Whole Grain Waffles with Baked-in Fruit

Though I am the queen of the sweet tooth, when it comes to breakfast I am not a fan of maple syrup dripping pancakes and waffles. I need something more wholesome and sustaining (all that sugar makes me hungry by 11am- am I alone in this??). These nutty whole grain waffles have just a hint of sweetness, tons of fiber, and who doesn’t love the taste of roasted caramelized fruits? All that goodness can keep me going for a good long time.

Like a lot of us I am up and out the door to exercise in the morning. My appetite doesn’t really kick in until I am well into my workout, and often by then feeling faded and struggling to ramp up. So my game plan is to have foods in the fridge or freezer that I can grab and eat between home and the gym, or tennis court. And that is the beauty of these waffles. Either made full sized and divided, or hand sized minis, I can be toasting them as I suit up, and grab them in a napkin as I head out the door to my workout.

When I set to making whole grain waffles I usually make at least a double batch. In this case I did just that, and created several different versions using different fruits and nuts I had in the kitchen. The batter is made with coconut oil, which gives it a beautiful scent to begin with, but grated and sliced apples made their way in, along with blueberries, walnuts, pear slices, coconut, poppy seeds and lemon zest. It was great fun! And always a moment of surprise and delight when I lifted the waffle iron top.

Whole Grain Waffles with Baked-In Fruit

{single batch recipe- makes 4 extra large, or about 8 minis}

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 cup bran flakes

1 Tablespoon baking powder

4 Tablespoons molasses

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

10 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

several tablespoons of TJ’s Super Seed and Ancient Grain Blend

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1/4 cup walnuts

1 cup blueberries

1 pear thinly sliced

1 small apple thinly sliced, or grated

1 whole lemon, zested

 

Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl combine the flour, bran, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, molasses, milk and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milky egg mixture. Using a whisk gently mix the batter, scraping the bottom and sides, using the fewest strokes possible. The batter should look a little rough and bumpy. Please resist the temptation to over mix.

Spoon batter into the waffle iron and add a combination of your toppings. I put the nuts and seeds on first and topped with the fruit. Have fun!

Keep the waffles warm in a 200˚ oven if you’re going to eat them right away, otherwise allow them to cook and wrap them up and place in the freezer until you are ready to toast them. I found there was enough sweetness with the fruit and molasses- certainly not as much as if you were going to pour a gallon of syrup over, but plenty lovely.