It’s the end of our spring break here and we had big ambitions to go on a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants trip to the Grand Canyon last weekend with two other couple friends. But, as the date approached life happened as it does and nobody planned, so we ended up calling the whole thing off. Instead, we opted for a casual brunch at our flat last Saturday morning. Honestly, it was perfect: Relaxing, delicious, connecting – just what we all needed. The Grand Canyon will have to wait for another day, and that’s OK with me. Sometimes brunch trumps road trips.
It isn’t brunch without waffles. Don’t ask questions.
We have two friends who are gluten-free and I wanted everyone to feel included and well fed, so I scoured around for a GF waffle recipe. It was a total test that ended up a success. However, they didn’t really have any flavor, whole grains or tenderness. So, after brunch ended I made it my personal mission to come up a recipe better than the original. I believe I’ve done just that. Even John approved, and he’s a waffle hater! ( <—- eewww.)
Look at that stack of glory! The recipe is simple, as always: One bowl and under 30 minutes. It does include a few gluten free flours but I found mine easily and affordably at a local market and can almost guarantee you can, too. If you’re a GF eater, you likely already have these on hand. And if not, just sub in the same amount of all-purpose or whole wheat flour for a similar result (although some modifications may have to be made for consistency sake).
What do they taste like? Awesome in the mouth.
Tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, and lightly sweet with a hint of vanilla. Plus, they have plenty of good-for-you ingredients like flaxseed, rolled oats and agave nectar. They were delicious right off the waffle press, and almost more delicious frozen and re-heated the next day in the toaster. The perfect kind of waffle, if you ask me.
Let’s be real, it isn’t a waffle without toppings. I went with a little vegan butter, strawberries, banana, and maple syrup. But these would also be excellent plain, with a few chocolate chips, or with peanut or almond butter. Long live the brunch waffle!
Vegan Gluten-Free Oatmeal Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup potato starch (not flour)
- 1/4 scant cup tapioca flour
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Combine almond milk and vinegar in a large liquid measuring cup and let set for a few minutes to curdle/activate. Then add melted butter, vanilla extract and agave nectar and whisk. Set aside.
- Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well incorporated. Let set for 10-15 minutes while your waffle iron preheats. (I set mine to 4 out of 5 for a crispier waffle, but adjust yours according to preference.)
- Once waffle iron is ready, generously coat with non-stick spray or vegan butter and pour on about 1/3 cup of batter. Cook according to manufacturer instructions and then remove and place on a baking rack in a 200-degree F (93 C) oven to keep warm. Do not stack and instead keep them in a single layer to ensure crispiness remains.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings. Store leftovers in a freezer safe bag and reheat in the toaster for best results. Will keep in the freezer for up to a couple months, although they’re freshest within the first couple weeks.
Notes
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
recipe adapted from food.com
Corwin says
I didn’t have rice flour and didn’t need the recipe to be gf, so I used 1 3/4 cups of ap flour in place of all the flours. Like many other commenters my waffles stuck to the iron, but other than that were good.
Sara says
I have tried lots of gluten free vegan waffles and these are BY FAR the best ones, I won’t even ever try a different recipe, they are even better than ‘regular’ waffles!
Wow, such high praise! Thanks so much for the great review, Sara. We’re so glad you enjoy these waffles!
Zaira says
The best waffles ever!!! The best I had in my entire life. Thank you so much! My family and I enjoyed it sooo much, we topped with some peaches, bananas and also pistachio vegan ice cream, like out of this earth.
Thank you for sharing, keep up with this amazing blog!!!!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Zaira! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Jackie B. says
These are HANDS DOWN the best waffles ever. EVER! We make them at least one weekend a month, and they are always the best. They have the perfect crunch on the outside, and fluffiness on the inside. You don’t even have to be gluten free to enjoy them – they are that delicious! Thanks for such a killer recipe!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Jackie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Ibtisam Ibrahim says
The tastiest and best waffles I made and tasted in my life.
All my family members liked it.
I make it for them as a reward.
I made it four times, just like the recipe.
Thank you for this great website, all the recipes I have tried are great.
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy them! Thanks so much for sharing!
JANET KAYLOR says
I made these for Thanksgiving breakfast. Could not peel them out of waffle maker. I tried more oil, thinning batter. Nothing worked. They separated, stuck on the top and bottom of waffle maker. It took me a long time to pry them off of the waffle maker to clean.
So strange. Sorry you had that experience, Janet. Thinning the batter actually won’t help with a sticking issue – that will make it worse. I’d say it’s either an issue of a batter that’s too thin, or too little oil on the waffle iron.
Faye Leeman says
The batter thickens up while I am cooking the waffles, I have added more Almond milk to the batter but then the waffles aren’t as stiff add taste different. Any suggestions or tips?
