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I’m partnering with Stevia In The Raw® to bring you today’s recipe! I love their zero-calorie stevia products. They’re so easy to use and perfect for baking!
Every year, I always wait until Thanksgiving ends to start the winter holiday season. Some people pull out their Christmas trees and sing along with festive carols as soon as November begins, but I prefer to slowly savor each season and enjoy one holiday at a time. Â
With the clean dishes drying in the sink and the leftovers safely tucked away in the refrigerator, my family often kicks off the Christmas season with a holiday movie on Thanksgiving night. We alternate between Rudolph, Olive the Other Reindeer, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, three of our favorites (and we sometimes sneak an extra slice of pie while the credits roll!).
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The next morning, Mom usually climbs into the attic and carries down boxes upon boxes of lights and decorations. She generally starts with the dining room table, setting out deep crimson charger plates topped with white dinner plates with gold trim in front of each chair, followed by centerpieces of candles and poinsettias.
Dad and I volunteer to work on the artificial tree (the rest of my family is allergic to real ones!), and after we fluff each branch, we carefully string rows and rows of colorful twinkly lights around and around the tree. We wait to start decorating until after Dad places the Santa tree topper and Mom hangs up their very first Christmas ornament at the top of the tree, a little angel from their honeymoon in Hawaii.
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This year, I decided to bake these Healthy One-Bowl Gingerbread Muffins as a festive treat to enjoy while starting the holiday decorating! They’re supremely moist with lots of cozy spice flavors, yet they contain no refined flour or sugar and just 123 calories!
Judging by how quickly they disappeared around my family… I need to bake a double batch next time!
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HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY GINGERBREAD MUFFINS
Let’s go over how to make these healthy one-bowl gingerbread muffins!
You’ll start with… A big mixing bowl! Probably pretty obvious, right? 😉 In that bowl, you’ll whisk together a teensy bit of melted butter (or coconut oil!), egg whites, and vanilla. Yes, just an itty bitty amount — a mere 1 teaspoon of butter! But I promise these healthy gingerbread muffins are still supremely moist and fluffy, and I’ll tell you why soon!
Next, you’ll whisk in the spices and salt. You’re using ginger (impossible to make gingerbread muffins without it!), cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I prefer my healthy gingerbread muffins on the extra spicy side, so I’m pretty generous with the ginger. It just tastes so warm and cozy and comforting!
Note: I prefer whisking in the spices and salt now, rather than later with the flour, to prevent clumping and ensure they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter!
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Time for that secret ingredient that keeps these muffins so moist! And that’s… Greek yogurt! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know that it’s one of my favorite ingredients in healthy baking. It adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your healthy one-bowl gingerbread muffins a protein boost too!
Next, you’ll stir in two different sweeteners. Yes, two! They’re both equally important in creating the best healthy gingerbread muffins. The first is molasses. Along with ginger, molasses is what gives gingerbread its iconic taste. Ginger provides the cozy spice flavor, while molasses contributes a deep richness. I don’t recommend substituting anything for it because your healthy one-bowl gingerbread muffins just won’t taste the same without it!
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The second is stevia. Specifically, Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag! Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener that contains an extract from the stevia plant, and Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag sweetens cup-for-cup like regular sugar. It’s so easy and handy to use in baking recipes to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor (up to 700 calories are saved for every cup of sugar swapped!), like with these healthy one-bowl gingerbread muffins!
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Once you’ve stirred in the milk, it’s time to add the last three ingredients: white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the sweet flavor and moist texture of these healthy gingerbread muffins truly shine!
Just remember… Do not dump the baking powder and baking soda into the bowl! After adding the flour in, gently sprinkle them on top. Sprinkling these two ingredients, rather than dumping them in the center, prevents clumping and ensures your healthy gingerbread muffins rise properly, thus giving them the best texture imaginable!
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Hint: You wait to add the baking powder and baking soda now, rather than with the spices, to ensure they’re not activated too early — especially the baking soda! Baking soda is activated as soon as it comes into contact with liquids, and if it’s activated too early, your muffins won’t rise. (Oops!) So that’s why you wait to add it until the very end!
