I treated myself to a waffle maker recently but worried about whether it would be a novelty gadget that would sit on my counter gathering dust.
As it transpires, I’ve had the opposite problem! Making waffles at home is incredibly fun and easy and they taste infinitely better than frozen ones so I’ve been making them regularly. However there’s nothing like baking something from scratch to make you realise how much unhealthy stuff goes into it.
Standard waffles contain a big slab of butter and quite a lot sugar too, so I knew that I’d have to come up with a healthier recipe in order to keep enjoying them. In a case of perfect timing, Holland and Barrett invited me to go ‘Coco Loco’ and create a recipe using their coconut range* and I decided that coconut oil would be a perfect ingredient for my healthier batter, so I set about experimenting.
I don’t actually like the taste of coconut, but since discovering that coconut oil doesn’t actually taste of it I’ve become a complete convert. There are so many benefits to using coconut oil that I could write a whole post just on that subject, but in a nutshell it’s:
What I’ve created is a super quick and easy to make batter. It produces gluten free waffles which are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside – just as I think waffles should be.
I’ve added in chia seeds and used raw honey to give an extra energy boost to the recipe which makes my waffles a perfect post workout breakfast or lunch.
Makes 2 round waffles (which can be cut into four quarters)
75g rolled oats
30g cornflour
1tsp baking powder (make sure to check that it’s gluten free as some contain wheat)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chia seeds
90ml low fat vanilla yoghurt (I used this one from Onken)
3.5 tbsps coconut oil (melted and allowed to cool slightly if solid in pot)
1 egg
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Use a food processor/blender to whizz your rolled oats into a fine flour, then add this to a mixing bowl with the cornflour, baking powder, salt and chia seeds.
Pour the yoghurt, coconut oil, egg, honey and vanilla extract into the food processor/blender and again whizz them together just long enough to combine them all, then make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mix.
Fold the mix together and give it a good stir until all combined. Don’t use a food processor for this bit, it will only take a minute and the right consistency is when it’s a bit lumpy and resembles porridge.
Preheat your waffle iron and brush on a little extra coconut oil to prevent any sticking. Add half of the mixture and cook your waffle as per your waffle maker’s instructions until golden brown, then repeat with the second waffle.
I like to top mine with a dollop of natural yoghurt, fresh strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup!
I used the Sage No Mess Waffle Maker by Heston Blumenthal. It’s expensive at £90 and you can buy much cheaper models, but I was persuaded by the reviews on this one. I’m really happy with it as it has produced perfect waffles every single time and there is very little clean up involved. It’s also got 6 heat settings so I can make N’s how he likes them: light golden brown and then do mine for longer as I prefer them to be extra crispy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you try it out please send me a picture by tagging me on Twitter or Instagram @lovedbylaurac – I’d love to see what you come up with!
*Thanks go to Holland and Barrett who supplied me with the chia seeds, rolled oats, coconut oil and maple syrup from their fabulous food range so that I could experiment until I got my recipe just right!
