These Easy Eggless Gingerbread Cupcakes are fluffy, moist, and delicious! Bursting with warming winter spices, these eggless cupcakes are a sweet way to please any crowd. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Why I Love This Eggless Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe
So, since those yum-yum eggless gingerbread cookies we made a while ago are SUCH a hit, I went and made you the cupcake version. So, please meet my Easy Eggless Gingerbread Cupcakes!
If you’re a gingerbread flavor lover, you must try these holiday cupcakes. They’re the perfect dessert for Christmas.
They’re fluffy, moist, pretty, festive, and perfect for sharing. I topped them with this cinnamon cream cheese frosting, which is deliciously irresistible!
The entire thing is a to-die-for, melt-in-your-mouth, wintry cupcake everyone will inhale.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a few staple ingredients. Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities and instructions (scroll down).
You will need:
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients, in my opinion.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, use baking powder that is labeled aluminum free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Spices: You’ll need ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Apple cider vinegar: You can also use white vinegar.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Brown sugar: I used light brown sugar.
- Molasses: This is an essential gingerbread ingredient! It adds color, flavor, and moisture. I use and recommend unsulphured molasses. The blackstrap molasses will make the cupcakes bitter.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes without Eggs Step-by-Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Preheat Your Oven and Prepare Your Cupcake Tin
- Mix The Dry Ingredients in A Medium Bowl
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk Milk and Vinegar Together in A Bowl
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk and vinegar. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened, and you will see small, curdled bits. Set aside.
- Beat The Butter and Brown Sugar Until Creamy
Then add molasses and vanilla; mix to incorporate.
- Add Dry Ingredients
Add half of the flour mixture; mix to incorporate. Then, slowly pour the milk mixture, and finally, add the remaining flour mixture.
- Spoon The Batter into Cupcake Liners
Filling 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake
Bake for about 18 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Eggless Cupcakes Baking Tips
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Right-temperature butter is KEY! Softened butter should easily bend without breaking and will give slightly when pressed. On the other hand, if your finger sinks into the butter and looks oily, it’s way too soft.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
Bake the cupcakes as soon as the batter is ready.
Fill the cupcake tin 2/3 of the way full.
Don’t open the oven door until the cupcakes have set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
This Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is so good!! The perfect frosting for all your spiced baked goods.
You will need (scroll down to the recipe card for quantities and instructions):
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar)
- Pure vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
To make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, beat in a large bowl the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Then, beat on low speed for a minute, then switch to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
Adapt This Recipe to Other Food Allergies
This recipe is egg- and nut-free, but you can adapt it to other food allergies.
Gluten-Free
Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour mix. My favorite brand is Better Batter Original All Purpose Flour Blend. Cup4Cup will also work fine, but the texture will be slightly different.
Dairy-Free
Use your favorite plant-based, dairy-free, or vegan butter and milk. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store
Frosted cupcake leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Follow these steps:
- Let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY.
- Wrap cupcakes tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place individually wrapped cupcakes in a plastic double-zipper quart freezer bag.
- To defrost, unwrap cupcakes and bring them to room temperature. Frost to your liking.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Cupcakes can be made ahead one day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made one day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want to make mini cupcakes use mini paper liners and bake them for around 10-12 minutes. You can test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center of a cupcake; If it comes out clean, they are done.
Yes, in this recipe is possible to use oil instead of butter.
I haven’t tested this recipe with a molasses substitute, so I can’t provide feedback about what would work best.
More Eggless Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love!
- Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes
- Easy Eggless Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Eggless Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes
- Browse more recipes…
Recipe Card 📖
Easy Eggless Gingerbread Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk (I used whole milk)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (160 g) molasse
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (420 g) confectioner's sugar, more if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk and vinegar. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened, and you will see small curdled bits. Set aside.
- Beat with an electric mixer the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed; mix to incorporate. NOTE: The mixture will be piecey and not fully combined. That’s ok.
- Reduce the mixer’s speed to low. Add half of the flour mixture; mix to incorporate. With the mixer running slowly, pour the milk mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Do not overmix the batter.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for about 18 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar (I added it).
- Frost the cooled cupcakes however you’d like. I used an Ateco # 847 – Closed Star Pastry Tip for these pictured cupcakes. Then topped then with mini gingerbread cookies.
- Let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY.
- Wrap cupcakes tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place individually wrapped cupcakes in a plastic double-zipper quart freezer bag.
- To defrost, unwrap cupcakes and bring them to room temperature. Frost to your liking.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Right-temperature butter is KEY! Softened butter should easily bend without breaking and will give slightly when pressed. On the other hand, if your finger sinks into the butter and looks oily, it’s way too soft.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
- Bake the cupcakes as soon as the batter is ready.
- Fill the cupcake tin 2/3 of the way full.
- Don’t open the oven door until the cupcakes have set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
- Every oven is different, so baking times must be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published in December 2019. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in December 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!