One last tip for you! If you’re using muffin liners like I did in these photos, remember to generously coat your muffin liners with cooking spray. Low-fat batters, like with this healthy gingerbread muffins recipe, tend to stick to liners like superglue. Yet if you mist the liners with cooking spray, they peel away from your muffins much more easily!
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Who else is ready for a festive holiday breakfast?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy gingerbread muffins!
| Healthy One-Bowl Gingerbread Muffins | | Print |
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (10g) ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (12g) Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag
- 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk
- 2 ½ cups (300g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using paper or metallic liners, place them in each muffin cup and coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Whisk in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the molasses and Stevia In The Raw®. Stir in the milk. Pour in the flour. Gently sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda on top of the flour; then gently stir everything together until just incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until the centers feels firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
It’s very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much will dry out your muffins, instead of resulting in the moist and tender texture they should have.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
By sprinkling the baking powder and baking soda over the flour, instead of pouring or dumping them in the middle, it helps prevent clumps and ensures your muffins rise properly.
IMPORTANT MOLASSES NOTE:The molasses is essential to create the gingerbread flavor. You just need regular molasses (like this), not blackstrap molasses. (Blackstrap molasses is a bit too bitter!) Molasses inexpensive, shelf-stable, and keeps for ages. I do not recommend substituting for it, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine too! In a pinch, you can substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, but the muffins will no longer have that classic deep, rich gingerbread taste.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ¾ cup (90g) brown rice flour, and 1 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.
DAIRY-FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option, stick-style vegan butter (like this!), or any oil in place of the unsalted butter. Use non-dairy yogurt alternatives (ie soy-, almond-, coconut-, or even oat-based) in place of the Greek yogurt. Use your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
SUBSTITUTING OTHER SWEETENERS: See the Nutrition Information below for more information about how to substitute other sweeteners!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar, dairy-free option}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
This post was sponsored by Stevia In The Raw®. As always, all text, opinions, photographs, and recipe are my own.
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Mini Muffins
♡  Healthy Apple Gingerbread Bran Muffins
♡  Healthy Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Scones
♡  Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡  Healthy Morning Glory Gingerbread
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Thank you for your quick reply, I’ll let you know how the revised recipe works out!
It’s my pleasure, Karen! I’m happy to help. 🙂 I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think of the muffins!
Is there a way to make this while including the egg yolks in the recipe?
Yes! If you’d prefer, you can use 2 whole eggs and then reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the 2 yolks. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins, Carissa!
These are delicious! I made them exactly like your recipe but I used the Bowl and Basket (ShopRite brand) Stevia instead. I also just put in 1/2 cup instead of weighing it b/c I forgot. Maybe that’s why mine are smoother on top versus the cracked look yours have?
As muffins, the sweetness level is good, but how could I make it into a cupcake? Is there an icing or something that could be put on it?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Soniya! That’s interesting about the smooth tops of yours. Is the Bowl and Basket stevia made from stevia and maltodextrin and supposed to sweeten cup-for-cup like granulated sugar?
You could easily add frosting or icing on top, if you’d like! I used this simple icing on my gingerbread bundt cake, if you’d prefer an icing. For frosting, you could try this cream cheese frosting (pipe-able), this other cream cheese frosting (spreadable), this vanilla frosting (I’d recommend doubling the recipe!), or this cinnamon frosting! 🙂
Yes, it’s the same thing, just the generic version. It was right next to the Stevia, but half the price.
I see — thanks for sharing, Soniya! We don’t have ShopRite stores where I live, but that’s good to know. 🙂
Hello
What a difference DOING the flour in a new way that I have never down before!
I never thought of sifting the non gluten flours as well and made the baked goods
much more lighter! I always thought it was the flours I used that were no good!
I have always had a problem with dense baked goods because
of the way I have been doing it. Made me want to give up! So Thankyou so much
for the wonderful information!
