Liquid Gingerbread — The 1 Hot Drink Perfect For Cold Winter Days

Posted on: December 14, 2023. Updated on: December 20, 2023.

by Carolina Gelen

Liquid Gingerbread

Liquid gingerbread: Imagine the warmth and sweetness of a classic gingerbread, in a cozy drink to enjoy this winter season. This recipe delivers a unique, cozy and flavorful drink that some might fairly categorize this as a dessert.

Gingerbread, a delectable treat synonymous with the holiday season, combines the warmth of ginger, cinnamon, molasses in a festive dessert. Whether shaped into fun cookies or baked into loaves, its spicy-sweet aroma evokes cherished winter season memories and aromatic delights.

Now step into the chilly winter season with liquid gingerbread, a delicious elixir tailored for cold days, packed with comforting, warm spices to keep you nice and cozy. This heartwarming liquid gingerbread encapsulates the beloved taste of gingerbread in a liquid form, delivering a soothing, sugary warmth that defies the cold. Your milk of choice swirls together with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, molasses, and brown sugar, creating a rich and aromatic winter pick-me-up.

Liquid Gingerbread

While totally optional, what elevates this liquid gingerbread to an unparalleled indulgence is a hefty dollop of Swiss meringue on top, a cloud-like, marshmallowy confection that floats over our liquid gingerbread. The topping not only adds a velvety texture to our dessert drink, but also imparts a touch of sweetness to complement the bold gingerbread flavors. Each sip becomes a luxurious treat as the meringue gently melds with the hot drink. If you don’t feel like making Swiss meringue from scratch — understandable — you can absolutely use store bought marshmallows instead or a hefty dollop of whipped cream.

Liquid Gingerbread

For some extra fun and flavor, toast the meringue topping using a blow torch. The caramelized, toasty exterior brings such an inviting flavor to the mix. If serving a crowd, I like to top the drink off with a ginger bread cookie or graham cracker for dipping, it makes a great texture-packed topping. Not a fan of cookies on top of drinks? I bet some crunchy cocoa nibs would go so well in this scenario.

Liquid Gingerbread

Got leftovers? Mix this liquid gingerbread with a couple of shots of espresso for an amazingly comforting morning drink. Oh, no a fan of coffee-based drinks? Turn any liquid gingerbread leftovers into a delicious smoothie by mixing it with bananas, some yogurt, dates, maybe a little bit of salt and cashews.

Check out how I made this cozy, comforting hot drink in this video.

Looking for other cozy drink ideas for this winter season? Check out my creamy Tiramisu Espresso Martini, it’s perfect for entertaining, you can mix a huge batch of espresso martini ahead, alternatively, whip up loads of the mascarpone topping and plate them all together in small serving cups for each of your guests.

If you find yourself with loads and loads of orange scraps this citrus season, my Orangecello with Homemade Citrus Salt might be a fun, low effort project to take on this winter. Save all your citrus scraps and turn them into this refreshing, sweet orange-infused vodka. If you want to have fun with it, pair the orange or citrus peels with some warm spices, like vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks or star anise.

Another favorite of the season is my Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Cocktail: Light up a cinnamon stick and trap the smoke underneath a serving glass. This 5-minute step brings a pleasant smoky undertone the cocktail, while also making an impressive party trick to demonstrate right in from of your guests. While my recipe uses apple juice and apple slices for the whiskey pairing, don’t hesitate using other seasonal fruits to make this. I’m talking pomegranate juice paired with pomegranate seeds, I’m talking freshly squeezed orange juice and twisted orange peels, I’m taking tart grapefruit juice with a thinly sliced grapefruit slice. You get the gist!

Liquid Gingerbread — The 1 Hot Drink Perfect For Cold Winter Days

3.8 / 5. from 311

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3.8 / 5. from 311

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Servings: 4 to 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Marshmallowy Meringue Topping

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup (100g) sugar

Liquid Gingerbread

  • 2 1/2 cups (600g) milk
  • 1/8 cup (30g) or 2 tablespoons molasses, plus more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 whole cloves — the spice, not the garlic kind
  • 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon (7 g) cornstarch

Instructions

Make the marshmallowy topping (meringue):

  1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer and reduce the hear to low heat. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a medium bowl (large enough to cover the top of the pot). Place the bowl on top of the simmering pot of water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and constantly stir until the mixture reaches 175°F or until the sugar is fully dissolved in the egg whites and cloudy-looking.
  2. Remove the bowl from the pot and immediately whip the mixture using an electric mixer on high speed until it becomes white and fluffy. Set aside.

Make the liquid gingerbread:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (if using), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons vanilla, cloves, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering.
  2. Carefully taste the mixture and add more molasses or ginger to preference. I like mine really gingery so I add and extra 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, plus 1/2 tablespoon molasses.
  3. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of water or milk. Add the mixture to the liquid and vigorously stir to combine until it comes to a boil and thickened, for a few minutes. You can add more cornstarch if you prefer the drink a little thicker. Don’t worry if the color isn’t as dark as the one in the picture, the result may vary depending on the molasses you’re using. Some of my tests ended up way lighter, similar to chocolate milk.
  4. Strain the drink and serve with a dollop of meringue on top — you can toast it with a blow torch for extra flavor.

Carolina Gelen

You may have seen my work on TV, Food Network, NYT Cooking, Food52 and more. I make recipes more fun and accessible for home cooks. I immigrated to the US from Transylvania, Romania—where I lived most of my life—in 2021 to pursue my passion for cooking full-time. Here you’ll find a collection of approachable recipes, from weeknight dinners to desserts, you’ll come back to over and over again. Some of my most popular recipes include my chicken paprikash, orange chicken roast with fennel and shallots or butter beans all vodka. Some recipes are inspired by my Romanian-Hungarian upbringing, and most definitely all come with that Transylvanian resourcefulness! I love a good thrift, so make sure to catch my thrift hauls every Sunday on my Instagram!

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10 thoughts on "Liquid Gingerbread — The 1 Hot Drink Perfect For Cold Winter Days"

  1. Sandrea says:

    what can be used in place of cornstarch

    1. Carolina Gelen says:

      You can simply omit it, it’ll be just as good without it, just not as thick 🙂

  2. Wiel says:

    Can I omit molasses or use something else?

  3. Hebah says:

    Can I make the meringue ahead of time? Will it stay fluffy?

  4. JoAnn says:

    Your food sounds yummy. I call thrifting treasure hunting, it’s entertainment as well as practical and sustainable

  5. Lilia says:

    This is damn delicious. Liquid gingerbread, where have you been all my life? Extra ginger is the way to go.

  6. Marily Gardner says:

    Cannot wait to try since I can have no caffeine and I like a thicker hot drink in the morning than tea!

  7. Marily says:

    Really delicious. First time using made with almond milk. Second time with whole milk. Can make anything with milk solids?

    1. Carolina Gelen says:

      Hmmm, maybe add them to a smoothie? Or to oatmeal!

  8. Kristen Ridge says:

    What molasses did/do you use for this recipe?