Breakfast, lunch, or dinner… Now you can have waffles whenever you’d like with these freezer-friendly, Crispy Grain-Free Waffles.
This post was created in partnership with our friends at King Arthur Flour.
Leggo that Eggo and make yourself these Crispy Grain-Free Waffles instead.
It’s true that frozen toaster waffles are convenient and they get the job done when you want a quick breakfast or snack, but let’s be honest, they’re not the BEST waffles. Their texture, especially the gluten-free ones, can range from gummy to cardboard-like. And their flavor, well, let’s just say they’re convenient and leave it at that, shall we?
It’s also true that I’m a waffle snob. Growing up, my dad refused to buy frozen waffles, citing their lackluster taste and texture and the high price tag for what you get. Wait, what? I guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.
In all seriousness though, he’s to blame for my waffle snobbery. While all of my friends enjoyed frozen toaster waffles in front of the television on Saturday mornings, my dad had me in the kitchen making sourdough waffles and overnight yeasted waffles with him. As steam billowed from the sides of the waffle iron, he’d lean over it and say “Free facials!” while inhaling deeply and wrinkling his nose in a way that always made me laugh. He loved making waffles and I loved our time in the kitchen, so it’s no surprise that I have a very special connection to waffles – specifically these Crispy Grain-Free Waffles.
Why these waffles? Because even though they’re free of gluten, grains, dairy, and eggs, they’re every bit as good as the ones I grew up with. After years of ‘healthy waffle fails,’ I finally perfected the recipe and now I’m in the kitchen with my own kids on the weekend offering up free facials.
These waffles are a grain-free game-changer.
Seriously, you just have to make these waffles. And once you do, I guarantee you’ll never buy another waffle-d cardboard disk in a cardboard box again. Because these are what waffles are supposed to taste like.
Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. The smell of vanilla and almond, while they’re baking, is utterly intoxicating. A smell that’s un-mistakenly ‘waffle’.
Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, these vegan Crispy Grain-Free Waffles are everything (and more!) #sponsored @kingarthurflour Click To Tweet
Thanks to the super-fine texture of King Arthur Grain-Free Almond FlourKing Arthur Grain-Free Almond Flour, these are the grain-free waffles you’ve been looking for. No more sad, soggy coconut flour concoctions trying to pass as a real waffle.
Their fine-textured, certified gluten-free ground almond flour seamlessly blends into sweet and savory baked goods. It’s full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats from blanched almonds and has a pleasant almond flavor that makes these Crispy Grain-Free Waffles absolutely irresistible.
Cook once, eat (at least) twice!
While this recipe already makes a pretty big batch of waffles (about eight) don’t be afraid to double the recipe to make extras. Having a stash on hand in the freezer means you can say goodbye to those waffles in a box and hello to homemade waffles whenever the mood hits – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Once completely cooled, they can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet before being transferred to a freezer-safe bag or container for storage.
To reheat them, simply pop them back into the preheated waffle iron, toaster, or toaster oven. You can use a microwave but you won’t get that nice crispy exterior that makes these Crispy Grain-Free Waffles so amazing.
Ready, Set, Serve
Here’s the best part. The part where you get to choose your own topping adventure. Pure maple syrup is always a winner, but might I also suggest:
- Fresh berries or peaches in the summer
- Thinly sliced pears or sautéed apples in the fall and winter
- Apple or pumpkin butter and toasted pecans
- Sliced bananas, toasted walnuts, and chocolate chips any time of year
- Peanut butter and jelly (maybe go all out and make it a waffle PB&J)
- Whipped cream and sprinkles for a special birthday treat
- Pure maple syrup when you just want to keep it simple
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Crispy Grain-Free Waffles
These are the grain-free waffles you’ve been waiting for. Light, crispy and perfectly golden brown. Top with pure maple syrup and fresh fruit for the most heavenly breakfast you can imagine.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Cuisine: Paleo, Vegan, Grain-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups King Arthur Flour Almond FlourKing Arthur Flour Almond Flour (172 grams)
- 1 cup tapioca starch (113 grams)
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. flax meal* + 6 Tbsp. water
- 1 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together flax meal and water to make the ‘flax eggs’. Set aside for 5 minutes while the mixture thickens. Skip this step if you’re using regular eggs.
- In a measuring cup, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and allow this rest until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes, depending on the milk you are using).
- 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.
- To the dry ingredients, add the almond milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, flax eggs (or eggs, if using), maple syrup, vanilla, and melted coconut oil. Whisk just until batter is smooth.
- Using a ¼ cup scoop (or size recommended by waffle iron manufacturer), pour batter into the preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown and steam is no longer coming from the waffle iron. NOTE: It’s important to wait for the steam to stop before attempting to open the waffle iron. Opening it too soon will cause the waffles to stick.
- Serve with pure maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
*May also be labeled tapioca flour – May substitute Arrowroot starch or Potato Starch (not potato flour) for the tapioca starch
**May substitute 2 large eggs for the flax meal + water, for a non-vegan version if desired
Stored cooled waffles in a covered container or in a sealed zip-top bag on the counter for up to 2 days. May also be frozen for longer storage. Reheat frozen waffles in a waffle iron set to low heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large waffle
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 404mg
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
What’s your favorite waffle toppings? Let it all hang out and share your most loved toppings in the comments below.
Pin it now & make ’em later!
This post was made possible by our friends at King Arthur FlourKing Arthur Flour. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
Ann says
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?
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Carmel says
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!
