I’ve been making these waffles since I was a kid. So I was very happy to find that when I started to eat clean, I only had to make a few small alterations to the recipe to “clean it up”.
You see, my grandmother always taught me to cook by instinct, not by recipes. I had to learn to measure my ingredients when I started publishing this blog. I made this waffles on the weekends for my grandmother and I while my mom was at work. Sometimes, I would use the batter to make pancakes, but most often, I would make waffles.
I would pull my grandmother’s big, yellow mixing bowl out of the cupboard, gather my ingredients and start mixing until I had the right consistency. I would imagine that I used slightly different measurements each time. You can’t help but do that when you don’t measure, I suppose. But eventually, I started measuring so that I could share the recipe here and it’s been a good solid recipe for me ever since.
These waffles have a heavier, more dense texture than the very light and fluffy ones you pop in a toaster these days. But they are tasty and very filling, and much higher in protein to boot.
Make a big batch for busy mornings and you’ll be out the door in no time with a delicious breakfast in your belly!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 cups milk (non-dairy milk works fine too)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
Preheat your waffle maker. It should be the non-stick variety, or you'll have nothing but frustration since this recipe uses no fat at all. That being said, if you don't have a non-stick iron, spray well with oil.
Whisk the flour in a large mixing bowl with the baking powder.
Add your milk to the flour, then the egg whites.
Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon, and blend vigorously with a whisk until you have a nice, smooth batter.
Using a ladle, pour your batter into your waffle maker, and cook until golden brown.
Top these waffles with nuts, fruit, honey, maple syrup or anything your diet allows. They're yummy and really filling.
Storage: If you end up with more than you can eat (and you probably will), just pop them in the freezer. They make a quick, make-ahead breakfast when you can just pop them in the toaster. Once these have cooled, place small pieces of parchment paper between each waffle and place a stack of them in a Tupperware container or large Ziplock bag. Keeps in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Hillary says
October 16, 2009 at 3:15 pmThese look like great healthy waffles! Thanks for sharing – You should submit this recipe to Recipe4Living.com! 🙂
Natalie says
October 16, 2009 at 7:24 pmYou mean I can have homemade waffles while trying to eat healthy? Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
The Gracious Pantry says
October 22, 2009 at 10:23 pmI know! Right? I love these waffles. And they are so much more filling than regular ones.
Let me know how they turn out for you!
Tiffany
Asperger Ninja says
May 26, 2010 at 8:59 amClean eating waffles that aren’t full of stuff?! That are good for me and for my son? Sign me up!
The Gracious Pantry says
May 26, 2010 at 9:44 amLet me know how they turn out for you! I love to get feedback!
Cory Barton says
June 25, 2010 at 9:45 amYum! Made these this morning. I made a half-batch, left in the egg yolk, just so as not to waste it (one egg yolk divided by four waffles isn’t too bad). Due to my normal waffles recipe’s directions, I separated the egg white from the rest of the mix, whipped it up to soft peaks, then folded it into the rest of the mixture.
Topped mine with nonfat yogurt, sliced banana, and a drizzle of locally-made honey from the last orchard left here in the urban-sprawl of San Jose. The honey (since his orchard is full of berries and rockfruit) has some delicious blackberry and peach undertones right now. Yum! Terrific breakfast, and these waffles taste just as good as my old (butter-filled, ack) recipe.
The Gracious Pantry says
June 25, 2010 at 12:23 pmCory – That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’ll have to try your trick (whipping the egg whites) next time I make them. Sounds like it might add some nice texture.
Thanks for sharing!
Erica says
February 27, 2011 at 9:12 amThese are WONDERFUL!! My kids LOVE waffles and I have been wanting to find a healthy alternative to the frozen ones. I made these this morning and they were awesome! No more frozen boxed waffles in this house!! Thank you so much!
I found your blog a couple weeks ago and can not peel myself away from it. There are so many recipes that I can’t wait to try! Converting my family to a clean eating lifestyle is a work in progress and your blog will be a HUGE help, thank you so much!
The Gracious Pantry says
February 27, 2011 at 9:40 amErica – Thank you so much! I’m happy you’re enjoying my blog! I find that kids and husbands are the toughest critics. So if they like it, then it must be a winner! Ha ha!
Jaclyn says
May 12, 2011 at 11:01 amI made these but added kale, dehydrated onion, and mustard powder and left out the cinnamon and vanilla. This + oven “fried” chicken (coated in fiber one and spices) = clean eating chicken and waffles with sauteed kale and onion. DELICIOUS!
