Gingerbread
This vegetarian builds golden syrup and mixed spice into a crowd-pleasing meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 170 C (340 F) and line a 20 cm square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy lifting.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat and warm gently, stirring, just until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth, then remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground ginger, and salt until evenly combined.
- Beat the eggs into the slightly cooled syrup mixture along with the milk until smooth, making sure the liquid is not hot enough to cook the eggs.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth, pourable batter with no lumps, then transfer it to the prepared tin.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is risen, springs back when lightly pressed in the centre, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Let the gingerbread cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and cool fully on a wire rack before cutting into squares; the flavour deepens if wrapped and kept for a day.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Gingerbread take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Gingerbread vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Gingerbread is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Chocolate covered gingerbread cookies 02.jpg by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.