Brenda says
I made these today. Total yum! I didn’t have rolled oats so I used quick oats. Used maple syrup in the wet ingredients and 1 TBS honey in the dry. I also added cinnamon. The last two of the batch, I added blueberries. Delish!
Yay! Thanks for sharing your changes, Brenda! Glad you loved them!
Rachel says
I just made these and they are delicious!!! I have been trying for years to make a gluten free/vegan waffles and every other recipe was en epic fail!
I only had a Belgian waffle iron and so the batter made one batch of four nice thick waffles. Crispy on the outside and soft inside. Thank you thank you!!!
Jeanie says
Can I use arrowroot instead of tapioca flour?
Galina Noskova says
I subbed soy milk for almond milk, and didn’t use tapioca flour and potato starch because I didn’t have them, just used whatever flour I had the two times I made them. They came out perfect and delicious by themselves, I couldn’t stop eating them! Thank you Dana! I thank God for your website!
Zoe Smith says
I’ve tried this several times and the waffles come out tough, and mean really tough. Does anyone have any tips that I could try to make them crispy but tender?
Luci says
Hi
I’m dairy intolerant & have a gluten sensitivity so I was excited when I found your recipe with the appetizing pictures & great reviews. I followed the recipe exactly as printed on your site. The waffles were as hard as frisbees (even after adding more liquid) and absolutely tasteless so I’m wondering what could have gone wrong. Needless to say I’m very disappointed.☹
Jill Johnson says
Hi, do you think cashew milk or coconut milk would sub for the almond milk ok? thanks!
Hi! Cashew milk is going to have a similar flavor to almond milk so I’d go with that! Both should work though! If you try them out, let me know how it goes!
carolina says
Thank you for this recipe!
I made crepes out of it and it was very good!
I used rice flakes instead of oats and this worked very fine.
Sabine says
Hello! I have used your oat waffle recipe several times and both my husband And I find the flavor delicious. The recipe is slightly different from the above though. The one imprinted out called for 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend whereas the above does not use a mixture, but rather separate flours. Also the above recipe calls for flax seed and sugar. Regardless, my recipe comes from your blog and is perhaps an update? My question though, is that I cannot get the dough to fully cook in the center of the waffles, the outside is crispy and delicious, the inner part seems uncooked. What can I do to have the center be, well, not so gloppy? The flavor is so good that I really would like to perfect the method.
Michelle says
Delicious! Was running low on vanilla extract and added some almond extract – perfection!!
Samantha says
What waffle iron are you using? I’ve been on the hunt for a good waffle iron for crispy waffles for a long time. I can’t wait to try this recipe :)
Find it here!
Gabrielle says
My waffles came out thick. The batter was thick as well. I used a Gluten free mix by Cafe. I added 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds as well. After the first waffles I added almond milk which helped a little. They tasted great still! Why thick?
The chia seeds thicken the batter. Next time, scale back on chia seeds and add a bit more almond milk if needed!
Sarah says
:( These stuck like crazy! We have a very good non-stick professional waffle maker..and I greased it up with vegan butter…and I still only managed to get ONE waffle that didn’t stick. :( It was DELICIOUS….any tips for better success?
Hmm, I haven’t heard this before? I’d recommend trying nonstick spray next time because it gets in all the grooves.
Nadine says
I tried these the other day. They sticked to my waffle iron like crazy. I couldnt get them off, even worse i destroyed the non-stick coating of my waffle iron completely as i was trying to get the waffle off. I have to buy a new waffle iron now.
Agent X says
Converting for UK / Europe 200F is 90c
Also cups to SI units
• 300ml 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 60ml 1/4 cup olive, canola or melted coconut oil
• 60ml 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
• 50g heaping 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 220g 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch sea salt
Shannon L says
I made these this morning and was blown away! I am not gluten-free, but have been trying to make more gluten-free things because I suspect my husband has a sensitivity to it. I’ve had mixed results so far, but these were completely awesome. I have to wonder about the people who said the batter was too thick? My batter was very runny and I followed the recipe exactly. These were perfect and I think I prefer them to my regular recipe! So thanks!
Willow says
I find everyone scoops flour different. The ratio of liquid to flour will change the consistency. The only way around this is to weigh the ingredients, but not everyone does this. Just my two bits:)
Chris M says
Wow! These turned out great! I substituted coconut milk (drinkable) because I’m allergic to almonds and wanted something with the same viscosity. I also added 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans. Heaven in a waffle! Can’t wait to share these with my son who’s also GF and allergic to eggs. Finally, a real waffle!!! Thanks!
Wendy says
Why is it that every gluten free vegan waffle I make sticks to my waffle iron (including yours)? Am I doing something wrong? It seems the more oil I use the wore the problem gets. I have used 3 different waffle irons and always the same result. Before I found out about all our food alleries, I made waffles every weekend. I am soooo frustrated!
