Say good-bye to tasteless frozen waffles from a box and helllllooooo to the crispy grain-free waffles of your breakfast dreams.
Leggo that Eggo and get yourself some of these Crispy Grain-free Waffles instead.
Seriously, you just have to make these waffles. And once you do, I guarantee you’ll never buy another waffled cardboard disk in a cardboard box again. This. This are what waffles are supposed to taste like.
Light, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The smell of vanilla and coconut milk while they’re baking is utterly intoxicating. A smell that’s un-mistakenly waffle. These are the grain-free waffles you’ve been looking for. No more soggy almond and coconut flour concoctions trying to pass as a real waffle. This here is the real crispy grain-free waffle deal.
First things first. Get a waffle iron.
If you don’t already have a waffle iron and having been ‘making do’ with pancakes, now is the time to treat yo’ self to one. I use (and swear by) the All-Clad Stainless Steel waffle iron. It’s an investment at $129.95 but I’ve had mine for over 8 years now and it’s still going strong despite weekly use. I love it’s easy to clean non-stick surface (the new version is teflon, in case you’re wondering) and the dial that lets you select your desired degree of doneness. When I’m making these, I set my iron to about ‘4’ for the waffles we’re going to eat right away, then turn the temp down to ‘2-3’ for those we’re going to freeze and then reheat. We reheat ours in the waffle iron set to ‘1’ so they’re perfect. No more dry waffles with burned edges from the toaster.
When it comes to waffles, people are generally of two camps: the big, fat Belgian waffle folks and those who like their waffles thinner and crispier with more surface area for spreading on the toppings. This thinner style is often referred to as a ‘French’ waffle. You can probably guess which camp I’m in.
That said, if you’re a Belgian waffle devotee or if that’s the waffle iron you have, then by all means – fire it up and make some crispy grain-free waffles. They’re delicious no matter what shape you make them.
Egg-free and Dairy-free
This little egg allergy of mine is such a downer. It means that things like pancakes, waffles and French toast are pretty much off the menu for me since eggs are in most recipes (at least most grain-free and gluten-free recipes). Until now. Hello waffles, I’ve missed you.
To replace the eggs you’d normally find in a waffle, this recipe uses ground flax seed mixed with water to create a viscous gel that acts as a binder.
1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax meal* + 3 Tbsp. warm water.
Mix well to combine and allow mixture to stand until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
* May substitute ground chia seeds for flax meal, if desired.
Removing the egg and the dairy also makes them vegan-friendly. But you can use whatever ‘milk’ you have on hand – they work equally well with dairy and non-dairy milks. The important thing is that you add the apple cider vinegar to the milk to make a ‘faux buttermilk’ whose acidity will react with the baking powder to create a lot of rise when these waffles are baked. This is what gives them that soft interior while maintaining a crispy exterior.
Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter (or whatever the manufacturer’s directions recommend for your iron) onto the preheated waffle iron, being careful not to overfill. You don’t have to spread the batter to the edges, that will magically happen for you once you close the lid. The All-Clad Classic iron that I use has a light that turns green when it’s ready to make a waffle, red while it’s cooking then green again when it’s done. It also has an audible so you don’t have to watch for the light to turn green.
And now, for the toppings.
At our house we like these crispy grain-free waffles served up with pure grade B maple syrup and fresh fruit when it’s in season. So in the summer that might be fresh berries or melon and in the winter it’s either home-canned apple or pear sauce or this low-sugar, 3-ingredient Cherry Chia Jam that requires no cooking or canning. Of course, you can eat them with whatever your heart desires.
And don’t forget about waffle sammies.
One of the best things about these waffles (besides their vanilla-scented, slightly sweet, crispy-yet-tender character) is that they’re also delicious when they’re not hot off the iron. That makes them the perfect vehicle for your favorite nut butter and jam. If you want a more savory option, leave the maple syrup out of the recipe (and toss in a pinch of garlic powder or some chives) and they’ll make the perfect ‘bun’ for your next burger or turkey sandwich.
