The easiest healthy waffle recipe bursting with citrus! Made with almond and oat flour and a hint of orange juice and zest, these healthy almond orange oat waffles are freezer friendly and so easy to make! This recipe is vegan and easily gluten free.
Easy Weekend Mornings
Easy weekend mornings start with a hearty breakfast. Waffles are a quintessential weekend breakfast food, but I avoided them for years because all the white flour waffle recipes typically have in them. I prefer to save white flour for cake, pie, or cinnamon rolls, if at all possible.
Waffles made with oat and almond flour are a whole grain and protein filled way to start the day without refined flour. I love how these flours transform into flavorful healthy waffles with a tender crumb. Freezer friendly and so convenient, these waffles are whipped up in a blender (or food processor) and they couldn’t be easer to make!
Ingredients for these Healthy Waffles
Pantry staples with fresh orange and a banana, these waffles come together quick. Here’s what you’ll need to make em:
- Rolled Oats – gluten free if needed
- Almond Flour
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Banana
- Plant Milk – I like homemade cashew milk
- Fresh Orange Juice and Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder and Soda
- Maple Syrup
- Favorite Yogurt – optional for topping
How to Make Almond Orange Waffles
Healthy waffles are like eating a bowl of oatmeal in waffle form; oatmeal waffles anyone? This easily gluten free vegan waffle recipe is so simple to make, even if you’re still in that sleepy zone. Use a blender or food processor to whip these oat waffles up in no time!
- First, to the bowl of a food processor or pitcher of a blender, add the oats, almond flour, orange juice, zest, milk, banana, vanilla, maple, salt and baking powder/soda.
- Next, blend until the ingredients are smooth and completely incorporated. The batter will be thick.
- Last, bake in a waffle iron.
Place the waffles in a warm oven until ready to share. They’ll crisp up a bit while in the oven. Lightly crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside with all those nooks and crannies to fill with warm maple syrup and your favorite toppings. Add extra orange slices on top or fresh berries when in season!
A Few Healthy Waffle Recipe Notes
- High Speed Blender or food processor? – either will work for this healthy waffle recipe. The food processor leaves the batter not as smooth as the blender, but the results after baking are delicious! I’ve included details on how to process the ingredients using either machine in the recipe.
- For gluten free waffles, use gluten free certified oats. I like Bob’s Red Mill.
- Freezer Friendly? Yes please! Simply cool the waffles completely, stack one on top of the other, slide into a storage container then freeze for up to two weeks. They can be toasted from freezer to toaster (I use a toaster oven).
- Some waffle irons require oil before baking. The waffle iron I use (and loooove) does not – it has a non stick surface. To reduce the chance of sticking waffles (other than using a nonstick waffle maker), make sure the waffle iron is fully preheated before adding the batter, oil or butter the iron throughly and no peeking before they’re done baking. If anything, give the owners manual a once over to see the particular needs of your iron. Food 52 has a discussion on the topic. And note, there is no oil added to this recipe.
the recipe
Healthy Almond Orange Oat Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 C (175g) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats gluten free if needed
- 3/4 C (85g) Almond Flour
- 1 (150g) Medium Banana soft and with plenty of brown spots
- 3 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3/4 C (180g) Plant Milk I use homemade cashew milk
- Orange Zest from one large orange, two if you have it
- 1/2 C (140g) Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice from one large orange
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions, including whether to oil/butter the iron or not (see note). Preheat the oven to 185F (85C) and place a sheet pan in the oven.
- A. For the Blender (I use VitaMix): To the blender container add the oats, almond flour, apple cider vinegar, banana, milk, orange juice, zest, vanilla extract, maple syrup, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend for one minute on medium to medium high. The batter will be thick and completely smooth. ORB. For the Food Processor (I use a 12 C bowl): To the work bowl with the S attachment, add the oats, almond flour, apple cider vinegar, banana, milk, orange juice, zest, vanilla extract, maple syrup, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whirl for 2.5-3 minutes scraping the bowl down once during processing. The batter will be thick and not quite completely smooth.
- Scoop out 1/3 C of batter and pour into the waffle iron. Bake until golden (according to manufacturer's directions). Mine take about 8-9 minutes to bake and they're dark. Gently remove the waffles using a fork and place them on the sheet pan in the preheated oven. Finish baking the remaining batter.
- Share with butter, real maple syrup and/or a dollop of your favorite unsweetened yogurt. I like to add orange zest and a touch of maple to yogurt and then dollop it on top of the waffles.
- To Freeze: Allow the waffles to cool completely before storing them in a storage container. They can stack one on top of another - freeze for up to two weeks (beyond that and I start getting freezer burn unless individually wrapped). From the Freezer: Bake at 300F (150C) for about 8-10 minutes or until warmed through or toast on the toaster setting in a toaster oven. Keep an eye on them so they don't get too dark.
