Paleo Cassava Flour Waffles – Grain-Free

These easy Belgian-style paleo cassava flour waffles are crispy on the outside, fluffy and elastic on the inside. They are grain-free, gluten-free, vegan, paleo-friendly and nut-free. The waffles have a mild flavor that can go from a sweet to savory breakfast with ease by simply changing the toppings.

These paleo waffles are nutrient-dense, and filling without being too sweet. They will keep you satisfied and not spike cravings for sweet foods later on – except maybe for more waffles!

Since the batter is so thick, these waffles may not spread much in the waffler and can come out more square; for rounder waffles, you can make the batter thinner.

I love to top them with fresh berries and a non-dairy yogurt like Kite Hill.

You will find a number of tasty and satisfying paleo and gluten-free breakfasts on A Meal In Mind. From butternut squash bowls to buckwheat pancakes, from a savory paleo skillet to sweet baked oatmeal, I choose breakfast recipes that will fill you up and keep your blood sugar stable.

These waffles are a basic recipe that anyone eating gluten-free or Paleo will want to try for a quick, easy breakfast. Don’t have a waffler? You can cook the same recipe as pancakes. 

The waffler I recommend is this Cuisinart Belgian Waffler. It’s lightweight, easy to use and reliable from waffle to waffle. I use a mild, no-taste cooking spray like avocado oil, because with a dense waffle like this one, the last thing you want is for your waffles to stick!

Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Iron WAF-F10 Series

If I weren’t using a spray, my preference would be to brush on MCT oil (read about why here). 

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Why use cassava flour for waffles?

• Cassava flour is an easy substitute for wheat flour because it behaves like wheat flour and doesn’t have a strong taste, which makes it great for baking or thickening sauces (per WebMD).
• Cassava flour is gluten-free. 
• Compared with other gluten-free flours, such as coconut or almond, cassava flour has a low fat content. It has a high water content and a lower calorie density than flours like corn, plantain, rice, coconut, sorghum, and wheat.

The coconut milk helps keep this breakfast’s carbohydrates in balance. And anyway, we eat this as a weekend breakfast – a treat, rather than for every day. 

How to Make the Best Cassava Flour Waffles

Before getting started make sure you have the following tools and equipment:

• waffler
• cooking spray
• one large and one small mixing bowl and spoon
• a measuring cup to transfer the batter to the waffler (mine takes 3/4 cup of batter)
• tongs to retrieve the waffles from the waffler
• a plate

1. Combine the dry ingredients

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. 

2. Mix the wet ingredients

Stir the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Why do we want to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately? 

• The baking soda in the dry ingredients is the leavening that will make your waffles rise to light fluffiness. The apple cider vinegar will start the chemical reaction with the baking soda upon contact. 
• You want to wait as long as possible to combine the two, so that the bubbles from the reaction make the waffles rise in the waffler as much as possible! I mix the wet into the dry when the waffle iron is almost ready to cook, and cook all the waffles one after the other.

3. Prepare the waffle iron

• Follow the instructions on your waffle iron for preheating time, when to spray the surfaces with the cooking spray, and how to know when the waffles are done. 
• My Cuisinart waffle iron’s lights indicate when the waffles are done, but I also pay attention to the aroma and to how much steam is coming from the waffles. These waffles are quite dense, and I typically cook them for a minute more after the “done” light comes on. Get to know your waffle iron! 

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. 

• Cassava and arrowroot flours are very fine, and will tend to fluff out of the bowl if you pour the dry into the wet.
• Cassava and arrowroot are both light flours that mix easily, but you want to be sure there aren’t any clumps of flour left. You may need to add a little more coconut milk (or simply a small amount of water), if the batter’s too thick. Thickness will also depend on how thick the coconut milk is.
• If the batter is as thick as you see below (which I get with Thai Kitchen coconut milk), I add another 1/4 cup of water. 

5. Cook the waffles

In my waffler these take 4 to 5 minutes per side. I make them browner on the outside, giving a crisp outside and a soft inside. A thinner batter will cook a little faster than a thicker one, too. 