The Gracious Pantry says
May 12, 2011 at 11:19 amJaclyn – Holy moly!! That sounds amazing!! I’ll definitely give that a try. Thank you!
Dani says
May 14, 2011 at 4:13 pmSensational!!!!!! I can’t wait to do these as they look like a personal indulgent (but it’s all supportive) and kids/hubby will think they’re in heaven with this special Sunday morning treat. XxDani
BTW Tiff for those that may be on a gluten free diet ~ which I am a part timer 😉 do you think the GF would work or better still buckwheat? I’ll give it a go either way and let you know!! Thanks again!!!
The Gracious Pantry says
May 14, 2011 at 9:25 pmDani – I’m sure these could be easily converted to gluten free. Let me know how they turn out!
Linda @ Lemon Drop says
May 15, 2011 at 8:31 amas i am now on Round 4 of the 2 wk sugar free challenge, these will fit in nicely topped with fresh berries ! thanks for the great recipe and so happy that I actually do have whole wheat pastry flour on hand!
The Gracious Pantry says
May 15, 2011 at 3:26 pmLinda – Great! I find that WWP Flour is absolutely indispensable in my kitchen. Enjoy!
Court says
May 22, 2011 at 8:24 amI made these, but added a little oat flour(1/2 cup), which cuts out the whole-wheaty taste, and makes them taste just like the real thing. I have to make them taste normal or certain family members won’t eat them! I also add 1/3 cup coconut oil, and it makes them nice and crispy! Waffles are by far my favorite breakfast food!
The Gracious Pantry says
May 22, 2011 at 12:24 pmCourt – Wow! What a great way to make them! Enjoy!
Kerri Knezevich says
June 11, 2011 at 4:05 pmLove this recipe. Simple and easy to prepare and they were a hit with the kids:) What more could I ask for???
The Gracious Pantry says
June 11, 2011 at 4:06 pmKerri – That’s awesome!!! I’m so happy they liked it!
Tiamaria75 says
June 24, 2011 at 12:51 pmCan I subsititute half of the flour for quick oats?
Anonymous says
June 24, 2011 at 2:25 pmTiamaria – I don’t see why not. It’s worth a shot! Let me know how it turns out!
DavinaWP says
July 1, 2011 at 1:08 amCan I include the yolks? I’ve never made these before, but I’m really looking forwards to it!
Anonymous says
July 1, 2011 at 3:05 amDavina – Sure!
Alilgranola says
October 5, 2011 at 8:14 amHow about adding pumpkin to these somehow? What do you think? Or just the pumpkin pie spice would be better?
Anonymous says
October 5, 2011 at 10:16 amAlilgranola – I think just the spice would be better. The pumpkin itself would make the batter too wet and it wouldn’t cook correctly.
Alilgranola says
October 6, 2011 at 6:20 amThanks! Apparently I made the batter too wet somehow anyways and I had a bit of a waffle mess on my hands….Attempt #2 is right around the corner!
Anonymous says
October 6, 2011 at 7:57 amAlilgranola – Oh dear. I’ve done that too. No fun to clean up!
Julie Bogen says
October 12, 2011 at 8:35 amActually, if you take the eggs out and replace them with 1/2 cup of pumpkin, it should be fine. Worked okay for me 🙂
Anonymous says
October 12, 2011 at 9:32 amJulie – Fantastic! Thanks for the tip!
Anonymous says
October 7, 2011 at 7:58 pmaandemom – Fantastic!! I’m glad the kiddos like them so much!
Kmorris0603 says
October 15, 2011 at 7:49 pmJust made these, but they turned out super runny? Not sure what I did wrong?
Anonymous says
October 16, 2011 at 8:17 pmKmorris – Did you change anything at all about the recipe?
Anonymous says
November 11, 2011 at 7:24 pmThat is strange. There shouldn’t be anything runny about them. But there could be a lot of things that could have gone wrong. Check to be sure your waffle iron is cooking hot, and be sure you didn’t forget to add anything. I hope you’ll try them again because they are yummy!
Anonymous says
January 6, 2012 at 12:20 amLittlered – It will work, but the waffles will be more dense and “bready”.
