Carrot Cake Waffles

Thank you guys so much for all of the birthday wishes! I’m happy to report that I’m officially a thirty year-old and I feel exactly the same.

Wait, I take that back. I’m actually feeling much more spoiled. I woke up Saturday morning to a card and a jewelry box on my nightstand that had the most simple, yet beautiful necklace inside. Then my husband takes me downstairs, hands me a mimosa and tells me to relax while he prepares me a warm plate of carrot cake waffles.

That’s my idea of pure bliss.

Especially because carrot cake holds a special place in my heart. Growing up, my mom would always ask me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday and the answer was always carrot cake. I guess my love for veggies stems from a young age. Although she might beg to differ on that one. But I digress.

There’s something about the sweet and spicy flavor that really speaks to me and lately I’ve been loving it in the {healthier} form of waffles. The carrots and the maple syrup supply enough natural sugar that you don’t have to overload them with it’s refined counterpart to get that delicious sweet flavor.

I’ve made these a few different ways now and my favorite gluten-free and vegan version is the recipe listed below. I know using two flours isn’t ideal so if you don’t want to go that route, you can use all buckwheat flour.

If you’re new to buckwheat, it’s actually a fruit seed that’s related to rhubarb, making it naturally gluten-free. It’s also high in fiber, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc which are all great for the immune system. Plus it contains all eight essential amino acids, including lysine, which plays a key role in collagen production. Perfect for an aging thirty-year old, am I right?

The flavor of buckwheat is somewhat earthy, similar to whole wheat, so it can be a little strong for certain palates. I found that the addition of quinoa flour helped balance it out, but I personally enjoyed them both ways. Alternatively, if you’re not trying to avoid gluten or dairy, you can use this zucchini waffle recipe. I adapted them by replacing the zucchini with carrots, left out the sugar and then added nuts. Easy peasy!

Whichever version you try, I highly recommend topping them with whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream). It takes them from really good to unbelievable. Trust me, if you’re a carrot cake lover like I am, then you’re bound to love them!

Ingredients

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup quinoa flour (can also use all buckwheat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon ground chia seed (or ground flax seed)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon melted unrefined coconut oil

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup shredded carrot (approximately 1 large carrot)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Instructions

1. Preheat the waffle maker and then combine the dry ingredients (buckwheat flour to ground chia seed pecans) in a medium-size bowl and sift together.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (brown sugar to carrot, add coconut oil last) and stir together.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet and stir together until just combined. Spoon half of the mixture into the center of the waffle maker and then close the lid and cook until crispy and golden brown on the edges. I did about 5 minutes on each side in my waffle maker.
4. Serve warm with maple syrup and whipped cream (optional). Then dig in and enjoy!