OP says
Hi. This was my first time in life trying a waffle…..so easy. They were quite tasty but I have a couple of questions. First, are you using quick cooking or regular oats? And second, is the batter supposed to so thick? It could hardly spread on the iron but it did cook. Like another reviewer I thinned the batter after the 1st couple waffles and that caused them to stick more. Thanks for a super simple recipe.
Eliza says
These look great! Could you substitute a GF flour blend, like Pamela’s or Trader Joe’s? They all have some mix of brown rice flour, potato, and tapioca…
Thanks!
I’m sure you could, but I can’t guarantee the result because I haven’t tried it! But if you do, be sure to report back with the results! That’d be super helpful to other readers (and me!).
Michelle says
I do not leave comments too often but had to for this recipe. These are amazing. My 2 year old, 5 year old, husband and I all loved them. There was nothing left! I forgot to add the syrup or agave and we thought they were perfect, so I will probably leave that out again. Best waffles ever. We are just starting down the gluten free path and this gives me hope!
Ah, thanks Michelle! Both for commenting and being so kind to share your experience! So glad you enjoyed these. Cheers!
Cathy says
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I am sharing your wonderful recipe tomorrow in my Gluten-Free Recipe RoundUp with a link back to your original post!
Have a terrific weekend!
Cathy from APeekIntoMyParadise.com
rachel says
I had to stop by and give you your props. I am new here, & this is the second recipe I’ve tried from your site in the past two days and they are both 5/5 star recipes! All I want to know is WHEN is your book coming out?! Thank you so much! You guys are the bomb.
Yay! This makes me so happy, Rachel. Glad you enjoy our recipes. We are currently putting the finishing touches on our cookbook and it will be out at the end of January/beginning of February. Can’t wait to see what you think!
Laura @ The Green Forks! says
I made these for breakfast this morning. They turned out perfect! I was shocked at how wonderfully crunchy they were on the outside. There is nothing worse than I waffle that is basically a pancake… This made the perfect amount for my husband, my daughter, and myself too. Loved them.
Raquel says
Thank you for this recipe! I made these this morning and they turned out great. I did not have any tapioca flour on hand, so just substituted it with more potato starch, and that worked fine. I did think they were a bit too sweet, so I will leave out the white sugar next time, and will increase the salt a bit to a scant 1/2 tsp. Again, thanks a bunch!
Shelbey says
these are amazing thank you for sharing! I’ve spent far too much time trying other recipes with the same results. Too crunchy, no flavor, too mushy…
These are PERFECT.
Yay! Glad you liked, Shelbey!
Brenda says
With many modififications this could be a good recipe. The dough is more like biscuit dough and makes a gummy waffle. Sorry. Experienced vegan chef and was really disappointed.
Rebecca says
Can not wait to make these for my little one who is wheat, egg and dairy free. Hard to find gluten free and egg free recipes that are not super involved to make. Thank you so much for taking the time to work the recipe!
Monika Kawski says
These are SO DELICIOUS. My boyfriend recently has been transitioning into GF, and feels a lot better as a result, and he whipped up this batch the other day and I came home from class to these delicious waffles. So good smothered with Earth Balance and some real maple syrup. They were so good I couldn’t resist making them again today.
The thing about these waffles too is that they are pretty filling, so we could each only eat about 2 max (maybe 3). Great recipe though, will definitely make them time and time again! Thanks Minimalist Baker!
Monika! Thanks for sharing your success with us. We created this recipe with a few of our own gluten free friends in mind and were thrilled when they loved the result. Thanks again for sharing! Hope you and your boyfriend make and eat many many more of these waffles :D Love hearing from readers!
Leslie says
Eating them right now with almond butter and a drizzle of agave. I too added a tsp of cinnamon. Decadent. I intend to make them for the non-vegan, glutinous members of the family. Hmm, now I’m thinking about a savory version for a future dinner,… Thanks for sharing!
Marion says
Terrific, yummy , waffles . Great photos too ,very appealing . Thanks .
Heidi says
These are so good I replaced potato starch with arrowroot starch and replaced the tapioca flour with shredded unsweetened coconut I also added vegan chocolate chips to half te batch. I’m in love!!!!!
Lindsay says
Hi, I really like the sound of this recipe! And the comments vouch for it, as well, but I am wondering about the fact that that the oats are uncooked/not ground into a flour. They are just mixed in with the dry ingredients. Do you notice biting into uncooked oats? That seems unappetizing in a waffle.. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks!!
Nope! They taste great and are hardly detectable. Not chewy or piecy at all. Hope that helps!
