Protein Waffles

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Gluten free, paleo friendly waffles that taste great and pack a protein punch!

Waffles.  What’s not to love about them.  My love affair with waffles started early and is one of the only food favorites that survived from my childhood through to adulthood.  They were a highly coveted (though sadly infrequent) offering in my house while I was growing up.  The first housewarming gift my parents gave me when I moved out was a waffle iron – true story.

Fair to say I love waffles.

Problem was, they didn’t exactly fit into any sort of healthy eating regimen.  Loaded with highly refined bleached white flower, refined sugar and then covered with even more sugar / glucose – they contributed to my body’s fat reserves in a big way every time I ate them.

So, sadly I parted ways with my childhood sweetheart and my prized waffle iron sank to the lonely back corner of my kitchen pantry.

But as fate would have it my waffle iron would have its renaissance and from the most unlikely of sources, the local health food store.  Gluten free, high protein flours and other ingredients not even in production when my waffle iron was forged in the fires of the Sears fabrication plant are now (thankfully) readily available.

And so, with great pleasure and in as dramatic fashion as I can muster – I pass to you my new, high protein, low carb waffle recipe!  Its loaded with protein, its very low carb (Paleo friendly) and tastes great!  Its no Sunday at IHOP but with a bit of practice you can get it close.

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill* found at COMMUNITY NATURAL FOODS)
  • Coconut flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill* found at COMMUNITY NATURAL FOODS)
  • NutraCleanse (or other fiber rich flax blend – this part is completely optional – just use a bit more almond flour and coconut flour if you want to omit the NutraCleanse.) (I use Bob’s Red Mill* found at COMMUNITY NATURAL FOODS)
  • Vanilla whey protein
  • Baking powder
  • Eggs
  • Almond milk (unsweetened vanilla or unsweetened original)
  • Cinnamon
  • Raw, full flavor coconut oil (as spread)

Here’s how to put it all together: 

 Step 1:  In a bowl combine dry ingredients as follows:

  • 1 heaping tablespoon of almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of coconut flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of Nutracleanse (or other fiber rich flax blend)
  • ½ scoop of vanilla whey protein
  • ½ teaspoon of baking powder
  • A few dashes of cinnamon powder to taste

Sift / mix these dry ingredients together thoroughly before continuing.

(If you don’t want to use Nutracleanse, you can omit it and just use larger portions of both the almond and coconut flour.)

Step 2:  Add wet ingredients

  • Add 2 egg whites (or 1 already beaten whole egg).
  • Add 3 tablespoons (roughly) of unsweetened almond milk

Mix in the wet ingredients, adding additional almond milk if needed to make a thicker batter.

*Tip:  Use a folding motion to mix in the wet ingredients vs aggressively mixing them and don’t overmix.  This will help create a lighter, fluffier batter and finished waffle.

Step 3:  Cook!

  • Heat up your waffle iron and coat with a thin layer of coconut oil
  • Add roughly half of your batter to the waffle iron and cook.

Typically waffle irons will have a ‘done’ light so you’ll know when to take them off.  If your waffle iron doesn’t have ‘done’ indicator light, these waffles typically are done once they stop emitting steam while being cooked in a waffle maker.  If you’re using a frying pan, fry each side until lightly brown and slightly crispy on the outside.

Step 4:  Enjoy!

  • While still hot spread on some full flavor coconut oil for extra flavor.

Optional Step 5: ‘Frosting!’

If you feel like you’d like something to top your waffle with in addition to coconut oil, try some almond butter or peanut butter OR try this ‘frosting’ recipe.

In a small bow combine:

  • 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of whey protein
  • 1 tablespoon of almond milk to thin out

Mix together and drizzle over your waffle!

(If your waffles comes out a bit dry, they’re just a bit overcooked.  If you take them off the griddle at the right time they’ll be light and moist.)

That’s it!  This is a quick and easy recipe to whip up and takes very little time to cook as well.  They taste great and will fuel your muscles and metabolism without adding to your waistline.

Enjoy and tell us what you think!