Home > Breakfast > Pancakes & Waffles > Chocolate Chip Waffles Chocolate Chip Waffles October 13, 2022 | No Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. These Chocolate Chip Waffles have perfect crisp edges and luscious soft interiors, the best ratio of chocolate to waffle, and just happen to be made with better-for-you ingredients! Finally — a waffle recipe you can feel good about serving as a balanced breakfast (instead of a sugar crash waiting to happen)! Try some of our other nutritious breakfast options like these Pistachio Muffins, this Avocado Toast, or our fave Healthy Breakfast Cookies. Chocolate Chip Waffles I will stand by this Waffle Recipe being the best waffles ever (we spent weeks testing and perfecting it!). But, regardless of how tasty those waffles are, they have two drawbacks. One, there’s quite a long ingredient list, and they take a bit more time to prepare than your typical waffle recipe. And two, everyone loves those waffles because they’re pretty much just dessert passed off as breakfast. Since my kids are always begging for waffles and pancakes for breakfast, I decided to create healthful recipes of each (pancakes coming soon!). And, I couldn’t be more thrilled about this long-time-coming healthy waffle recipe. Not only are the kiddos obsessed, but I am thrilled with how they turned out. Delicious AND nutritious — even with chocolate chips! Quick overview of the goodness in these waffles: No flour. We use old-fashioned oats instead. Cashews. These nuts are loaded with good-for-you fats, protein, and nutrients, among other benefits. Protein. This recipe is packed with protein, thanks to the nuts and eggs. Dairy-Free. We use plant-based milk (almond milk). Anti-inflammatory spices. This recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg, which are surprisingly full of health benefits! Chocolate Chip Waffles made from a pancake mix have nothing on this recipe! 🙂 QUICK TIP As written, this is a gluten-free waffle recipe. However, smart gluten-free cooks know to check the package ingredients to be sure the ingredients (especially the oats) were processed in a gluten-free facility. Some of these ingredients MAY contain gluten, as well, so check the labels. The possible culprits in this recipe are chocolate chips and even maybe the vanilla extract. How Do You Make Chocolate Chip Waffles? You blend the batter! While we’ve talked so much about the goodness in these waffles, we haven’t touched on how EASY they are to prepare. We blend the waffle batter together all at once — so easy, so quick! Then we stir the chocolate chips through. Once the batter is done, it can be poured directly from the blender jar into a waffle iron. Doesn’t get much easier than that! Also, when making waffles with all-purpose flour, it’s always best to mix the batter as little as possible. But with this batter, it doesn’t matter — there is no gluten in the batter so blend to your hearts’ content! How Do You Eat Chocolate Chip Waffles? Right out of the waffle iron! Because of the chocolate, you don’t need butter or syrup — these waffles are so tasty right after they’re done cooking. They’ve got a nice crisp exterior with a soft, chewy interior loaded with melted pools of chocolate. Sometimes, though, we like them with a drizzle of pure maple syrup or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Whipped cream and fresh fruit (like bananas or strawberries) also make great toppings. Is There A Difference Between Waffle Batter And Pancake Batter? Yes! Avoid using pancake batter to make a waffle. Among many differences, waffle batter usually contains more sugar than pancake batter, which helps for caramelization. Waffle batter also generally includes more fat than pancake batter, to help achieve a crisp exterior. Chocolate Chip Waffle Recipe Tips Make sure you’re using fresh baking powder. How do you test for freshness? Add 2 teaspoons of BP to a cup of hot water. If it fizzes, it’s good! Let the batter stand at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before adding to the waffle iron; this lets the oats absorb the liquid, which thickens the batter. Let waffles stand on a wire cooling rack for a few minutes before digging in — this gives a chance for the exteriors to crisp up nicely. How do you know when your waffle is done? Most waffle irons tell you via a light or beep. If your waffle maker does neither, watch for the steam to stop seeping out the sides. Never open your iron until steam has stopped coming out! How To Keep Waffles From Getting Soggy If you aren’t eating the waffles fresh from the waffle maker, you’ll want a foolproof way to keep them warm and crispy. If you stack waffles on top of each other, you’ll end up creating steam, which makes the waffles soggy. To keep that crispy exterior, follow these steps: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a cooling rack on a large sheet pan. As soon as you remove the waffle from the waffle iron, place it on the cooling rack in a single layer. Place that sheet pan in the oven until ready to eat. QUICK TIP If you’ll be eating the Chocolate Chip Waffles right away, just set them on a wire cooling rack right out of the waffle iron and serve from there! Skip the platter to avoid creating steam. VARIATIONS Double Chocolate Chip Waffles: Add two types of chocolate (semi-sweet and dark) for a double dose of goodness. Alternatively, make the waffles from this double-chocolate Waffle Cake! White Chocolate Chip Waffles: Replace the semi-sweet chips with white chocolate chips! You could even add in some dried cranberries and orange zest for an extra-tasty waffle. STORAGE Freezing Chocolate Chip Waffles We love multiplying this waffle recipe to have leftovers or to make in advance when anticipating guests. Those leftovers make a great last-minute dinner or breakfast! Frozen waffles can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze: Allow the waffles to cool completely at room temperature. Then, place the cooled waffles