These Wow ‘Em Waffles from Dreena’s new book, Dreena’s Kind Kitchen, are a treat! If you’re looking for a great breakfast or brunch option, these waffles are vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, , dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut-free, and yeast-free.
Today I’m excited to share a recipe for my favorite meal of the day, from one of my favorite vegan recipe developers! My friend Dreena Burton just came out with a brand new cookbook, Dreena’s Kind Kitchen, which contains this yummy recipe for Wow ‘Em Waffles.
Some of you may know that Dreena was one of my first champions when I self-published my very first cookbook in 2009 (Sweet Freedom). Although we barely knew each other at the time (or, to be more precise, I knew of her but she had no idea who this cheeky woman was who wrote to ask for a cookbook blurb), she very kindly and generously agreed to read my cookbook and–to my absolute delight–write a blurb for it! So in a very true sense, Dreena was instrumental in starting my own career as a recipe developer and cookbook author.
I’m thrilled to return the favor and share Dreena’s latest with you, any time she publishes a new book. Most recently, I reviewed Let Them Eat Vegan and Plant-Powered Families, both of which I loved.
As with those two previous books, Dreena’s Kind Kitchen provides foolproof recipes that are delicious, healthy, and–in this case–oil-free. That’s right: not one of these 100+ recipes used added oil! You’ll be amazed at what Dreena can do without adding extra fat to a recipe.
I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the book, and I can tell you that it’s filled with all kinds of amazing recipes, like Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Smoky Kale Caesar Salad, Truffle-Salted Nut Cheese, Aromatic Thai Noodle Stew, Bistro Burgers, Baked Quinoa Onion Rings, One-Minute Pasta Alfredo, Soulful Shepherd’s Pie, Holiday Dinner Torte, Raspberry-Coconut Crumble Bars, Dreena’s Nanaimo Bars, Mythical Cheesecake, and so many more!
And one thing I love about Dreena’s recipes is this: they work. No more wasting ingredients because a recipe looks good on the internet, but doesn’t come out as advertised.
I’d love to know what you think if you try the waffles. I served them with a homemade blueberry-pineapple compote (similar to the filling in this dessert), and some coconut cream. What a great way to start your weekend!
Wow ‘Em Waffles reprinted with permission from Dreena’s Kind Kitchen, (c) 2021 Dreena Burton, BenBella Press Here’s what Dreena says: “Many people think waffles can’t be tasty if they are vegan. Not so! These waffles have a gorgeous golden color, and are just lightly sweet with a crispy-tender texture. Time to wow ’em!“ [for the changes I made so this is ACD-friendly, see “Ricki’s notes, below] 1 cup (240 ml) nondairy plain or vanilla yogurt Preheat your waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Put the yogurt and banana in a blender (or in a deep cup if using an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. In a mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Add the yogurt-banana mixture to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla. Mix to combine fully. When the waffle maker is ready, ladle about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the batter into each waffle mold. Close the lid and let the waffle cook and set for 4-1/2 to 5 minutes (the time will depend on the brand of waffle maker). Check at the end of this time, and if the waffles need a little more browning, allow them to cook for about another minute. When ready, remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 4 medium-large waffles. May be frozen. Banana Note: The banana doesn’t have to be overripe, as when making banana bread, but it should be ripe enough to have natural sweetness. You’ll need 2 small to medium bananas to yield 1 cup (240 ml) sliced bananas. Nut-Free Note: For a nut-free version, replace the almond meal with a mix of 1/4 cup (60 ml) pumpkin seed meal plus 1/4 cup (60 ml) hemp seeds. Ricki’s notes: I made a few changes to render the recipe more candida-friendly. To avoid processed yogurt (which usually contains sugar), I made a “buttermilk” from nondairy milk and 1 tsp/5 ml apple cider vinegar. Instead of banana, I used pear. I also opted for the nut-free version. Finally, note that if you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can make your own “flour” by grinding rolled oats in a coffee grinder or blender until powdered. If you do this, you’ll need to increase the amount since it’s not as dense as true oat flour (I measured 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) of the ground-up oats for this recipe). Serving Suggestions: These waffles are tasty straight up because they are lightly sweetened with the banana and vanilla. Try serving with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, and maybe a dollop of vegan whipped cream—or, better yet, with a big spoonful of Dessert Cashew Cream (recipe in Dreena’s Kind Kitchen) or Coconut-Date Caramel Cream (recipe in Dreena’s Kind Kitchen). Suitable for ACD Stage 3 and beyond; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, yeast-free, vegan.
1 cup (240 ml) sliced ripe banana (see note)
1 cup (240 ml) oat flour
1/2 cup (120 ml) almond meal (see nut-free note)
1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder
Pinch fine sea salt
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
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