Crispy Paleo Waffles (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Crispy Paleo Waffles – the most delicious and crispy waffle breakfast or brunch recipe! Made with almond flour. You’d never guess these were paleo, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free!
I am SO excited to be sharing these crispy waffles with you today! I’ve been working on this recipe for over a month, and after many waffle breakfasts I’ve finally perfected them.
If you love light and crispy waffles, this is the waffle recipe for you. Is there anything worse that a squishy, soggy waffle? I like my waffles CRISP! I want to be able to hear myself cutting in to them. Hear an actual *tap tap* as I tap my fork on them. But also light and fluffy on the inside. And these beauties are them. And best of all they are paleo/gluten free/grain free!
I started off with my previous go to dairy free waffle recipe that uses almond milk and coconut oil. Tons of you have told me you love these waffles, especially those of you like me with dairy sensitivities.
The waffles are super light and crispy thanks to the beaten egg whites. The beaten egg whites are essential to a light waffle. They add air and lightness to the waffle, and make it fluffy as a cloud. If you skip this step, which I have on lazy mornings, the waffles are much thicker and denser.
I wanted to to tweak it so I could avoid using white flour all together and use paleo friendly flours so these waffles would be even more guilt free.
I finally found success using a combination of both almond flour and tapioca flour. Just almond flour alone was too dense and crumbly. But the addition of some tapioca flour made it the perfect paleo waffle batter.
I added another step to my original dairy free waffles that I love even more in these paleo waffles. Rather than using just plain almond milk, I make a paleo version of buttermilk by adding apple cider vinegar to the almond milk. It gives it that great tang you love in buttermilk waffles without having to use dairy.
I don’t like my waffle batter overly sweet. I like to get the sweetness from pure maple syrup and fresh berries. So I add just 1/4 cup of coconut sugar to the waffle batter so it has just a touch of sweetness to it.
I make these in my beloved double belgian waffle maker. It can make 2 waffles at once! And I love how deep the waffle pockets are. I cook them at the toastiest level, because I like my waffles crispy as can be. Sometimes even when the waffle iron beeps, I open it and they’re still not crispy enough so I’ll cook them even longer.
My husband did not believe when I served these and told him they were 100% paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free. They are delicious!
I’ll be serving them for our Easter brunch, and basically every Sunday morning breakfast forever. Because Sunday breakfast is meant to be waffles.
Crispy Paleo Waffles (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour, this is my favorite
- 1 cup tapioca flour, this is my favorite
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and room temperature (not piping hot)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Coconut oil spray
Equipment needed:
- Waffle iron, this one is my favorite, it makes 2 waffles at once!
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cooling rack
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- In your stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the 3 egg whites over medium high until stiff peaks form.
- Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This makes it similar to a buttermilk. The almond milk will get a little lumpy.
- In a small bowl, combine the almond milk/apple cider mixture, 3 egg yolks, coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Use a spatula to spoon the beaten egg whites into the waffle batter. Very, VERY gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. You want to keep the egg whites as fluffy as possible. This will keep the batter light, give you lots of bubbles in the batter, and will make the waffles light and crispy.
- Spray your waffle iron with coconut oil spray. Spoon the waffle batter into your waffle iron, and cook to desired doneness. I like mine crispy and golden brown.
- When the waffles are done cooking, transfer the cooked waffles to a cooling rack. Don't put them straight on a plate. The heat from the hot waffles will create steam on the plate, which leads to soggy waffle bottoms.
- Serve the waffles with your favorite toppings: pure maple syrup, fresh berries, bananas, almond butter, coconut whipped cream, honey, nuts, etc.
- Any leftover waffles can be frozen in a freezer safe ziploc bag for 6 months. You can reheat them in a toaster (if they fit), or bake them on a wire rack rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10ish minutes until crispy again.
