Easy vegan waffles
It’s that time of year that I begin to get warm, fuzzy feelings in my belly over the helpful fabulousness of my beloved slow cooker. This year, those feelings have been accompanied by warm, fuzzy love for the waffle maker. It may not come close to the versatility or time-saving capabilities of the crockpot, but it’s dependable in a pinch, too, and makes breakfast-for-dinner all the more exciting no matter what went wrong in the day.
Why the sudden waffle wonder? Well, there’s the obvious. Who doesn’t love a good waffle? Or admire the beautiful shape of pizzelles, or drool a little more over a waffle cone than a sugar or cake counterpart?
The other reason is, our oven broke recently. Just died, just like that. Which kind of blew the Christmas budget if I’m honest. For awhile, we had the stove-top, at least. And it’s not like we aren’t resourceful. We love camping. But when the stove-top wasn’t an option either, we had an awkward gap that required 100% slow cooker meals. Have you tried to cook with the slow cooker every day, those of you who don’t have an Instapot? (Because, if you have an Instapot...well, that’s just awesomeness you’d think I’d have sunk my teeth into by now, right?) It’s actually a pretty fun challenge. There are countless creations you can whip up in the crockpot, from the classic soups and stews to brownies and lasagna. The only issue is that sometimes you can’t coordinate the timing. Like when we thought we count count on the stove-top but found out we couldn’t just as everyone’s tummies started grumbling for dinner. Enter the waffle iron.
These waffles are perfect--crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Make them gluten-free and vegan with your favorite flour blend. Just be sure to include that bit of almond meal and starch (tapioca flour) for that traditional waffle texture.
We now have a new oven and feel very spoiled. More on that later. For now, consider pulling out that waffle iron and showing it a little love. This recipe pours the love right back, big on flavor, low on guilt. Enjoy!
Easy Vegan Waffles
1 ½ cups light whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
Pinch salt
2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water per egg)
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla (or use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 ¾ cups unsweetened almond milk
Lightly spray and preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer directions.
In a mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients, flour through salt. Add flax eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and almond milk and stir until smooth and thick but pourable. Add additional almond milk if needed.
Spoon approximately ½ cup batter and pour in the center of prepared waffle plate. Cook each waffle according to directions. Keep warm until serving.