Vegan Gingerbread Waffles | Minimalist Baker Recipes

Batch of homemade Vegan Gingerbread Waffles on a cooling rack

Ho, ho, ho. Happy, November? Wow, how did that happen? 2012 is practically gone. Time to get (holiday) baking.

One of the quintessential flavors of the holidays is gingerbread. I’ve made ginger cookies and a small army of gingerbread men before, but never waffles. However, this recipe has been brewing in my mind for a while now and I was so pleased that it only took one try to get it right! I honestly half expected to see a crumbly mess upon opening up the waffle iron since the batter is vegan. But alas, it wasn’t so! Experimentation success.

Stack of our homemade Vegan Gingerbread Waffles recipe

This batter really is very simple to throw together. You likely already have all the essentials in your pantry right now: Pumpkin puree, molasses, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, ground ginger and cinnamon. Basic stuff, plus a little flaxseed and non-dairy milk to help keep this dish vegan. Buckle up kids – we’re quickly entering into vegan holiday foodie heaven.

Pouring syrup onto a stack of Vegan Gingerbread Waffles

Have I ever told you that John does all of the pouring for the photos? The pictures really wouldn’t be the same without him. I mean, how awkward would it look if my outstretched forearm was lurking in on the side of all the images, struggling to get that perfect pour down? Awkward, trust me. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work out. So much praise to the photo assistant, who, in this instance, happens to be my adoring, charming and incredibly well groomed husband.

Drizzling syrup onto a slab of vegan butter perched on top of delicious homemade Gingerbread Waffles

These waffles turned out as delectable as they look. Tender, spicy, not too sweet and hearty enough to be a stand alone breakfast. Plus, during the cooking process I found a way to help the waffles remain crispy once out of the iron. Simply lay them on a cooling rack so air circulates around them.

I’ve noticed that when I stack my waffles on a plate they get steamy and make each other a bit soggy. But when you lay them on the cooling rack for just a minute or two before digging in, it’s perfect! You could also make them even crispier by warming them in the toaster for a bit after cooling.

Stack of a batch of our simple Vegan Gingerbread Waffles topped with syrup and butter

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 (waffles)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Vegan

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1/3 scant cup brown sugar
1 scant cup unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour*
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Preheat waffle iron. Prepare flax egg by combining flaxseed meal and water in a large bowl and letting rest for 5 minutes.
Add molasses, pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar and whisk. Add almond milk and stir once more.
Add flour, baking powder and spices to a sifter and sift over wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Ideally, let batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking.
Once preheated, generously spray the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and spoon about 1/2 cup of the batter onto the center of the iron and cook according to your machine’s instructions. I like to set mine to the darkest setting so it gets extra crispy.
Once done, remove and place on cooling rack to let steam roll of and crisp up a bit. Serve warm with vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) and maple syrup, or whatever toppings you desire.

*If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, I would recommend using 3/4 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Serving: 1 waffles Calories: 270 Carbohydrates: 50 g Protein: 4.6 g Fat: 5.7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 55 mg Fiber: 5.3 g Sugar: 17 g