Gluten-Free Protein Waffles

Breakfast is an essential part of the day, and eating a high-protein breakfast can help you lose weight, keep you full longer,  help with sugar crashes, and boost your energy levels. High protein waffles are easy to make, low-carb, and high in protein, making them a perfectly balanced breakfast.

Let me share some of my favorite gluten-free protein waffle recipes. These waffles taste no different from regular gluten-free waffles. They’ll give you all the waffle deliciousness you crave without the gluten.

The base recipe for protein waffles has simple ingredients: gluten-free vanilla protein powder, Greek yogurt, eggs, baking powder, and gluten-free oats or gluten-free flour blend. They’re super easy to make, absolutely delicious, and perfect for meal prep and special occasions.

What are gluten-free protein waffles?

Gluten-free protein waffles are waffles that only have gluten-free ingredients and are made with protein powder, making them high in protein.

One regular waffle has a protein content of 1 gram. In contrast, the same serving size of gluten-free protein waffles contains 10 grams of protein. That is 9 grams of extra protein. 

I got the nutritional information from EatThisMuch.com – my preferred nutrition calculator.

Waffle topping ideas

If you want to make your waffle breakfast healthier, you can add some of these topping ideas:

• Berries
• Banana slides
• Gluten-free peanut butter
• Gluten-free almond butter
• Dried nuts
• Grass-fed butter

If you want to add some sugary fun, go for some of these:

• Gluten-free maple syrup
• Honey
• Gluten-free jellies
• Nutella – One of my favorites. I mix it with banana slices

How do gluten-free protein waffles taste?

The flavor of gluten-free protein waffles will change depending on your ingredients. If you stick to the conventional recipe, they will taste the same as regular gluten-free waffles.

For example, you’ll see below a vegan recipe using bananas. Those waffles will taste more like a banana. There is another recipe with cinnamon, and it will taste more like cinnamon rolls. 

How to store and reheat gluten-free protein waffles?

How to Freeze Waffles

Waffles are excellent for meal prep for the week or work up a double or triple batch to store in the freezer and have handy whenever the waffle cravings strike.

First, let your waffles cool entirely. Cooling allows the waffles to stop producing moisture (steam) and prevent freezer burn allowing your waffles to stay nice and fresh.

Next, get two servings of waffles together and tightly wrap them in a piece of plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag.

Now, remove as much air as possible, preventing freezer burn.

Last, place waffles in the freezer. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months.

How do you reheat frozen waffles?

Option A: Thaw waffles in the fridge overnight. In the morning, microwave for 60 seconds.

My way: Cut frozen waffles in half, place them directly from the freezer into the toaster, and toast on medium. I find that this option results in crispier waffles.

How to make gluten-free protein waffles?

I have tried many waffle recipes. The ones I list in this article are my favorite. I have made a few adjustments to ensure all are gluten-free and high in protein. The protein comes either from a protein powder and/or high protein gluten-free flour.

If you are interested in knowing what protein powders I’ve used and which is my favorite, make sure you read my Best Gluten-free Protein Powders article.

Making the waffle mix is super fast, but you might want to ensure you account for cooking time.

Prep time to get your batter done is about 5 minutes.

Account about 3 to 5 minutes of cooking time per waffle until golden brown.

If you plan to make a batch for your family, you’ll need about 30 minutes before you sit down and enjoy a delicious family breakfast.

Essential Ingredients to Make Gluten-free Protein Waffles

Gluten-free Protein

You can’t make gluten-free protein waffles without protein. I’ll give you my favorite protein powders: organic and plant-based, whey protein, and Amazon’s Choice. Read my gluten-free protein powder article if you are interested in knowing what other gluten-free proteins I have used and recommend.

Gluten-free Flour

There are many options of gluten-free flours we can use to make waffles. But because we are trying to achieve a high protein waffle. 

There are many high protein flours available, according to Health Nutrition. From that long list, my favorite for waffles and pancakes are almond flour (21% by weight), oats or oat flour (14% by weight), and quinoa flour (14% by weight).

As a benchmark, rice flour has 6% by weight and regular wheat flour 10% by weight.

Eggs

Eggs in this recipe serve three purposes. The first is to bind the ingredients together. The second is to add more protein to our protein waffles. The third, eggs mixed with baking soda and powder and a bit of acid, will help our waffles be super fluffy.