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Jim says
Hi Jessica,
We made these waffles this morning and they were delicious! We couldn’t find tapioca starch so we substituted Arrowroot starch and they came out perfect with no sticking issues. We have the same All-clad waffle maker that you used for the recipe. Perhaps the sticking issue with previous comments is simply the type of waffle maker.
These waffles were tasty with almond butter, maple syrup, egg, turkey…many choices. Yummy!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Jim! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I think there’s something to your observation about the type of waffle iron – temperature, type of coating, etc. as they seem to work great for some and not so great for others and I’ve tested them, literally, about 100 times.
Jen says
Oh a whim I used Arrowroot starch. It worked great!
Shannon Mosier says
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!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Angela says
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.
Jessica Beacom says
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?
Mandy says
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!
Mandy says
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!
★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
I do believe that, combined with coconut flour in place of the tapioca flour, is what made your batter so thick.
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Jamie says
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!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Victoria says
How many waffles does this recipe make?
Stacie Hassing says
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.
Dana P. says
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!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Christina says
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.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Whoa! That sounds amazing! We’ll have to try 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Melissa says
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!
★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Whitney says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hooray!
Thanks for sharing this – so happy to hear you were able to get your waffle fix!
Laura says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Kathryn says
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!
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Olivia says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Ella says
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!!!
Jessica Beacom says
YAY, YAY, YAY!!
Hearing this makes me so happy!
Becky says
If using eggs, would I need to decrease the amount of baking powder? Thanks and I cannot wait to try these!
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Cayla says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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.
Stacey says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Yayyyyy! Glad you loved them. Thanks for sharing!
Chrissy says
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…)
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Abby Dew says
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! 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Lynn says
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.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome! So great to hear and good to know you can substitute an egg for the flaxseed gel.
Stacey says
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.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Love the sounds of this! Now I’m inspired to share an egg-free Sweet Potato Waffle recipe 🙂 Thank you!
Amy says
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!!
Stacie Hassing says
You’re so welcome! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and those sound like perfect additions!
Kim says
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.
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Bonnie says
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.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
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!
Kelsey says
Just made these with waffles and they turned out great!!! I used 2 cups of Bob’s Paleo Mix to sub for the 3 cups of almond/tapioca flour in this recipe. The rest of the ingredient quantities remained the same, except I left out the maple syrup and vanilla completely. Since others commented that these stick a bit, I was cautious when removing from the waffle maker: I cooked longer than usual to make sure they were nice and crispy and once I got the edges lifted, they popped out without any major hassle. My husband LOVED these waffles. We topped ours with avocado, tempeh bacon, greens and a carrot/ginger/miso dressing. We will definitely make these again, thank you!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
I LOVE the way you made these savory! And good to know that the Bob’s Paleo Mix was a good substitute for the other flours. I’ve been wanting to experiment with that flour blend and now after reading this you’ve inspired me to try my hand at some other paleo/vegan goodies.
Caroline says
I used eggs and coconut milk instead of flax and almond milk and these are DIVINE! I crisped it up under the grill too. So so good. Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica Beacom says
Yeahhhhhhh!! Thanks for sharing!
Bonnie says
I think I know the problem. I’m using a Belgium waffle maker, not a regular waffle maker. I will let the coconut milk n eggs though.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Bonnie,
That may be the issue. I didn’t have good luck with the Belgian-style waffle maker either – they stuck but were still tasty!
bonnie says
Could be. I just do t have the kitchen storage space I need so I was trying not to buy another waffle maker but might end up doing so
Chris says
Hi there, I made these for the first time today, followed the directions exactly, and they were a disaster. They stuck to both sides of the waffle maker, and the waffle just peeled apart. I oiled both sides very well, and I’ve used this waffle maker many times before and never had any issues. I read a few other comments with the same issue. What’s going on?
Also, I tried to give the recipe a rating, and it just fills in all 5 stars, there seems to be no other option. Unless I’m doing something wrong, this is not a 5 star recipe.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Chris,
I’m sorry to hear your waffles were a disaster and that you found the recipe to be a disappointment.
Chris says
Hi Jessica, I apologize if my comment was a bit abrasive, I was a bit frustrated at the time of my failed waffle making. I was very much looking forward to these waffles, and would like to try them again if you could give me some insight as to why they may have not worked. I’ve used my waffle iron several times, and it’s never stuck the way these did, even with very well oiling. It seemed to be the sticking that ultimately pulled the waffle apart. It was quite a task even to peel/scrape the waffle off both halves of the iron. The pieces were crispy and still tasted good though. Any ideas? Thanks again for sharing your recipes, I should have cooled down a bit before posting a scathing comment. 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
Hey Chris,
No worries, though I do appreciate your kindness and grace! The only thing I can think to do would be to either use a different fat to oil the waffle iron (so if you’re using coconut, try ghee – or even grapeseed oil which though it’s not my favorite oil it does seem to create a more non-stick surface sometimes – depending on they surface it’s used on). The other idea would be to lower the temperature of the iron, if you can, so that it takes longer for the liquid in the batter to create steam which may help them not stick.
Other than that, I’m stumped without having the batter and your iron in front of me. I hope that helps! 🙂
Connie says
I don’t have a waffle maker (yet). I’m wondering if I could make these as pancakes?
I’m also wondering what would be the best substitute for coconut oil in these? I am highly sensitive to coconut.
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Connie, we have not tried making this recipe into pancakes. We do however have a pancake recipe very similar to this one and you can find that here: https://therealfoodrds.com/paleo-vegan-pancakes/
Enjoy!
Connie says
great, thanks!
Stacie Hassing says
You could substitute melted ghee or unsalted butter.
