Though My Beloved and I love waffles, until this recipe I dreaded making them. The reason was quantity. Easily warmed in the toaster straight from the freezer, they’re the perfect leftover. But you’re still making one waffle at a time then keeping the ready ones warm in the oven till all are done. Planning to enjoy them while watching “CBS Sunday Morning” seems like you won’t sit till the evening’s “60 Minutes.”
This adaptation of Vegan Whole Grain Waffles from the Minimalist Baker is perfect for two brunchers. It makes three waffles, either square or round, maybe 1-2 more quarters. (As dishwasher as well as cook, I prefer underfilling the waffle iron!) That extra easily is scissored into its sections, frozen on a plate then bagged to tuck into the freezer.
These are whole grain, vegan, with minimal sweetener and oil. Sugar is necessary for proper browning, and oil in the batter works better than spray oil to preserve the nonstick coating of the iron.
Wet Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon egg replacer powder OR ground flaxseed
- 1 cup plant milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1 lunchbox applesauce mini-cup)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, any kind
- 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Grated zest of 1 orange, optional
- Extra plant milk
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (152 grams)
- 1/4 cup rolled oats (22 grams)
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar OR “raw” sugar (36 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Combine egg replacer or ground flax seed with water in a 16- to 32-ounce measuring cup. Let mixture thicken at least 5 minutes while gathering other ingredients.
- Preheat electric waffle iron. Preheat oven to 250 degrees with cookie sheet on a rack.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients — except “extra plant milk” — to the “egg” in the measuring cup and mix well.
- Combine thoroughly, in a medium to large mixing bowl, the dry ingredients.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the mixing bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. If needed, stir in extra plant milk 1 Tablespoon at a time for melted milkshake consistency.
- Spoon some batter (about 3/4 cup) into the waffle iron, close and cook 4-6 minutes. If iron won’t open easily, cook another minute. Transfer waffle to cookie sheet in oven to stay warm while baking remaining waffles. This recipe makes 3, maybe enough batter for a partial fourth waffle.
Notes
- Neutral salad oil is best. Olive oil is fine as well because the overall flavors will mask it. Toasted sesame oil or similar oils, however, would be awful.
- Waffle batter tends to be thicker than pancake batter, but hedging toward thinner lets these waffles brown more evenly.
- For the sake of your waffle iron and patience in cleaning later, do not add fruit or nuts to the batter but spoon over the baked waffle as desired.
- The spoon of oil can be omitted from the batter if you brush a little oil to the iron before filling using a pastry brush made of silicone bristles so it won’t burn. But you end up using about the same amount of oil.
