On a whim, I ordered a Belgian Waffle Maker online. Nothing fancy. Just over thirty bucks. But it does do a cool flippy thing. I've owned table-top waffle makers in the past, but this is my first flippy version, and now I see that that "flip" makes all the difference to help cook up fluffy, air-filled, Belgian-style waffles.
I am obsessed with these vegan Belgian waffles now.
I wonder if they serve vegan-option waffles in Belgian? Because they should!
These past two days I have been playing with my new machine and have three recipes to share with you all. One involving apples (it is amazing!), one that is green and one that is pumpkin-infused. Oh, and because I love you all so much, I'm giving away a waffle maker.
Ahead, recipes, 7 things I've learned about waffles and my (unsponsored) giveaway!
Apple Ginger. Amazingly yummy..
Waffle obsessed. My flippy...
Matcha Ginger Waffles:
Pumpkin Spice Waffles:
Seven things I've learned about waffles:
1. Waffles taste best steaming HOT. Freshly peeled from the hot iron.
2. You don't even NEED maple syrup when your waffle is truly fabulous! (Although a little maple syrup never hurts.)
3. You don't need eggs in waffles!! Vegan waffles, animal product free, are delicious...
4. Never attempt to eat just one waffle quarter and "save the rest for later" - won't happen.
Eat the whole stack of quarters..
5. A la mode waffles = delicious hot-meets-cold dessert. Oh and the messier it gets, the better.
Get messy.
6. Nooks and Crannies = the best part. English Muffins, who?
Nooks. Crannies. Sweet banana mixing with crispy waffle parts..
7. Don't be afraid to get creative!! Try cocoa waffles, peanut butter, chai-spiced, buckwheat, vanilla bean, chocolate chip, soooo many ideas wafting through my head right now. Chocolate chip will be my husband's request I think.
The Recipes:
1. Apple Cinnamon Candied Ginger Waffles
2. Ginger-Matcha Green Tea Waffles
3. Pumpkin Spice Waffles
All these recipes make about ONE big waffle on my waffle maker. Adjust as needed to fit your machine. One waffle serves 1-2 people. (I like one all to myself..)
Vegan Ginger-Matcha Green Tea Matcha Waffle - Flavor: subtle green tea notes mixed with sweet ginger spiciness and a subtle banana accent.
½ cup + 2 tablespoon spelt flour
¾ almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon crystalized ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder + 1 tablespoon agave syrup to substitute)
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
⅛ teaspoon salt (generous pinch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
⅓ banana, mashed
oil for waffle iron, coat well
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Vegan Apple Cinnamon Candied Ginger Waffle - Flavor: amazing apple pir flavor with sweet, bright pops of sweet candied ginger and hints of citrus and banana. This waffle is diving!
½ cup + 2 tablespoon spelt flour
¾ almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoon crystalized ginger
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt (generous pinch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
1-3 teaspoon almond butter (optional)
½ banana, mashed
2-3 tablespoon apple, diced (honeycrisp apple used)
pinch of orange zest (optional)
fresh garnish: ¼ cup chopped apples tossed in lemon juice and cinnamon + soy whip + cinnamon
oil for waffle iron, coat well
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Pumpkin Spice Waffle - Flavor: pumpkin and spice. Dense and cozy texture.
½ cup + 2 tablespoon spelt flour
¾ almond milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
⅛ teaspoon salt (generous pinch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon chia or flax seeds (optional)
⅓ cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened + 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
oil for waffle iron, coat well
General tips:
* You can use any flour, I used spelt flour - substitutions should be OK.
* If you don't like banana, add in another "mashed" substance as an egg replacer. Apple sauce is a good substitute. Avocado, pumpkin, silken tofu or even soy yogurt would also work. Also, make sure your banana is very ripe for easy mashing.
* I do not add oil to my batter, but I generously apply it to the waffle iron so that the edges get nice and crispy and fluffy. You can add to batter if you'd like although not necessary. I used safflower oil as well as virgin coconut oil to grease iron.
* Practice makes perfect. It took me two "ruined waffles" to figure out the timing just right. Actually the booklet was pretty helpful too, so read that if you are new to your waffle maker 🙂
* The crystalized ginger is my secret ingredient for the matcha and apple recipes. It adds a bright sweet spicy flavor and is the only sweetener needed. Just tear apart or dice into tiny bits to add to the batter. If you do not have crystalized ginger, you could use ginger powder and a splash of agave or maple syrup. Candied orange peel would also be neat. The Ginger People have a great organic variety of the ginger.
* I just blended the ingredients by hand with a spoon, no fancy beater or mixer needed.
* You can use either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar as the acid (I used lemon juice in recipes)
* Other yummy add-ins for waffles: nuts and fruit. Berries are always fabulous.
* Try savory waffles too once you get obsessed like me!
*giveaway has ended* Giveaway. And I know it is not too fancy, but I felt kind of bad listing all these recipes since I know many of you are probably Belgian Waffle Maker-less. So you can either head on over to Amazon and snap up a machine: Oster Belgian Flip Waffle Maker
- or you can enter my giveaway below. It is not sponsored. I'm just buying someone a waffle maker because I love you guys 🙂 It is the same machine I currently own. I may invest in a "better" one in the future if my waffle obsession sticks, but this one is working for me now. Anyone own a fancy waffle maker of a favorite brand? One that flips? 🙂 Gotta have the flip.
Inspired? You can buy a few items on Amazon if needed..
* Oster Belgian Flip Waffle Maker
* Ginger People Crystallized Ginger Candy Bag -- 3.5 oz Each
Honeycrisp apple. Crystalized ginger.
Like I said, messy is good...
