This copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf with cream cheese frosting is moist, flavorful, and the perfect treat to make at home! An old-fashioned recipe that is perfectly spiced and may just taste better than the original!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Have you ever been in the mood for a slice of Gingerbread Loaf only to place your order and hear it is out of stock or they no longer carry the item? Well, stress no more because you can now make the loaf at home anytime that craving hits for a fraction of the cost! This moist gingerbread loaf recipe is a favorite in my house and is the perfect addition to your morning cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love this Gingerbread Starbucks Recipe
- Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Ingredients Needed
- How to make Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf
- Pro Tips for Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
- How to store Ginger Loaf
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Seasonal Recipes to try
- Love Quick Breads? Check these recipes out:
- Copycat Starbucks Loaf Recipe
Why You’ll Love this Gingerbread Starbucks Recipe
- Simple Ingredients– this bread uses ingredients you may already have on hand. Simple and quick to prepare!
- Can make year-round– if you love gingerbread bread, now you can make it any time you are in the mood!
- Freezes Perfectly– make a double batch and freeze one for later. Simply reheat in the microwave and you are set!
- Makes a great gift idea– perfect to wrap up and give to neighbors, teachers, friends, and family! I love making mini loaves of this quick bread and gifting them!
Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Ingredients Needed
See printable recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and step by step directions.
- Flour– you will need all-purpose flour in this recipe
- Ground Cinnamon/ Ground Cloves/ Ground Ginger– this adds all the warm spice to the bread
- Butter- I use unsalted butter, but salted works too, softened
- Sugar– this adds the sweetness to the bread, you can decrease by up to ¼ cup if desired
- Orange Extract– you can also use orange juice if you don’t have extract on hand
- Orange Zest– a small amount but adds so much flavor
- Applesauce– unsweetened is best, but any flavor works. You can also use oil if you don’t have applesauce on hand
- Baking Soda– ensure it is fresh as this gives the bread its rise and fluffy texture
- Cream Cheese– softened to room temperature is best
- Vanilla Extract– use pure versus imitation
- Powdered Sugar– this combined with the cream cheese is the base of the tasty frosting
How to make Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the orange extract/zest and applesauce stirring until just combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and place in oven to bake for about 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center of bread. If making muffins, they take about 20 minutes to bake, mini loaves will take about 25 minutes.
- While loaf is baking, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract in a small bowl, Add in the powdered sugar and orange zest. Once smooth and creamy, set aside.
- Allow bread to cool completely before piping or spreading frosting on top. Enjoy!
Pro Tips for Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
- Don’t overmix the batter as it will change the texture of the bread from moist and fluffy, to dry and dense.
- If you don’t want to make cream cheese frosting, you can use store bought frosting OR simply omit.
- You can add ½ cup chopped nuts, raisins, or dried fruit into the batter.
- All ovens cook differently, so be sure to keep an eye on your bread/muffins to ensure you don’t overbake.
- You can also use an electric mixer or stand mixer for this recipe.
- Feel free to use nutmeg for an additional warm spice.
How to store Ginger Loaf
- You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- If freezing, you can freeze with or without the frosting in a freezer safe container up to 3 months.
- To reheat, place in microwave for about 30 seconds. Note: the frosting will melt off the bread. You can spread it back in or dip the bread into the frosting if this happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cream cheese frosting come off the bread?
If the bread is not fully cooled, the frosting will melt off the bread. Be sure to fully cool on a wire rack to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Can you freeze this gingerbread loaf Starbucks recipe?
Absolutely! The easiest is to freeze the bread without frosting, however, you can freeze the frosting on it, just be sure your container doesn’t touch the bread otherwise the frosting will stick to it and make it a bit messier.
Did Starbucks discontinue the gingerbread loaf?
A few years ago, the classic loaf was discontinued, but they did bring it back and now offer it seasonally.
When will Starbucks have gingerbread loaf?
They typically start selling it around Thanksgiving in November. They bring their Gingerbread Latte back as well.
What are the Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf calories?
There are about 380 calories per gingerbread slice.
More Seasonal Recipes to try
Christmas Puppy Chow– an easy to make Holiday favorite! Rice Chex Cereal coated in a chocolate peanut butter mixture and finished off with a powdered sugar coating with Holiday M & M’s sprinkled throughout.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls– no-bake peanut butter balls made with just 5 ingredients! An easy to make, melt in your mouth, classic sweet treat! Chocolate and peanut butter is a combination that’s hard to beat, don’t you think?
Buckeye Balls– the classic recipe of peanut butter balls dipped in melted chocolate. Incredibly simple to make, no-bake, and packed with flavor, this is a great treat during the Holiday season or any time of year!
Peanut Butter Blossoms– the Holiday classic cookie every exchange needs. Made with creamy peanut butter, the dough is rolled in sugar and pressed with a chocolate Hershey kiss. These easy to make cookies turn out perfectly soft and chewy every time!
Christmas Layered Jello– a tried and true family favorite that is festive, delicious, and makes the perfect addition to any Holiday meal! Also called Finger Jello, this classic Jello recipe is one that can be altered to fit any occasion throughout the year!
Love Quick Breads? Check these recipes out:
- Libby’s Pumpkin Bread
- Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread
- Easy Blueberry Bread
- Strawberry Quick Bread
- Southern Peach Bread
This homemade Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf is a delightful treat that captures the essence of the holiday season. With its warm and comforting flavors, moist texture, and aromatic spices, it offers a satisfying alternative to indulging in store-bought treats. By following this simple recipe, you can enjoy the familiar taste of Starbucks’ beloved gingerbread loaf from the comfort of your own kitchen. So why not try your hand at baking this delicious treat and impress your friends and family with a homemade delight that rivals any coffeehouse offering? Happy baking!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Copycat Starbucks Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
Gingerbread Loaf
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup butter *softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange extract *or squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the orange extract, zest, and applesauce.
- Combine the dry ingredient mixture with the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and place in preheated oven to bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of loaf.
- While bread is baking, combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and orange zest in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- Once bread has fully cooled, spread or pipe the frosting on top and slice bread into desired size pieces. Serve and enjoy!
LuAnn says
This Bread looks amazing. My question is. If I wanted to gift this to someone. How can I wrap it so the frosting doesn’t stick? TIA.
Linda S. says
very tasty bread I’ve made twice. once with using applesauce and once using oil. Definitely make this bread with the unsweetened applesauce as it seems to make the loaf lighter and adds another depth or pop to enjoy. Thank you for sharing this receipe!
Kristin says
Yay! Glad you enjoy it too and great idea on applesauce versus oil!!