Make your own toaster waffles.
Place extra waffles (if you’re lucky to have leftovers) on a wire rack to cool completely then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, separating layers with a sheet of parchment paper, if needed. Place in freezer until completely frozen then transfer to a zip-top bag for storage.
To reheat waffles, either place them back into the preheated waffle iron until hot or arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet then cover with foil. Place pan in the oven set to 350ºF for 12-15 minutes or until heated through. Or, if you can’t wait that long you can take your chances with the toaster, just be sure to keep an eye on them. A wasted waffle is a terrible thing.
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour (such as Bob's Red Mill or Honeyville)
- 1 cup tapioca starch/flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder (such as Hain Pure Foods)
- 2 Tbsp. flax meal + 6 Tbsp. warm water
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (such as Bragg's)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla (such asSimply Organic)
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca starch and baking powder. Whisk or stir to combine well.
- In a small bowl or coffee cup, whisk together flax meal and warm water. Set aside until thick and egg-like.
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit while you melt the coconut oil on the stove or in the microwave.
- To the almond milk and ACV mixture, add flax meal, maple syrup, vanilla and finally, the melted coconut oil. Whisk well to combine and quickly add to dry ingredients (because coconut oil will start to harden and clump if you don't)
- Stir batter just until combined. Using a ¼ cup scoop (or size recommended by manufacturer), pour batter onto preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown.
- Serve with pure maple syrup or a generous schmear of Cherry Chia Jam.
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What’s you favorite waffle toppings? Let it all hang out and share your most loved toppings in the comments below.
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We are trying to make these and while they taste delicious, they are sticking to the waffle maker and we have only crumbles. The waffle maker is well oiled and has worked fine with other recipes. We even tried adding extra oil to the batter but it didn’t change the result. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Hi Ann- I’m sorry to hear about your waffles sticking. I’ve not had that problem to that degree though when I use the flax gel (vs. 1 egg) they do stick more because they are less pliable using the flax. If you can eat eggs, try making them again using 1 large egg in place of the flax gel. They should release much easier.
Hi Jessica, I want to try these and have everything on hand except the tapioca starch/flour. Can I sub regular AP flour, semolina flour or another type of flour? Thanks!
Hi Carmel,
According to this article, http://www.livestrong.com/article/522938-how-to-replace-tapioca/ – you can replace the 1 cup of tapioca with ½ cup rice or potato starch (to keep them gluten-free) or 1 cup all-purpose wheat flour (contains gluten), though I’ve not tried either.
I’d love to hear how they turn out for you!
Oh a whim I used Arrowroot starch. It worked great!
My husband helped me make these for breakfast this morning, I made a couple adaptions as to the ingredients I had on hand and what I can have. I used unsweetened hemp milk instead if almond, I also added natural almond flour so their was the pretty brown specs of skin throughout them. I cannot have vanilla extract, so I left that out, to give it more flavor I used buttery flavored coconut oil. I didnt have any problems with them sticking. They are very good, very hearty, next id like to try them with quinoa or hazelnut flour. I would definitely recommend these! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Great use of substitutions, Shannon! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I’ve made them with hazelnut flour before and they were fantastic. I’d love to hear how they work with quinoa flour if you make them again.
I as well had a horrible time with these sticking. I can’t use egg instead of flax seed because of allergies. My non-stick waffle maker was well oiled. So I tried to salvage the recipe using a ceramic non-stick skillet, diluted the mix a little, and tried to make pancakes. Stuck so bad I had to soak them off, as with the waffle maker. I followed the recipe exactly so I’m wondering what I am doing differently to have such different results. Maybe my waffle maker gets too hot? Looks like it would have been a delicious recipe though if I could get it to work. If anyone has some suggestions about the sticking, I would try again.
