These easy oat flour waffles are gluten-free, dairy-free, and incredibly simple to make with healthy ingredients. They are light, fluffy, crispy, and delicious with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit.
These waffles are wonderful for breakfast or brunch on a lazy weekend. The crispy edges are irresistible and the whole-grain oat flour makes them so filling with plenty of protein and fiber.
This waffle recipe is similar to my dairy-free waffles, which are equally delicious! If you're looking for a vegan option, you'll love these vegan protein waffles, and these apple cinnamon waffles are perfect for fall.
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Why You'll Love These Waffles
- Easy to make - It only takes a few minutes to mix up the waffle batter.
- Gluten-free - Oat flour makes these waffles naturally gluten-free.
- Dairy-free - Using plant milk ensures the waffles are dairy-free and still delicious.
- Crispy edges - These waffles have the perfect crispy texture! So good!
- Healthy ingredients - You only need 9 pantry staples to make this recipe, and the ingredients are so much healthier than those in store-bought waffles or box mix.
Ingredients
These oat flour waffles are truly easy. You only need 9 ingredients to make them! Below are helpful notes regarding the ingredients, including substitutions you can make if necessary.
- Oat flour - Oat flour is naturally gluten-free. You can buy oat flour at the store or make your own at home by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor.
- Baking powder - This leavening agent makes the waffles super fluffy and thick.
- Salt - Balances the flavors and enhances the sweetness, believe it or not!
- Cinnamon - Adds extra flavor to the waffles without being overpowering.
- Milk - Any unsweetened plant milk yields great results, but you can use cow's milk if you aren't dairy-free.
- Coconut oil - Make sure to melt the coconut oil before using it in the recipe. Vegetable oil can also be used.
- Eggs - Eggs provide structure to the waffles. If you want to make vegan waffles, you can try making the recipe without the eggs. They might not be as fluffy.
- Maple syrup - Use pure maple syrup for best results. This gives the waffles the perfect amount of sweetness without adding refined sugar to the recipe.
- Vanilla extract - Adds such a warm, cozy vanilla flavor to the waffles.
Please remember to see the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to make oat flour waffles:
STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: oat flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
STEP 2: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: almond milk, melted coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.
STEP 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently with a large spoon until just combined. Don't over mix! Some lumps in the batter are expected and okay.
STEP 4: Allow the waffle batter to rest for 10-15 minutes so the oat flour has time to absorb the moisture and thicken. This makes for thick and fluffy waffles. Don't skip this step!
STEP 5: Preheat a waffle iron and spray it thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the waffle batter onto the heated iron and use the back of spoon to spread it into the edges of the iron as necessary before closing the lid.
STEP 6: Cook the waffles for 4-8 minutes, or as instructed by your specific waffle maker. The waffles should be crispy and golden brown in color. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool before serving with your favorite toppings.
TIP: Don't stack the waffles when you remove them from the waffle iron. This could make them soggy! It's best to spread them apart on the plate so they keep their crispy texture while they cool.
Expert Baking Tips
- Add your favorite mix-ins - These waffles are super easy to customize. Mix chopped fresh fruit or chocolate chips into the batter before cooking for extra flavor!
- Don't over mix the batter - Over mixing the batter can result in a tough texture instead of the light, fluffy waffles we all love. Stop mixing when the ingredients are just combined.
- Let the batter rest- Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes so the oat flour has time to absorb the liquid in the recipe. This ensures the waffles are super thick and fluffy.
- Cook until crispy - Cook the waffles until they have crispy golden brown edges. Nobody likes soggy waffles! When in doubt, cook an extra minute or two, but watch they don't burn.
- Don't stack the waffles - When you remove the waffles from the waffle iron, don't stack them right away, or they will lose their crispy texture because of the moisture transferred while they are still hot and steaming.
Waffle Variations
These waffles are already super delicious, but you can customize them to fit your preferences perfectly. See below for a few easy variations:
- Vegan oat flour waffles - Omit the eggs to make vegan oat flour waffles. They might not be as fluffy or as crispy, but they will still taste great and work without the eggs.
- Protein oat flour waffles - Use 1 ½ cups oat flour and ½ cup of your favorite protein powder to easily make high-protein waffles with this recipe.
- Sweeter waffles - For sweeter waffles, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup into the batter before cooking.
