Blueberry-Oat Waffles

I was never a big fan of pancakes, as they often didn’t taste cooked in the middle. Waffles, on the other hand, have always been a favorite. These blueberry-oat waffles totally fill my waffle cravings and the batter comes together quickly in a blender.

You have to make your own waffles if you are gluten-free. If you are watching your sugar or sodium intake, these can also be modified. The great thing about this recipe is how adaptable it is. The original recipe is from my Oster waffle iron pamphlet. Leftover waffles go in the freezer; you can pop them into the toaster for a quick breakfast. If you make up a batch of savory waffles, those can stand in for bread to make quick sandwiches or open-face melts.

The renovation: I substituted soy milk or skim for regular milk, a gluten-free flour mix for the flour, and agave syrup for the small amount of sugar in the original. The trick to using blueberries is to drop them into the batter as you are cooking them, otherwise they bleed and turn the waffles an unappetizing color.

Blueberry-Oat Waffles
Makes 6-7 small square waffles or 4 large round waffles

2 T. GF (10 g) rolled oats (or cornmeal, buckwheat flour, ground flaxseed)
1 egg (or egg replacer*)
3/4 C. (180 ml) milk (soy, skim, or rice milk)
1/4 C. (60 ml) vegetable oil (canola or a corn/canola blend)
1 t. (2 g) baking powder
2 t. (5-10 ml) agave syrup (omit if diabetic)
1-1/3 C. (165 g) Bob’s Red Mill GF all-purpose baking mix (or sorghum or rice flour)
1/4 t. (0.5 g) salt (omit if on a low-sodium diet)
1/2 pint (250 g) blueberries, washed

Preheat waffle maker. If using rolled oats (or flaxseed), put them in the dry blender and pulse until finely ground. Dump them out into a bowl. Put the next five ingredients into the blender and pulse a few times until well blended. Add the flour, oats, and salt and pulse just until well mixed. Let stand a few minutes to thicken. * Add 1 T. (5 g) ground flaxseed (or chia seeds) plus 3 T. (45 ml) filtered water as the egg replacer. Let stand five minutes in the blender before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Add the blueberries on top of each waffle before baking.

Follow the instructions for filling and baking your waffle iron, being careful to spray the iron each time with cooking spray. Blueberries will tend to stick and burn. Don’t overfill.

Serve with a small amount of heart-healthy margarine, maple syrup, and additional blueberries. Diabetics can substitute a small amount of agave syrup instead of maple syrup, focusing more on the fresh fruit. You can also add a single egg on the side for protein, to keep your blood glucose level balanced.

For savory waffles: Omit the sugar and berries, and add corn meal or buckwheat flour instead of the oats.

Tagged as: agave syrup, blueberries gluten-free, maple syrup