Connie says
We are dairy free. Today I’m going to try Avocado oil. We’ll see how it goes.
Bonnie says
I would think butter or type of oil.
Kay says
Trying out waffle recipes on the web and liked that these turned out so well! However I’m very macros minded. Allergies to egg and various grains while simultaneously searching for a low(er) fat recipe. Any hints or advice? Thank you.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Kay,
Because of the delicate balance between the grain-free flours and the flax ‘egg’ I can’t say with any certainty how replacing some of the fat with say, a banana, would affect the final result. You can try decreasing the coconut oil by 25% which may make them less crispy but shouldn’t interfere with the overall texture/chemistry of the waffle. You can then recalculate the macros using MyFitnessPal to see if fits your macros better.
Maria says
5 stars! I haven’t always liked the taste of healthier recipes, but this one tastes the way I always wanted waffles to taste. Just takes a bit to get used to the grainier consistency, but that happened for me a long time ago. I used ingredients I had on hand like a nut flour blend, arrowroot powder, almond coconut milk blend, eggs, and I used 1/4 cup ghee and 1/4 cup coconut oil for a more buttery flavor. I didnt need to grease the waffle iron, but I used coconut oil spray for that for a crisper waffle. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Maria!
Christina says
Thanks for the paleo waffle recipe! They were nice and crispy, but a little too oily for our taste. Have cut the oil to half and are happy with the result. Cheers from New Zealand
★★★★
Christine T says
We just made them and they were excellent. We did use eggs and half coconut oil, half ghee. They were light and crisp. We have tried several paleo recipes and this if the first one that is actually crispy. We made 1 1/2 times the recipe (growing teenage boy to feed 🙂 ) and had some left overs.
Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★★
WendyMac says
We just made them and they are great! I swapped the coconut oil for avocado oil as my son doesn’t digest coconut very well. I brushed the waffle iron with avocado oil also. They only stuck on the bottom and a fork and some tongs got them right out. I have a breville Belgian waffle maker and set them on classic medium. Thank you for the recipe. It’s always a challenge to find things that we don’t have to make major modifications to because of our food sensitivities (grain, dairy, eggs, soy, and coconut). As you probably know, results are always questionable if you change ingredients. Your recipe turned out just as promised and my husband and kids are thrilled! We can have waffles again! It’s actually my husband’s birthday today and this is what he requested for breakfast. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Wendy,
Oh! This makes me sooooo happy reading this. I totally know how you feel when you find a recipe that brings something back to your family table that’s been missing. My husband also requests these for his birthday every year – topped with homemade strawberry ice cream. He says it’s just like when he was growing up only a 100 times better.
Jessica Parisi says
The taste of these waffles is simply amazing. We are dairy, egg and gluten free so I struggle to find a recipe that works for us. I was very excited when I found this recipe. Sadly, they entirely stuck to the waffle iron no matter how much I piled them or what temperature I put them on. I tried many different options and it all came out the same. Terrible waffles half stuck to the griddle and half falling apart. I struggled to keep them to feed to my hungry kiddies! I will not be trying this recipe again. I think perhaps with egg it will be better. Rear taste and smell but not possible with flax eggs as a waffle. Def does NOT look like the picture. Thanks anyway 🙂
★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hey Jessica,
Sorry to hear you had such an issue with the waffles sticking. It seems that with some waffle irons they stick and with others, they don’t so unfortunately I’ve not been able to nail down a sure fire trick that works for everyone. If you do make them again using eggs or other substitutions and they turn out – we’d love to hear what you did so others can learn from your experiments as well.
Priscilla says
If I’d like to use eggs instead of the flax concoction for the waffles…about how many eggs do you recommend? Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Priscilla,
You’d want to use 2 large eggs (1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg). I’ve updated the recipe card to reflect this in case anyone else had the same question.
Louise says
Thank you for this wonderful egg-free waffle recipe that actually makes really crispy waffles. My husband and I loved them! I have made them twice already and both times they were perfect. They did not stick at all in my waffle iron. The second time I made them I could not have sugar so I just added more almond milk instead of the maple syrup. I am making them again this morning and will freeze the extras for another day.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you, Louise!
We love hearing feedback about this recipe as some have had great success and others have not (which leads me to believe that it may be related to the waffle irons being used and not the recipe).
Here’s to many more waffles in your future!
Hank says
Why do they stick sooo much to the iron??? We used coconut oil to coat iron.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Hank,
Unfortunately based on the apparent love/hate relationship our readers have with this recipe (based on the comments) these waffles either stick (and badly, at that) or they don’t stick. The only conclusion I can come to is that it’s related to the waffle iron – either the surface coating or the temperature. Sadly, I don’t have an answer for ‘why’ yet as they’ve never stuck to my waffle iron.
Chris Taylor says
These are awesome. I subbed half hazelnut flour so then I felt obligated to add some cacao powder to the last batch. Should have added a little more milk, too, but they were still amazing.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
OMG. That has decadent amazingness written all over it – I need to try that next time!
Meike Glaser says
I just made these. Omg where have you been all my life almond waffles? So crispyand marzipany!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
So great to hear you love these waffles! 🙂
Tiffany K says
I made these tonight as Breakfast for Dinner. I was a few sprinkles shy of filling up my cup of almond flour so I subbed with a little coconut flour. And I used egg since it isn’t a dietary restriction for us. (No sticking in the waffle iron). I thought they were perfectly amazing alone and didn’t require any extra sweetener. My kids wanted a little honey because they aren’t aware waffles can be eaten without it, thanks to my husband.
