Whole Grain Waffles
In my quest for healthy, kid-friendly breakfast options, I have tried many recipes for healthy pancakes. Alas, every recipe that I’ve tried for whole-grain pancakes has turned out dry, chewy or just plain gross. It seems that pancakes are meant to have the light fluffiness that only white flour can provide. Therefore, I’ve turned instead to trying out whole-grain waffles. Waffles are supposed to be a little crispy and heartier than a pancake, so I figured that adding some whole grains wouldn’t be quite as noticeable in waffle form. As it turns out, it is possible to make a whole-grain waffle that is both crispy and light enough that it doesn’t feel like eating cardboard! I was originally inspired by a recipe on epicurious.com, but I made some significant changes to the original recipe. I prefer to use grains that I normally keep on hand, so I left out the spelt and added some white whole-wheat flour. I know most people don’t keep white whole-wheat flour on hand, so all-purpose flour will work just fine; it just won’t add quite as much fiber. I also used buttermilk when mixing up the waffles because it truly makes the waffles more tender and flavorful.
The best part about this recipe: Â you can mix together a big batch of the dry ingredients ahead of time and then add the wet ingredients as needed. Â These were absolutely delicious when topped with just a dab of syrup and berries, but whipped cream and chocolate syrup would also be perfect.
Ingredients
- 4 cups dry polenta or coarse yellow corn meal
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or white whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cup waffle mix
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
- Syrup, berries, butter, powdered sugar, etc. for serving