Admittedly, when I’m out and about, I prefer a savoury brunch. That said, homemade waffles slay me. If you don’t have a waffle iron at home, you should get one! You may use it only a couple of times a year, but it’s so worth it. The other beauty about waffles is that they’re simple to make Kev and I once manned the breakfast tent on a camping expedition and managed to keep our weary gang’s spirits high with these quick and easy waffles.
This recipe is all about texture the cornmeal produces a crunchy outside, and the buttermilk makes them light and fluffy on the inside. I love to pair these with homemade lemon curd (page 243) and fresh blueberries, or an organic blueberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups soy or coconut milk beverage
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
How to Make It
- Preheat the waffle iron. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. The reaction of these two ingredients raises the acidity of the milk and causes it to thicken somewhat. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow the milk to become “buttermilk.”
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and add the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, and vanilla and lemon extracts. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then add the buttermilk. Mix to combine.
- Spray the waffle iron with canola spray. Depending on the size of your waffle iron, pour a scant ¼ cup batter for classic waffle makers and ⅓ cup batter for Belgian waffle makers onto the griddle. Close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes before opening the lid to check doneness. The waffles will be a golden brown, with a crispy surface, when they’re ready. Remove from the griddle.
- Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve with vegan butter and dark maple syrup. For some next-level breakfasting, add a dollop of coconut whipped cream.