More Paleo Breakfasts:
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129 Comments on “Crispy Paleo Waffles (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)”
Made this for dinner. I just started Paleo about 2 months ago and have been struggling to find a good pancake recipe. Thought to give waffles a try. I had a pre-mix of almond & coconut flour I used for 1.5 cups. (I ran out). The remaining half cup I used coconut flour. I used coconut Milk instead of Almond Milk due to what I had in stock. I substituted lemon juice for apple cider vinegar (die to stock) for similar buttermilk effect. I misread the instructions and threw away egg yolks and mixed egg white with milk, oil, and ect. I had already mixed everything by the time I realized my mistake. To recover, I added 2 egg yolks to batter. The remaining egg whites I tried to beat by hand but got tired. So when it got to a a liquid slightly foamy point I folded them to the batter. The batter was still more like cookie dough texture so added a splash more of coconut milk. I ended up cooking mine for 7 minutes. It didn’t get crispy but I was pleasantly surprised by the look and thickness. I added maple syrup and served myself and my kids. My 5 year old ate 3/4 of the waffle alone. For me, with maple syrup I couldn’t tell the difference. Hubby stole a 1/4 piece w/out syrup. He said it needed syrup but continued eating it instead if throwing it away. Therefore a hit in my household.
I am so glad you liked my waffles! Thanks so much for sharing all of your tweaks to the recipe, it actually sounds delicious. It’s always perfect when not only the kiddos like it but hubby does too! I am so happy this was a hit!
These are the BEST gluten/dairy free waffles I’ve ever made!!! My husband (who doesn’t have to eat gluten/dairy free) said, “you can’t tell that these are gluten/dairy free.”
Thanks for much for the recipe. This is the recipe I’ll use from now on!
Hi Karen – I am so happy you like my waffles! How fantastic that your husband liked them and couldn’t tell that they were gluten/dairy free. It’s always best when a recipe is hubby approved! I am thrilled that you will be making these again.
Crispy – definitely yes! Tasty – yummy! This is a very good waffle, both in flavor and texture. After making as is, I have since subbed maple syrup for the sugar. And I also used coconut-almond milk blend giving it a great flavor. Thank you for posting this wonderful gluten free recipe.
I am so happy you liked my waffle Gerry. I love your additions to the recipe, they sound delicious!
These really are the BEST paleo waffles out there, super crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. We do them on our Belgian waffle maker and they turn out great, Also sub date sugar for the coconut sugar (it triggers my migraines for some reason) so they turn out a little darker but still perfect! I legit dream about these on weekends!
Thanks for the great compliments on my Crispy Paleo Waffles Britt! You made my day! I am so happy you enjoyed them. I am glad you were able to sub date sugar for the coconut sugar. Waffles are a GREAT way to start the weekend!
I have been doing paleo for 7 years and these are the very best waffles I have had since going paleo. These are waaaaay better than any mix on the market and well worth the time to make them. My picky non-paleo kids and husband devoured them!! Thank you!
Thank you SO MUCH! This just made my day to hear! I’m so happy you like them as much as we do. Our favorite! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, it means the world.
Since going Paleo nearly two years ago, this has become one of my go-to waffle recipes, and the whole family loves it! I was planning to make it for my daughter’s birthday party sleepover this weekend: however, I just learned that one of her friends has a tree nut allergy. Have you tried, or heard of anyone trying, this recipe successfully with grain & nut free flour alternatives (singularly or blended, like cassava or tigernut) in lieu of the almond flour?
You just made my DAY! Thank you so so so much Ashley! What a compliment!
And darn, I haven’t been able to try a nut free version. My first try would be cassava flour in the same proportions. It hopefully should work. If you (or anyone else!) tries it please let me know how it works out!
This was phenomenal! I ended up using avocado oil instead of coconut bc it’s what I had on hand. Also, my almond milk had some vanilla flavor in it. Finally, I ran out of almond flour, so ended up using about 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!
Yea! I’m so glad you liked them Martha! Thank you! Good to know avocado oil works in place of coconut oil, especially since it’s so neutral in flavor. I’ve used MCT oil and it worked too! Never thought to add in coconut flour! Glad that works too! Thanks for sharing your swaps, so helpful to others : )
These are freakin amazing!!!!!
Yea! I’m so glad you like them! Aren’t they great? Thanks for taking the time to let me know! You made my day!
