Crispy on the outside, soft & light on the inside. Just look at that close up!
Recipe: The Best Almond Flour Waffles (gluten-free, dairy-free, high protein)
So, I was recently gifted a waffle maker.
I had always thought I didn’t need one – I’ve seen my fair share of waffle recipes and enjoyed frozen waffles as much as the next teenager but I never saw a real need for one. I was perfectly fine with pancakes…Or so I thought. Boy, have I been missing out! It turns out waffles are so simple, quick and much less involved to make than pancakes as you don’t have to worry about burning or flipping them! The waffle maker is set for a certain amount of time and lights up when done.
I’ve since been testing out various waffle recipes and have finally landed on a keeper! One that is simple, nutritious and high in protein exactly how I like my recipes.
I also topped these particular waffles with some seriously good chocolate and hazelnut butter from a new cafe in Toronto called The Roasted Nut and it was SO GOOD. I’m a big fan of the chocolate-hazelnut combo so I am definitely a little bias here, but it was delicious (I’m also talking pure roasted hazelnuts and chocolate – yum!).
These waffles are nice and crispy on the outside and light and soft on the inside. The key here is the almond and rice flour mix!
This flour mix also keeps the recipe more nutrient dense than a typical waffle made with refined white flour while naturally making them gluten-free. You can also keep it dairy-free by using coconut oil or ghee which is great for your gut health due to the butyric acid as it’s known to nourish the intestinal cells.
The almond flour in this recipe also gives us a good serving of almonds in each waffle along with a boost of antioxidants, magnesium, biotin, Vitamin E and protein. Not to mention that the magnesium gives us a good mood boost as the nutrient helps to relax us and contributes to feelings of overall wellbeing and happiness. Research shows that almonds are one of the best nutrient dense foods for fighting depression and this is a result of that high magnesium content as shown in this study.
Top this waffle stack with some nut butter (you know my preference here!), bananas and/or strawberries, a little maple syrup, some chopped roasted almonds and you’ve got a crowd pleasing, nutrient dense, good mood breakfast. What more can we ask for?
I hope you give these a try and love them as much as I do! If you do make them, please comment below to let me know or tag me on instagram at #happyhealthcc. I’d love to see your creations!
Recipe: The Best Almond Flour Waffles
Gluten-free & Dairy-free option
Serves 5
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Yields 5 waffles (6-inch each)
Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
3 tbsp tapioca starch (also called flour)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
¾ cup room temperature milk of choice (nut milk, cow’s milk etc.)
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or 5 tbsp ghee or butter*
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
To Cook:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. We will use it later to keep the waffles warm.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients including almond flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs then add in your milk of choice, melted oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk everything to combine.
- Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Give everything a good whisk to mix.
- Heat up your waffle maker (if you have a choice of settings set it to medium).
- Scoop out a 1/2 cup of the batter onto the center of the waffle maker and cook.
- Remove each waffle when golden and place directly on the rack of your warmed oven to keep waffles warm as you continue cooking the remaining batter.
Serve with your choice of toppings** (ideas below) and enjoy!
Notes:
*I measured my oil when solid then melted it
**Try some chopped roasted almonds, chocolate hazelnut butter & strawberries/bananas or thawed frozen berries, maple syrup and pecan pieces or keep it simple with just some good ol’ maple syrup!