Anonymous says
January 29, 2012 at 12:09 pmKimberley – 1 waffle is one of those 4 waffles.
graciouspantry says
February 23, 2012 at 8:19 pmMelissaK – Glad you all enjoyed them!
graciouspantry says
March 13, 2012 at 8:15 amQueen bee – yes, beating the egg whites would definitely help with density issues. Glad you liked them!
Rebecca Riding says
July 4, 2012 at 5:30 amOver from Pinterest–made these for our 4th of July waffles today and we all LOVED them. Thanks for the new family favorite! 🙂
graciouspantry says
July 4, 2012 at 7:59 amMy pleasure! Enjoy!
graciouspantry says
July 16, 2012 at 3:41 pmI think you’d be okay.
Cassandra says
August 24, 2012 at 6:51 amMade these the other day and they’re delicious! I loved the texture and while being healthy there was no flavor compromise.
graciouspantry says
August 24, 2012 at 3:05 pmAwesome!
graciouspantry says
August 25, 2012 at 10:43 amAs far as I know, if you purchase organic soy, you are still getting GMO free soy. This could be changing very quickly, but for now, that’s what I know. However, you can use any milk you like.
Bryony says
January 23, 2013 at 8:41 pmI make these waffles all the time for relatives who “don’t like healthy foods”. They LOVE them and have no idea that the waffles are actually nutritious! Mwahahahaha!!!!
The Gracious Pantry says
January 23, 2013 at 9:43 pmHaha!! Love it! 🙂
kristy says
March 2, 2013 at 5:37 pmCan i use regular whole wheat flour and still have them clean and healthy?
The Gracious Pantry says
March 2, 2013 at 10:40 pmSure! As long as you use whole grain flour, it’s clean. 🙂
Alaysha says
March 20, 2013 at 8:26 amMmmm, i made one waffle with this recipe and it was floppy and not very appetizing. I added 3 more whole eggs and two tablespoons of local honey. Turned out great after the changes.
Sam says
July 6, 2013 at 7:27 amI made these this morning and was so excited! When I went to take the first batch out they were gooey and stuck to the waffle maker. Just terrible but they tasted good! I went to look at the recipe again (because everything I’ve made of yours has been perfect & delicious!) and I realized I forgot the baking powder haha once I added that they came out like normal waffles! My 3 year old loved these and said “momma I want more brown waffles!” Hes a picky eater so Knowing he loves food that’s good for him is such a good feeling, thank you for these!!
The Gracious Pantry says
July 6, 2013 at 5:18 pmSam – My pleasure! So glad it all worked out! 🙂
Candace Trent says
July 16, 2013 at 4:36 pmI started to make these and realized I have white whole wheat flour from Trader Joes and I need pastry flour. Assuming these are two different things and now I think that the white whole wheat flour is not clean. Your thoughts? Thanks!
The Gracious Pantry says
July 16, 2013 at 5:29 pmCandace – It will work fine. The Waffles will just be a bit more textured and dense. But not terribly so. I’ve used white WW flour before too. It works. Here’s the difference in flours: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-flour/
Heather says
August 9, 2013 at 12:43 pmYour recipe called for baking powder but I didn’t see it in the directions. When do you add it? Thank You. Your site is amazing.
The Gracious Pantry says
August 10, 2013 at 12:39 amHeather – All fixed! Thanks for pointing that out.
Christina says
March 15, 2014 at 3:44 amI just made them for a healthy saturday breakfast, added protein powder (about 60g) and more milk, which was hazelnut milk.
They were so sweet that i only topped them with strawberries! Try it!
The Gracious Pantry says
March 15, 2014 at 11:02 amChristina – Sounds wonderful!
Felicia says
August 7, 2014 at 5:21 amDo you think it would be possible to make these with coconut flour instead?? I really have no idea if it works the same but I have it in my pantry – sincerely, an inexperienced chef 😉
The Gracious Pantry says
August 7, 2014 at 4:48 pmFelicia – Coconut flour is a very different animal from any other flour. It’s very “thirsty” flour. So a little bit goes a very long way. I haven’t attempted waffles yet, but I do have coconut flour pancakes. Maybe you could try that batter in a waffle maker? Not sure if it would work yet. I’ll have to go experiment.
Rachelle says
February 26, 2017 at 11:02 amDo you think coconut oil could be added into these? Or would it become too liquidy?
The Gracious Pantry says
February 27, 2017 at 8:12 amRachelle – You could try. But actually, the issue would be with the coconut oil solidifying in the cold batter. I’m not sure it would distribute very well. You could always use coconut oil on your waffle iron!