A Christmas party needs all the classics – gingerbread cookies, a real Christmas tree, candy canes (the peppermint kind, none of that fruity nonsense) and of course, the uncle who is slightly too intoxicated to play Santa Claus. This holiday season, you can spice up your breakfasts and your parties while keeping all the beloved Christmas traditions. Behold, every Christmas themed waffle you could ever hope for.
Each waffle is a variation on this basic recipe:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
Directions:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and the milk, oil, vanilla extract and egg in a separate bowl.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Beat until your batter is cohesive and without lumps.
3. Spray the waffle iron with oil or cooking spray and pour the batter onto the waffle iron. Follow the directions on your specific waffle iron to know when the waffle will be ready.
1. Strawberry Banana Santa Claus Waffle
Photo by Serena Ajbani
This waffle follows the recipe above but gets creative in the decorating stage. Cut up pieces of bananas and strawberries and position them along the top and bottom of the waffle to create the Santa hat and the beard. Then, make the eyes using chocolate chips and apply whipped cream for the finishing touches. Eat a couple of these, and you’ll have a Santa belly to match your Santa waffles.
2. Cranberry Pecan Spice Waffle
Photo by Serena Ajbani
To make this waffle, add a few dashes of cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg to the batter. You can also grate a tiny bit of an orange peel and add it to the batter for some additional winter zest. Finally, add cranberries and pecans to the batter according to your taste. I recommend topping the steaming hot waffle with soon to be melted white chocolate chips for a sweet, creamy addition to all the holiday flavors.
3. Peppermint Mocha Waffle
Photo by Serena Ajbani
This one has a slightly more complex composition than the others, but the results are well worth it. Replace your one cup of flour with 3/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. Substitute peppermint extract for vanilla extract. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of instant coffee to the batter.
When your chocolatey caffeinated breakfast food has come out of the waffle iron, top it with some crushed candy canes and/or peppermint chocolate chips. This sugar/caffeine combo is bound to keep you awake through all your boring office gift exchanges and mildly uncomfortable family reunions.
4. Gingerbread Waffle
Photo by Serena Ajbani
For this easy variation, add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I recommend spreading some Biscoff cookie butter and whipped cream on this waffle, as if you haven’t eaten enough sugar already this holiday season.
5. Mint Chocolate Chip Christmas Tree Waffles
Photo by Serena Ajbani
Because you can’t have Christmas without a Christmas tree. Substitute vanilla extract with peppermint extract and add 4-6 drops of green food coloring to the batter. Then, when the waffle has been baked, cut it into four or five triangular pieces and position them on top of each other to look like a Christmas tree. Decorate with chocolate chip ornaments and, of course, a whipped cream star.
Enjoy, and may your holidays never be without sugary breakfast food!