Add some sugar & spice to your life with these deliciously dark, rich & fluffy Gingerbread Waffles. Full of warm & comforting gingerbread flavour & surprisingly healthy!
Can anything beat waffles for breakfast? I am obsessed with these Gingerbread Waffles and also with my Banana Waffles. They are both super yum and a great way to get your day started.
As for eating gingerbread for breakfast ... How good is that?
These Gingerbread Waffles are full of healthy ingredients with only one and a half tablespoons of oil in the entire batch. I did try to make them oil free, but for ultimate fluffiness it really helps.
I used spelt flour as it gives a lovely nutty flavour as well as great texture. It's one of my favourite flours to cook with. It also has some great health benefits which you do not get with regular white or wholewheat flour.
Spelt is an ancient grain which is packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients which are not found in wheat. It is also high in fibre and protein (up to 15% depending on the source) and this protein is complete, meaning that it contains the nine essential amino acids needed by our bodies. Spelt aids digestive health, helps lower cholesterol and helps regulate insulin and glucose levels due to its high fibre content. It also boosts circulation, aids bone health, helps regulate hormones and helps boost your immune system.
You can almost call these Gingerbread Waffles a superfood! ;o)
And they taste just like gingerbread. It's like eating cake for breakfast! Honestly, I'm not kidding. Cake for breakfast is the stuff only dreams are made of.....Until now!
These Gingerbread Waffles are deliciously dark and tender and are full of warm, comforting gingerbread flavour. They are crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and will make the perfect breakfast or brunch over the holiday season.
We enjoyed these Gingerbread Waffles so much when I finally perfected the recipe last week. You might well have seen the picture I posted on Instagram as a teaser. I took it with my cell phone while I was tucking into a couple of them and it sure got a lot of attention!
These Gingerbread Waffles are amazing just served simply with some maple syrup. They are also fantastic served with poached or gently pan fried pears. Banana goes well with them to.
Please note that I have only made these waffles with spelt flour. You might not get the same results if you use another kind of flour. Spelt can easily be found in most grocery stores and is well worth purchasing. It is great for making pancakes and waffles but also for making other baked goods such as cakes and cookies. If you have never cooked with it before it is well worth experimenting with as it gives great results. (Note that I have since heard from a reader that wholewheat flour works well too although I haven't tested this myself).
HOW TO COOK PERFECT WAFFLES
My trick for the most perfect waffles, is to not open the waffle maker. Do not be tempted. Even if has a beep or a light to tell you they are ready. Do not listen to it.
When they first start to cook, lots of steam will start coming out the sides of the waffle iron. It will continue to come out the whole time they cook. Only open the waffle iron when all the steam has disappeared. Not before. And when you do, do it slowly to give them time to release.
If you don't have a waffle maker then just make pancakes with the batter instead. It works great!
I would love it if you could share your waffle pictures with me on Instagram or Twitter. I am @avirtualvegan on both. On Instagram use the hashtag #avirtualvegan too so that I don't miss them. Your Cranberry, Walnut & Apple Smoothie pictures have been awesome this week. I am glad that you are all enjoying it so much!
If you love waffles then try my Apple Pie Waffles next!
A NOTE ON MEASURING FLOUR FOR BEST RESULTS
As always with any of my recipes involving flour, I highly recommend that you weigh it. Cup measurements are not accurate enough to get the best results.
If you do need to use cups, spoon the flour into the cup then level off the top with a knife without compacting it or shaking it down. By doing it like this you will get roughly the correct amount. If you scoop the flour up into the cup, you will end up with much more than is needed and it will affect the outcome of the recipe. Digital scales are available at most big superstores now and you can pick one up for around $10. They are a great investment and are so worth having!
I have this one:
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you did, be a ☆ and let me know what you think by rating it and commenting below. Tag me on Instagram too. I am @avirtualvegan and my hashtag is #avirtualvegan 
Recipe
Gingerbread Waffles
Author:Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 125g / 1 slightly heaping cup spelt flour
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons coconut sugar (you may sub this for any other brown sugar)
Wet ingredients
- 240 mls / 1 cup non dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons black strap molasses
- 1½ tablespoons liquid oil ( I used a light olive oil but coconut oil would also be good as would any other liquid cooking oil)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grease and preheat your waffle iron. I used setting 4 on my Cusinart Waffle Maker.
- If you don't have a waffle iron then use a non stick fry pan and make them into pancakes.
- Put all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir well.
- Put all of the wet ingredients into a jug or bowl (one with a lip is easier to pour). Stir until well combined.
- Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a spoon, until just combined. Do not over mix. A few small lumps are fine. You just want it to get to the stage that you can't see any dry bits of flour through it. The batter should be a thick dropping consistency, kind of like thick cake batter. If it feels too thick, add an extra tablespoon or two of milk at this stage but don't make it too thin.
