Whoever said “bigger is better” was probably eating a Belgian waffle at the time. But it’s not just the novelty of its size that makes it preferable over a regular waffle, it’s the crispy outer coating and soft steamy inside that makes it winner.
Top that off with deep pockets that do such a great job of holding the syrup and any sauce you put on top.
Keep in mind that in Belgium they don’t refer to these as Belgian waffles. There are so many variations of waffles there that it’s hard to pin down any one as the national icon. What we think of as a Belgian waffle probably got its start from a Brussels waffle, and the recipe was simplified and popularized as a Belgian waffle.
If you were to make Belgian waffles according to one of the most popular recipes out there, you’d be using tons of all-purpose flour, milk, and sugar. This just doesn’t fly with Paleo, so it’s a matter of coming up with delicious alternatives that make the finished product taste just as good as, or better, than the regular recipe.
The neat part about these waffles is how they’re made. There’s coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour. Coconut flour gives it that light and crispy texture that Belgian waffles are known for. But in order to give them the heft that they’re also known for there’s raw cashews that have been blended up right into the batter.
Few waffle recipes out there include raw cashews, which shows just how fun and healthy Paleo is and how creative you can get with your ingredients. Not only do cashews improve the taste and texture, they’re full of healthy fat, protein, and fiber that supercharge these waffles and turn them into a healthy breakfast.
Let’s talk fruit sauce. There’s a lot of ways to top a waffle, but in my humble opinion a fruit sauce and a little warm maple syrup are the best way to go. Fresh fruit is alright, but when you heat it up and make a warm sauce it becomes something special. And really, if you’re going to make Belgian waffles it’s a good idea to have a nice sauce to fill up all of those pockets.
These are great for feeding a crowd, you just make enough batter for everyone to have one and then start the waffle factory going. Before long everyone has a nice steamy waffle and is on the way to having a great start to their day.
Ingredients
- For the waffle
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- For the fruit sauce
- 1 ½ cup frozen mixed berries
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2-3 strips of lemon zest
Directions
- Preheat your waffle maker.
- Using a high-speed blender mix the cashews, eggs, milk, coconut oil and maple syrup. Blend until creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape sides with a spatula if needed. Add the coconut flour, baking powder and salt and blend until all the ingredients are combined. Batter should be really thick but still pourable, if necessary adjust the consistency by adding coconut milk or coconut flour one tablespoon at the time.
- Spread a little coconut oil on both sides of waffle maker and pour just enough batter to fill the bottom part, do not overfill. Cook for 3 minute or until golden brown (cooking time depends on the heat of your waffle maker).
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Combine the mixed berries, maple syrup and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, on low heat or until sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. Remove the strips of lemon zest and serve the sauce warm over waffles.
I don’t have a waffle maker so could this recipe be used as pancakes?
If you try it, let me know if it works
Yes, I believe the same batter can be used for pancakes. 🙂
Maybe this is a naive question but…I don’t have a waffle iron, could I use the same recipe and make thick pancakes? Thanks!
Will walnuts work instead of cashews? Or can I use cashew flour as a substitute?
I think walnuts should work. I’m not sure about cashew flour. You would probably need to add more eggs or almond milk to adjust the consistency.
Is maple syrup Paleo??
I’m a Raw foodie and we use maple syrup a lot in recipes even though it’s not strictly raw, it’s definitely Paleo — grade B is less processed and a better choice, but stick with pure maple syrup instead of Aunt Jemimah’s fake sugar stuff and it’s a great alternative no matter what.
Yes. Maple syrup is Paleo.
About how many waffles does this make? Thanks for posting!
In my experience, this recipe serves 4. The number of waffles depends on the size of waffle maker.
I’m allergic to nuts…is there a good cashew replacement that is still paleo?
This was GREAT! Easy to make. No fuss ingredients. Made 5 waffles in standard round wafflemaker. Best of all……MY KIDS LOVED IT!!!
When I made it these it made 3-4 waffles more then enough for 2 people. Delicious but very dense. Can anything be substituted for coconut? My son doesn’t like coconut flavor!
I make a cashew pancake recipe that is almost identical. It uses almond milk instead of coconut milk and the cashews are soaked overnight. It also uses honey instead of maple syrup and double the amount. I need to add a bit more of the milk to make the pancakes “spread” properly. So, I’d say go ahead and make pancakes with this recipe, but add a bit extra milk if needed. Test with the first pancake and you’ll see what I mean. For the sauce I just put berries and honey (not a lot of honey, just enough to make it a bit sweet) into my VitaMix and blend until the seeds are broken down. Delicious drizzled over the pancakes!
FYI: They are incredible!
I am a Paleo newbie and I am not a big fan of maple syrup, this is one ingredient that my taste buds just cannot get used to. Would it be possible to use honey instead and if so, do you think it would be the same measurement as the syrup?
Hi, Just a quick question. Should my cashews be soaked before using?
I tried this recipe for breakfast today and I have to say that the waffles are so yummy and loved them!!! i highly recommend them!!!
Jess, please help! I can’t find any cashews that are peanut allergy safe. Any ideas on a substitution for this recipe?
These waffles are AMAZING! I am always hesitant when you play with old comfort foods, but this one definitely wins!
I did not have raw cashews on hand, so I substituted with Rainforest Nut Butter w/Coconut adding 3 tbsp and then adding 1 more tbsp of coconut flour to compensate. Worked out great!
Thanks for the feedback. I am really happy the recipe worked out great for you. Love your version 🙂
Has anyone made these as pancakes? What’s the verdict? The first time I made them they were a little bland for us. I made them last night – added a few spices – pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and fresh ginger, and 1T honey. AMAZING! We’re southerners so we had them w/chicken. Paleo chicken and waffles for dinner – my kids think I am mom of the year!
Can you double the recipe and freeze the extra waffles?
Delicious, easy recipe!