Sincerely
Connie steves
Would you consider adding a “jump to recipe” link at the top? I know it’s a small thing but once you’ve read through the post once it gets annoying to have to do it everytime to reach the recipe. Thank you
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Anita! It’s actually at the very top of my list of things to discuss with my website developer the next time we meet. It’ll likely require some coding and reconfiguring of all recipes individually, so with 1000+ recipes on my blog, it’ll take a bit of time to do. However, I promise adding that “jump to recipe” button is one of my top priorities! 🙂
If you end up making these muffins, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
Love the taste and texture. However it was not mentioned what size muffin tin to use as I had lots of batter. Hindsight is always good. So I filled the muffin paper cups evenly to use the batter up. ( 12 regular size muffins) Everthing overflowed. Also I have a temperamental oven where I turn things at half time. Everything looked good at half time rising nicely. Then when baking was done much to my horror they had all sunk inward. Like I said they still taste good. Just a different way to eat them.
It means a lot that you tried our recipe, Tina! We’re glad you at least enjoyed their flavor. They shouldn’t overflow or sink, so we’re happy to work with you to figure out why that happened! In order to do so, we have some questions for you. 🙂
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section or on the Nutrition Information page?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the flour, molasses, milk, and Stevia In The Raw?
Which flour option did you use — white whole wheat flour or the gluten-free blend provided in the Notes section?
Can you describe the consistency of your muffin batter? Was it thick, almost like really wet cookie dough? Or was it pretty thin, like traditional cake batter? Or something else?
How long did you bake your muffins?
When you turned them halfway through baking, had the muffins started to overflow?
How much did they overflow?
After they sank, were the centers wet or raw at all? Or were they fully baked all the way through and just really dense?
To double check the size of your muffin cups, would you mind doing a quick experiment? It’s really easy — I promise! 😉 How many tablespoons of water can you fit inside of each one, filling it all the way to the very tippy top?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once we know your answers to all of them!
I did use almond flour using the fork technique to put in the measuring cup. I have always been an exact measurement baker and cook. The batter was very thin. At half time they were just risen. It was at end of bake time that they had collapsed and spread across the top of muffin pan. Everything seemed cooked.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Tina! It’s really helpful. We’re glad to hear you’re precise, too. That trait certainly comes in handy when baking! 😉
Would you mind answering the questions below? We have an idea of one potential culprit, but that will help us narrow it down even more!
How many tablespoons of water can you fit inside of each muffin cup, if you fill them all the way to the very top?
How much did the muffins overflow? For example, were all 12 muffins touching each of their neighbors by the time you removed them from the oven?
Did you use Stevia In The Raw, like the recipe called for?
If not, what sweetener did you use instead?
Thanks so much for your patience and answers, Tina — we’re nearly there! 🙂
Yes themuffins were touching each other. I used monk sugar for sweetener. The muffin pan holds approximately 7.25 Tblsp of water.
Thanks for sharing this too, Tina! We found the two culprits. The first is the sweetener! When added to liquids, like muffin batter, Stevia In The Raw dissolves down into almost nothing, so it contributes very little “liquid volume” to the batter.
In contrast, monk fruit (at least, we’re assuming that’s what you meant by “monk sugar!”) is the opposite. It absorbs and dissolves very differently compared to Stevia In The Raw, which is why you ended up with so much batter — and why your muffin cups were filled all the way to the brim! It contributed substantially more “liquid volume” to the batter, and that also made the batter very thin. (It’s supposed to be pretty thick!)
The second is the flour. We generally don’t recommend substituting almond flour in our muffin recipes, including this one. This is because gluten is the protein in wheat-based flours that helps baked goods rise and maintain their shape while cooling. Almond flour lacks that, so when you substitute it for wheat-based flours in our recipes that rise (like muffins, cupcakes, cakes, quick breads, etc!), your baked goods will often turn out denser and collapse while cooling… Just like you experienced!
So for the best results, we’d recommend using the gluten-free alternative provided in the Notes section, whether our homemade blend or our preferred store-bought blend that we linked to. Your muffins shouldn’t sink inward with either of those two options!
Thank you for your time and information regarding this recipe
We’re happy to help, Tina! 🙂