5 Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Recipes From Classic to Extra Ginger

The cream cheese frosting can stay thick. I just want enough ginger underneath it that the loaf doesn’t taste like a delivery system for icing. A few chewy pieces of crystallized ginger in the batter? Now we’re talking.

That’s the biggest fork in this shortlist of five Starbucks gingerbread loaf copycats: keep the spice smooth and ground, or add molasses and ginger pieces for more bite. Apple butter offers another way to change the loaf, while heavy cream or a little orange zest takes the frosting in a different direction.

I’ve included the ingredient lists and videos so you can choose where you want that extra flavor. No need to buy crystallized ginger if it’s the orange-flecked frosting you’re after.

Choose Your Ginger Bite and Frosting

I chose these recipes to show the differences that matter before you fill a loaf pan. The classic applesauce loaf keeps the ginger ground; the molasses version adds chopped crystallized ginger in the batter and on top. Apple butter changes the fruit base, while the heavy-cream and orange-zest frostings offer two different finishes. The formulas differ in spice and sugar quantities too, so each ingredient list stays with its own video rather than becoming a mix-and-match recipe.

Classic Applesauce Gingerbread Loaf

The classic applesauce gingerbread loaf is the plain version to start from. Butter and sugar are creamed until fluffy, a full cup of applesauce keeps the loaf soft, and ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg bring the spice. The loaf bakes in one greased loaf pan for close to an hour. Once it’s completely cool, it gets a simple cream cheese icing and a sprinkle of chopped nuts on top.

I picked this loaf because of one comment under its video on YouTube. A cook made it for Christmas, baked another for New Year, and their family was still asking for it in March. The comments also point out a mix-up worth knowing. On camera, the baker says a tablespoon of baking soda, but the written recipe says a teaspoon, and the teaspoon is what’s listed here. The written description lists pecan nuts, but the baker uses crushed pistachios on camera, as shown in the photo below. Someone else there suggests grating in candied fresh ginger if you want more bite.

Start here if you want the classic before you try any changes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pecan nuts
• 115 g (4 oz, 1/2 block) cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

Gingerbread Loaf With Soft Cream Cheese Frosting

A softer cream cheese frosting sets this gingerbread loaf apart, while the loaf itself keeps the classic applesauce base. The frosting gets one to two tablespoons of heavy cream, so it’s soft enough to spread smooth or even pour over the loaf. That softer frosting is why this loaf is on my list, and it’s the recipe to open if a soft, easy-to-spread top matters most to you.

The batter is made with a hand mixer, and the flour goes in last, a little at a time, so the batter doesn’t get overmixed. The butter, egg and cream cheese all start at room temperature so they blend smoothly. The loaf bakes about an hour in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. This recipe also uses twice as much cloves as the classic, so the spice is a little stronger. Chopped walnuts or pecans on top are optional.

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish (optional)

Apple Butter Gingerbread Loaf

In this apple butter gingerbread loaf, a cup of apple butter takes the place of the cup of applesauce. That swap is the whole reason I picked it. Apple butter is thicker and darker than applesauce, so the loaf comes out darker, with a deeper apple flavor.

The batter is simple: butter and sugar whipped together, then the wet and dry ingredients mixed in. Compared with the classic, this recipe uses a little less baking soda and half the cloves. The loaf bakes in a loaf pan for about 55 minutes, and a toothpick tells you when it’s done. Once the loaf is cool, it gets a whipped cream cheese frosting, with chopped walnuts on top if you like. No one in the comments under the video says they’ve baked it yet.

Pick this one if you want a richer, darker loaf and keep apple butter in the pantry.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup apple butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
• chopped walnuts (optional)

Crystallized Ginger Gingerbread Loaf

The crystallized ginger gingerbread loaf is the one I’d point a ginger lover to. It has more ginger than any of my other picks, and it’s the only one with molasses. A third of a cup of molasses goes into the applesauce batter, along with half a cup of chopped crystallized ginger. More crystallized ginger goes over the cream cheese frosting.

This loaf takes more flour than the classic, two cups, and bakes 50 to 60 minutes in a 9 by 5 pan lined with parchment paper. The paper hangs over the sides so you can lift the loaf right out. After frosting, the loaf chills about an hour so the frosting sets and the slices cut cleanly. Plan for that time. Nobody has left a comment under the video yet, so there’s no word on how anyone’s turned out.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Orange Zest Gingerbread Loaf

The orange zest gingerbread loaf keeps the classic applesauce base and changes only the frosting. A teaspoon of fresh orange zest goes into the cream cheese frosting at the end, which adds a little orange flavor to the warm spice without changing the loaf itself. That orange flavor is why this loaf is on my list.

The butter and sugar are creamed with a mixer, the flour and spices are sifted together and mixed in, and the loaf bakes about 45 minutes in a greased 9 by 5 pan. The written recipe says to cool it completely before frosting. Its butter amount also differs from the narration: the ingredient list below follows the written 1/2 cup, not the two sticks mentioned on camera. In the comments under the video, one person said it sounded just like an old grocery-store spice bar cake they used to love. Another asked whether you can make it without a mixer, and nobody has answered yet.

Open this one if you want gingerbread with a fresh orange taste on top.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest

Gingerbread Loaf Questions

These are the questions I’d want answered before baking any of these loaves.

Can You Use Applesauce Instead of Apple Butter?

There are recipes here for both, but that doesn’t establish a tested substitution. The classic uses one cup of applesauce; the apple butter loaf uses one cup of apple butter alongside different baking soda and clove amounts. Choose the complete formula for the ingredient you have rather than assuming the two are interchangeable.

Why Does the Frosting Slide Off?

Cream cheese frosting softens on a warm loaf, so it slides and melts. Wait until the loaf is fully cool before you frost it. All of these recipes call for that. If you want cleaner slices, chill the frosted loaf for about an hour so the frosting sets before you cut it.

How Do You Store the Frosted Loaf?

Follow the storage guidance for the specific recipe you choose; these video descriptions don’t establish a shared fridge or freezer shelf life. The crystallized-ginger video calls for about an hour in the fridge to set its frosting before slicing, which is a preparation step, not a storage-duration claim.

Pick by the one change you want most: a softer frosting, apple butter, more ginger with molasses, or orange zest. If you just want the plain cafe-style slice, start with the classic. Whichever you bake, a slice goes well with coffee.