Hi Angela,
I’m sorry to hear that your waffles stuck so badly! Mine are a little hard to remove (both when I make them with and without eggs) but they never get really stuck and mangled like yours did. It could be that the temp of your iron is too hot – mine has a temp control knob so I keep it on the lower end. You could also try spraying the pan with spray oil before adding the batter – I’ve been using the Chosen Foods spray oils and love them (either the avocado oil or oil blend are great). Other than that, I don’t have any other thoughts – perhaps someone else has a hack that’s worked for them?
I just made these & the first time they completely stuck and fell apart too. However the next ones worked! my waffle iron was set on 400. The first time I oiled the iron with avocado oil since I ran out of spray oil. I spread them like you would a normal waffle across the iron. I also only let them cook 4 minutes- it was a disaster.
The second time I didn’t oil the iron. I didn’t spread it across the full iron (square one) and put it in very thick over just one area. I also cooked them much longer. When I opened to check it actually formed the waffle shape and was good- my gluten / dairy allergic toddler loved them.
Substitutions – I didn’t have tapioca flour so I subbed in half the amount of coconut flour. It was super thick so I ended up adding around 1/4 cup more milk.
Thanks for the recipe!
Forgot to add that I subbed unsweetened applesauce for the maple syrup. I’m not sure if that’s also why they ended up so thick!
I do believe that, combined with coconut flour in place of the tapioca flour, is what made your batter so thick.
Hey Mandy,
Glad to hear you found a way to make them work despite the substitutions and that your toddler gobbled them up. We do test our recipes numerous times (I’ve made this one weekly for about 3 years now) so when the recipe is followed as written you should have a good result.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am on an extremely restricted diet due to breastfeeding an allergic baby, so I often miss out on old favorites. These have been SUCH a lifesaver! I definitely don’t feel like I’m missing out when I get to make these. They are so perfectly crisp and lightly sweet. Well done!
You are sooooooo welcome! As a fellow mama who’s been through the nursing-the-highly-allergic baby I can totally relate!
I’m so glad you found a recipe that you love and can feel good about eating (and have baby feel good too) – I remember how frustrating it was when everything seemed to be off limits and I was always so hungry.
Thanks for taking the time to share this – all the best!
How many waffles does this recipe make?
Hey Victoria! Great question. This is really going to depend on the size of your waffle iron. This recipe makes 8 waffles for the waffles used in the photos. If you make too many you can throw the in the freezer to enjoy later.
Made these this morning! Since hubby is grain free for health reasons, we were able to use eggs and buttermilk and butter. I also added a bit of cinnamon and tsp of cane sugar. These came out amazing!! Texture and all were just like the flour counterpart I’d made earlier! Taste, of course, was a bit different but still very good!! Saving this! grain free recipes can end up a disaster with sticking to pans, etc, or falling apart. I was holding my breath when I opened the waffle iron, and was very happy when they were fluffy and came off easily! We will make again for sure!! Thank you!!
Hi Dana,
So glad these were such a big hit at your house. They’re a regular on our meal plan – often for dinner on busy nights. I always double the batch then freeze the leftovers so my kids can pop them back into the waffle iron for a minute to rewarm them on busy mornings.
I don’t eat grain free exclusively, but I have started to cut out most wheat. I was looking for something I could use to make avocado toast and came across this recipe. I wanted a savory waffle, so I omitted the maple and vanilla. I also added some hemp hearts for extra protein and texture. The waffle is perfect to make ahead and toast throughout the week to add avocado, tomatoes or even tuna salad. I do recommend using a different oil if making a savory one, as the coconut can be a little overpowering for a savory meal.
Whoa! That sounds amazing! We’ll have to try 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I made these this morning! I mixed wet, minus coconut oil, then dumped in dry. Whisked all well then slowly tempered in the coconut oil at the last. Whisked well again and cooked in my ceramic belgian wafflemaker. They turned out SUPER CRISPY and very airy. Almost like they had a million bubbles inside that crisped and crunch when you bite down.
Overall, a good go to when you run out of eggs, which is why I found this recipe in the 1st place!
