Vegan Protein Waffles

One of my favorite ways to use protein powder is by adding it to breakfast foods like cookies, muffins, and protein pancakes. These vegan protein waffles are my latest creation! They are delicious and have a perfectly crispy exterior and a soft, moist interior. 

I love pairing it with my iced protein coffee to boost protein content and make a more filling breakfast. 

💚Why you will love this recipe

• Much more affordable and cost-effective than using a store-bought mix 
• An easy one-bowl recipe that is ready in 30 minutes 
• Packed with protein and low in calories - each serving contains more than 15g of protein and around 250 kcal!
• A great meal prep recipe that is freezable 

🍌What you will need

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Banana - Make sure to use a banana that is ripe and spotty. You can substitute it with ½ cup of vegan yogurt or applesauce. 
• Milk - Any plant-based milk will work in this recipe. I opt for soy milk to further bump up the protein content of waffles. 
• Flour - I am using all-purpose flour, but feel free to substitute it with spelt flour or a 1:1 gluten-free blend. Whole wheat flour will also work, but you should add more milk as they are more absorbent. 
• Protein powder - I love using Orgain’s vanilla protein powder to make protein waffles. You can use your favorite brand and flavor of protein powder. 
• Sweetener - As I find my protein powder to be pretty sweet, I did not add additional sweetener to mine. However, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sweeteners like cane sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar substitute to yours.

🔪How to make

Preheat the waffle maker - As it can take up to 15 minutes for the waffle maker to heat up, preheat it before making your batter. 

Mashing bananas - Using a fork, mash the banana until reasonably smooth.

Making waffle batter - Add milk to the bowl, and mix until ingredients are well combined. Then mix protein powder next and mix until no clumps are left. Lastly, stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until a smooth batter forms. 

Cooking waffles - Lightly spray or brush on some oil on the waffle iron. Scoop batter into the waffle maker until it fills approximately ¾ of the iron. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the indicator switch color. If your waffle iron has no indicator, cook until the waffle maker is no longer steaming. 

Serving - Serve your vegan protein waffles with maple syrup, vegan butter, fruits, or whatever you like! 

✔Helpful tips

• Investing in a good waffle maker - If you make waffles often, I highly recommend investing in a high-quality one, like this all-clad Belgium waffle maker. 
• Choose a protein powder you like - The taste of the protein powder will ultimately affect your waffles' flavor. 
• The batter's texture - The vegan protein waffles batter will be slightly thicker than the pancake batter. If your batter is too thick, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time. The reverse is also true, so add more flour if the batter is too runny! 
• Avoid using cooking sprays - It's best to avoid non-stick cooking sprays like Pam when using a waffle iron. Instead, use cooking oil sprays that only contain oil, like this avocado oil spray. Alternatively, you can use an oil mister or brush oil on the plates using a silicon brush. 
• Amount of batter used - The amount of batter for each waffle varies by the size of the waffle maker, but a helpful guideline is to fill the iron three-fourths full. 
• Re-greasing plates - Re-grease the waffle iron after every batch to ensure the waffles can be removed easily.

✨Variations and add-ins 

Chocolate chip  - Stir around ¼ cup of chocolate chips into your waffle batter. Make sure chocolate chips used are vegan, like this Enjoy Life's chocolate morsels.

Peanut butter - Use a peanut butter-flavored protein powder, and add 2 tablespoons of runny peanut butter. 

Chocolate - Opt for a chocolate-flavored protein powder. If you like it to be more chocolatey, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. You should add a splash of milk if the batter is too thick. 

Pumpkin - Replace banana with ½ cup of pumpkin puree, and add 2-3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. I recommend using a vanilla-flavored or unflavored protein powder for this variation. 

Blueberries - Add up to ½ cup of frozen blueberries to the batter. You could also do chopped strawberries as well. 

Protein powder - These vegan protein waffles will take on the flavor of the protein powder used. Switch up the protein powder for more variety.

🫐How to serve  

Here are some fun ways to dish up your vegan protein waffles: 

• Syrups and sweeteners - Other than the classic maple syrup, you could do agave syrup, coconut nectar, chocolate syrup, or berry compote. 
• Vegan yogurt of choice 
• Sweet hummus - chocolate hummus or cookie dough hummus 
• Fresh fruits - banana slices, fresh berries 
• Chocolate chips 
• Nut butter - peanut butter, cashew butter, homemade coconut almond butter
• Savory stuff - vegan bacon, Italian seitan sausages, vegan bologna, plant-based shredded cheese 
• Drinks - soy milk latte, protein hot chocolate 

❄️Storing suggestions 

Fridge - Protein waffles can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. Keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. 

Freezer - Arrange waffles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze until stiff. You can then transfer frozen waffles to a zip-top bag for storage. 

Reheating - You can heat waffles in a microwave, but toasting them in a toaster or conventional oven is better if you want to regain their crispiness. 

❔Commonly asked questions