- When your waffle iron is ready pour in your mixture until it's just full (they all vary in size so you might make more or less waffles) and cook on a medium temperature until steam stops coming out of the side. As soon as it does remove them. Ignore any signals from your machine if it tells you they are done earlier.
- When ready open your waffle iron carefully and remove.
- If making as pancakes pour the batter into the pan and cook over a medium heat until bubbles start forming on the surface. Once you see bubble flip and cook for a minute or two more.
- Serve immediately (see recipe notes for storage instructions)
Joanie Lewis says
Hey Mel - Great Fall recipe. The link to the Cuisinart Waffle maker goes back to the recipe. Could you fix that link for I need a new one! Thanks :)
Melanie McDonald says
Oh thanks for letting me know. This is the waffle maker I've had for well over 5 years now and it's still going strong: https://amzn.to/3BRsT7t (affiliate link)
Rebecca LP Johnson says
they came out beautifully and i used all purpose unbleached flour...my husband approved. thank you for this recipe. next time i will use the idea a previous commenter mentioned about sugar sprinkled on before closing the lid on the waffle maker and see how that goes.
Amy says
A total disaster sadly :( Maybe it was the choice of milk (I used rice milk) but the batter was super liquid, and just poured over the edges of the waffle iron and I ended up with flat, tough, not quite waffles. No rise or fluffiness. Very disappointing.
A Virtual Vegan says
It sounds like something went wrong here for sure as this recipe is a really popular one and generally gets good feedback. I make them myself all the time too.
I have never used rice milk but as long as it's the same texture as other plant-based milks it should be ok. If it's really, really thin then it could have contributed to the problem.
The batter shouldn't be pouring over the sides of the waffle iron. You need to stop filling the iron before that happens. All waffle irons are different sizes so you need to adjust the amount of batter used to suit.
Did you use a different flour than the one stated? That can greatly affect how a recipe turns out. These waffles have only been tested with spelt flour.
Also did you weigh the flour or use cup measurements? Cups are not accurate enough for measuring flour and it's really easy to get not enough or too much flour in the cup. The only way to be accurate when measuring flour is to weigh it.
I hope that helps!
Lori Cross says
Just starting Vegan & was a little worried about different breakfasts...OMG these are fantastic! I may even eat one for dinner.
A Virtual Vegan says
Breakfast for dinner is never a bad thing! ;O) I'm really pleased you enjoyed them. I have lots of other pancake and waffle recipes too so you won't be lost for ideas. My Banana Pancakes are the most popular. They are so thick and fluffy! https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-banana-pancakes/
Danny Cathey says
My family and I love waffles. We’re not vegan, but I like great recipes. This recipe definitely fills the bill. (I sprinkle a little extra organic brown sugar on them before I close the lid. The sugar carmelizes and gives a little extra crunch. I also use coconut oil.) Did I mention this is an excellent recipe? Thank you Melanie!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Danny. I'm glad you and your family are enjoying them!
Amelia Suarez says
Can you substitute something for the oil? I’m doing oil free.
A Virtual Vegan says
The oil really makes a difference to the texture of the waffles. They become much fluffier with it. You can omit it if you don't mind them losing a little fluffiness. They will also be more likely to stick in the waffle iron without the iron so keep that in mind.
NICOLE says
JUAT STARTED A VEGAN DIET WITH HOPES TO HELP A NEWLY DIAGNOSED AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER AND MADE THESE WAFFLES.... THEY WERE DELICIOUS! I DID NOT HAVE SPELT FLOUR AND GROUND GINGER ON HAND SO I USED BROWN RICE FLOUR AND GRATED FRESH GINGER INTO WET INGREDIENTS AND THEY STILL CAME OUT AMAZING! THANK YOU FOR THE DELICIOUS RECIPE!!
Sandy says
I'm not a fan of the milk substitutes. Would apple cider work in this recipe?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have no idea whether apple cider would work. It's not something I have ever tried. To guarantee good results you will need to use milk of some kind. If you don't like store bought milks you could make a small quantity of oat milk just for this recipe. https://avirtualvegan.com/oat-milk/
Sandy says
OMG! These are so delicious! I did make my own oat milk like you suggested to use in the recipe and I substituted 1 TBSP of brown sugar for the coconut sugar. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and made pancakes and they were amazing! I'm not a vegan, but I have a B&B and had vegan guests this past weekend and they were a huge hit! I had three left, so I refrigerated them and put them in the toaster today and they were still delicious! I'm going to make more and freeze them because I have oat milk leftover. The oat milk is great by the way. Great recipe with normal ingredients! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Sandy. I'm so glad you and your guests enjoyed them. It's great that you are enjoying the oat milk too. It's so handy to be able to whip some up at the drop of a hat. It's saved me many trips to the store! I love that you are so accommodating to vegan guests too. Good for you!
