Sometimes life just calls for a waffle. Just like life sometimes calls for a naked Saturday or an evening of doing nothing but eating ice cream and watching touching documentaries on Netflix that make you cry over people’s personal triumphs. Because sometimes, all that will scratch that itch in life is a little self-indulgence.
Now I don’t say the term “indulge” lightly. In fact, my college roommate and I used to designate one day each month for nothing but splurging on whatever food we wanted, as long as we ate clean the other 30-some days of the month. Think entire boxes of Fruity Pebbles, half of a cake, and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream…for breakfast. Needless to say, we knew how to “splurge.”
But lucky for me (and you) those days are long gone. Now, if I want some ice cream I have it. Only I don’t eat an entire pint and allow myself little treats on an almost daily basis. This is a much more reasonable approach, at least in my experience. And trust me, if anyone’s experienced in the eating department, it’s me.
While I would put these waffles in the “indulge” category, they’re definitely a healthy indulgence. With no added sugar besides the chocolate chips, plenty of fiber from old fashioned oats, and tons of banana flavor from two whole bananas, I don’t feel one ounce of guilt for having these as a weekday treat or a slow weekend breakfast; and you shouldn’t either.
I named these banana bread waffles for a reason: Instead of taking on the crispy texture of traditional waffles, these have a slightly softer, more fluffy texture that mimics banana bread to a ‘T.’ Plus, anytime there’s chocolate chips in the mix, I say it’s a party. So consider this a (healthy) breakfast party, in the mouth.
- 1 cup flour (any kind)
- ¼ cup oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 Tbsp water)
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips (non-dairy for vegan)
- To prepare flax egg, combine flaxseed and water in a small bowl, stir and set aside. Peel and mash banana and baking powder together with a fork.
- Add in milk, flax egg and stir.
- Next add salt, oats and stir. And then add flour and stir until just combined. Add in chocolate chips.
- Preheat waffle iron and let batter rest.
- Once iron is ready, spray generously with cooking spray (this is key for the batter not to stick) and cook according to instructions.
- Remove and set aside and continue to cook rest of the batter.
- To serve, I suggest topping with just a few more chocolate chips. But top as you wish – almond butter or maple syrup would also be lovely additions.
Enjoy,
Dana
Genevieve August 10, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Oh my! Those looks SO good! I adore banana bread. That was a funny story about the one day to indulge. I would be SO sick that one day! Oh, but I think it would be worth it. :) I like your idea of just smaller indulgences throughout the week.
Sorry about those nasty comments! I don’t know how people feel they have the right to be so rude! I think I’d delete the comments. It’s your blog after all. I don’t think I’d mind spending .99 for a recipe. Although, I have numerous food allergies in my family and I like to see what basic ingredients I would have to change. I wonder if there’s a way you can put a list of the basic ingredients (not the amounts of course) or maybe just list if it’s a dairy, egg, nut free or a vegan or gluten free recipe?
Genevieve
Genevieve August 11, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Oh my goodness! These are the BEST WAFFLES ever!! We had them this morning. WOW! They were so yummy and super quick to make! I loved the texture and the flavor. Will definitely be making this into a go to recipe at our house.
I changed it to gluten free and it was super easy.
Used my gluten free flour mix (millet and sorghum flour + tapioca, potato and corn starch- 1-1 flour to starch ratio)
And added 1/2 tsp more baking powder and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum. We also used rice milk (add it at the end to get the right consistency) PERFECT!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Genevieve
Tammy T August 11, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Love your recipes, and your photos always leaving me drooling! This one was no exception along with the laughter over the story! Naked Saturdays are awesome (a friend celebrated naked weekends!), as was the story of your long ago breakfasts! Nice!
Can Not Wait to make these!
Tammy
Michelle August 17, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Is a waffle serving the whole round waffle or 1/4 of the round waffle?
dana August 17, 2012 at 9:39 pm
One whole waffle : )
Michelle August 17, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Thanks! Btw, all of the recipes look absolutely amazing and are a must-try!
Tricia August 22, 2012 at 9:52 am
I made these for lunch today for me and my little toddler man, and let me just say – we both thought they were delicious! He was finished with his waffle before I could get mine out of the iron and onto a plate! What a fantastic recipe! The waffles really do taste just like banana bread. I was going to put some almond butter on mine, but while I was thinking about it I ended up eating the waffle. So I’m going to have to try it tomorrow on the left overs :-) Thanks for the great recipe – it was just what I needed today!
Dana August 22, 2012 at 12:25 pm
haha, that’s great news! I love how they REALLY do taste like banana bread. My favorite toppings are either a little almond butter and honey, OR a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips! They melt and make a nice little “frosting” – yum!
belyn August 31, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Made these for Sunday breakfast. So yummy! Great recipe and my new favorite website. Thank you :) ~Belyn
Julia April 6, 2013 at 8:20 pm
Yum these look awesome!!! I am trying them out tomorrow! :) I love your blog sooo much please keep posting your AMAZING recipes and your pictures are some of the most awesome, delicious, and crisp looking pictures I’ve seen on ANY blog!! Please keep posting avidly because I look at your blog every day for recipes! :D Thanks!
Dana April 6, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Julia! You are so sweet. Thanks for such kind words! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy our recipes and photographs. Stick around and keep sharing the love!