- Crispier waffles - Cook the waffles for an additional 2-4 minutes for super crispy waffles. Check on the waffles every few minutes to ensure they don't burn.
These oat flour pancakes or vegan peach cobbler pancakes are great options for breakfast, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Oat flour is a whole-grain flour naturally high in protein and fiber, making these waffles healthy, hearty, and super filling. The waffles are gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar free since they are sweetened with maple syrup.
If your waffles are not crispy, you probably removed them from the waffle iron too soon. The waffles should be golden brown before removing them from the heat. If they are still not crispy, you likely added too much liquid to the batter or didn't allow the batter to rest long enough before cooking.
You can quickly and easily make your own oat flour at home by grinding rolled oats in a high-powered blender or food processor. It is not recommended to use whole rolled oats in the waffles because they won't absorb moisture quickly enough and the batter will be too runny.
Yes, absolutely. You can make this recipe vegan by omitting the eggs in the recipe or using flax eggs instead. The waffles may not be as fluffy or crispy without the eggs, but they will still taste delicious when made vegan.
Storing & Freezing
Store leftover waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. To freeze the waffles, place them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before enjoying them again. Reheat them in the toaster and enjoy them warm for best results.
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes
Did you make these easy gluten-free oat flour waffles? Please leave a rating and review below! This helps other readers and supports my blog immensely. Share a photo of your waffles on Instagram and tag me because I would love to repost it. To stay updated with the newest recipes, join my email list and follow me on Pinterest. Enjoy!
Recipe
Easy Oat Flour Waffles (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Waffle Maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour (certified gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk (or preferred milk)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs (omit for vegan option)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (can sub honey)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Toppings
- pure maple syrup
- fresh fruit or berries
- nut butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.2 cups oat flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract vigorously until well combined.1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk, ⅓ cup melted coconut oil, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a large spoon until dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to over mix! The batter will have some small lumps, this is okay.
- Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes so the oat flour has time to absorb the moisture and thicken. This ensures the waffles are thick and fluffy.
- While waiting for the batter to thicken, preheat a waffle iron and spray it thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Medium-high heat is appropriate.
- After resting, gently stir the batter once or twice. Use a measuring scoop or pour the batter onto the heated waffle iron. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to spread the batter into the corners of the iron before closing the lid.
- Cook the waffles for 4-8 minutes, or as instructed by your waffle iron. The edges should be crispy and golden brown, but not burnt. When crispy, remove the waffles from the iron and place them on a separate plate to cool.
- Repeat until all the waffle batter has been used. Serve the waffles with pure maple syrup, fresh fruit, nut butter, or enjoy them plain.pure maple syrup, fresh fruit or berries, nut butter
Autumn says
These waffles are delicious!! I made them vegan without the eggs and they still turned out super fluffy and crispy. SO good. I love that they're not super sweet on their own because you can dress them up with fun toppings and extra syrup to make them sweeter. The texture is perfect, thank you for the recipe, it's so hard to find good breakfast recipes that meet all my dietary restrictions. Will be making these again for my kids!
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Autumn,
I am so glad you found the waffles to be so delicious! I would love to know if your kids loved them too. Personally, when I add fresh fruit and some maple syrup, they are just irresistible to kids of all ages! Thank you for such a nice review. Enjoy!
April says
I made these for breakfast this weekend and they're really good! I mixed in some fresh blueberries into the batter and they came out perfect that way! Definitely going to make these again. Being gluten-free, it can be so hard to find good gluten-free waffle recipes that are nice and fluffy like these are, but these are perfect. Thank you!
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi April,
Adding fresh blueberries to the batter sounds so delicious. I'm so glad they turned out awesome for you! I have plenty of other gluten-free recipes here that I hope you will enjoy sometime soon. Thanks for leaving a review!
Amber says
These are VERY good. I'm vegan and was skeptical to leave out the eggs but these turned out awesome even without eggs. I'm impressed! The taste is perfect. Not too sweet but still plenty of flavor. I added fresh strawberries and raspberries on mine with a drizzle of syrup and it was perfect for my Sunday brunch.
Samantha Ensinger says
Hi Amber!
I am so happy that the waffles turned out great for you even without the eggs. It's nice to know that this recipe is vegan-friendly! Strawberries and raspberries sound like the perfect addition. Enjoy!