appear curdled (this is normal.
- Add 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt/allspice and cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger and cinnamon and 1 ¼ cup of flour.
- Mix on medium low, scraping sides down as needed until combined.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners filling ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 14 - 16 minutes until centers are set. Put aside to cool.
for eggnog frosting:
- add 1 cup of softened butter, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 - 4 tablespoons of eggnog and 2 cups of powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix on low until combined.
- Slowly add in remaining two cups of sugar until well combined. Then, turn speed to medium/high and mix for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Transfer frosting to piping bag with large star tip.
- Add large dollop of frosting to the center of each cupcake, then starting at the outer edge, spiral it around towards the middle until it meets in the center.
- Top with sprinkles. crumbled gingersnaps or mini gingerbread men.
Notes
- Frosting consistency - frosting should not droop when scooped up. To thin: add a splash of eggnog; to thicken: add a dash of powdered sugar.
- Paddle for mixing - use a paddle attachment when mixing frosting for best results.
- Use gingerbread spice - instead of ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves just use 2 tablespoons of gingerbread spice.
- Cool cupcakes - ensure cupcakes have fully cooled before adding frosting so it doesn't melt off.
- These can be kept for 3 -5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze them for up to 6 months. If freezing with frosting on, flash freeze first before packaging.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
