Waffles for breakfast will bring a smile to anyone's face! These oat flour waffles are no exception. They require no flour at all, they are naturally gluten free and also dairy free. Because of the oatmeal, these whole grain waffles are even a little bit good for you, but your kids will never know. Top them off with fresh berries, nuts, almond butter or peanut butter, dairy free yogurt or a drizzle of maple syrup for a quick breakfast to look forward to!
If you love homemade waffles, you'll also want to check out my recipes for strawberry waffles and our favorite banana waffles.
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Why you'll love this oat flour waffle recipe
- EASE: It's quick and easy to make!
- TASTES GREAT: They have the mild flavor of oatmeal in the shape of a waffle.
- ALLERGEN FRIENDLY: It's dairy free and gluten free with gluten free oats.
- MAKE MORNINGS EASIER: They are great to make ahead for breakfast on busy mornings. Just add your favorite toppings and serve.
Ingredient Notes
This delicious waffle recipe is made with simple ingredients which you may already have in your pantry.
- Oats - I use Bob's Red Mill certified gluten-free oats to make my own oat flour. You can also use store-bought oat flour for this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar - a little sugar to help the waffles get golden brown and crispy. You can replace white sugar with coconut sugar if you prefer.
- Vegan Butter - I used Country Crock Plant Butter in this recipe, but you can use the vegan butter of your choice. You could also replace vegan butter with melted coconut oil. If you're not dairy free, use regular butter in the same measure.
- Maple Syrup - I love adding a little pure maple syrup to my waffle batter. It makes the waffles a little bit sweet, so you don't need to add as much syrup on top.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I have tried this recipe with oat milk, coconut milk and soy milk. I'm sure almond milk would work as well. Use your milk of choice. If you're not dairy free, use regular milk in the same measure.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not dairy free - replace the vegan butter and non-dairy milk with regular butter and milk in the same measure.
- Make it Vegan / Egg Free - Omit the 2 eggs and replace with ½ teaspoon of baking soda and add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the milk. All other measurements and directions are the same.
- No Butter - Replace melted butter with melted coconut oil or vegetable oil.
- Make chocolate chip waffles by adding 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before cooking.
How to make homemade oat flour
Oat flour is simply made up of ground oats. If you have a high speed blender or food processor, you can easily make homemade oat flour.
Use whole rolled oats, not steel cut, for the best results. I like to leave a few bits of unprocessed oats in the flour, to add some texture to the waffles. My family prefers them to be smooth texture. So some experimenting will be in order to decide what you like best!
Once you've made up a batch of oat flour, be sure to set some aside for a batch of my applesauce carrot muffins!
Add the oats to the jar of a high-speed blender (or a food processor).
Process for about 15 seconds until the oats are a flour-like consistency.
How to Make Oat Flour Waffles
These waffles are easy to make and only take a few minutes to mix together.
STEP 1: Combine the oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
STEP 2: Divide the eggs into two bowls - egg yolks in one bowl, egg whites in the other.
STEP 3: Beat the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage. They should be very fluffy, like foam.
STEP 4: Add the milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter to the egg yolks. Whisk together until smooth.
STEP 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
STEP 6: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just mixed. It's okay if there are some small lumps.
STEP 7: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the waffle batter. Take care not to deflate the egg whites.
STEP 8: Allow the waffle batter to rest for at least 10 minutes prior to cooking. Preheat the waffle iron while you're waiting.
STEP 9: Scoop the oat flour waffle batter into your preheated waffle iron and cook according to the waffle maker directions. My waffle maker takes about 5 minutes per batch.
Expert Tip
As the waffles finish cooking, place them on a wire rack to cool or on a baking tray in a 250 degree oven to keep them warm for later. Do not stack them on a plate or you will end up with soggy waffles from the retained heat and moisture.
Storage
Wrap any leftover waffles in paper towels and store inside an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the toaster or toaster oven as you would with store bought waffles.
These waffles are also great to make ahead and freeze. Follow the same directions as above for storage, and cook straight from frozen when you're ready to eat.
Recipe FAQs
Oat flour is simply uncooked oats that have been ground to a flour-like consistency. While oats are naturally gluten free, they are an ingredient that are easily susceptible to cross-contamination during harvesting and processing. So if you need to follow a gluten free diet, you should be sure to use certified gluten free oats or oat flour.
To get crisp waffles, make sure you're adding your batter to a hot waffle iron. You should be able to hear the batter sizzling when it hits the griddle.
You will also need to cook it long enough to evaporate most of the moisture. When you see steam coming out the sides of your waffle maker, that means the waffles are still wet and not done cooking.
Finally, lay your cooked waffles in a single layer on paper towels to keep them crisp. If you stack them, the trapped heat and steam will make them soggy.
Yes, definitely. In this recipe there are two reasons for the rest. First, oat flour takes a little time to soak up moisture, so you will notice the batter getting thicker the longer it sits. Second, the baking powder needs some time to work with the fluffy egg whites to create nice big air bubbles to make the waffles light in texture.
Compared to most gluten free flour blends, oat flour is richer in protein and fiber along with vitamins and minerals. Plus, oats are known to regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol and promote health digestion.
If you compare these waffles to my other gluten free waffle recipes, you will find they are lower in calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol and fat. They are also slightly higher in protein and fiber.
More gluten-free waffles recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Easy Oat Flour Waffles
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
- Waffle Iron
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups Gluten Free Oats 240 grams (use 2 cups of prepared oat flour)
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Vegan Butter melted
- 2 Eggs divided
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 ¼ Cup Non Dairy Milk
Instructions
- Place oats into a high speed blender or food processor. Process for about 15 seconds until the oats are a powdery texture.2 ½ Cups Gluten Free Oats
- Add the oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well mixed.1 Tablespoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- Divide the eggs into two bowls, one bowl for yolks and the second for egg whites.2 Eggs
- Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peak stage, very light and foamy. Set aside.
- Add the milk, maple syrup, vanilla and melted butter to the bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk together until smooth.⅓ Cup Vegan Butter, 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup, 2 teaspoons Vanilla, 1 ¼ Cup Non Dairy Milk
- Pour the wet ingredients (not the egg whites) into the dry ingredients. Fold together until just mixed. Some small lumps are okay.
- Add the egg whites to the waffle batter and gently fold it together with a spatula. Take care not to deflate the egg whites.
- Let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Preheat the waffle iron.
- Scoop waffle batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer directions. My waffle iron takes about 5 minutes per batch.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Oscar says
I love making these oat flour waffles for breakfast! They’re naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with whole grains—perfect with your favorite toppings.
Thanks for the sweet comment! I love these waffles too 🙂