Eating a traditional waffle is like dating a dude who really isn't "good" for you but he's exciting so you keep him in rotation. You don't want to make him a habit but it's hard not to. He's sweet and he's fun. He's a decent enough dude but at the end of the day, he lacks ambition. You innocently start out for a chill, a.m. hang with the guy and before you know it you're ass-deep in an all-day lounge session on the couch. After a few weeks, you start asking, "Hey man, are you going to put on actual pants today?" and to your surprise he turns it right back on you, like, "Are YOU going to put on actual pants today?" Whoa. When did this stop being fun?
Traditional waffles stopped being fun for me when I realized that metabolizing them made me feel sleepy and bloated and lazy. But I can't resist the charm of a waffle. They have the practical allure of being pretty easy to make with the added benefits of freezing and reheating well. And I cant resist those little pools of maple syrup, with little rafts of butter floating atop. Stop it.
I set out to find a recipe for a decent waffle that doesn't make me feel like a lazy, self-loathing heap of a person an hour after I eat it. I found a recipe using chickpea flour (garbanzo if you're proper) that I modified ever so slightly and will now very enthusiastically share with all you fine people.
Did I mention these waffles are grain-free? Did I mention they are also dairy-free?
Big deal, right? But maybe it is a big deal for you and if it is, BONUS.
These beauties are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They are more on the savory side than the sweet side which I feel leaves you plenty of room to get crazy with toppings. I favor syrup and/or fruit.
A few things:
1. You can make your own chickpea flour. It's stupid easy if you have a good quality food processor or blender. I took a bag of dry GOYA chickpeas, threw it in my NutriBullet about a half cup at a time, and pulsed until those little chickpeas were the consistency of whole wheat flour. One bag yielded about 5 cups of chickpea flour (which I recommend storing in a freezer.) It's worth the few minutes for the money you'll save.
2. These waffles do taste slightly like chickpeas. I mean, how could they not as they are MADE OUT OF CHICKPEAS?! just thought I'd make that clear. If you don't like chickpeas, you probably won't dig these waffles.
3. Do not underestimate the power of non-stick spray. Use it. Love it. Do not trust your non-stick waffle iron because IT LIES.
Chickpea Waffles (yields 6 waffles)
adapted from Lauren Goslin's Easy Chickpea Flour Waffles here
1 cup of chickpea flour
1 large egg and 1 large egg white
1 cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
(you can also use dairy milk if you don't care about dairy-free)
1 tsp powdered Stevia extract*
2.5 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1.25 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
*feel free to sub sweetener. plain sugar, brown sugar, etc. note that you should then add 2 tsps instead of one or whatever to your liking
I suggest your first step in making these waffles is pouring a big cup of coffee for yourself. Circling back to that one shortly.
Standard waffle rules apply: mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, beat the egg in another. Add the egg to the dry bowl and slowly incorporate your almond milk while mixing on medium speed. At the very end, add your melted coconut oil and vanilla and beat on low until well incorporated.
If you poured a big cup of coffee earlier, take the spoon you used to stir your melted coconut oil and dunk it in your coffee. Trust me. It will add a mild and pleasant flavor to your java AND as a bonus, moisturize your lips while you drink it. Try it.
If you pour a little less than half a cup of batter in each well of your iron, you should end up with 6 hearty waffles (which is what I based the below nutritional info on when I drafted my recipe in My Fitness Pal)
So now my fun little waffle fling is turning into a full-blown relationship. Don't tell my husband.
