These classic paleo waffles are crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, freezable, and family approved! Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and easy to make.
Everyone has a “waffle memory”, right?! Special comfort foods usually involve special memories, and, when it comes to recreating paleo versions of old favorites, these memories are my motivation!
Now, for me, my memory involved Eggo toaster waffles rather than anything homemade, but memories are memories (and those Eggo waffles are pretty darn delicious, too.)
And, the waffles weren’t a breakfast memory, either. They were a second dinner/dessert for me when I was about 10 or 11 years old. Don’t worry, I’ll explain.
In 4th grade my family made a move from Queens (NYC) out to the suburbs (Long Island) and my mom had a much longer commute as a result.
Most nights she would come home somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30, and when she sat down and ate dinner, I sat down with her and ate waffles. Toaster waffles, drenched in pancake syrup (of course) became my hang-out-with-mom comfort food, and I believe the ritual lasted at least a year.
I’m not sure when or why it ended, but I can’t think about waffles now without remembering my second-dinner-waffle-ritual. It’s sort of a bittersweet memory, and makes me feel grateful for the gift blogging has given me – being able to work from home and be with my kids!
Anyway, since there’s no way I’ll ever be buying Eggo waffles again, I’ve been wanting to create really delicious, classic, homemade paleo waffles that my kids and husband actually like. Bonus if you can freeze them (you can!!) and toast them like the Eggos 🙂
I tested this waffle recipe about 6 times before feeling like I really had the final version. Luckily, they’re super easy to make, so 6 tries didn’t even kill me. In fact, since they’re freezable, nothing had to go to waste, not even the “fails”.
My goal was this – great taste (just sweet enough, not too much coconut flavor) and great texture (crisp outside, soft fluffy inside.)
During my Google research regarding making perfect waffles, I learned that many recipes will have you separate your eggs, beat the whites until stiff peaks form, and add them to the batter last.
I tried this with my last batch to see if it made a difference, and I did notice that the waffles came out lighter in texture, but not by a whole lot. Since it’s an extra step that adds to your prep time and requires an electric mixer, I would only do this if you NEED to make sure you do everything possible to get crispier, lighter waffles.
Otherwise, you can simply add the whole eggs to the batter and skip the instructions to beat the egg whites. The higher fat content in this waffle recipe, versus a pancake recipe, seems to be responsible for getting that highly desired crispy outside!
So, as for the kids, they actually only got to eat the frozen version (re-toasted, of course!) since I did all my testing during school hours. The result? Even my pickiest (the little guy) LOVED them. Phew!! I was almost scared to have them test, so much at stake! I hope you guys are ready for waffles, whether it’s breakfast, weekend brunch, or second dinner, or whenever you feel like it. Let’s go!
Classic Paleo Waffles {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Classic Paleo Waffles {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
These classic paleo waffles are crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, freezable, and family approved! Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs room temp, separated**
- 1/2 cup organic coconut milk full fat or light
- 6 Tbsp coconut oil refined, melted and cooled to almost room temp
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder *see note to make paleo corn free baking powder, if desired
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine all the dry ingredients
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In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks**, coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla, then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix by hand until well combined.
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If separating the eggs, beat the egg whites on high speed with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form, then fold egg whites into batter to combine.
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Heat your waffle iron and brush it well with coconut oil (I love this brush!)
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Pour batter into the center of iron, gently spreading just a bit before closing. Cook waffles according to your waffle iron’s instructions. This recipe will make about 4-6 servings but may vary depending on your iron. I use this round one and love it - no sticking!
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Serve with optional toppings such as berries, nut butter, coconut whipped cream and additional maple syrup. Enjoy! *See note about freezing for later use.
Recipe Notes
*You can freeze the cooked waffles and toast them in a toaster, toaster oven, or regular oven if you want to make these ahead of time.
**I’ve made these waffles with and without separating the egg whites and yolks, and the difference in texture is fairly minimal if you choose not to separate the eggs and beat the whites. If not separating, simply whisk together the whole eggs with the wet ingredients.
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Classic Paleo Waffles:
Want More Delicious Paleo Breakfast Treats? Try One of these!
Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes {Nut Free}
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes {Nut Free}
Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies {Vegan}
Pecan Cranberry Orange Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bake {Sugar Free, Vegan}
Maple Pecan Banana Breakfast Bake {Vegan}
Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake {Whole30}
Tell Me!
BEST waffle toppings?
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Our family loves these, and I make them often. We usually top them with ghee, blueberries, and pure maple syrup. YUM!!!😊
I am new to paleo diet. Thank you for the recipes. Super glad I ran into your page.
I’m not a huge waffle person, unless it’s the toaster waffle kind. But my family loves waffles. I hadn’t found a waffle recipe that convinced me of why waffles were such a big deal…… until NOW!
Michele has the best paleo pancake recipe… so, why wouldn’t her waffles be the best too? Haha.
I separated my egg whites and yellows. I really loved the texture of these waffles. Crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. I can only imagine the light nature of it was due to the beating of the egg whites.
Really very good. This will be our waffle recipe go to.
Thank you, Michele!
Fantastic! Very tasty and crispy. A bit dense but in a good way. They taste similar to an almond bread I make but with a crispy outside. I like it cold with coffee. This yielded 4 big waffles in my waffle maker so half a waffle was more than enough for me.
No big surprise, but this recipe is another winner! I made them for myself, the hubby and two teenagers and everyone was very impressed. My husband’s comment was that no one would guess they are grain free. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes. They make the grain free, dairy free journey so much easier! There is definitely a reason my doctor recommended your blog.
Absolutely delicious! I’m the only Paleo-eater at home for health reasons so sometimes but even my non-Paleo children ate them all without noticing this was Paleo. A wonderful new Paleo recipe addition to our household. What a nice treat. Thank you so kindly.
Really yummy! These turned out great
These taste great but come out steamed & not crispy. Followed the recipes. Past paleo ones I’ve tried haven’t worked at all. Thinking I’ll pop them in the toaster oven to crisp up.
Great tasting waffles. I added a little cinnamon and half mashed banana., I didn’t find them crispy but they were easy to remove from griddle. Maybe banana kept them from being crispy?