Saturday, September 1, 2012

Light & Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles

Anyone think the terms "light & fluffy" and "whole wheat" don't go together? I know it sounds unbelievable, but this whole wheat waffle recipe makes one delicious, light and fluffy waffle. One reason is the recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour creates a less dense, lighter baked good compared to regular whole wheat flour. I buy my whole wheat pastry flour from the health food store.

I make this recipe at least once a week and freeze the leftovers. When I want a waffle, I pull one out of the freezer and pop it into the toaster much like an Eggo waffle, except these are a whole lot healthier, cheaper, and yummier.


Light & Fluffy
Whole Wheat Waffles

Printable Version

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon organic sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar, and salt until batter is smooth. Preheat a waffle iron and coat with oil. Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden brown.

**To make even fluffier waffles, separate the egg whites from yolks. Beat the egg whites until they thicken into a foamy white texture. Gently fold beaten egg whites into the batter at the very end.

Source: adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe


About the Ingredients

The original recipe called for canola oil but I substituted it for extra-virgin olive oil because it's healthier. I've never noticed any olive oil flavor. Next time I make this recipe, I plan to substitute olive oil with coconut oil to see how the waffles turn out. Did you know coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils to cook with? If you use coconut oil, melt it first before you add it to the cold batter so it will mix with the other ingredients. It seems obvious, but I learned the hard way.

I keep ground flaxseed and wheat germ in my fridge to give food a nutrient boost. They don't affect the flavor as far as I can tell. I throw them in cookies, muffins, and smoothies all the time. You can find them at most grocery stores. I can usually find wheat germ in the cereal aisle, but I've also seen it in the bulk section at my health food store. I can usually find a bag of Bob's Red Mill ground flaxseed meal in any baking isle.

Flaxseed leaves other grains in the dust because of the low level of carbohydrates and high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants. Wheat germ is a real powerhouse of nutrients, containing fiber, iron, protein, B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, manganese, chromium, and antioxidants.


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22 comments:

  1. Looks really good! I do the same thing with waffles and the freezer. It makes breakfast easy and inexpensive. I pinned these to try them. Thanks!

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  2. These sound so healthy! Have you ever substituted club soda or seltzer water for the milk? It's supposed to make them light and fluffy. It's on my list to try along with this recipe! Thank you!

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    1. I've never tried club soda in waffles, but I'm intrigued! I'll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hi Kendra! I'm new at your place also, so I hope you don't mind my mentioning that you really need to grind your flax seeds as you need them. Whole flax seeds are chemically stable, however ground flaxseed can go rancid at room temperature in as little as one week. Refrigeration and storage in sealed containers will keep ground flax from becoming rancid for a longer period. I don't know how long those packages of ground flax have been sitting on a shelf, but wouldn't want to take the risk of getting rancid flax. The ground flax has become a popular item in stores these days, because of the convenience I'm sure; but it isn't very difficult or time-consuming to grind a small amount of seeds in a coffee grinder at home to reap far more benefits for you and your loved ones! Most people consume flax for its health benefits, and when I hear of them buying the ground product I feel I must tell them the truth. You have a lovely blog, and I wish you the greatest success with it!

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    1. Thank you for your great advice! I keep my wheat germ, ground flax, nuts, and whole wheat flours in the fridge. I don't have a coffee grinder, but I was thinking about getting a grain mill attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. I'll have to get one sooner rather than later! Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. I totally agree with the above comment and you usually cannot grind flax in a grain mill because of the high oil content, so a coffee grinder is really necessary. They are only about $15. You can also use them to grind other oily nuts and seeds and probably many other things as well. I use mine to ground cacao and small amounts of grains as well as the flax. I haven't heard too many people recommend the grain mill attachment for the kitchenaid, so I'm not sure how well it works, but I LOVE my blendtec grain mill. I've used a wondermill, but still like mine better.

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    3. Hi Katie! Thank you so much for the helpful info and recommendations! I'm off to go check out coffee grinders and the blendtec grain mill!

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    4. Btw, thanks so much for all the great info. I feel like I know quite a bit about healthy eating, but I've learned a lot about natural cleaning and skincare from your blog which I plan to adopt. I am curious what you use for shampoo and conditioner, what you use on your kids for washing, and what your take on fluoride in toothpaste is. :)

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    5. For my kids, I use Everyday Shea Butter Shampoo and Body Wash for Babies. I usually buy it at the health store but I'm going to start getting it on Amazon because the price is better. I also use it as a body wash for myself. Here are the ingredients: Aqueous extracts of Lemon Balm and Neem, Handcrafted Shea Butter Soap, Decyl Polyglucose, Lavender Essential Oil, Lemon Extract, Sea Salt. I liked its ingredients the best out of all the shampoos at the health food store. Baby products are often a great choice because they have more natural ingredients. I would love to try out some homemade shampoos and body washes, but I haven't had a chance yet.

      I have dandruff so I use Jason Dandruff Relief. I don't usually use conditioner because my hair has more body without it. I've read many blog posts about using apple cider vinegar as a conditioner on the ends of your hair, but I haven't tried it yet.

      I'm not sure about fluoride. I've read pros and cons. I still need to do more research. My kids use a toothpaste without fluoride because they still swallow the toothpaste. My husband refuses to use "natural" toothpaste that isn't approved by the ADA. :)

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    6. Hooray, a new shampoo for me to try!

      I make a apple cider vinegar and fennel hair rinse that I absolutely love. I use it in lieu of conditioner a lot. I posted how to make it on my blog at http://domesticendeavors.net/2012/03/29/fennel-hair-and-skin-tonic/, if you're interested. It smells a little in the shower, but once you've rinsed it out and dried your hair, you can't smell it at all.

      Thanks for a great post on waffles! They are a favorite at our house.

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  4. Yum! These waffles and your french toast were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!

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  5. Great post! I invite you to join me today (and every Tuesday) for Tone Up Tuesdays Link Up! A place for all things healthy living, fitness, and overall well being! Recipes, workouts, motivation, struggles, tips, tricks, and accomplishments!

    http://www.feedingmytemple.com/2012/9/4/tone-up-tuesday

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  6. We love waffles but my WW ones (I make it with pumpkin) are definitely NOT "light and fluffy". I've seen tips to separate the eggs in cookbooks, does it really make that much difference? I'll have to try it!

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    1. I got an email from one of my readers about this recipe. She said she used regular whole wheat flour and didn't separate the eggs and they were still light and fluffy. I'd love to hear your feedback if you try the recipe!

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  7. This seems like a great recipe. Wow, this is awesome. I would love for you to stop by My Dream Canvas. Have a super weekend.

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  8. I am always looking for a great waffle recipe and whole wheat makes it even better! Thanks.

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  9. Breakfast food is always my favorite. Thanks for the recipe! I've loved looking through your blog! I wanted to invite you to share over at my link party too! It's hosted every Saturday and is all about 'Your Great Idea'. Hope to see you soon! http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2012/09/hello-weekend-50-mikarose-giveaway.html

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  10. These look yummy I'll definitely have to try them! Thanks for sharing!! visiting from 30days blog

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  11. These look delicious and sound super healthy. I am pinning them to give them a try down the line. Feel free to swing by and post any sustainability or homesteading posts on my Tuesday Greens link up over on www.craftygardenmama.com. Have a great week!

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  12. Yum! I notice the olive oil taste sometimes so I use grapeseed oil. Thanks for the recipe!

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  13. These are very good and not too time consuming to make, will keep this recipe.

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  14. I like waffles need to try make whole wheat ones. Your recipe sounds great not too complicated.

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