Zucchini Bread Waffles
Even better than zucchini bread, these whole wheat zucchini waffles are quick-and-easy breakfast perfection.
Do you always eat breakfast? I have phases. Some mornings I get out of bed solely because of food, other times (and more often than not lately), I have coffee and only coffee on the mind.
Hear me out, breakfast-lovers.
After one too many 20-minute drives to pay $5+ for an overly-sweetened latte (my most-craved coffee drink), I just treated myself to a milk frother and moka espresso pot so I can make my own at home. (Side note: would you be interested in my latte recipe?)
Of course, in the midst of all this over-caffeinated breakfast-skipping, I've noticed how bad I feel when I go without solid foods at breakfast. I have a headache, feel jittery, and can't stop obsessing about what I'm going to have for lunch. It seems obvious, I know, but I've ignored that connection on more than one occasion and I'm guessing I'm not alone.
Some mornings it helps to accept that I'm just not going to cook. Instead I eat an energy bar (from the store or homemade—you can freeze them in advance), cereal, or toast.
But there's one other strategy that's helped me prioritize my morning meal: stocking up on seasonal fruits and vegetables that make breakfast un-skippable.
Whether you're still crushing on zucchini or begrudgingly using up your garden's surplus, these waffles are a must-try way to fill up on veggies at breakfast. You can make a batch of four Belgian-style waffles in about thirty minutes (each one cooks in five), and while they taste best fresh, I've also been storing them in the fridge and reheating for those days I'd rather not cook from scratch.
Zucchini bread has always been one of my favorite recipes for summer, so why not waffle-ize it?
PS: If you're into these waffles, try serving them with maple mascarpone. You might also like pancakes with shredded carrots or pureed pumpkin!
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini
- 2 eggs (substitute flax eggs for vegan variation, see note)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (use 1 teaspoon if milk is vanilla flavor)
- ½ cup chopped nuts (such as pecans, optional)
Optional for serving:
- maple syrup
- butter (use vegan buttery spread if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat and grease waffle iron. Stir whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk together almond milk, zucchini, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just mixed. Fold in nuts (if using).
- Spread about 1 cup of the batter on one side of the waffle iron. Close, flip and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown. (Cook according to directions provided with your waffle iron.) Serve with butter and maple syrup if desired.
Notes
Save these whole wheat zucchini bread waffles for later on Pinterest:
These waffles were way too wet. They didn’t stick too badly because I sprayed my waffle iron, but the texture was terrible until I added 1/2-3/4 cup white flour and some more baking powder to the remaining batter. I should’ve gone with my gut that it was too much milk.
Hi Hannah, so sorry you had a bad experience. We've tested this in a few different kitchens, but I'm going to go back and try the recipe again since there are some variable results. My guess is it could be due to natural variations in the water content of the zucchini. Thank you for leaving your feedback and for your patience and understanding as I work to improve the recipe!
Too much moisture causing the waffles to stick! Appreciate the effort. Added chocolate chips for the kids.
Hi Shamie, so sorry you had issues with the waffles sticking. Just curious, do you remember if you greased the waffle iron beforehand? We tested the recipe on a couple different waffle irons without any problems, but did find that it helps to grease the iron first.
Well, I made these for breakfast this morning. Don't know if it was the flax eggs or the 1/4 cup of maple syrup or the wet shredded zucchini but, even after oiling my waffle iron (Waring Belgian Waffle Maker) these waffles were so stuck they could not be salvaged (they were stuck on both sides and then split down the middle). I turned the remaining batter into pancakes (which also stuck) but was able to loosen them enough to finish cooking. We thought they tasted pretty good. I'm wondering if it would have helped if the shredded zucchini was squeezed out to release the excess water?
Sorry these stuck for you, Mary Beth. I didn't have any issues when I tested the recipe, but I think I used a brand new waffle maker and I'm wondering if that might've been related. We're in the process of retesting this recipe with a couple of different waffle irons, and also with/without squeezing the zucchini as you mentioned, and then we'll update the recipe. Thank you for your patience and taking the time to comment so we can improve. Stephanie
Hi Mary Beth, we tested this recipe again and found it helps to grease the waffle iron before cooking. We liked the recipe best without squeezing the zucchini beforehand. Thanks again for your feedback and let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.