My 5 year old said she liked them and I replied, “you like my dinner?!” She said, “Yes, for the first time ever!! So thanks for giving me a meal my kids will finally eat 😉
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
This makes us smile! Thank you so much for sharing that this was a winning recipe with you and your family! 🙂
Rachel says
Just made these, best waffles I’ve made and the perfect texture!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
We love hearing from our readers when they make a recipe and love it! Always makes our day so THANK YOU!
Melissa Stell says
I just found your recipe as I have just completed a 6 wk challenge and am continuing with the grain and dairy free eating plan. These turned out perfectly and so good—very light and crispy. I used eggs as I am not restricted from using them. I had absolutely no issues with sticking and I used a Belgian waffle maker as that is all I have. I did use a good amount of avocado oil to coat the waffle maker prior to making each waffle.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
So great to hear this recipe was a success and that they didn’t stick for you!
Cindy Teasley says
Wow!! These are delicious. I followed your recipe exactly and loved the results. They are so sweet I could literally just eat them as a cookie! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Cindy,
We’re so thrilled to hear that you loved these waffles.
Alessandra says
So good! I did sub dairy milk and eggs, so they weren’t vegan. I really like the recipe, used a small Belgian waffle maker so it cooks 3 small waffles at a time. I froze them and enjoyed 3 for breakfast, used the toaster to reheat and they were crispy.
Mel says
Thank you for this recipe! Have been searching for the perfect pancake recipe since going gluten free. I don’t like the texture of almond meal in pancakes but it’s perfect for waffles! I found a great waffle maker at a thrift shop. Your recipe is my new favourite weekend breakfast. 🙂
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Mel! I’m so thrilled to hear you love these waffles – and great job scoring a waffle maker at the thrift store!
Marie Nicole says
This recipe is amazing! I was nervous about substituting eggs with flax meal but I’m so glad I did. These are amazing! Thank you for posting this.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you, Marie! We’re so happy that you enjoyed them.
Ron says
Fantastic recipe! Just FYI for anyone looking to make this low carb/keto-friendly, we tested subbing out the cup of tapioca starch with Modified Wheat Starch (loads of extra fiber!), and the maple syrup with Lakanto maple syrup, and they came out perfectly! Yum!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Ron, so great to hear you enjoyed this recipe and thanks for noting the successful substitutions you made!
Susannah says
THE absolute best grain free waffles we’ve tried!! My 6-yr old son, who always asks for pancakes instead, exclaimed, “wow, these are delicious!” Thank you for this recipe!! I’m so glad finally to have a waffle go-to!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
So happy to hear you enjoy these waffles and found a recipe that your 6-year old approves of! 🙂
Ping says
Hi Jessica, I have type 2 diabetes, is there any way to substitute tapioca starch/flour which has high carbs content.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Ping,
I haven’t tried substituting anything for the tapioca starch entirely, though you may be able to reduce the amount of starch (say by 1/2 or 2/3) and still get a pretty good waffle. Let me know what you try if you tinker with the ratios of starch:almond flour or if you find something to replace it entirely.
Stacy says
I substituted 1/2 cup of rice flour for 1/2 of almond flour for extra density; also used Avocado oil instead of coconut oil. There was a bit of sticking on the waffle iron, but a slow open and a fork seemed to do that trick. Next time I might try chia seeds (egg replacement) instead. Any luck with with that change?
Yummy waffles. My 16 month old son loves them!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Stacy,
I’ve used both ground chia seeds and flax meal for this recipe and both worked well. The chia seeds so make the waffles a little grey which is why I usually opt for golden flax meal.
Mickey says
Made these a couple weeks ago, about to make some more!! I subbed almond extract for vanilla, and used Lakanto monkfruit syrup, and these tasted like candy, absolutely amazing. I had the worst experience with coconut flour waffles, and was suuuuuper paranoid, so I left them in for a while before taking them out. But they were perfect in my Belgian waffle maker. I kept them in the freezer and reheated using the toaster oven at work, they tasted fantastic. I use peanut butter and either banana or sunflower seeds.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Mickey,
I’m so glad you loved these! I love the idea of using almond extract and thanks for sharing your tip about using monkfruit syrup in place of the maple syrup for all of our readers who are looking to cut the carbs a bit.
Lisa Sommers says
This is a lovely recipe. I do not like to make substitutions for a new recipe, especially fiddly things like waffles, but I found we were sadly low on maple syrup and needed to save it for topping the waffles. I was afraid they would stick, but we had no choice, so we held our breath and used coconut palm sugar. They came out wonderfully. Crisp on the outside, but light and fluffy. They didn’t stick or tear, though they did take more work to pop off the iron than our typicical gluten free sprouted grain recipe. We will be using this again. Thanks for the work that went into finding the proper ratios!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Lisa,
Thank YOU for such a great review and for sharing how the coconut sugar worked for you. I’m so glad you enjoyed these!
Sam der says
I feel as this was a big wast of my food and time it stickes to the waffel maker, pancake maker and my skillet.
Rachel says
I tried a couple substitutions and shouldn’t have (cornstarch instead of tapioca, because that’s all I had, and a mashed ripe banana in place of the oil). I made a huge mess in my waffle maker, even after adjusting my greasing technique and the temperature/duration of cooking.
On the bright side, the batter tasted amazing even with the subs and I was able to salvage it to make some perfect pancakes in the skillet. So if you, like me, created a disaster, try turning it into pancakes!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Rachel,
I’m sorry to hear you had such a mess on your hands! But happy to hear this was one to those ‘Happy Kitchen Accidents’ that turned out to be delicious!
