Carrot Cake Waffles

Why You'll Love This Carrot Cake Waffles Recipe

• Mom Approved - With the addition of oats and carrots, you can feel good about serving these waffles to your whole family!
• Less Sugar - While these gluten free waffles have all the flavor of carrot cake, they have significantly less sugar.
• Allergen Friendly - This recipe is both gluten free and dairy free as written. Plus it can be made nut-free very easily.

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten Free Oat Flour - You can buy packaged gluten free oat flour or make your own from gluten free rolled oats.  I always use Bob's Red Mill brand. Make sure whatever brand you use is certified gluten free.
• Gluten Free Flour Blend - I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Flour Blend for all of my recipes.  You can use another brand if you prefer, but ensure it contains xanthan gum or a similar binder.  This recipe has only been tested with Bob's Red Mill, so results may vary with another brand.
• Baking Powder - To help these waffles come out light in texture, we need a good amount of baking powder to help increase the air bubbles in the batter.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger - These three spices provide the classic carrot cake flavor.
• Salt - Just a little salt to help balance the sweetness of the recipe.
• Sugar - Some granulated sugar helps the waffles to crisp on the outside and turn golden brown.
• Eggs - This recipe calls for three eggs. The yolks provide fat and bind the ingredients together, while the whites are beaten to create a lightness to the waffles. I have not tried any egg replacements in this recipe.
• Coconut Oil - I love the added flavor from using coconut oil here.  If you don't have it on hand, you can use any light cooking oil or even melted butter.
• Maple Syrup - I always love adding some maple syrup to my pancake and waffle batter.  It helps to sweeten things so you don't need so much syrup on top.
• Vanilla Extract - Provides a little depth of flavor.
• Non-Dairy Milk - I used unsweetened coconut milk in this recipe.  I've also tested it with oat milk.  Any non-dairy milk should work fine.  If you're not dairy free, use regular milk in the same measure.
• Grated Carrots - I shredded my carrots with the small grate on my box grater.  Having the carrots a little smaller in size makes them meld into the waffle batter a little better.  Make sure to shred your own carrots instead of buying the pre-shredded carrots, since they are a little dryer.
• Pecans - Chop your pecans fairly small so they fit well into the waffle maker.  If you don't like pecans, you can use another type of nut or leave them out entirely.

For the topping you will need: vegan cream cheese, maple syrup and melted vegan butter. This is optional, but it adds the flavor of cream cheese frosting which completes the carrot cake flavor!

See the recipe card for complete ingredient list with measurements.

How to Make Carrot Cake Waffles

The key to making amazing gluten free waffles is separating the eggs.  By beating the egg whites to a meringue state, you add so much air and fluffiness into the batter to give the gluten free flour a boost. I recommend a handheld mixer or stand mixer for the best results.

STEP 1: Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two bowls.

STEP 2: Combine the gluten free flour, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk together to mix.

STEP 3: Add the egg yolks, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and milk to the dry ingredients.  Fold together until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.

STEP 4: Add the shredded carrots and pecans to the waffle batter and fold together.

STEP 5: Place the egg whites in a separate bowl and beat them to firm peaks.

STEP 6: Add the beaten eggs whites to the waffle batter and gently fold it together until it's combined.  Try not to deflate the air bubbles.

STEP 7: Set the batter aside to rest for about 10 minutes.  I use this time to heat my waffle maker.

STEP 8: Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron instructions.  Mine takes about 5 minutes per batch.

Storage

Wrap leftover waffles with a paper towel and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven until warmed and crispy.

These waffles will also freeze well for quick breakfast prep.