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Festive and robust flavored holiday Gingerbread Waffles are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast. A treat that will live on in the memories of those you love.
The spices of gingerbread are thick in the air when making these waffles. It’s like bringing Christmas to life.
And oh my, are they delicious! Honestly, could gingerbread anything not be delicious?
If you’re a gingerbread fan and want a quick treat, you might want to check out our 2 Minute Gingerbread Cake in a Mug recipe.
How to Serve Gingerbread Waffles
While these gingerbread waffles are no ordinary breakfast, they are incredibly easy to make. In fact, they can even be made ahead. See the notes at the bottom of the recipe card below for make-ahead tips.
I like to serve Gingerbread Waffles with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar and a pat of butter only. But they are also delicious with sour cream and tart lingonberry preserves. Or any berry preserves you like.
To make them even more perfect, serve them with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche. And a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
Gingerbread’s World Wide History
I often associate gingerbread with Germany, where many of my family lines lead.
But “Gingerbread is claimed to have been brought to Europe in 992 by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis,” or modern-day Western Greece. He is said to have moved to north-central France where he taught gingerbread baking to French Christians.
Also Known as Gingerbread:
Northern England: “Parkin,” a soft gingerbread cake.
United States: Gingerbread, which is often a gingerbread cake or ginger cake.
Netherlands and Belgium: “peperkoek,” “kruidkoek” or “ontbijtkoek” which is a soft, crumbly gingerbread served at breakfast.
Germany: “Lebkuchen” is a soft form of gingerbread, usually in cookie or biscuit form. The harder form is cut into shapes, decorated and served in Christmas Markets.
Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine: “Honey Cakes” most often eaten at Rosh Hashanah (New Year).
Nordic Countries: the most popular form of ginger confection is the pepperkaker (Norwegian), pepparkakor (Swedish), brunkager (Danish), piparkökur (Icelandic), piparkakut (Finnish) and piparkūkas (Latvian) or piparkoogid (Estonian).
Switzerland: “Biber” a thick rectangular gingerbread cake with a marzipan filling.
Russia: “Pryaniki” is a gingerbread made with rye flour, embossed ornaments, and sweet fillings.
Poland: “Pierniki”
Czech Republic: “Pardubický”
Romania: “Turtă dulce”
Panama: “Yiyinbre”
Gingerbread Waffles Ingredients
- Pantry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, cooking oil, and molasses.
- Spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and maybe nutmeg to sprinkle after they are baked.
- Refrigerated Ingredients: large eggs and milk
Happy Holidays!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Stir in the milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened, be careful not to overmix. The batter will appear lumpy. Add additional milk if needed for consistency.
- Pour the batter into your greased, preheated waffle maker and bake according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished cooking, using 2 forks, gently lift the waffles from the grid. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with butter and confectioners' sugar for dusting.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: These waffles can be made ahead and stored in the freezer. When it's time for breakfast, I like to microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and then pop them into the toaster.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 177Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g
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FAQs
The solution: Many waffle batters are too thin, which results in a disappointing, gummy-textured waffle with a dry, unappealing interior. We found a thick batter lets the outside of the waffle become crisp while the inside remains custardy. We also determined that buttermilk is absolutely crucial.
Why are waffles chewy? ›
Overworking the batter will leave your waffles dense and chewy instead of light and airy. And stacking even the most perfect waffles will cause them to become soggy and limp in minutes.
How to serve waffles for dinner? ›
4. Chicken and Waffles Sandwich: Crispy fried chicken breast or tenders sandwiched between two waffles and then drizzled with honey or syrup turns breakfast into dinner. 5. Pizza Waffles: Layer your favorite pizza toppings on top of a waffle, and then pop it under a broiler for a second to melt everything together.
What is the best flour to use for waffles? ›
On the flip side, waffles aren't as flaky-delicate as baked goods, making pastry flour too fine for the job. Good old AP, or all-purpose, flour is where it's at. If you want to sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of buckwheat or rye flour for added nutty heft, go for it.
What can I add to waffle mix to make it taste better? ›
Vanilla Extract: Add a teaspoon or two of pure vanilla extract to the waffle batter for a classic and aromatic flavor. Cinnamon or Nutmeg: Sprinkle ground cinnamon or nutmeg into the batter to give your waffles a warm and cozy flavor.
Should waffle batter rest before cooking? ›
Recommended overnight or 2 hr resting – for the tastiest waffles, rest the batter overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours. This makes the flour grains absorb the liquid so it makes the inside of the waffles softer.
Is baking soda or baking powder better for waffles? ›
We use the two together for the fluffiest, best tasting waffles. The baking powder really does most of the lifting and makes the waffles fluffy, and the baking soda reacts with the buttermilk for tender waffles with a tasty tang (and helps contribute to giving them a little lift, too).
Why do you let the batter rest when making waffles? ›
Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
The resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. (Here's a good article on what's happening while batter is resting, if you're curious).
Why do restaurant waffles taste better? ›
When the batter is made from scratch it can be formulated to taste however the chef likes. You can't really do much with Bisquick. Restaurants also have a slew of toppings that you can have piled onto your waffle. You can prepare the same toppings at home but most people don't bother.
Can you over mix waffle batter? ›
Whisk until the batter is combined, but not too heavily. A few lumps are fine. If you over-mix the waffles, you could end up with chewy, hard waffles from drawing all of the gluten out of the flour.
Since amylose is the component of the starch that helps grains crystalize, the higher amount of it in cornstarch means waffles made with it will get crispier than those that rely on wheat flour alone.
What do you drink when eating waffles? ›
A better choice is milk, says Millie Norton, a longtime waitress at Becky's Diner in Portland, Maine. “It's strange. If people start off with coffee, once they get their waffles, they switch over to water or milk,” she says.
What drink goes with waffles? ›
Waffle and co*cktail Pairings
- Cheese & Bacon-Filled Waffles with Smoky Bacon Bloody Mary.
- Cinnamon Roll Waffles with Moscow Mule.
- Vanilla Berry Waffles with Smokey Tequila Grapefruit co*cktail.
Cornstarch is the secret to crispy waffles. It guarantees that your waffles will be perfectly crisp and tender. Separating the egg is optional but is recommended (especially for deeper waffle irons). This recipe makes 4 standard waffles (1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick).
Why are Belgian waffles so crispy? ›
Texture – In Belgian waffles, the eggs are separated. The yolks are whisked together with the other wet ingredients, while the whites are whipped to stiff peaks and then folded into the batter at the end. This creates a texture that is crisp on the outside and light and tender on the inside.
What should you do to ensure that waffles are crisp and do not stick? ›
Use a non-stick spray preferably made with canola oil to handle the high temperatures. Butter and olive oil have too low of a smoke point and will scorch after the waffle is removed. Spray the griddle plates after they are warm and right before you add the batter.
Does oil or butter make waffles crispy? ›
When you compare the two, one of the best ways to get the waffles to crisp up perfectly with a golden crust is to use oil instead of butter. Though butter tastes better, and you can always smear some on top to add flavor, oil will give you the best texture.