on a parchment-paper-lined tray. Place the tray in the freezer until the waffles are fully frozen, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. To thaw: Use the microwave, toaster, or oven to reheat! We like popping them in our toaster to reheat. The Number One Chocolate Chip Waffle Tip My number one tip for the best waffles? Use a good waffle iron. If you’re in the market (or make waffles often and want to invest), here’s an article outlining the top waffle makers of 2019. Here’s the exact waffle maker I use, and I can’t say enough good things about it! Also, if your waffle iron or pan has a nonstick surface, don’t use cooking spray. Cooking spray builds up on nonstick surfaces and eventually becomes tacky, ruining that non-stick coating. More Tasty Breakfast Recipes Healthy Banana Cake Recipe without any refined sugars! Healthy Carrot Muffins sweetened with dates Breakfast Toast a Jamba Juice copycat! Golden Milk Smoothie with anti-inflammatory spices Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars chewy on-the-go breakfast bars FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chocolate Chip Waffles 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe These Chocolate Chip Waffles have perfect crisp edges with luscious soft interiors, the best ratio of chocolate to waffle, and just happen to be made with better-for-you ingredients! Finally -- a waffle recipe you can feel good about serving for a balanced breakfast (instead of a sugar crash waiting to happen)! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chocolate Chip Waffles 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe These Chocolate Chip Waffles have perfect crisp edges with luscious soft interiors, the best ratio of chocolate to waffle, and just happen to be made with better-for-you ingredients! Finally -- a waffle recipe you can feel good about serving for a balanced breakfast (instead of a sugar crash waiting to happen)! Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegetarian Keyword Chocolate Chip Waffles Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Total Time 15 minutes Servings 8 -9 waffles Calories 234kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.92 Equipmentpowerful blender (such as Blendtec or Vitamix)Waffle Iron Ingredients▢ 1 cup old-fashioned oats▢ 3/4 cup roasted cashews (Note 1)▢ 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (or butter) (Note 2)▢ 3/4 cup milk (Note 3)▢ 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (Note 4) ▢ 2 large eggs▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt▢ 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips▢ Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmegUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Preheat the waffle iron. If you won't be eating waffles right away and want to keep waffles warm, see Note 5.BLEND: Add everything EXCEPT the chocolate chips to a blender in the order listed. Blend until completely smooth, about 90-120 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend longer if needed. There shouldn't be any chunks of oats or cashews. ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS: If the batter is hot from blending, refrigerate for 5 minutes (to keep chocolate chips from melting in the hot batter). If not, add the chocolate chips into the blender and stir with a spatula to incorporate. COOK: If your waffle iron or pan has a nonstick surface, don't use cooking spray. (Cooking spray builds up on nonstick surfaces and eventually becomes tacky, ruining that non-stick coating.) If it doesn't have a nonstick surface, grease with cooking spray. Add a measured 1/3 cup of batter from the blender into each cavity. Use all the batter in the blender -- scraping it out with a spatula if needed. Most waffle irons will signal to let you know the waffle is done. If your waffle maker doesn't have that feature, watch for the steam to stop seeping out the sides. Never open your iron until steam has stopped coming out! Right out of the waffle iron, place each waffle on a wire cooling rack.ENJOY: Serve waffles enjoying as is or with a drizzle of syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, and/or fresh fruit (like bananas or strawberries).FREEZE LEFTOVER WAFFLES: To freeze: Allow waffles to cool completely at room temperature. Then, place the cooled waffles on a parchment-paper-lined tray. Place that tray in the freezer until the waffles are fully frozen, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. To thaw: Use the microwave, toaster, or oven to reheat. We like popping them in our toaster. Frozen waffles can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Cashews: We love roasted and lightly salted cashews best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. Raw cashews aren't the right texture. Note 2: Coconut oil: Measure in the melted state. Butter or ghee (melted) can also be used. Note 3: Milk: Any plant-based milk will work in these waffles; we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk best. Note 4: Pure maple syrup: Not to be confused with corn syrup or pancake syrup, pure maple syrup is the sap from a maple tree that has been boiled down to a thicker consistency. It’s just one ingredient -- a sugar naturally derived from nature! We tested honey and while it worked, the flavor was a bit overpowering. Note 5: Keeping waffles warm: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a cooling rack on a large sheet pan. As soon as you pull the waffle from the waffle iron, place it on the cooling rack in a single layer. Place that sheet pan in the oven until ready to eat. If you'll be eating the waffles right away, just set them on a wire cooling rack right out of the waffle iron and serve from there. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.1g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 41.7mg | Sodium: 158.1mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 6.9g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
