Last night at Chucks Produce an enticing aroma filled the education kitchen and drifted through the cracks in the doorway, into the produce section and met the stacks of red ripe local strawberries: Fresh baked waffles! The lucky few who came (as well as a few who came for the class that met right after) got to have hot waffles with ripe local strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Best of all--the waffles were gluten free!
I love this waffles recipe because it is simple: no tapioca flour, no xanthan gum, no potato starch. Just oat flour. I like oats because they are high in fiber, high in silica (feeds the bones, hair, skin and nails), and it's easy on the GI tract. These waffles taste great--most people like them better than regular waffles!
To get a truly authentic waffle texture (not grainy, fluffy) use Bob's Red Mill oat flour and buttermilk. Bob's Red Mill oat flour is finely ground. HOWEVER, the Bob's oat flour is NOT guaranteed gluten free. It is made from regular oats in the regular facility. To make completely gluten free oat flour, simply get the Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats and grind them in a coffee grinder set to the espresso or fine setting. The result will not be as fine as the factory ground oats, but in the waffle recipe, it does not matter. If you have a Vitamix, you will be able to make a more finely ground flour.
We used almond milk in case there was someone present who could not have dairy. Of course, the whipped cream is dairy, but you could substitute Cool Whip if desired (even though it's not a healthy substitution). In addition the recipe uses honey or maple syrup rather than sugar and coconut oil rather than vegetable oil. This recipe is a healthy option for breakfast or dessert. Keep this on hand for a quick dessert when berries are in season. It only takes about 10 minutes to make a batch of waffles!
Oat Waffle recipe
Preheat waffle iron
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum free is recommended)
1/8 tsp salt
3 heaping tablespoons ground flax seeds (this is optional, but gives more fiber and essential fatty acids to the recipe)
Mix the above dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Then add:
1 cup milk (buttermilk or almond milk or other milk substitute)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons honey or real maple syrup
Mix batter until well incorporated. Don't worry about overmixing. It doesn't matter in a waffle recipe. Pour into waffle iron (don't overfill). Wait until steam has subsided, that is when waffles are done.
Top with freshly sliced ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and top with whipped cream. Yum!