Fat

Fats such as butter, cream cheese, and yogurt add flavor and prevent the waffles sticking onto your waffle maker.

Liquid

Liquid adds moisture to our waffles. I like to use almond milk, but you can use regular milk, other nut milk, orange juice, fruit juices, and even water.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla enhances the taste of waffles. If you don’t have any, you can do away with it, but it will up your waffle game when you do use it.

Sweetener

I know we all add sweeteners as toppings to our waffles, but I like to add a bit of sweetener to my recipe. It adds flavor, and I don’t have to add too much sweetness to my toppings.

There are several options for this. I use maple syrup, not pancake syrup, corn syrup, glucose, and other sugars. You can also use honey, agave, or low glycemic sugars like erythritol and stevia.

Salt

Salt increases flavor in everything. You don’t need much. A pinch goes a long way when baking sweets.

Leavening Agent

I use baking powder and baking soda for pancakes and waffles, but you can get away with only baking powder. 

When using baking powder or baking soda, I like to use a bit of acid to increase the leavening power. My preferred acid for this is apple cider.

Added Flavors

These include ingredients that will elevate the flavor of the waffles or add some texture. Let me name a few: bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, berries, jelly, and others mixed in the batter.

Combining the ingredients

This part is the easiest part of making waffles. You need to add the wet and dry ingredients into a blender and blend at high speed until the mix is smooth.

If you don’t have a blender, mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk them until your batter is smooth.

Cooking the Waffles

Make sure you preheat your waffle maker to medium-high heat.

Add some non-stick spray to the waffle maker and pour about a ½ cup of batter or less, depending on your waffle maker. Cook until golden brown or to your preference.

And that is the end of it. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Enough generic cooking talk. Let’s dig into a few of my favorite waffle recipes:

Gluten-free Protein Waffle Recipe

I hope you are ready to try the crispiest, fluffiest protein waffles. I have ensured the recipe is naturally gluten-free, quick, easy, and filling. You and your family will surely enjoy it!

Making waffles from a box is barely more straightforward than this! Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray (I use this coconut oil spray – Amazon affiliate link). Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron, close, and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the waffle iron and enjoy!

Cooking Steps

• Preheat the waffle iron to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
• Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, or add to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
• Pour a scant ½ cup of the mixture into preheated waffle iron, close, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.
• Remove from the waffle iron and serve with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups of gluten-free oats or almond flour
• 1/2 cup of full fat gluten-free yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 scoop (25 grams) of your favorite vanilla gluten-free protein powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon of apple cider
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons of almond milk
• 1/2 Tablespoon of maple syrup

Gluten-free Protein Waffle Mix

If you are in a hurry or don’t like to cook, you can also find options. There are many Gluten-free Protein Waffle Mixes out there. Feel free to review my article, where I review my favorite gluten-free protein waffle mixes and mention others that I have not tried but are options for you to choose from.

Frozen Gluten-free Protein Waffle

If you don’t want to use your waffle iron and don’t want to dirty dishes, there is also an excellent option. The good news is that the only option is delicious. The bad news is that it is the only option that I know exists.

Kodiak Cakes makes frozen protein waffles, but they are hard to find. Unfortunately, you can only get them in stores like Target, Stop & Shop, Walmarts, HEB, and Randalls. I have not seen any online options. You can find a store near you using the Kodiac Cake store locator. They only have 10 grams of protein, but that is still plenty more than regular waffles.

Other Tastefull Recipes for Gluten-free Protein Waffles

Below you’ll find a table of ingredients of other great gluten-free protein waffles that will accommodate your different diets or taste. If you have other ideas, contact me, and I will find a recipe and write a post with my version of the recipe.

Follow the instructions I’ve given you in this article to make all the recipes below. However, you’ll find some tips, FAQs, and other prep alternatives that I share on the individual recipe posts. Make sure you click on the recipe name to visit all the details behind each recipe.

Note: Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to all these recipes! I excluded these two from the table because all recipes require the same amount, and I needed to save some space to make the table easy to read on your mobile phone.

So, there you have it- try any of my delicious and easy gluten-free protein waffle recipes to help fuel your day. Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast on the go or a post-workout snack that will give you sustained energy, these recipes have got you covered.

And if you don’t feel like making them yourself, no problem! You can buy a high-quality gluten-free protein waffle mix online. Just check the ingredients list to make sure it meets your dietary needs.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do. Now get out there and make some waffles!