Sue Murray says
These were totally amazing!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Super great to hear!
Corinna says
Very good! I did make them with the eggs and everybody thought they tasted great. They were surprised when I told them what they were made from. My husband is very old school when it comes to his food and raved. Love that the sugar came from the maple syrup. I didn’t ha e any issues with sticking. Thank you for a more healthy option for my families breakfast.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome! Glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
Cat says
I never leave comments.
Also, most paleo / low carb / grain free breads and recipes suck balls.
But I don’t understand this recipe. HOW ARE THESE SO GOOD?! No, I mean it, I don’t understand how these work. Genuinely amazing.
I literally stood over my waffle maker and was flabbergasted.
I DID substitute some things but pretty much analogically to your ingredients. For anyone reading this, maybe it helps you: I used Bob’s unmodified potato starch (your original quantities for all these substitutions), real buttermilk, real eggs.
I used a little erythritol for a hint of sweetness. No vanilla. REFINED coconut oil that I whipped with the eggs. No maple syrup.
And mine did not stick at all. I didn’t use any spray either.
So, so, so good. I cannot.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Cat! So great to hear the waffles turned out for you. They are really quite delicious! We also appreciate you for sharing the substitutions you made and providing feedback that could be helpful for others who plan to make this recipe! Thank you.
Cathy says
I’m sorry but I was not impressed I had to throw everything away
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Cathy,
I’m sorry to hear this recipe did not work for you.
Vel says
Made these, totally loved them, nice and crispy. I used eggs instead of the flax seed meal.
Paige W says
Thank you!!!!! These are seriously delicious and such a treat for those us who can’t have eggs, gluten or dairy. I will be making threes for many years to come.
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome!!! We love hearing this.
Shannon says
The one time I would break down and eat flour used to be for waffles. Not anymore! Even my grain eating husband loves these! Thank you!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome!!! Love hearing this.
Nomita says
It was so delicious. Loved the texture and my kids said it was the best waffles ever! Win win😊
★★★★★
Vanessa says
These were delicious! I did use 1 cup of arrowroot powder instead of tapioca and eggs instead of flax. I also added butter instead of coconut oil. Just make sure you don’t get them too brown otherwise they taste like burnt popcorn. 🙂
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome! And thanks for sharing the changes you made!
Bernadette says
I’ve made these a few times now and they are a hit! I add one mashed banana to my mix making them even more delicious and flavorful. The great thing I love about this recipe is that any leftover mix I have can be refrigerated for at least up to a week and the waffles come out even more crispy the second time around. Making these again this morning subbing coconut flour for the almond flour as I am out. I hope they turn out just as good. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jessica Beacom says
Wow! I love the idea of adding mashed banana. I had no idea you could refrigerate the batter that long and still have a great waffle – thanks for the tip! Do let us know how the coconut flour works – I’m guessing it may yield a softer waffle but I’m curious as I’ve not tried them with coconut flour.
Bernadette says
Update: I was out of almond flour so I subbed coconut flour. These did not come out very well using coconut flour. I tried! 🙂 I won’t do that again! Great recipe as is.
Joy says
These tasted so good, but they stuck SO bad 🙁 I tried spraying the waffle iron with avocado oil, then I tried no spray, I tried cooking them longer, cooking them shorter, heating the iron hotter. No matter what I did, each waffle was a disappointing sticky disaster. It took me longer to scrape each waffle off of both sides than it did to cook them! I have no idea why this happened, but can only conclude for some reason that my waffle iron didn’t like this recipe. Sad, because it really does taste amazing! If you figure out why they stick so bad for some people and have suggestions, please update us. I’d love to try them again if I can figure out some adjustments to make 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Joy,
I’m so sorry to hear that these stuck for you (and for others). We’ve tested them repeatedly using many of the ‘tricks’ you did and for us, they don’t stick. I can only guess that it’s the waffle iron itself. We’ll keep trying them and update the recipe if we find a no-fail trick because as you said, they are so delicious.
Amanda Romey says
As a person who can’t eat gluten nor eggs I had high hopes for these waffles. I am not a picky eater at all and having food allergies makes me even more open to healthy things as I have forgotten what gluten, eggs, and processed sugar even tastes like. Also, I live in a country where the ingredients are hard to find and when available very expensive. But I was so excited to give it a run… to my dismay they weren’t great and stuck to the waffle iron so badly that I gave up and spent hours cleaning my waffle iron.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Amanda,
I’m sorry to hear that these waffles did not meet your expectations. We do have another gluten-free/egg-free waffle recipe here that you may enjoy: https://therealfoodrds.com/gluten-free-blender-waffles/
Aileen Choate says
Excellent waffles! I made these because they said crispy and the waffles turned out exactly as described. I usually make flour, yeast Belgian waffles; however, these waffles surpass any waffles I have ever made from scratch or in a box. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica Beacom says
Wow! Thank you, Aileen – that’s so great to hear. It’s not easy to beat a good yeasted Belgian waffle made with all-purpose flour.
Aileen Choate says
Making the second batch of crispy waffles. Husband loves them. Decided to make your chia cherry jam. Thank you again.
Sudha says
Hello I tried the recipe. Came out good but the taste of the baking soda was overwhelming. How can I reduce that.
★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Sudha,
You can simply cut the amount of baking soda in half.
Holly Higgins says
My favorite waffle! These turned out amazing!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you! We’re so glad you loved them.
Andy says
Hi Jessica,
I’m sorry, but something is terribly off with your recipie. It doesn’t work.
