Waffles are so tasty but they really can pack a calorie punch with very little nutritional value. This recipe uses a blend of whole natural ingredients to make deliciously nutritious and low calorie waffles.
Jump to RecipeFor the last year, I’ve been getting my waffle fix by eating homemade waffles made with my gluten free flour blend. They’re tasty and get this incredibly satisfying outer crisp, but… they are pretty much made entirely of rice.
Lately my stomach hasn’t been pleased with me and in my goal-set mind to lose weight (and stop the frequent stomach pains and digestive issues), I’ve decided to severely cut down on my carb intake and focus on whole foods and “clean” eating (it’s a long story… but basically a few years ago I got very sick, saw a bunch of non-helpful doctors, turned to functional medicine, got my health back on track and lost a ton of weight as a side effect. The diet they had me on eliminated processed foods and ALL simple carbs. I won’t go that extreme now (at least not yet) because even though it helped, it’s not a sustainable lifestyle for me). This kinda of leaves breakfast options limited to eggs and dishes with eggs, so I had to start getting creative and find options elsewhere.
Back when I was on my nutritionist-led elimination diet (referring to that long story mentioned above. Maybe one day when I’m feeling open enough I’ll tell it), I found creative ways to get that “bread-like texture” from foods I was allowed to eat. Namely sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and other tubers (I was allowed them, but in moderation only). I founds this really great recipe for corn-free arepas from The Curious Coconut that uses taro / malanga instead of corn flour and modified it for my needs. The resulting batter worked amazingly in an arepa maker and after adapting it further, also worked great in a waffle iron as a waffle-shaped bread option. That got me thinking… what if other starchy vegetables also worked in the waffle iron? What about something like pumpkin?
Pumpkin by itself doesn’t have enough of that starch needed to keep a batter bound together but OMG do I love pumpkins. Starchy, slightly sweet, and with a high level of Vitamin A and other nutrients, they’re also shockingly low in calorie and carbs. However they lack that “stickiness” that makes it a good flour replacer (which is evident if you ever try to search for “pumpkin waffle recipe”. Most of them add pumpkin as a flavor agent and rely on flour and eggs still). After some searching, I found an intriguing recipe that helped solve my quest by the Paleo Kitchen: The Paleo Kitchen Pumpkin Waffles
The author, Juli, introduces banana into her pumpkin-based waffles, which I like. Bananas provide a natural sweetness and starch that reduces the need for flour to bring this batter together (you still need some, but significantly less). Her recipe makes 5 whopping Belgian waffles and uses coconut (which you know I’m not a fan of). I modded it to make just 2 and use almond flour. I also reduced the amount of oil required so the calorie load is significantly smaller.
What Waffle Iron Should I Use?
I’m a huge fan of the Presto 03510 Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker. It has deep pockets, can flip over, and also takes up very little counter space when stored away (it stands upright when stored). A bit pricier than other similar waffle maker designs, this one has great heat and can last a long while with its ceramic coating. There’s a reason it always tops in the America’s Test Kitchen’s ratings!
Recipe
Banana and Pumpkin Waffle
Equipment
- waffle iron
Ingredients
- 1 large banana mashed
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup almond butter I recommend 365 Everyday Value Whole Foods Almond Butter, but any pure almond butter brand will work
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 TBSP tapioca flour (optional – adds crispness to the edges)
- 1/2 tsp corn-free baking powder homemade (see notes)*
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 TBSP cinnamon or use a spice blend, like chai spice or the traditional pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron.
- Combine the banana, pumpkin puree, eggs, and almond butter and mix well using a food processor or blender (a hand mixer will also work in a pinch but you'll get a more emulsified mix with the other options).1 large banana, ¼ cup pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup almond butter
- Once smooth, add almond flour, tapioca flour (if using), baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Blend well until mixed.¼ cup almond flour, 1 TBSP tapioca flour, 1/2 tsp corn-free baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt, 1 TBSP cinnamon
- Lightly brush the waffle iron with oil. Pour the batter into the waffle iron and spread evenly, leaving room on the edges for the batter to rise and spread. Cook the waffle following the manufacturer's directions for your waffle maker.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Additional modifications
You can change up the flavors by changing the spice mix used or adding ingredients, like chocolate chips or blueberries
This looks good except I do not see the measurement for the almond flour. How much is required?
THANKS
Lol… thanks for catching this for me!
It’s 1/4 cup almond flour for the 2-Belgian Waffle recipe. I’ve updated the recipe to include this now. Thanks and hope you are able to try it out!