Bake And Show Love On National Kiss A Ginger Day

January 12th is National Kiss a Ginger Day. And what better way to show love to the flame-haired friends in your life than to bake them something full of fiery ginger?! As well as offering a few kisses, of course! 

Gingers. They have notoriously fiery tempers. They were branded as witches. The ancient Greeks thought they became vampires when they died. There are even rumors they don’t have souls. These are just a few of the crazy, unfounded allegations that people with ginger hair have had to face. Even today, many redheads face nasty bullying for their scarlet tresses, especially at school. (Thanks South Park…). 

The folks behind National Kiss a Ginger Day, and us ginger-allies at PlantX are here to change that! We believe glorious ginger hair deserves to be celebrated and appreciated. And being the food nerds we are, we thought some tasty gingery vegan baking should be part of the festivities! 

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite ginger-fabulous recipes to get you feeling fiery and inspired! Check out our wonderfully well-stocked vegan baking collection where you’ll find all the vegan baking products you’ll need to create some delicious plant-based bakes, fit for a ginger! 

Ginger Stats

Redheads make up around 2% of the population. Ancient accounts and archaeological records show that red hair has occurred throughout history across the world - throughout Europe and perhaps surprisingly, in Asia as well. 

Nowadays, the largest concentration of redheads exists in Ireland and Scotland, and red hair is traditionally associated with Gaelic culture. 

But, the redheads are disappearing! The ginger gene is recessive, meaning it needs to be carried by both parents for a child to inherit those fiery locks. Because it is rarer these days for people to stay in their home communities amongst people with a similar genetic makeup, far fewer red-haired babies are born. So you need to kiss a ginger (or bake for a ginger) while you can! 

So, on that note - let’s get started! 

Easy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

These cute gingerbread cookies are the perfect gift for the redheads in your life. Dig out your favorite person-shaped cookie cutters and get the kids to help with fun icing designs. You could even use red food dye to add some bright ginger hair to your gingerbread people!

Serves: 10

Prep Time: 20 mins (+ 30-45 minutes chill time)

Cooking Time: 10-13 mins

Equipment: Mixing bowl, rolling pin, cookie cutters, cookie sheet, baking parchment, piping bag. 

Ingredients

• 1 flaxseed egg or your preferred vegan egg replacer
• ¼ cup vegan butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar 
• ⅓ cup molasses
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cloves 
• For the decorative frosting: 
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp of your preferred plant milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with baking parchment. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. 
3. Add the molasses, vegan egg and vanilla to the mixture and beat well until all ingredients are combined. 
4. Sift in the flour, spices and baking soda and mix into a soft dough. You may need to use your hands. 
5. Flour your work surface and your hands very well and place the dough on the work surface. Roll it into a ball, adding more flour as you go if it starts to stick.
6. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a ¼ inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread people. Dip your cutter in flour each time so it doesn’t stick. 
7. Place the gingerbread people on your lined cookie sheet. 
8. Gather the scraps of the remaining dough, roll into a ball and roll out again, cutting out more cookies. 
9. Repeat the process until you have used up all the dough. 
10. Place cookies in the oven for 10-13 mins, until they are golden brown and crisp. 
11. When ready, remove from the oven and place the cookies on a wire rack.
12. Allow to cool completely before decorating. 
13. Mix the frosting ingredients together, tip into a piping bag and get creative! 

Vegan Sticky Ginger Cake

It might be a bit old-fashioned, but here at PlantX, we think there’s nothing like tucking into a big slab of sticky ginger cake with your afternoon cup of tea. Plus, there’s nothing grannyish about this ginger cake, made with the finest vegan baking products and packed with warming spices. Sticky, satisfying and bursting with flavor, this delicious vegan cake will delight all your red-haired pals (and we’re pretty sure you’ll like it as well!). 

Serves: 12+ people

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Baking Time: 30 minutes 

Equipment: Mixing bowl, rectangular cake tin

Ingredients

• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder 
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• ¾ cup soft brown sugar (or your preferred sweetener)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ⅔ cup sunflower oil (or your preferred neutral oil)
• 7oz golden syrup
• 7oz molasses
• 1 ½ cups boiling water
• ½ cup candied ginger, finely chopped 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 inch rectangular cake tin with baking parchment. 
2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Make a well in the center and add the golden syrup, molasses, oil and boiling water. Beat well until everything is combined and lump-free.
4. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for around 30 minutes.
5. The cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean. 
6. Leave to cool in the tin for another 30 mins and then carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack.
7. Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares and tucking in! 

Vegan Ginger Energy Balls

This vegan recipe requires simply a food processor and some amazing ingredients from nature’s larder. Packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats, and lots of potent anti-inflammatory fresh ginger root, these tasty bites are the perfect gift for active redheads. The ideal post-workout snack, share these around with your ginger-haired gym buddies and you’ll have some friends for life! 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped raw nuts (brazil, cashew, almonds, etc)
• ½ cup of rolled oats
• ¼ cup shredded coconut 
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• ½ tbsp of agave syrup or your preferred liquid sweetener

Method 

1. Place the dates in a food processor or blender and blend for 1 min.
2. Add all other ingredients and continue to blend until a thick, sticky batter forms (this may take up to 5 mins, depending on the strength of your machine).
3. Scoop out tbsp-sized amounts of the mixture and roll into balls. You may need to wet your hands between each ball to avoid getting too sticky. 
4. Place balls in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator, ready for an energy-boosting bite whenever you fancy! 

Here at PlantX, we think vegan baking is one of the best ways to show love. These easy vegan recipes are perfect for showing up for National Kiss a Ginger Day and celebrating the redheads in your life. And who knows? You might even get a kiss in return!

Plus, we’ve got an amazing selection of vegan baking products, just waiting to be transformed into delicious gingery treats for yourself and your auburn-haired amigos. 

Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @goplantx so we can admire your gorgeous ginger goodies!