★
Jessica Beacom says
I’m sorry to hear that these did not work for you.
Misty Whitehead says
How do you think the batter would do in the fridge overnight if I wanted to pre make it for my kids to cook their own waffles in the morning (while I’m out running 😁)?
Jessica Beacom says
The batter can be made the night before though you may need to add a little extra liquid to the batter in the morning depending on how much it has thickened overnight.
Robert Maddalena says
Substituted avocado oil for the coconut oil. The waffles turned out fantastic, were more crispy and tasted better than any box mix I have ever used. I also had a small problem with the waffles sticking to a well-oiled waffle maker, but I could get the waffles to release without a whole lot of effort, and the waffles did not crumble. Saving this recipe for sure. Easily 5-stars
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
I’m so glad you loved these waffles!
Alicia says
This is a great recipe! The whole family eats them, 3 & 5 yr old selective eaters!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
AWESOME! Love hearing that.
Diane M. says
These are Absolutely Wonderful. Light, Crispy and Delicious!
I added toasted walnuts (folded in gently at the end) and made them on my belgian waffle maker.
I used 1/2 c per and it gave me 9.
Jessica Beacom says
I love the addition of walnuts! Thanks for sharing how you made them and the yield you got.
Ruth says
These are seriously some of the best waffles I’ve ever had including traditional!! I used chia which gave a nice pliable center and a truly crispy outside. Nice and thick and cooked evenly. Absolutely the best recipe.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Ruth! So glad you love them as much as we do!!
Sarah says
This recipe was so good and I’m grateful for the vegan option! I’ve been doing my best to avoid gluten and most grains lately, and these were so easy to make and very crispy. I didn’t have any issues whatsoever with sticking, and I just used a quick spritz of spray oil; I suspect that those who had issues may have waffle irons whose nonstick coating is a bit older or worn out. These also stayed crispy even after sitting out for awhile, whereas most waffles tend to get a little soggy after awhile.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Sarah, for your comment – I’m so glad you loved them. I agree that the sticking issue may be related to either worn out non-stick coating of the type of coating. I’m so glad you loved them!
Aimee says
These tasted good but made my waffle iron stick together like glue. I had to pry it open. I used coconut oil spray on the iron. Not sure what happen. I almost had to throw the iron away!
Ginny says
Even my family members who can eat gluten loved these better than our favorite go-to gluten based waffle recipe that we’ve been making for years. So excited to find a great gluten-free waffle recipe that my whole family can enjoy! Thank you!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
WOW! This might be the best comment we’ve ever gotten – thank you! That’s saying a lot because I remember how amazing ‘real’ waffles were before I had to give up gluten. Glad you love them!
Lauren in Austin says
Thank you for developing and publishing this recipe! I had been on prilosec for over 20 years for acid reflux. I cut out wheat from my diet and my reflux went away. But I get a craving for pancakes or waffles every now and then. This is marvelous!
I made it with regular milk and egg, and added some Himalayan pink salt. It came out absolutely delicious! Perfect crispy texture, slightly sweet. I halved the recipe and it made 2 very large 4-part waffles in my Oster waffle iron, and it took 1 cup of batter each. (A full recipe would have made 4.) They are VERY filling, due to higher fat content, but also far more satisfying than wheat waffles. WIN on all counts. I am thrilled. Thank you!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We’re so thrilled that you LOVE these waffles as much as we do. Thanks for sharing your substitutions and congrats on kicking acid reflux to the curb with a simple diet change!!
Denae says
I have made these twice! Delicious, and my whole family loves them! Thanks so much!
★★★★
Laurie says
Great recipe! These came out crispy yet fluffy and also filling. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
That’s great to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Harsha says
Dear Jessica,
Could you help me with the nutritional values of this?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Harsha,
The nutritional values are listed underneath the recipe for your convenience.
Jennifer says
We love these!! So yummy. Do you know if there’s a way to make this low carb? Replacing the tapioca with something less starchy? My uncle eats a low carb diet and I’d like to make them for him. Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Jennifer,
Although we haven’t tested them this way, you might be able to use almond flour in place of the tapioca but you’ll probably have to use eggs rather than a flax egg to help them hold together. If you do try making them low-carb we’d love to hear what you used and how they turned out!
Kim says
I never review recipes but needed to say thank you for this amazing recipe! I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in September, and transitioned to a Paleo diet. One of the things I missed the most was waffles – they were my go to breakfast almost every morning! I tried a couple different Paleo recipes and was disappointed every time…I figured I would have to live without waffles, until I found your recipe. They came out perfect on the first try, and the first bite was like heaven! I can’t wait to try making a more savory version to use for sandwiches. I was really craving something sweet tonight after dinner so I heated up a waffle with some maple syrup, dairy free chocolate chips, some crushed walnuts and coconut milk redi whip – it was SO good and saved me from eating something that would make me feel terrible later on. Thank you again!!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Kim,
THANK YOU for taking the time to share such a great review. I’m so thrilled that we could fill the waffle void for you!
