The Best Light and Fluffy Vegan Waffle Recipe
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This is the best vegan waffle recipe to make on the weekends or for holiday brunch and comes together with just a few simple pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand.
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Having a vegan waffle recipe on hand for weekend breakfast is definitely a staple you don’t want to miss!
This recipe has the perfect balance of fluffiness on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside, making it the ideal waffle for loading up with berries, nuts, whipped topping, and lots of pure maple syrup.
The excited look on your crew’s face when you tell them you’re making waffles for breakfast will be priceless, and they never have to know it’s a healthy vegan waffle. Believe me – the flavor definitely will not give it away!
Whether I am whipping up a batch of homemade waffles or these Berry Overnight Oats, I love to start my family’s day off right with a tasty recipe!
Waffles are pretty much the same as pancakes, but they’re like an upgraded version. They’re like pancakes but with more features.
Think about it. Pancakes don’t have little compartments to hold all your things.
Pancakes don’t have perforated lines showing you exactly where to cut if you want to divide them in half or even in fourths.
Waffles are the literal upgrade to pancakes, and I am here for it!
Ingredient Spotlight
So what goes into the best vegan waffle to make it so perfect?
Almond milk – The first sub we’re making to a traditional waffle recipe is to use a non-dairy milk. I like using unsweetened almond milk, but you can sub in soy or oat milk here instead. Or even a vanilla almond milk for more flavor.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Mixing this to the almond milk is going to add an acidity, resulting in something very similar to buttermilk. This is what helps create a fluffy waffle once it reacts with the baking powder. You could also sub lemon juice here instead.
Ground Flax Seed – My favorite sub for eggs is to make a flax egg, combining ground flax with water and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s good and goopy. Make sure you’re using ground flax, not the whole seeds. Chia seeds could work here as well, as they also create a goopy texture once soaked in water.
All Purpose Flour – You could also use whole wheat pastry flour here. Or if you need to make this gluten free, many people have had success with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour.
Coconut Oil – Melted coconut oil is usually my oil of choice for baking. If you’d like to make this oil free, you can sub in applesauce, but you won’t get as much of an outer crisp.
These ingredients are so simple to put together, you barely need to be awake to make the magic happen. Get the coffee poured, and start sipping, and you’ll be ready to serve these up in no time.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Vegan Waffles
Step 1 – In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes.
Step 2 – In a separate small bowl, combine flax seed with water to form a “flax egg.” Set aside for 5 minutes until gooey and gelatinous.
Step 3 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Step 4 – Pour in the milk mixture, flax mixture, coconut oil, and vanilla. Stir together until just combined.
Step 5 – Allow to rest for optimum fluffiness.
Step 6 – Cook batter in waffle maker per instructions
This Vegan Waffle Recipe is everything you’ve ever needed when it comes to comfort food:
- super budget friendly
- uses pantry staples you probably already have
- doesn’t taste healthy or vegan
- appeals to all crowds – vegan or otherwise
- the perfect carrier for as many toppings you want to pile on
Insider Pro Tips
Don’t Over mix
You really want to be sure you’re mixing just until you can’t see any dry ingredients left. Over mixing would cause too much gluten to form, resulting in a tough and chewy waffle, and no one wants that!
Prep the Waffle Iron
This may sound like a no-brainer, but you want to be sure the waffle iron is on and preheated before pouring the batter in. Also be sure to give it a quick spray even if it has a non-stick surface. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to scrape waffles out of my waffle maker because I forgot to spray it. The oil spray will also help with the crispiness.
How to Know When they’re Done
This one is so important. I’m telling you – do not trust the indicator on your waffle maker. It doesn’t know. It is only a machine, and you are smarter than that.
What you want to do is make sure no more steam is coming from the waffle maker. At that point, you will know that all the moisture has been cooked out and your waffle is ready to carefully remove.
Prepping the Ingredients
Two tips for your ingredients. 1 – sift the flour to ensure light and fluffiness. 2 – make sure your wet ingredients are room temperature. The water, the milk, applesauce if you’re subbing that in for oil. If they are cold, your coconut oil is going to solidify, and that’s just calling for a mess of clumped oil and probably a failed recipe.
Don’t Stack
Want your vegan waffles to keep their crisp factor? Don’t stack them! I know – they look so pretty stacked up high like in my pictures, but I’m telling you – do as I say, not as I do.
Stacking your warm waffles will create condensation and moisture between each other and all that nice crisp will be gone in no time.
Instead…
Keep ’em Warm
I think the best way to keep your waffles warm while maintaining the crisp is to place them on a large baking sheet in a single layer in a 200° oven while you’re finishing up the rest of the waffles.
Storing & Freezing Vegan Waffles
I love this recipe for meal prep because of how easy they are to freeze. Wait for them to completely cool, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months!
When you’re ready to eat them, just pop them out and throw ’em in the toaster to crisp up.
If you’re looking to just store the leftovers, place completely cooled waffles in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They will not stay crisp, but that’s nothing a toaster can’t solve!
Toppings & Add-ins
Breakfast food is the best because of how customizable they are.
If you’d like to go nuts, feel free to add additional ingredients into your batter:
- chocolate chips
- blueberries
- bananas
And the possibilities are endless for topping these bad boys:
- Almond Butter
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Chocolate Syrup if you’re feeling craaaazy
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- All the berries
- Sunflower Seeds
- Peanut Butter
- Fresh Jam
- Fruit Compote
- Cookie Crumble
- Donuts (ok girl, you’ve gone too far…)
I mean, I could go on. You do you boo.
Vegan Waffles FAQs
What brand of waffles are vegan? Are Eggo Waffles vegan?
There are a few brands of frozen waffles that are vegan. Trader Joe’s has one. Nature’s Path has quite a few flavor varieties. Kashi and Van’s are also vegan options. But no, Eggo waffles contain egg – hence the name – and milk in most of their frozen waffle varieties.
Can I make these plant based waffles oil free?
Yes! If you’d like to omit the oil, feel free to add unsweetened applesauce instead. They just may not be as crispy as you’d like.
Why do my waffles split in half when I open the waffle maker?
This is happening because your batter isn’t cooked all the way through. Do not trust the indicator light on your waffle maker. Watch the steam coming out of the waffle maker. Once it stops steaming, that’s how you know they’re ready, and they shouldn’t split in half at that point.
Looking for more Vegan Breakfast Recipes?
Vegan French Toast
Tofu Scramble Recipe
Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Vegan Breakfast Casserole
Vegan Banana Pancakes
Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
Vegan Breakfast Sausage
Vegan Omelette
Whole Wheat Vegan Pancakes
Vegan Breakfast Hash
Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies
Now that you know how to easy it is to make this vegan waffle recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment letting me know how it turned out for you.
Light and Fluffy Vegan Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- whipped coconut cream
- berries
- maple syrup
- nuts and seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- In a small bowl or jug, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the flax seed with 3 Tablespoons of water. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Pour in the milk mixture, flax mixture, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
- Mix together, but do not over mix. Allow to rest 5 minutes.
- Cook about 1/2 cup batter in the preheated waffle maker, according to your waffle maker's instructions.
- Once the waffles are cooked, add your toppings and serve.
The waffles were delicious. And putting them in the oven for a bit was a pro tip. Made them crispy and yummy.
Can I use this same batter to make pancakes?