Crisp and Fluffy Whole Wheat Gingerbread Waffles

Name: Crisp and Fluffy Whole Wheat Gingerbread Waffles
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 12 (one 4"x4" square)
Ingredients: 3 eggs, (yolks and whites separated); 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk ((see note)); 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil; 2 tbsp molasses; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour; 2 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 3/4 tsp ground cloves

December 11, 2014 By Alyssa 25 Comments

These whole wheat gingerbread waffles are fluffy, yet crisp on the outside thanks to a simple trick. Enjoy these waffles as a festive holiday breakfast or as a warmly spiced treat year-round. Great to freeze and reheat!

Gingerbread joined my favorite spritz cookie recipe with these gingerbread spritz cookies and molasses and warm spices snuck into biscotti with these mini gingerbread chai biscotti, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that another standard, best ever whole wheat waffles, took a festive turn.

We’re a staunch waffle vs. pancake household, so waffles are where it’s at on Sunday morning. Truth be told I like both, but Brian is way more a fan of waffles than pancakes, so waffles win out. Because waffles aren’t necessarily chock full of nutrition, I’ve taken to making them with white whole wheat flour to give a typically empty-carb kind of breakfast a little oomph. With a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg (and of course maple syrup) you really can’t even tell.

Because I have all things gingerbread on the brain, our lazy Sunday breakfast got a holiday-inspired makeover with these whole wheat gingerbread waffles. The core ingredients stay the same – white whole wheat flour, low-fat buttermilk, eggs, oil, baking powder – but molasses and extra spices easily jazz it up.

If you already have a prepared gingerbread spice mix you could always use that in place of the individual quantities written in the recipe card below, or sub in other spices you like in gingerbread recipes. I’m usually a big ground white pepper fan in gingerbread/spice recipes, but didn’t want to go too crazy given this is breakfast and all.

Now, my favorite trick to getting these whole wheat gingerbread waffles but extra fluffy and crisp is most definitely separating the eggs.

You’ll want to separate the eggs, adding the yolks to a big bowl and proceeding with the recipe. Reserve the whites in a separate, smaller bowl or add them directly to your food processor. Once everything but the whites have been added, pulse the egg whites in the food processor for a few seconds at a time until they’re frothy. Now fold them into the batter until you don’t see any more little pockets of foam and you’re ready to cook!

Usually I will go to great lengths to minimize the number of dishes and bowls I need to clean, but I’ll say the extra effort is well worth it. Folding whipped up and frothy egg whites into the batter gives these waffles an airiness that carries over into the finished product. They’re light and fluffy inside while maintaining a crisp exterior. Waffle perfection if you ask me!

P.S. Just be sure to fold in the whites enough so they disperse and don’t leave any larger areas of just whites. If they’re not folded in enough, you risk pieces of cooked egg whites forming within the waffles. Ask me how I know. 😉 Did that, still ate them, loved them, but just consider this a word to the wise.

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