Linda says
These look amazing!! Is there a substitute for tapioca starch in case I can’t find it before Saturday? Can’t wait to make these!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Linda,
Thank you! Corn starch or arrowroot starch should work (though we’ve not tested them with either)
laura says
I have never posted a comment on a recipe before, but I feel I need to let you know how much you’ve enriched my life with these waffles. I’m serious. I have major digestion issues with grains, but I LOVE waffles. I have tried several other grain-free recipes and always felt like I was settling — I particularly hate a limp, soggy waffle, but THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. They are honestly better than standard waffles in my opinion, and my partner, who can (and does) eat gluten all day, agrees (and he is not afraid to be honest when he hates my recipes). They withstand any amount of glop we want to pile on them, and are still somehow perfectly crispy. I am astonished every time. I made them for the first time last week, and have already made two more batches. I use arrowroot starch instead of tapioca (because my local grocery store stopped carrying tapioca), and I use one egg instead of the flax “egg.” As for the comments about them sticking, I have found that: 1. The waffle iron does not need to be greased – mine is pretty well seasoned so I don’t grease it at all. I wouldn’t add any grease unless it’s bone dry. And 2. The heat should be kept fairly low. If the waffle isn’t as crisp as I want it, I just leave it in the iron longer, never turn up the heat! This recipe seems to burn easily, and the iron temp I use is much lower than I have used for any other waffle recipe. I think both 1. and 2. are likely due to the amount of coconut oil in the batter (but I’m just guessing). Keeping these rules in mind, I have never once had a sticking issue with this recipe. Also, though I’d like to think this is obvious, don’t try to open the waffle iron prematurely, or it will definitely shred your waffle to pieces – but this is the case for any kind of waffle, even the standard glutenous kind. I know it can be defeating (and expensive) to try grain-free recipes just to have them fail miserably. If you’re feeling hesitant about this one, take the risk! I can’t imagine my life without these waffles now. Real Food Dietitians, you are heroes to everyone with grain problems!!! I look forward to trying your other recipes too! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Jessica Beacom says
Laura, you have no idea how happy this makes me! I agree with you on all of the points – well said. Thanks for taking a chance and I’m so thrilled that you love these waffles as much as we do!
Bernadette Austin says
Can you substitute any other flour? I’m allergic to almonds.
Stacie Hassing says
Hi there! This recipe has not been tested without almond flour. However, we do have another waffle recipe on our site that you might want to check out and that’s equally delicious and amazing. It’s made with oat flour – https://therealfoodrds.com/gluten-free-blender-waffles/
Lisa Gaines says
Made these waffles this past weekend… YUM! They turned out perfect!! Trying the meatballs this weekend. 😊
Thank you for the fabulous and healthy recipes.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Yay! I’m so glad you loved the waffles.
Evelyn says
Hi!
I have made these once, and they were delicious but stuck to the iron like crazy, resulting in a crumbled but yummy mess. Any idea why that happened? I followed the recipe exactly and even later added oil to the iron, but they still stuck.
Also, is there a way I can substitute granulated monk fruit for the maple syrup? I know it isn’t a liquid, but I wasn’t sure if it would work if I just added a little more milk or something. Thank you!
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Evelyn! Sorry to hear about the sticking. My suggestions for the sticking is to really spray the waffle iron with a cooking spray. I mean give it a really good spray. Also, make sure the waffles are fully cooked through before trying to remove from the iron. As far as the monk fruit substitute goes, you could certainly try that. You may need to add additional liquid of some sort such as the almond milk if the batter is too thick. Would love to hear how they turn out!
Fawn says
I really love the texture and flavor of these waffles. However, I have made them twice following the recipe exactly and have had to add 100g more almond flour to get the batter thick enough. Otherwise, it was too runny and wouldn’t cook up enough to touch the top of the waffle iron. No issues with sticking though! That must be dependent on the iron.
★★★★
Mandy Stetson says
These are amazing! I used cashew flour instead of almond & 2 eggs instead of flax egg. & you would have never known they weren’t “real” waffles.
★★★★★
Johanna W says
Literal game changer. Crispy, delicate, and tender work amazing flavor everyone loves, toddler approved as well!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Johanna! We’re so thrilled that you loved these as much as we do.
Shannon says
These look absolutely delicious and Im excited to make this for my family! Before I can do that, I need to purchase a waffle iron. Can I ask which brand you have to cook your waffles in? Thank You😊
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Shannon! I have a Cuisinart waffle iron. They all pretty much work the same though so when I purchased mine I went off of the reviews on amazon 🙂
Tracy says
We are always trying out new waffle recipes on the weekends, and this was the lightest and crispiest by far! Added cinnamon to the recipe, and they were delicious.
★★★★★
Jaclyn E Di Meglio says
Delicious! Added some lemon and wild blueberries too
★★★★★
Brixie says
These look beautiful! I love thin, crispy waffles, but I don’t have a waffle maker yet. Can you tell me what model waffle maker was used for the pictured waffles? They look thinner than most waffles I’ve seen. Thank you for all the great recipes!
Stacie Hassing says
Hi there! It’s a standard round waffles iron. Similar to this one: https://amzn.to/2R5cLe4 Enjoy!
Stephanie says
Oh my goodness! I don’t leave reviews on recipes very much, but these are the BEST grain free waffles I’ve ever had! They taste like Eggos! The only downside is there’s a lot of ingredients and time required.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
This is so great to hear! And yes, with them being grain-free AND egg-free a few extra ingredients were needed to get the right flavor and texture.
Mary says
Hello! Can I substitute chick pea flour or Teff flour or coconut flour for the almond flour?
Mary
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Mary,
We have not tested the recipe with either of those flours so we cannot say for sure if they would work. If you try using them, we’d love to know how it turns out.
Noor says
These are the BEST waffles, better than an regular unhealthy waffles. We refuse to make any other kind now!
★★★★★
Abby says
These waffles are the best Paleo waffles I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! They were crispy with a great texture and flavor.
★★★★★
Lindsay says
Can you substitute arrowroot starch for the tapioca starch?
Jessica Beacom says
Yes, you can.
