These Gingerbread Bites with Cream Cheese Glaze are essentially little mini muffin-sized bites of soft, perfectly spiced gingerbread cake. They’re light and cakey, incredibly poppable, and topped with a quick cream cheese glaze that brings everything together. Cozy, festive, and perfect for the holidays, they’re a must-add to your winter baking list!
Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, egg and egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth and combined.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding together with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop the batter into the mini muffin tins - you want them to be 3/4 the way full. Bake for 11 minutes until gingerbread bites are set, and spring back when you press on the tops. Let the bites cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and let cool the remainder of the way on a cooling rack. DO NOT overbake, these can dry out really quickly!
Make the cream cheese glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, half and half (start with 2 tablespoons), vanilla, and salt. You want a smooth, pourable glaze consistency. If it seems too thick, add 1 teaspoon of half and half at a time until the glaze reaches the right consistency.
Dip the cooled gingerbread bites in the glaze, then let sit on a wire rack to set. Once the glaze has set, enjoy immediately! (This step is totally optional, but you can sprinkle the tops of the bites with a pinch of cinnamon for a little extra flavor and prettiness!)