Tina - The Worktop says
Hi! Just made these and they are delicious! My little toddler loved them. I ended up using just one teaspoon of brown sugar in the recipe and it worked well. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you both enjoyed them!
Gail says
Just made these into pancakes. They were great. Definitely a keeper!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Ashlyn says
These look fabulous!! Love gingerbread and so ready for fall!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. I hope you enjoy them!
Laura says
Loved them thank you!
Linsey says
Just tried these as pancakes - absolutely delicious. And so easy too!
I'm wondering if the mix would keep in the fridge overnight if prepared in advance for breakfast.... only one way to find out!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed them! In the fall I must recycle this recipe and get them on here as pancakes too. A lot of people don't realize that if they don't have a waffle maker, they can make them as pancakes. I have never tried making the batter the night before. I hope it works out for you!
Kristie says
These are sooo tasty which made it even more heart breaking that they stuck to absolutely everything !!! I regularly make waffles and have never had anything stick. I tried these 3 tines, with all sorts of methods and nothing helped. What a nightmare. I just tried then as pancakes and thy stuck horribly there too.... I'm not sure why so am having such trouble but I have never been so frustrated....... :'(
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Kristie,
So sorry to hear that. There is nothing worse than sticking waffles :O( I have never personally had a problem with them sticking in my waffle iron and haven't had any complaints from other readers. I also make them as pancakes, usually with no oil and they don't stick on my non-stick griddle. However, because they have a very low oil content there is a risk they will stick if your non-stick surface isn't so good, or if the iron isn't greased really, really well. If you are used to cooking waffles with more oil in the batter, that is probably why they don't stick and these do. You could increase the oil in this recipe and I am sure it will help. Perhaps try 1/4 cup or you could even increase to 1/3 cup. You would need to reduce the milk to make up for the extra liquid though.
The other thing that might help is cooking them for longer. There is a chance that your waffle irons cooks slightly cooler than mine and needs a bit longer. If they aren't quite cooked enough then they will stick.
Just another note, I always grease my waffle iron with coconut oil and a pastry brush. I don't know how true it is but I have heard that using cooking spray (such as PAM etc) ruins your waffle irons over time as the residue builds up and counteracts the non-stick surface.
Hope that helps :O)
Janet says
Lots of times waffles stick because there isn't much oil in the batter. I learned this the hard way decades ago when making sour dough waffles. In those days brushing oil on the waffle plates helped--and I did ok when alternating batches of sour dough and regular butter loaded waffles--none of my recipes were vegan during that unenlightened time. These days, we have cooking spray in either pump bottles or aerosol cans. Even though your waffle maker plates might be "non-stick," I think it a good idea to give them a quick spritz or spray from time to time before adding the batter. I haven't had residue build up, but I don't do it for every waffle, and don't spray heavily. I still time my waffles the way my mom did it back in the 1950s--watch the steam coming out around the edges. When it slows to almost nothing, the waffles are done. Cooking them a little longer and making the release more certain won't make them dry, just crunchier on the outside.
Mansi says
These are great. If using fresh ginger, how much do you recommend using?
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never made them with fresh ginger so wouldn't like to say. Ground dried ginger is really best. If you use fresh it might not cook well in the waffle iron and might taste too harsh. Fresh ginger is also quite wet so the texture might not turn out as well either.
Mansi says
I actually just made them with fresh ginger yesterday. I used about 2-3 tbsp. They still turned out great - similar, if not the same as I had made them the first time.
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know :O)
Robin says
What a perfect Christmas-themed breakfast! I tripled this recipe for my family and all seven of us gobbled them up with no leftovers. My uncle is still talking about them a couple hours later.
I used all purpose flour since that's all my grandpa had. My only tip would be to reduce the milk by 1/4-1/2c if using all purpose since spelt absorbs more than AP. Great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed them Robin and it's good to hear they work with all purpose flour. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Debbie Woodruff says
These look amazing. I really need a waffle maker.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Debbie. They work as pancakes too!
Melanie Lamoreaux says
This recipe is perfect; I couldn't improve upon it if I tried! I have made this recipe twice now (the second time I doubled the recipe). It's just so good. It tastes just like gingerbread, but with a lovely, fluffy waffle consistency. I made them on Christmas morning and my boyfriend, mom, and dad all loved them so much. I am going to be making this recipe regularly, and especially every Christmas as a new tradition. Thank you, Melanie!
A Virtual Vegan says
This makes me so happy to read! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback and I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed the waffles at Christmas. They were actually my most viewed recipe on Christmas morning. It's great to know that so many people were sharing their gifts then eating my waffles! I hope you had a fabulous Christmas Melanie and that you have a very happy (waffle filled) New Year!