These Vegan Carrot Cake Waffles are perfectly festive for spring and full of cozy flavors! They're great for Easter brunch or breakfast in bed and reheat beautifully during the week (when toasted, of course).
Vegan and Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Waffles: The Perfect Spring Breakfast
Are you a waffles or a pancake person? I personally enjoy both at different times. On the side I already have recipes for Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes and "Every Weekend Pancakes" but I have yet to publish anything for waffles! Consider this post an introduction to one of my favorite easy breakfasts (that feels fancy).
Some Tips for Making Waffles
No. These batters do have the same ingredients, but often times the ratios used are different. Pancakes tend to have more leavening agents like baking power, as this helps them rise without a mold in the skillet. Waffles have more fat (in the form of butter or oil) which helps them achieve a very crispy texture inside the iron.
Easy! If you’re making waffles from a store-bought pancake mix, add double the fat and an extra leavening agent (like a flax egg) than the recipe calls for. This will provide a crispier end result that is still very light.
Use 1 TBS chia seeds or 1 TBS ground flax seeds to replace 1 egg in a waffle recipe. Chia and flax act as binding agents when they interact with the milk in this recipe.
Use finely ground oat flour, as helps provide a light and crisp texture (without being as heavy as whole wheat flour). Do not over-mix the batter as this will cause it to fall flat. Be sure your baking powder is relatively fresh (if it's been sitting in your pantry for a while it can lose some leavening power). Finally, lightly toasting the waffle prior to serving will really secure that crispy texture you're after!
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How to Make the Best Waffles Taste like Carrot Cake
- Freshly grate the carrots. Pre-shredded carrots (like those you've seen in a salad bar) lose a lot of liquid when sitting and can make baked goods overly dry.
- Ensure your waffle iron is fully preheated and oiled, if needed. Mine is ceramic and does not need oil, which is handy!
- Resist the urge to remove the waffles from the iron before they've fully crisped. I sound like a broken record on this crispy thing but trust me, it's essential. No one likes a limp waffle. Ew.
- The toppings make the dish! Serve this with a swirl of vanilla yogurt (to mimic buttercream frosting), a dash of cinnamon, some carrot ribbons, and crunchy walnuts or pecans. And OF COURSE, never forget pure maple syrup.
This recipe is very customizable to what you have on hand and your personal preference. However, I would not recommend trying this recipe without oil. Replacing it with something like applesauce will result in a sad and mushy texture.
I hope you love this recipe. It was inspired by Love and Lemons. Are you looking for more springtime breakfast inspiration? The recipes below work perfectly for Easter brunch and Mother's Day!
More Spring Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
- Cinnamon Crunch Croissant French Toast
- Fluffy Vegan Scones
- Easiest Traditional Cinnamon Rolls
- Bakery-Style Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Carrot Cake Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour or oat flour, if gluten-free
- 1 cup finely ground oat flour or more all purpose, or whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 TBS chia seeds or ground flax
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup freshly grated carrots
- 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk or milk of choice
- ¼ cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 tso vanilla extract optional
- 2 TBS maple syrup
- To serve: Dairy-free vanilla yogurt cinnamon, candied carrots, maple syrup, and/or nuts
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron, oiling as needed. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, chia (or flax), cinnamon, nutmeg if using, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine carrots, milk, oil, vanilla if using, and maple syrup. Stir to integrate.
- Pour wet mixture into dry, mixing gently until no flour-y spots remain (do not over-mix as this can make your waffles less fluffy. Ladle generous portions (~¾ cup) into the waffle iron and cook as directed.
- Serve with toppings of choice! I like to swirl cinnamon into the yogurt to mimc "frosting." Ribbons of shaved carrots can look festive, and walnuts and pecans add some nice crunch.
Susannah says
Despite the fact that I accidentally shredded my carrots instead of grating them (!!), these waffles are delicious. They feel perfectly indulgent on a cold and wintry April Sunday 😀!
Emily says
I am so glad they worked! Thank you for commenting! <3