Hey Melissa,
I love your description “…a million bubbles inside that crisped and crunched when you bite down.” And now I want waffles 😉 Thanks for sharing your experience!
I just made these and they are delicious!!!!!!! I have been craving a traditional waffle, but needed it to be paleo-friendly. These were perfect! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hooray!
Thanks for sharing this – so happy to hear you were able to get your waffle fix!
Hey there.
Thank u so much for that recipe. I was full after like 1 1/2 waffles but ended up eating almost 4 of them cause they are crazy delicious. I spread sum cashew butter and blueberry Jam on it….hmmmmmm
Instead of the flaxseeds I used an egg and I used homemade cashewmilk. I had no problem with sticking waffles.
I used one of the heart shaped irons.
I think net time I’ll try substituting part of the coconut oil with sum cashew butter (also homemade).
Thank u heaps. I think that have been the best paleo waffles I had so far.
Hi Laura,
Everything about this makes me soooooo happy – especially the part about homemade cashew butter. Mmmmmm…. I’m so happy to hear that you loved these waffles – that’s a huge compliment as there are so many Paleo waffle recipes out there.
Cheers to more waffles in your future!
Hi, I’m excited to try this but have a question on the coconut oil. In the ingredients list, you say it’s a half cup of melted coconut oil. You then say to melt the coconut oil later on in the instructions. Did you measure it in liquid form then reheat it when it came time to use it when you stirred it into the other wet ingredients? I think coconut oil measurements can vary depending on whether you measure it in its solid or liquid form. Also, how many eggs would you say I could sub in for the flax? Based on the amount of flax in the ingredients list, it looks like it would be two eggs but it looks like some of the reviewers have only used one egg and it’s turned out fine. Just want to make sure I get this right. I’ve messed up many Paleo waffles in my day!
Hi Kathryn,
You’re right about the amount of coconut differing in the solid and liquid states, however, I’ve found that the difference is usually too little to have any real impact on the final product.
I measure the coconut oil in the solid form then melt it and it’s works like a charm every time.
You’re right about the eggs – it would be 2 eggs to replace the 2 Tbsp. of flax meal. One would probably work fine but 2 would give you a fluffier (and softer) waffle.
Hope that helps!
These are AMAZING! Most paleo waffles I’ve tried have been pretty gross but these were stellar. And my husband approved them too! Thank you! I’ve made them twice already 🙂
I did use eggs because I didn’t have flax and I used palm shortening (from a sustainable source) instead of coconut oil.
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for your kind words! I’m pretty partial to these too and often double the recipe to have a stash in the freezer (which I then reheat in the waffle iron because it brings back all the crispy goodness)
So glad you both loved them and thanks for sharing your substitutions – it’s super helpful for other readers.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have a little more with multiple severe allergies and this recipe is perfect for her. Everyone enjoys these in family! Thank you!!!
YAY, YAY, YAY!!
Hearing this makes me so happy!
If using eggs, would I need to decrease the amount of baking powder? Thanks and I cannot wait to try these!
Hi Becky,
If I use eggs (which I do for my kids to give them a little extra protein) I don’t change the baking powder and they turn out great.
Hope that helps!
These are great! They turn out super crispy and very waffle-like. I really enjoyed them! I used real eggs instead of flax, and seperated them so that I could whip the whites and fold them in at the end. The first one stuck a lot, so I re-greased. The second one stuck as well, but I was able to carefully peel it off.
Hi Cayla,
So glad you loved them! Mine stick from time to time, too. Haven’t figured out the secret sauce to getting them to not stick every time but even if one falls apart (usually the first one) they’re still might tasty.
I used oat milk in place of almond milk, and used cashew flour in place of almond flour. These turned out amazing. So perfectly crisp with the perfect chew. Made sure my waffle iron was sprayed generously with coconut oil–no problems with sticking. I also cooked at a medium heat. Thank you for an awesome waffle.
Yayyyyy! Glad you loved them. Thanks for sharing!
