Grain-Free Vegan Banana Waffles {Oil-Free}

Fluffy and delicious grain-free vegan banana waffles are fast and fabulous! They are oil-free, gluten-free and made with a combination of almond flour and chickpea flour.

Banana Bread Waffles

I like the idea of banana bread that can be made–start to finish–in under 10 minutes.

Even better: making the idea a reality!

On addition, how about banana bread where every serving has the crispy, toasty edges of my favorite parts of the loaf (the end pieces). And said serving is drizzled with maple syrup.

If all of the above appeals to you as well, dust off your waffle maker and make a batch of my Grain-Free Vegan Banana Waffles asap!

Waffle Iron to the Rescue

I’ll admit, this recipe has a backstory: my oven is dead. As in, “Mom, did you know the oven is on fire?” (no, I didn’t) dead.

The heating element in the oven passed away in a ball of smoke, fire and fury, and it will be two weeks before the new one arrives. I won’t miss the cracked glass cooktop, or the two defunct elements, but it has nevertheless been a fine kitchen companion, suffering through the highs and lows of my culinary experiments. RIP.

In the meantime, I am re-exploring my small appliance collection. Who knows, I may even work up the courage to take the Instapot out of its box for an inaugural run. Maybe. Until then, I’m sticking with the familiar: my waffle iron.

So how about it, friends; if you’re craving some banana bread, too, I’ve got a recipe that will please us all.

Ingredients for Grain-Free Vegan Banana Waffles

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Here’s what you will need:

• Almond flour
• Chickpea flour
• Flaxseed meal
• Mashed very ripe banana
• Nondairy milk
• Maple syrup
• Ground cinnamon
• Baking soda
• Salt

The fat in this recipe comes from almond flour (almond meal will work, too) and flaxseed meal. The type of milk you choose may add some fat, as well. Together, the result is moist fluffy waffles without added oil. Yay!

The addition of chickpea flour is what makes the recipe work, and I mean that literally. I tried tapioca starch, coconut flour, and a combination of coconut flour and tapioca starch. In each trial, the batter looked great…until it was added to the waffle maker. As soon as the lid dropped, the batter gushed and glopped out of the sides with alien ferocity.

Chickpea flour brought the recipe back to earth. Together with the other ingredients, it also led to an especially easy recipe.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat the Waffle Iron

Preheat your waffle iron so that it is ready to go as soon as you finish making the batter. I set my waffle iron to medium-high.

Step Two: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

Begin by whisking the bananas (use really ripe ones; the banana mash should be very wet) with the maple syrup, milk and flaxseed meal. You can also add a bit of vanilla extract, if you so choose.

Step Three: Add the Dry Ingredients

You’re almost done. Add the remaining ingredients (chickpea flour, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) to the bowl and stir until blended and smooth. The batter will be smooth and fairly thick.

Step Four: Add Batter to Preheated Waffle Iron

Drop the waffle batter (about 1/2 cup) into a preheated waffle iron. Oh! I almost forgot: be sure to lightly spritz or oil the iron plates. My maker claims to be nonstick, but it still needs some greasing to prevent waffle havoc. I’m guessing yours is the same.

As mentioned above, I usually set my waffle iron to medium-high, but after my first few waffles, I turned it down. The sugar from the bananas and maple syrup makes the waffles brown quickly. Setting the heat closer to medium produces dark golden brown waffles without over-browning. If your first waffle is too brown, turn down the heat even more.

Step Five: Repeat with Remaining Batter

That’s it! Keep cranking out waffles until you’ve used up all of your batter.

So, I think you know all about  eating waffles the traditional way. Syrup. Fork. Maybe some fruit.

But, getting back to the beginning of this post, you can also treat your newly made waffles as banana bread for snacking, dessert, or breakfast on the go! Cool the waffles on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container for future gnoshing.

Then grab a “slice” anytime! Don’t forget about waffle sandwich possibilities (peanut butter, jam, hazelnut spread…) for instant breakfasts or mini meals!

Happy Waffling!

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