Delicious & healthy quinoa waffles make a powerful breakfast that's full of protein. Add some fresh berries for antioxidants & bananas for potassium to start your day on the right foot!
Happy Spring! It's a beautiful day, blue sky & going into the 80's. Who could ask for anything more?
So feeling all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as my Dad would say, I wanted to make something special for breakfast. We love waffles in this house ever since I created the Perfect Waffle recipe but, since we are trying to eat healthier now, I had to find a way that we could keep to our healthier eating and have our waffles too.
Quinoa is an excellent source of protein
Well, as you might have guessed if you follow us regularly, my go-to health food is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah, just so you don't happen to say it wrong and have everyone jump on your case for not knowing). We love it in our household and it fits the bill for so many things - use in lieu of rice, noodles, bulgur wheat and even as a baking grain in breads.
Are you asking yourself at this point what is so good about quinoa? Let me tell you! Quinoa is a protein-packed, nutty-tasting grain that contains a perfect balance of every amino acid, which makes it one of the only plant foods that is a complete protein source. It is rich in lysine, which promotes healthy tissue growth, and is a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium and fiber. Now you know why I chose it to make my waffles healthier.
I also found out, after many unsuccessful tries, that cornstarch is the main ingredient that helps make your waffles crunchy on the outside. You still need to use a good waffle iron, preferably one that you can turn over, like the Presto flip-side waffle maker I use, to ensure that they come out soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. This recipe not only comes out perfect but tastes delectable too! Hope you enjoy!
More Pancakes & Waffle Recipes
Banana Yogurt Protein Pancakes - packed full of protein, calcium, useful carbs & only a little sugar. Make the dry mix ahead of time & add liquid ingredients when you’re ready for a fast start in the morning.
Buttermilk Almond Flour Waffles - a trick and secret ingredient makes these buttermilk waffles perfect with a crunchy outside and a moist soft inside.
Apple Dutch Baby Pancake - make this amazing pancake with only a blender, a can of apple pie filling and an iron skillet.
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Quinoa Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cooked Nature’s Earthly Choice quinoa, cooled
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- ⅓ cup your favorite nut butter (optional)
- 1-2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar or palm sugar
- Garnish: Fresh sliced berries and/or sliced bananas, homemade granola & & maybe a little indulgence like whipped coconut cream or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine quinoa, egg yolks, vanilla extract, oil, milk and nut butter, if using. Add to dry mixture and stir well.
- Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add sugar slowly and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
- Pour batter into waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Usually about 4 to 4-½ minutes.
- Top with fresh berries or sliced bananas and pure maple syrup.
