Lentil Waffles (egg-free, dairy-free)

BreakfastLentils

Feb 12

For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about an experience we had last year. Sam had just fallen off the growth chart and was officially considered “Failure to Thrive” :( Nothing makes a mother feel worse than that.

After that diagnosis and a series of blood tests that seemed a bit off, we were referred to a GI doctor in Dallas and met with a dietician while we were there. Some had feared Sam had celiac disease, which prompted the visit, but that was eventually ruled out. I was grateful to meet with the Dietician on staff, though, and get some ideas of foods we could have Sam eat.

During our visit with her, I learned that one of the main reasons that Sam was not growing was that he was actually protein deficient. Because of his allergies, and a low appetite, he was primarily living off of breastmilk, which I learned does not have a lot of protein. She gave me a lot of different protein options and milk alternatives we could explore, one of those being Ripple Milk. I am so grateful we learned about that and have relied on that a lot over the last year!

One thing I don’t love about it though, is that it is a bit more expensive than traditional milk or other dairy-free milks. As a result, I’m constantly looking for ways to increase the protein in our meals cost-effectively. This brings me to today’s recipe: Lentil Waffles! I cooked up a batch of lentils earlier this week and needed to use them up, and was excited to sneak these into breakfast this morning.

This recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour instead of the whole wheat flour I used this morning. They can be naturally sweetened with a ripe banana or a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup. Either way, top them as you would traditional waffles and enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comment section!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked lentils (red or brown, drained well)
1 cup rolled oats (or oat flour)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten-free waffles)
1 ripe banana (or 2 tbsp maple syrup for sweetness)
1 cup plant-based milk (adjust for batter consistency)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Blend the batter:
Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. Add a bit more plant-based milk if it’s too thick.
Preheat the waffle maker:
Heat your waffle iron and lightly grease it with oil or cooking spray if needed.
Cook the waffles:
Pour the batter into the waffle maker (amount depends on the size of your iron). Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the waffles are golden brown and crisp.
Serve:
Top with fresh fruits, maple syrup, nut/seed butter, or a dollop of coconut yogurt.

Tips:

For extra flavor, mix in a handful of chocolate chips or chopped nuts into the batter.
If you don’t have a waffle maker, you can use the batter for pancakes instead!

breakfast

Yield: 4

Author: Ashley Rattanasengchanh