These gluten free waffles are magic: made with almond flour and eggs, they’re so fluffy your friends and family won’t believe they’re gluten-free!
These fluffy gluten free waffles are magic. They are all things a waffle should be: lightly sweet, tender and fluffy on the inside, and crispy on the outside. But instead of refined flour and sugar, these waffles have a simple, whole food base: almond flour and eggs. Magic, right? Keep reading for the secret behind this gluten free waffles magic trick!
Want vegan? Try our Best Vegan Waffles.
About the book: The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook
We can’t take credit for these amazing gluten free waffles—it’s all Laura Lea. Do you know the website Laura Lea Balanced and The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook? If not, it’s high time you do! Laura Lea is a holistic chef and recipe developer based in Nashville. She and I connected via a mutual friend and immediately hit it off. You know those people where you know they are “good people” after about two minutes of chatting with them? That’s Laura Lea. She’s incredibly supportive, genuine, and 100% passionate about good, healthy food.
One of the things I love about Laura Lea’s cookbook is that the recipes are all approachable and delicious, not aspirational. Her focus is eating real food and lots of it, including healthier versions of the Southern favorites she grew up with. Her book includes meat, fish, and lots of veggies: so it’s got a little of something for everyone. That’s where these gluten free waffles come in!
Gluten free waffles ingredients
These fluffy gluten free waffles are even fluffier, lighter and cinnamon-ier than I imagined they would be. Alex, Larson, and I gave them three enthusiastic thumbs! Most waffles are made with refined flour and sugar, then doused with fake maple syrup and powdered sugar. That equals one thing: food coma + energy crash. So to make a whole food take, these gluten free waffles are low in sugar and high in both fiber and protein.
The secret: almond flour instead of refined flour! Almond flour is typically very dense: however, the magic here is whipping egg whites into a frothy foam that’s folded into the batter. What results is a lightly fluffy dream, not what you would expect of almond flour at all! (Want more with almond flour? We’ve got 10 easy almond recipes for you to try.)
We topped these amazing gluten free waffles with a bit of our new rhubarb compote recipe, which brings in a vibrant hot pink color and tangy flavor. And to cut the sweet, a dollop of creamy yogurt. A little goes a long way with the rhubarb compote, so you can be light-handed when you’re topping. You could also stir in some fresh blueberries before cooking them, like in our blueberry waffles! Or top with strawberry sauce to make strawberry waffles.
How to make gluten free waffles
These fluffy gluten free waffles are made just like regular waffles! Simply whisk together the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, and beat the egg whites to soft peaks in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, then carefully fold in the whipped egg whites. Cook the waffles in a waffle iron according to package instructions.
Note that it’s so important to slowly and carefully fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. If you stir the mixture too vigorously, you’ll knock the air out of the egg whites and your waffles will turn out flat. You also don’t want to over whip the egg whites; you want soft peaks, which looks like a white foam.
How to freeze waffles
If you’re a gluten free waffles fanatic or just need a quick, healthy breakfast option on hand, I suggest making a double batch of these waffles and freezing them for later. Freezing waffles couldn’t be simpler! To freeze these gluten free waffles, first let them cool completely on a wire rack (this prevents the bottoms from steaming and getting soggy). Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, stack the waffles in a freezer-safe baggie and freeze for later.
When you’re ready to eat the gluten free waffles, just pop them into the toaster and cook them on a low setting two or three times. Cooking them for longer on a lower heat warms the waffles all the way through without scorching the outside.
Buy the book:
Get a copy! The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook
Looking for more waffle toppings?
What else to put on these gluten free waffles? Try a few of these ideas:
- Strawberry Sauce
- Blueberry Sauce
- Berry Compote
- Chia Cranberry Jam
- Chai Chia Tart Cherry Jam
- Rhubarb Chia Jam
- Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter
This gluten free waffles recipe is…
Gluten-free, dairy-free (see sub below), vegetarian, and naturally sweet.
Print
Gluten Free Waffles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 (2 Belgian waffles) 1x
Description
These gluten free waffles are magic: made with almond flour and eggs, they’re so fluffy your friends and family won’t believe they’re gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 1 teaspoon for waffle maker if necessary (or sub coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
- ½ cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Rhubarb compote, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- If your waffle maker doesn’t have a nonstick surface, grease with 1 teaspoon melted butter or coconut oil. Heat according to manufacturer directions.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot starch or cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, melted butter, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, approximately 1 minute. Soft peaks hold for a second, then fall back onto themselves. This will look like a light white foam.
- Stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the egg whites until just incorporated.
- Add the batter for one waffle to the waffle maker and cook until lightly brown (a standard circle size waffle maker makes 4 and a Belgian waffle maker makes 2). Gently remove and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately. If desired, serve with rhubarb compote.
Notes
Waffles will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 2 days. Reheat them in a 300ºF oven until softened and warm to the touch. You can also freeze them up to 1 month. Reprinted with permission from The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook by Laura Lea Goldberg
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gluten free waffles, waffle recipe
Looking for more gluten free breakfast recipes?
Looking for more gluten free breakfast recipes? Outside of these gluten free waffles, here are some of our favorite gluten free breakfasts:
- Apple Gluten-Free Oatmeal Muffins
- Acai Bowl Recipe
- Pistachio Honey Gluten Free Donuts
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Gluten Free Banana Muffins
- Healthy Banana Bread
- The Best Cup of Coffee: Chemex, Aeropress, Cold Brew & Iced Coffee
- Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Mascarpone
- Lemon Poppy Seed Oat Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Pistachio Honey Doughnuts
- How to Make the Best Instant Oatmeal
- Healthy Granola Recipe
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns or Homemade Hash Browns
Hi There! Do you have a suggestion for an egg-free version of this recipe?? Thanks!
Hi Bre! I talked to Laura Lea, the recipe author, and she cautioned that an egg sub might not work due to the nature of grain free flours. You could try a flax egg, it just might not be as fluffy! Let us know if you do.
Do you the batter will still be as fluffy if made the night before?