Arianna says
These were amazing!!! We all loved them. My son has egg and dairy allergies so we followed the vegan version. The only change I made was to add a little cinnamon and mini chocolate chips. They were light and fluffy and just a little bit chewy. Absolutely no problem sticking!!! I love experimenting in the kitchen and have made and modified more recipes than I can count. We all agree these are definitely a keeper!!! 🙂
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
We’re so glad you loved these!!!
Rachel says
This is too thick, it’s like a dough what can I use to make better
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Rachel, I’m not sure why the batter would be so thick but you could add additional milk of choice if needing to thin it out a bit. Enjoy!
Michelle says
This was closest to typical “real” grain waffle that I have made. They turned out delicious and a crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Janet A Murphy says
I tried rice milk and acv…no gelling…
I tried oat milk…no gelling
WHY?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Janet,
What are you trying to gel? The flax meal + water creates a gel, not the milk + ACV. I hope that helps.
Geoff says
I can’t do nuts, but seeds are okay. How do you thinking subbing the almond flour for sunflower seed flour would turn out?
Jessica Beacom says
I think they would turn out fine. They may turn a little green or grey but it should work.
Jenny says
I’m allergic to coconut. Do you have an alternative to the oil that would work?
Jessica Beacom says
Butter, ghee or vegan ‘butter’ all work well.
Jenny says
These are soo amazing! I did have trouble like others with sticking with my regular waffle iron. I noticed while peeling them off they stuck less the longer I let them sit. I know with waffles you are supposed to wait until the steam is gone. You’ll for sure need to wait until all the steam is done for these and maybe a bit longer. The second time I didn’t have any sticking. I tried the last little batter on my Belgian waffle iron and there wasn’t an issue there at all. I think since they are thicker it’s easier for the waffle to hold together. I did replace the coconut oil with butter (I’m allergic to coconut) but I’d like a more healthier option if you can think of something else comparable. I also coated the waffle irons heavily with ghee bc I’d read the comments about sticking.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Jenny,
You’re right about letting them cook until the steam stops. Many waffle irons are programmed for a set cooking time which we’ve found doesn’t work with all recipes.
Lydia says
I’m just getting started on this recipe and hoping for the very best. They sound amazing and the alternate pancake worked out great! I’m concerned about all the sticking I read about. Fingers crossed! Can you explain direction #2. It states the milk and ACV should thicken and gel. I’m not seeing that happen yet and I’m past 15 min. I’ve used ACV before in many vegan recipeso but it’s normally in TBS vs.tbs. Also it normally changes the structure but I’ve never seen it gel together? Please help…anyone?
Lydia says
A follow up to my first comment. These turned out excellent and super crispy on the outside. One of my 2 kids liked them but it was just a matter of preference due to our usual oatmeal waffles. So my first comment referenced the almond milk & acv mixture. After 20 min the texture changed slightly but was not gelled like the direction mentions. It took on more of a slight “buttermilk” state. Not sure what was supposed to happen at this stage. I used butter not ghee to “season” or “oil” the waffle maker. My usual go to is olive oil but that normally causes sticking as well. After reading all the comments, I felt prepared to tackle the sticking. First started with the butter (ghee in some comments), once the waffle was ready, I waited till all the steam had surpassed before opening. After the first waffle (stuck) this method worked on the next 4. I did have to use a fork to coax off one side but it popped right out. No tugging or tearing. My batter was comparable to the thickness of pancake batter. It made 5 full waffles. I noticed when I allowed the batter to slightly spill over into each triangle and connect together it pulled out most easily. These are definitely a light, crispy, almond flavor waffle. It is definitely a recipe we will keep at our fingertips! Thank you from a mom always on the search for new recipes! My kids are allergic to eggs, gluten, wheat, barley, rice, casein and much more! Such a feeling of joy when you can make them “real” food!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
This is great, Lydia – thank you so much for sharing! The almond milk + ACV mixture doesn’t always ‘gel’ depending on the almond milk (if it has any additives, how thick it is, etc.) so I wouldn’t worry about that too much. The point is that you’re adding an acid to the batter that along with the baking powder creates the leavening effect that you’d otherwise get with eggs.
Natalie says
These look amazing! Do you have a recommendation for a waffle iron? I’m in desperate need of a new one and these look like the perfect size.
Stacie Hassing says
Here is one on amazon that is similar to what we have: https://amzn.to/2EIBUbd (affiliate).
Sheriden says
These waffles are THE BEST! I have made these a number of times now for friends that are gluten-free/vegan/lectin-free etc and they always turn out freaking amazing. This is by far my favourite waffle recipe. They turn out crispy on the outside and soft within, and you can’t tell they are gluten free! I absolutely love your recipes Real Food RDs <3
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Awwwwwww!!! We love this! Thank you!!
Colleen Mc Ginn says
Excellent recipe. FYI for others I have used potato and arrowroot starch as a sub and it worked fine. Ty ty ty
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks for the hot tip about potato and arrowroot starch being a suitable substitution for tapioca starch. We’ve updated the recipe notes with this.
Geoff says
I think there’s a typo. On the ingredients 2 cups of almond flour is listed as 172 grams when it should be 240. Not a huge deal, but it could mess up some people’s recipes.
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Geoff! We actually used the weights suggested by the King Arthur Baking Test Kitchen who rigorously tested the recipe after we submitted. I’ve used anywhere from 172g (as listed) to just over 200g and haven’t found that there was a significant effect on the outcome so the measurement is more of a suggestion for those who are newer to baking or using alternative flours.