These simple and delicious vegan gluten-free waffles are crispy on the outside and soft & fluffy on the inside! It's our family's favorite waffle recipe. (Oil-free, nut-free option.)
These healthy waffles are fluffy, satisfying, and SO delicious!
I set out to create a really solid vegan & gluten-free waffle recipe after being underwhelmed by other options. It took several attempts, but I'm thrilled with the results! It's quickly become a family favorite.
These waffles are crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Plus they're egg-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and each one has about 9 grams protein.
They're lightly accented with cinnamon & vanilla, and perfect topped with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or whatever toppings you love!
Ingredients for Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles
For this recipe you'll need:
- Dairy-free milk: Use your favorite plant milk. I use homemade cashew milk, but oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk all work great.
- Ground flaxseed: You'll need 2 tablespoons which helps bind the ingredients together. Either regular or golden flax works great.
- Pure maple syrup: This is optional, but I enjoy the touch of added sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Or you can also a tiny splash of almond extract if desired.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Bob's Red Mill makes a great gluten-free flour blend that I've been using for years now.
- Almond flour: I use Bob's Red Mill super-fine almond flour. Either blanched or natural works great. (See notes below for nut-free options.)
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon: I use 1/4 teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon, but add more as desired.
- Salt: I use fine-grain salt for this recipe.
Note: The batter also works very well as a pancake mix!
Customizing
I've tried many different variations and flour blends, and this recipe reflects my personal favorite texture. But here are some additional options for customizing the flour:
Gluten-free flour: I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour. You can use 1 cup oat flour + 1 cup almond flour, but I found them to be slightly crumbly this way.
Nut-free version: Omit both the almond flour and all-purpose flour, and use 2 cups oat flour for your base. I find this results in denser (but still very tasty!) waffles.
Want a cozy, autumn twist? Check out these delicious Vegan Pumpkin Waffles as well!
Preparation Tips
Batter: You'll whisk together the batter in a large bowl, then pour each serving on your pre-warmed waffle maker. It's best to let the batter sit for a few minutes before using.
Waffle iron: I use a large 7-inch round Belgian waffle maker (non-stick), so you may find the recipe yields more waffles if using a smaller waffle iron. Mine is non-stick, but feel free to use cooking spray, vegetable oil, or vegan melted butter if needed to prevent sticking on your own waffle maker.
Serving
Toppings: Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries, or fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, sliced banana, etc.
Freezing: I haven't tested these as a freezer meal, but I'm guessing they'd do well. I'd suggest allowing them to cool completely, then place in a freezer-friendly airtight bag or container with lid. Then toast from frozen in a toaster or toaster oven when ready to enjoy.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan breakfast recipes or gluten-free recipes.
Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles (Oil-Free!)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk
- 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour*
- 1 cup almond flour** (super-fine)
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Whisk and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Stir.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, and whisk until just combined. Set batter aside to rest for a few minutes while you warm your waffle iron.
- Turn on and preheat your waffle iron to desired setting. (I set mine medium to medium-high.)
- Then using a 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop out batter and place in the middle of the hot waffle iron. (No need to overfill it - I find it cooks better when I don't push the batter all the way to the edge.)
- Close and let cook 5-7 minutes or until steam has completely stopped. Be sure not to open during cooking!
- When fully cooked, carefully remove waffle and continue process with the remaining batter.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you are enjoying this vegan gluten free waffles recipe, also check out:
- Strawberry Waffles
- Tofu Scramble with Spinach & Tomato
- Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
- Creamy Banana Matcha Smoothie
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Jennifer says
We love your waffle recipes! We’ve had these ones, your strawberry ones and the pumpkin spice ones…all of them are delicious! We do add a bit more cinnamon to this recipe, but otherwise follow it exactly as written. They turn out fantastic! Thanks so much for all of your amazing recipes!
Kaitlin says
Yay, Jennifer! Great call with more cinnamon for added flavor (I often do that too!) So thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the waffle recipes here. Thank you for sharing!
Kim says
I tried this recipe without the ground flax seed because I didn’t have it on hand. Tried making Belgian waffles and after cooking 12 minutes the center was not cooked and the exterior was very brown. Can I leave out the almond flour or what is your thought on the uncooked center? I used my husband's full fat milk thinking it would make them fluffy. I am not dairy free but usually drink almond milk. Thanks.
Kaitlin says
Hi Kim! If you left out the flax seed, that would definitely alter the mixture & consistency. I use flax for a binding agent (it's a great egg substitute in baking). The full fat milk could have affected it as well, as I've only used dairy-free milk to test these.
Also to consider is your waffle maker. Someone mentioned these didn't work well but then realized it was because their waffle maker wasn't very good quality. Then the recipe worked great with a better one.
But I'd start with including the flax seed, sticking to dairy-free milk, and trying the recipe as written first! Please let me know how it turns out if you do! 🙂
Rob says
I made these waffles today; I followed the recipe exactly and they were so delicious. I've tried so many recipes in the past two years that didn't work and did not taste good. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Kaitlin says
Hello Rob! Absolutely thrilled to hear you found a waffle recipe you enjoy! Thanks a lot for taking the time to leave such a kind review - it's very appreciated. Have a great weekend! -Kaitlin
Jan says
Do you know if I could make the batter the day before and leave in the fridge overnight to make waffles the next day? Btw, I love these!! I used gluten free flour and mixed oat and brown rice flour instead of almond flour.
Kaitlin says
Hi Jan! I haven't tried preparing the batter in advance, but I'm guessing it'd work great. Just be sure to store it in the fridge as you mentioned, and give it a stir before using the next day. So glad to hear substituting oat + brown rice flour for almond flour works well. Thanks very much for sharing your kind and helpful feedback!
Tammy and Lonny Kainz says
Ok. Definitely the waffle maker. I had to leave waffles on for 2 minutes longer even after the waffle maker alarm went off stating it was done.
Kaitlin says
Glad you figured it out! Thanks for sharing your feedback, Tammy.
Amélie says
Just made these waffles and I like them. First gluten-free treat success in a while, so thank you!
Kaitlin says
Hi Amélie! That's wonderful to hear. Thanks so much for giving them a try and sharing your kind feedback!
Tammy says
Followed directions. Mine were doughy in middle, as if not cooked all the way through. Could be the $10 waffle maker I purchased from Walmart.
Katie says
We made these waffles last weekend and absolutely loved them! Do you know if these would be freezer friendly?
Kaitlin McGinn says
So great to hear, Katie! I haven't personally tried freezing these, but waffles generally freeze quite well! I'd suggest letting them cool completely on a wire rack first. Then stack them in a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment paper in between so they don't stick together. (When reheating, maybe try putting them in a toaster on a low setting a couple times so they don't burn.) Would love to hear if you give it a go!
Andrea says
I made these waffles for my family! Everyone loved them. 🙂
Kaitlin says
That's awesome, Andrea! So glad you all enjoyed. Thanks for the kind feedback!