When you have a power blender (Vitamix, Blendtec, or similar), there’s no need to use packaged ingredients like plant milks and ground flax seeds. You can make these super healthy vegan blender waffles using just whole pantry ingredients and no oil.

The start of my career as a vegan blender waffle maker

Recently my daughter asked me to make waffles instead of my regular Saturday morning pancakes. I hopped onto Facebook Marketplace and located a few waffle makers for sale near us. It seems like a lot of people consider them clutter. (Spoiler: if you follow my recipe, your waffle maker won’t be clutter to you!)

By mid-afternoon, I was the new owner of a Cuisinart vertical waffle marker, used once (if that) by the previous owner. I liked the small footprint of the gizmo but really I was a bit skeptical. I thought, “if this doesn’t pan out, I’ll put it back on Marketplace next week.”

Was I wrong! We’re now having vegan blender waffles every day.

This one turned out a little darker, I must have left it about 7 minutes.

The making of a vegan blender waffle recipe

After I got my waffle maker, I quickly googled for vegan waffle recipes and found tons of ideas using all-purpose flour and plant milks. My kids have been happily scarfing down my whole-everything pancakes made with oats and other whole grains, okara (the pulp leftover after making soy milk), seeds, and dates, so I was not about to habituate them to the nutritional void of plain flour.

Based on my pancake recipe (which I have never written down, sorry!), I threw a few ingredients in the blender and hoped for the best. BAM! It worked.

UPDATE: I initially suggested using 1/4 cup dried dates in this recipe, however I heard reports of the dates taking a very long time to cook, and sticking terribly to the waffle iron. I experienced that same problem myself a couple of times, so I played with the recipe and discovered that using just 1 or 2 small dates (instead of 1/4 cup) completely solved the problem. No-one complained that they weren’t sweet enough. As a result, I have also reduced the suggested amount of water.

Result: the waffle maker hasn’t left my countertop since. As unbelievable as it is for me to write this, I am now making hot, fresh waffles for the kids most mornings of the week. They are super-duper healthy and nutrient-rich, a great foundation for their busy and active day, especially if served with fresh fruit.

These vegan blender vegan waffles are so tasty, nutritious, and EASY that I had wrote down the recipe to share it with you.

All ingredients are vegan pantry staples that I recommend you always keep stocked.

Vegan blender waffles (whole foods only)

5 from 3 votes

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Course Breakfast

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• power blender (Vitamix, Blendtec, or similar)
• waffle maker

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup oats (rolled, steel cut, or groats)
• 1/4 cup buckwheat groats (optional)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 3 Tbsp flax seeds
• 1 pitted date (small) - optional Do not use big juicy Medjool-style dates. It will turn out fine without.
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 1/4 cups water use just 2 cups if not using buckwheat
• fresh fruit for serving
• molasses or maple syrup (optional) for serving

Instructions

 

• Start preheating your waffle maker. If it has a setting, it should be on the high end.
• Place all ingredients in a power blender.
• Start blending on low power for a few seconds then progressively increase to max power. Blend until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds more.
• Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• If the waffle maker is not non-stick, you'll need to spray with a little canola or avocado oil.
• When the waffle maker is nice and hot, carefully pour in about 7/8 cup of the batter. (At first, I was pouring from a separate cup, but now that I am familiar with the process I pour straight from the blender.)
• Let the waffle cook approximately 6 minutes. (You'll have to find the exact timing based on your waffling setup but these take longer to cook than white-flour waffles.)
• Carefully remove the waffle and keep warm.
• Let the waffle maker return to the right temperature if needed, and repeat with another cup of batter, until you have none left.
• Serve with lots of fresh fruit and a little maple syrup or, for a Dr. Greger-approved sweetener, blackstrap molasses.

Keyword blender waffles, plant-based, sugar-free, vegan, wfpb, whole foods plant-based

Add vitamin C-rich fruit for maximum iron absorption.

What makes these vegan blender waffles so healthy?

• Made with whole foods only, so you get all the goodness of the original plants in every bite.
• Using whole grains (oats and buckwheat). You could experiment with other grains such as millet, amaranth, wheat, etc.
• Lots of seeds (pumpkin and hemp) which are nutrition powerhouses, including lots of iron, fiber, protein, and more. You could experiment with using almonds for one of the seeds, and possibly other nuts or seeds too.
• Oil is not needed if using a non-stick waffle maker. It’s the only non-stick apparatus in my entire kitchen, as I generally prefer cast-iron cookware, but it’s also my hot-breakfast enabler: I don’t have enough time to preheat a cast-iron waffle griddle on weekday mornings.
• Apparently the apple cider vinegar, in addition to creating a tangy vegan “buttermilk” (when the water and seeds are blended), may decrease the glucose spike and help you feel satiated for longer. It’s purely anecdotal, but I noticed that when I have a waffle for breakfast I don’t need a mid-morning snack, compared to eating a comparable portion of my vegan overnight oats. (Your mileage may vary.)
• Topping with fresh fruit like strawberries or serving wedges of orange on the side will add vitamin C that improves iron absorption. (Read more about vegan nutrition boosters.)

Blackstrap molasses is an unrefined, iron-rich sweetener. It pairs well with the whole grains and seeds in the waffles.

Would I recommend the Cuisinart vertical waffle maker to make these vegan blender waffles?

I think the Cuisinart vertical waffle maker is brilliant! (This post is obviously not sponsored and I am in no way affiliated with Cuisinart.) I got mine second hand for a good price, and I would recommend you do the same. It has a very small footprint on my kitchen counter and I don’t mind keeping it there all the time. It would easily fit inside my cabinets, too. I have used it about 20 times in 30 days and it’s holding up well, plus really easy to clean.

Have you tried making these vegan blender waffles? What are your favorite toppings?