I halfed the recipe since I only had 1 egg and I must say they are so crispy! But you have to eat them right away because they turn soft quickly. Since I don’t use sugar, jams, honey or maple syrup, I eat my waffles plain. These didn’t have enough flavor for me so I’ll be trying out various combos of: cinnamon, almond extract, flaked unsweetened coconut, lemon extract and/or zest, poppy seeds, nuts and other extracts. But overall I love them! Thanks for sharing! (This won’t let me rate the recipe…)
Hi Chrissy,
Thanks for sharing your experience! They do tend to get soft as they cool down especially when you use eggs (vs. flax eggs) so we reheat them in the waffle iron at our house (either from room temp or frozen) and they crisp right up again. I love the idea of adding different flavor extracts since you don’t use any toppings. I’ve done them with lemon extract, lemon zest and poppy seeds and they were incredible. Cacao powder and cinnamon are also great additions. I’d love to hear what combos you come up with!
Hi! I do not like coconut and I am new to cooking with health in mind (veggie oil vs. coconut oil). I am wondering if the coconut oil will add a coconut flavor? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Abby,
The coconut oil will add a very mild coconut flavor (assuming you use ‘virgin’ coconut oil). You can use ‘refined’ coconut oil which has no scent or taste.
Hope that helps!
These are awesome! I like crispy waffles and these are crispy. I used an egg since we do not have egg allergies in our house and I used 1tsp of coconut sugar in place on the maple syrup. Mixed dry ingredients together first, then whisked in almond milk and eggs, lastly added coconut oil. I had a slight problem with them sticking, but I used a butter knife to loosen around the edges and they came out easily. Thanks for a great recipe.
Awesome! So great to hear and good to know you can substitute an egg for the flaxseed gel.
I previously commented on these delicious waffles. I made them again, but added mashed sweet potatoes and oat milk as needed to thin out the batter. These still turned out fantastic, with the perfect crisp and chew. This mix did stick a little, but they did not fall apart. A little prying with a fork is all it took to loosen the waffle.
Love the sounds of this! Now I’m inspired to share an egg-free Sweet Potato Waffle recipe 🙂 Thank you!
I made these with eggs, buttermilk and butter. These are wonderful! My husband likes them better than wheat flour waffles because they do get amazingly crisp. I’m pretty impressed too.
I ate grain free for a few years and then stopped when I had my baby. I’m trying to get back into it now and these waffles will really help. Thank you!!
You’re so welcome! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and those sound like perfect additions!
These stuck terribly to my waffle iron as well. Tried using my pancake pan and didn’t have any luck there either. From what I could salvage from the waffle iron and pancakes, they taste really good! So I’m disappointed I couldn’t make it work. I doubled the recipe so I could have enough for kids during the week so I needed to find a way to use the batter. I ended up making flat “cookies” on a silpat in the oven. While I didn’t discover an alternative that I’d repeat in the future, I couldn’t bear the thought of washing all those ingredients down the drain.
Hi Kim,
I’m sorry to hear that your waffles stuck so badly. Other readers have noted some sticking (as have I from time to time) but nothing this extreme. Outside of oiling the iron before using next time, I’m not sure what else I can say to help. Sorry!
First time I made these they were awesome! Thick batter and delicate removing from waffle pan. Last time I made them they turned out dense (thick), and very crumbly. If I add more vinegar to milk or more baking powder would that make them fluffier? We like the airy fluffy texture that I haven’t been able to get. I’ve tried other recipes and didn’t like them compared to this one. And regular recipes are plain.
Hi Bonnie,
I’m glad you love the taste of these waffles and are determined to trouble shoot them to get a fluffier texture. It may depend on your waffle iron. I have a ‘French’ waffle iron that makes thinner waffles so they cook quickly and the steam fluffs them up without making them soggy (which could happen if you use a Belgian waffle maker that takes longer to cook the waffles). You may also need to add more liquid – especially if your batter is really thick- which would then generate more steam. I’d hesitate to add more baking powder and vinegar right off the bat as that will affect the flavor. Hope that helps!