Thanks for this! I can eat waffles again! And they are DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you liked them Jenna! Thank you! Means the world!
I love this recipe! I didn’t make enough the first time since I wasn’t sure how my picky boys would like it, but the whole family loves it. I have to double the recipe so everyone can have enough. I kept a few extra in the fridge and popped them in the toaster the next day with fruit and maple syrup and it tastes just as great. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that Carla! Thank you! Don’t you love being able to reheat in the toaster for a quick and healthier breakfast. Yea! Thanks for taking the time to share this with me! Makes me so happy to hear!
I really love this recipe – the waffles come out so delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had a waffle this good.
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks Erica! Aren’t they so delicious? They freeze great and reheat in the oven perfectly. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe! You made my day!
These are phenomenal. Just like my mom made them growing up. Seriously will make these every weekend. I used Maple sugar instead of coconut, that’s the only change I made.
I am so happy to hear that Ali! You made my day! And I love that you used Maple sugar instead of coconut. I’m going to try that next time! Nothing better than waffles and maple. Bet it’s delicious!
These are the best!! Follow all the steps and they”ll turn out perfect. Very light and fluffy. And you can freeze them and eat them later
I’m so glad you liked them Ben! That means so much. Thanks for making my recipe and taking the time to let me know you liked them. Means the world!
These are the most amazing waffles I’ve ever eaten and I’m not a fan of most gluten free foods. Made them especially for my husband who is gluten and dairy free but next time it’s for the whole family as they are better than any other recipe I’ve tried. Thanks so much!!
What a compliment! I’m so glad you liked them Debbie! What a good wife you are making these for your husband. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe, you made my day!
These are by far the BEST Gluten Free Waffles I have ever made/eaten and the only Gluten Free Waffles my 10 year old son will eat and enjoys! Thank you! Finally, a waffle recipe we can all enjoy.
I’m so happy to hear this Van! This made my day! Glad you and your family are loving these waffles : )
Haven’t tried the recipe. Have you tried a vegan version using egg substitutes? Just curious.
I haven’t! I’ve only made this with eggs. Not sure how it would work with an egg substitute.
Hi! Could you use regular sugar instead? Can you use any non-dairy milk? Thanks!
Yes! Regular sugar works too! And any milk or non-milk substitute works!
These waffles are amazing! My husband and I even like them better than regular waffles. They are nice and crispy and they taste incredible! Healthy and delicious!? ❤️
Thank you so much Phyllis! This made my day! So glad they get your approval. We are obsessed with them. I always make a double batch so I can have some in the freezer to reheat if the craving hits. Thanks for letting me know, big hugs!
The family loved this recipe–they could not tell it was gluten and dairy free/paleo. I only made one small change because we are also sugar free–used birch xylitol in place of the coconut sugar. They really were crispy–loved the tip about placing on cooling rack vs. plate.
I am so glad your family liked these waffles! It’s our family favorite too! And good to know birch xylitol works in place of coconut sugar. And isn’t the cooling rack trick so helpful! Learned that one from Martha Stewart : )
Loved these! I have a large Calphalon waffle maker and a single batch made 12 individual waffles. I had to leave them in longer because they were still steaming. And yes it is worth whipping the egg whites! Nice and fluffy. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thank you! And yes, whipping the egg whites is essential. Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe!
Thank you for the whipped egg white tip.
Somehow I misread the recipe and I missed the instructions to mix the batter before I added the egg whites so I had a little bit of a runny mixture.
Made these according to your recipe exactly the first time regardless of my whipped batter mishap and the waffles had crunchy texture with moist inside.
I used the calculatedwhisk.com Paleo flour blend The second time and the waffle still came out gorgeous.
I think the egg white technique makes this work well every time no matter what flour blend you use.
I’m so happy to hear they still turned out for you! Thanks for sharing your swaps. That’s so helpful for others!
My husband didn’t believe me when I told him these were paleo. He thought they were our regular reipce! We loved them. I’m going to try the almond flour you linked to.
Made these for Mother’s Day. They were a huge hit! I doubled the recipe to have extras. There were no leftovers. Everyone ate them all!