Stephanie says
I just made these and they were very yummy! I had to make quite a few substitutions as there were some things I did not have. I replaced the 1/2c of potato starch with tapioca starch, used coconut oil instead of vegan butter, used 1/2c of soaked, dehydrated & blended oats, used homemade oat milk instead of almond milk and instead of adding maple syrup, I used 2T of coconut sugar. The mixture was very thick, but it made lovely waffles! After the 2nd waffle I added more water to thin the mixture out, just to see what they would turn out like, and this made them very crispy and delicious! (they did stick a lot more, but I could still remove them from the waffle maker whole). Definitely the best recipe I have found so far, and I have tried A LOT of gluten free/vegan pancake/waffle recipes, most of which turned out mushy and inedible. Thanks heaps!
Umm Wesam says
I have two problems with these waffles. Well maybe three. The first is that they were so good I never got to eat any from our first batch. They literally flew off the table. Second they stick to my waffle iron like no tomorrow. I have cooked so many waffles and have never had an issue even without greasing the griddle but these are sticky! Even though they stick it is worth every poke and prod and imperfect waffle on the plate. The kids dont care so why should I? The third problem is there can never be enough of these. They are absolutely amazing. We have been gluten free a long time and I thought I had waffles down but this recipe put all my others to shame. Many other gf waffle recipes come out chewy or semi mush with absolutely no flavor but this, oh, this was heaven! This is definitely the recipe you want to at least double when you make it!
Amy says
I am new to gluten free cooking. Is there a substitute for potato starch?
Marada De Ley says
These are phenomenal! I have made gluten free waffles before that are either tasteless, heavy as bricks, or both. These are so great, and I have never made waffles before that were crispy – YUM! I added dates and bananas to ours. Double yum
Melissa says
Oh mon dieu! Those look amazing! Thank you for this recipe.
Rachel says
This recipe is soo wonderful and easy! I wouldn’t have known they were gluten free if I hadn’t made them myself. These waffles are soft and chewy. From now on this will be my go to waffle recipe.
Beth says
These are so good! Thanks for giving us the best recipe for GF waffles EVER! I omitted the sugar at the end, and they were perfect! Love that they freeze well too.
Beth, so glad you enjoyed these! I stil have one or two in my freezer and can’t wait to eat them all up this week! Such a quick and easy (healthy) breakfast.
Sandy says
I love this recipe and of course they’re the best when they’re just made. Do you know if you can keep the batter in the fridge for a couple of days without any problem? Thanks a bunch!
I’m sure you could but there’s no guarantees as I haven’t tried it. But maybe one day in advance at most would be best. Hope that helps!
Elisabeth says
I have got to try this! I will have to sub out quinoa flakes for the oatmeal (we cant do oats around here) but this seems perfect. I have been wanting a gluten free vegan waffle recipe soooo bad. Vans makes me sick (all the sugar!) and all the ones I have adopted havent turned out amazing.
Chelsea says
just made these….oh wow. they are seriously the best waffles I have ever had (and Ive tried TONS of recipes trying to perfect vegan waffle making). The only subs I made was I omitted the dry sugar at the end, and added a dash of cinnamon. Thank you!
Cindy @WheatlessFoodie says
Beautifully photographed! Now I want a waffle maker. Until I get one, I’ll try making them as pancakes. Yum!
Abbie says
Hi! Could I use arrowroot instead of potato starch?
autumn says
Oh my! These might be the final push that I need to get a waffle iron. They look so good. My favorite gluten-free pancakes are vegan too. And you’re right, as a regular gf baker, I totally have all of these ingredients on hand.
Sarah says
Long live the brunch waffle! My home is tear-inducingly waffle-iron-less at the moment. I will keep searching on, though! Never give up!
Anne says
Thank you so much for this recipe! These were so great. Couldn’t stop eating them. I’m vegan and my husband is vegetarian and gluten free, so these were perfect!
Kathryn says
These really do sound like everything good in waffle form.
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
How beautiful are these! I totally need to steel back my waffle maker from my parent’s house so I can get on this ASAP. YUMMMMM!
Tieghan says
These looks SO good!! I wish I had a waffle maker! I might just have to run to target tonight!
Dana says
These look yummy and we are trying after Passover for sure! I try to keep our food real. Have to tried coconut manna or oil for these in place of vegan margarine?
I use coconut oil a lot in baking, actually. However, for these I was looking for that buttery flavor. I’m sure coconut oil would be great as a substitute though!
Elizabeth @ The Dapper Paper Co. says
um, yum!
I have a belgium waffle maker and I maybe one of the few people alive who wants want to make thinner ones like these! Mind sharing what waffle maker you use? I am on the hunt.
I just have this Cuisinart one – very affordable and reliable.
Elizabeth says
That’s actually the one I have been looking at so I’m glad to see this is how they turn out. Thanks so much! looking forward to trying these.
Izy says
Me wanty waffle maker! I don’t have one, and evidently, I NEED to get one ASAP so I can make these!!!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
Yum! I love waffles. What kind of person hates waffles?? Your husband is crazy!
haha, we certainly have different taste in breakfast. But he liked these!