The 2 Extras Your Waffle Batter Needs For Gingerbread-Inspired Flavor

It doesn't have to be Christmastime to make gingerbread-flavored treats, although they taste extra tasty around the holidays. If you want to whip up festive eats any time of year, pull-apart gingerbread cinnamon rolls and gingerbread white chocolate snack cake are great options. But if you're looking for a simple dish that veers more toward breakfast than dessert, you can easily give your morning waffles a gingerbread upgrade.

To nail the flavor without a ton of extra ingredients, all you need to do is incorporate ground ginger and nutmeg into your waffle batter. Gingerbread itself largely gets its deep, warming taste from sweeteners like molasses and brown sugar, along with spices like these — but if you want a five-minute upgrade, you can stick to the two main seasonings involved. Go for 1 tablespoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg for every 2 cups of flour. As a bonus, because you're not altering the makeup of your batter, you can also dunk these seasonings into a plain boxed waffle mix.

To incorporate these spices into the homemade waffle batter, simply stir them into the dry ingredients like flour and salt, before gradually pouring your mixture into the wet ingredients. If you're using a boxed mix, follow a similar process and combine the seasonings with the dry package before adding to the wet components. Although these two base spices will give you a good dose of gingerbread flavor, feel free to build on them. Add in some pumpkin pie spice (like we do in our Christmas Gingerbread House), or sprinkle in some cinnamon, cloves, and allspice individually.

If you're making your batter from scratch, you have the extra benefit of being able to tamper with the sweetener. For a deeper flavor, go for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of molasses and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of brown sugar per 2 cups of flour.

When it comes to toppings, choose cozy and festive options. Toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts will make your kitchen smell delicious, maple syrup and powdered sugar are classic options, and whipped cream and cinnamon will amp up the cozy factor. If you're really trying to channel the holidays (or our Gingerbread Cookie Bars recipe), top your waffles with some white icing and Christmas-themed sprinkles. Or, whip up a homemade ginger syrup or luxurious cream cheese glaze, drizzle on some melted chocolate, or add some holiday fruits like sliced pears and dried cranberries.