• TIP– since the Cuisinart waffle iron has a non-stick surface, I use nylon-tipped kitchen tongs to remove the waffles. The tongs let me remove the waffle gently so as not to break it, and also not to scratch the cooking surface. 

What Do You Top Paleo Cassava Flour Waffles With?

To keep the carbohydrate content as low as possible, I go for low-glycemic index berries and little or no little syrup, preferring non-dairy yogurt on mine. However, since these are a weekend treat, maple syrup or honey are always on the table for others in my family, and I might include bananas and other fruit toppings. 

What to Serve with Waffles?

• Serve your waffles with chicken in gravy – recipe soon! 
• Avocado – mash it and to top with a savory waffle
• Eggs – imagine a waffle benedict, with hollandaise
• Sour cream or yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) – for both savory and sweet waffles
• Granola – for a little extra crunch
• Applesauce, cinnamon and nuts

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Use maple syrup rather than honey if vegan
• Cut the maple syrup in half for a more savory waffle, or omit it and include a little more oil
• Sometimes I use an MCT/Chia/Avocado blend that Costco carries rather than straight MCT oil in the waffles – both are mild-flavored

Can you Freeze Waffles?

To freeze any leftovers, first allow your waffles to cool to room temperature. Layer the waffles in a freezer-safe container with a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper between them. Or you can stack them, also separated with waxed paper, in freezer-safe ziploc bags, though they will last better if you wrap the stack with freezer paper inside the plastic bag, then remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to one month.

To reheat, allow your waffles to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then toast in a toaster oven, for best results, for 1-2 minutes; or microwave for about 1 minute depending on the setting. 

Try these other easy breakfast recipes

If you make this or any of the recipes on A Meal In Mind, please let me know! Or if you like the recipe, leave a comment, rate it, post pictures on Facebook or Twitter. Hashtag a photo #amealinmind on Instagram.  I’d love to see what you come up with.

Thank you so much for visiting!!

Beth

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5 from 11 votes

Paleo Cassava Flour Waffles

These easy Belgian-style waffles are crispy on the outside but fluffy and elastic on the inside. They are grain-free, vegan, paleo-friendly and nut-free, and have a mild flavor that can go from sweet to savory with ease. 

Course Breakfast, snack, waffles

Cuisine American, Paleo

Keyword Paleo waffle, Paleo breakfast, gluten-free waffle, cassava flour waffle, nut-free, dairy-free breakfast, grain-free

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Beth

Equipment

• Waffle iron
• Nylon-or silicone-tipped tongs
• Cooking spray (avocado oil)
• Mixing bowls

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup cassava flour
• ¼ cup arrowroot starch/flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup melted coconut or MCT oil
• 1 13.5- oz can full-fat organic coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Toppings such as fruit, non-dairy yogurt, syrup

Instructions

• Assemble the ingredients.
  
• Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
  
• In a small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
  
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well to combine. You may need to add a little more coconut milk (or simply a small amount of water), if it’s too thick. Thickness will depend on how thick the coconut milk is. When I used Thai Kitchen coconut milk, I add 1/4 cup of water. If you don't add the water, the waffles may come out more square than round.
  
• This batter will be thicker than a typical pancake batter, but that will help it puff up into the Belgian waffle style. The waffle maker works as a press to flatten the waffle.
  
• Cook as you normally would, adding about a minute or longer of cook time than your maker suggests, watching carefully so as not to overcook. If you consistently add more time, adjust the waffle maker to a darker setting. On the Cuisinart waffle maker I set the dial to 4.5 to 5.
  

Notes

 This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, paleo-friendly, AIP-friendly, nut-free, seed-free.

Canned coconut milk with give a thicker batter than the boxed types, which are thinner. This recipe is made using Thai Kitchen coconut milk and Otto's cassava flour. 

Nutrition information can’t be guaranteed accurate, as each nutrition calculator, including HappyForks.com, has slightly different ingredients in its database and often doesn’t contain all gluten-free and paleo food items. Another nutrition calculator can be found at VeryWellFit.

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