I have to admit, I’m definitely a creature of habit. I enjoy a routine, I often stick to my favourite shops, and I start most days with a smoothie. I just love them because they’re so versatile, so you can use whatever fruit and veggies you have in the fridge. Which means although I’m kind of having the same thing each morning, the ingredients pretty much change daily, so I do get a huge variety of nutrients every morning. See my article here for why else smoothies can be so healthy.
Maybe that’s why I enjoy it even more when I do branch out and make something a little different. That’s why I love weekends - you have a little more time to create something really special, like these vegan waffles. All you need is a waffle iron like this mini one from Urban Outfitters. And this vegan waffle recipe I’ve been working on really is the bomb. The waffles turn out golden and crispy on the outside, light and fluffy in the middle. They’re sweet but not overly, sickly sweet. They’re mega versatile too and make the perfect receptacle for holding onto lovely sauces, fruit, spices or nut butters. And guess what? By making these waffles vegan and with whole wheat flour, they have a fraction of the saturated fat (but all the flavour) of traditional waffles made with eggs and dairy.
My favourite sauce for these waffles is this super-quick and easy blueberry sauce. Keep some leftovers if you make it because it also goes brilliantly on porridge or swirled into smoothie bowls for a sweet touch.
VEGAN WAFFLES RECIPE WITH QUICK BLUEBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients (makes 6 small waffles):
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Small pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
For the blueberry sauce (6 servings):
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
Method:
Start by making the blueberry sauce. Tip the blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice into a pan and simmer over a low heat
In a small cup stir the water and cornstarch until smooth, then add to the blueberries
Simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened
Now turn on the mini waffle maker to heat up while you prepare the batter
Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl
Add the soy milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until smooth
Pour a small ladle of the batter mixture into the hot mini waffle maker and cook for around 6-7 minutes until golden and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside
Once ready, remove the waffle and set aside on a wire rack while you cook the remaining waffles
Serve with the warm blueberry sauce, a portion of fresh fruit and a dollop of your favourite nut butter
Nutrition (per mini waffle with sauce):
Protein: 3.6g (women: 7.2% / men: 6.5%
Iron: 1.0mg (women: 6.8% / men: 11.5%)
Calories: 163 (women: 8.2% / men: 6.5%)
Sugars: 10.4g (women: 11.6% / men: 8.7%)
Total fats: 5.4g (women: 7.7% / men: 5.7%)
Saturated fat: 0.6g (women: 3.0% / men: 2.0%)
Salt: 0.1g (women: 1.7% / men: 1.7%)
Fibre: 3.6g (women: 12.0% / men: 12.0%)
See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.