Good news, my friends! After testing somewhere around 50 gluten free/vegan waffle and pancake recipes, we’ve finally found one that a) doesn’t taste like cardboard, b) doesn’t have a gummy/gluey texture (if you’ve ever had a gf pancake or waffle, you probably know what we mean), and c) actually gets crispy!!
I’ve always been dissapointed by the lack of crispiness in gluten free/vegan waffles. Especially when you douse them in maple syrup like me, they’re soggy, chewy and altogether lackluster. What’s the point of eating a waffle if it has the texture of a (bad) pancake?
There are two secrets to our recipe. The first is a homemade gluten free flour blend. We’ve tried just about every gluten free flour blend out there, and although some were certainly more successful than others, none worked very well for waffles. Our blend is a mix of white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch and the key ingredient: powdered coconut or soy milk. All of these ingredients are readily available at most specialty stores, but it might be even easier to just order online in bulk. Powdered soy/coconut milk makes all the difference – especially in these waffles. We’ve seen gluten free flour blends that use real powdered milk, but obviously they’re not vegan. We’ve yet to see one with a dairy free option – if you’re aware of any, please let us know!
The second secret to crispy gluten free waffles is our new favorite ingredient: aquafaba! Yep, the same chickpea liquid that makes this vegan chocolate mousse so unbelievably delicious. (Aquafaba is truly magical!) My grandmother’s family waffle recipe calls for whipped egg whites folded gently in at the end. This makes for a light, fluffy batter. We thought aquafaba might accomplish the same thing in a vegan version, and we were right! A stand mixer goes a loooong way in making perfect aquafaba with stiff peaks. It takes about 8-10 minutes on a high speed to get there. A quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar is another essential; it helps the aquafaba maintain a stable state.
One more key to making these gluten free waffles the best you’ve ever had: don’t overfill your waffle maker! Add too much batter and the waffles won’t crisp up, which, as Alton Brown says, is not good eats.
Oh, actually, one more thing! (Sorry!) If you’re making a large batch of these waffles and not serving them immediately, put the cooked waffles on a cooling rack instead of a tray. Otherwise, the steam will get trapped and make them soggy, which would be disappointing after all of that effort.
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Finally – a gluten free and vegan waffle recipe that has a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior! The two secrets: a homemade gluten free flour blend and aquafaba.
Ingredients
- Aquafaba drained from one 15 oz can of chickpeas
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup homemade gluten free flour blend
- 1/3 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 1/2 cups dairy free milk
- 3 tbsp melted dairy free butter
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat waffle maker to medium-high.
- Drain the liquid from a can of chickpeas into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer). Save the chickpeas for making hummus, roasted chickpeas, or anything else you use chickpeas for!
- Add cream of tartar, then turn on mixer at medium-high and whip for 8-10 minutes, until aquafaba forms stiff peaks.
- Meanwhile, whisk together gluten free flour, oat flour, almond flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk until well incorporated. Gently fold in 3/4 cup whipped aquafaba with a spatula. The batter should be light and fluffy.
- Be sure not to overfill your waffle maker – add just enough to cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. If not eating right away, let cool on cooling rack to prevent them from getting soggy.
Any possible substitute for almond flour? We have a nut allergy in our family.
Hi! Yes, you can replace with more oat flour. Since it’s a small quantity, it shouldn’t change the texture much. Hope you enjoy!
I made these for dinner tonight. To mix the flours and make the waffles at one time is time consuming but they are the best gluten-free waffles I’ve had. We have a tree nut allergy so I substituted the oat flour for the almond flour and they seemed to turn out well. I will definitely make again and I’m sure they’ll be even better next time. I did save the extra aquafava to make another batch in the morning. I may need to rewhip it but even after sitting out for an hour or so still had retained it’s whipped state.
★★★★
So glad to hear that, Laurel! It can be a bit time consuming, but definitely worth the effort!