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Crispy, golden AIP waffles will make your weekend breakfast an utter delight. Easy to make and ready in minutes, plus you can make these directly out of ingredients from your pantry!
Back in the AIP Dark Ages (aka, 2014) there were no AIP waffles.
The first time I did the AIP Diet I mainly ate leftover dinner for breakfast, even on the weekends. While this was ok, after a while I just wanted some traditional breakfast foods!!
The 2nd time I did AIP, in 2018, there were a few waffle recipes floating about, but we couldn't seem to make them without a huge stack of plantains (which were not always easy to find) or without the waffle mix sticking in our waffle maker.
Bless my family's hearts, as they really tried to support me in doing AIP by eating some AIP meals with me, especially weekend breakfast treats like pancakes and waffles, but eventually they gave up and said I was on my own.
I totally don't blame them. I would've done the same thing.
Hence, why I made it my mission to create some amazing AIP breakfast foods.
Well, at least weekend breakfast treats – I still think leftovers, soups, and hashes make the best weekday meals….
Table of contents
AIP Waffles
These waffles are of the crispy thinner variety, not the really soft ones and not belgian-style.
They are perfection though when served warm – a buttery flavor (not sure how that happens honestly) – and something you can sink your teeth into.
Egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, seed-free, all the things that make them AIP-friendly and yet leave you extremely satisfied.
It's just one of those traditional breakfast items that can help you feel normal again – at least to help you face another week.
Ingredients you might need
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You may already have many, if not all of these ingredients in your AIP pantry, but just in case not, here are the ingredients that you'll need.
Tapioca Starch
I like Anthony's brand for most of the AIP flours these days because they've been consistent in quality and tend to have the most inexpensive prices. However, any tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour) will do.
Coconut Flour
Again, I like Anthony's coconut flour, but any coconut flour will do. Just make sure to whisk out any clumps! (Learn more about coconut flour!)
Avocado Oil
I use avocado oil in this recipe because it's already liquid, has no taste, and easy to use. But you could also use melted coconut oil, palm shortening, or lard if you prefer, or even olive oil in a pinch (though it may leave a bit of a taste). I'm linking to the Chosen Foods Avocado Oil I like, but I do think the price at Costco is waaay less (like half the price) of this one on Amazon!!
Coconut, Tigernut or Banana Milk
You really could use water in place of these in a pinch, but these three options give the waffles more flavor.
You can buy guar gum-free coconut milk on Amazon, Thrive Market, Trader Joe's and at many Asian markets, or you can make it yourself using shredded coconut and water and save a lot of money. See how to make homemade coconut milk.
Or see how to make an AIP coconut milk alternative called banana milk! It just uses a banana and water.
Or make your own tigernut milk.
Waffle Maker
Of course, you'll need a waffle maker in order to make these into waffles (though you COULD just make these into pancakes). I just use a standard circle one that makes classic waffles and set it to about 4.
If you want to make these ahead of time
These waffles are best-served immediately after cooking, but the batter can be mixed up to 4 days ahead of time and just poured into the preheated waffle maker right before you need them.
If you DO make them ahead of time though, they are best reheated in the microwave. They'll lose some of their crispiness but the toaster oven tends to make them TOO crispy.
You can store these in the fridge for a few days or freeze up to 3 months.
To freeze: Place the cooked waffles on a baking sheet and into the freezer for 4+ hours. Then remove from the pan and place in a freezer-safe container or bag. This way you can easily just take 1-2 as needed without them sticking together.
Can you add blueberries, etc in the batter?
You could add blueberries or any other berries, etc into the batter but I do find that the waffles don't come out as well. They seem to stick to the waffle iron more and fall apart.
I personally am a bigger fan of adding toppings AFTER cooking. (see the next section for more on that)
Waffle Toppings
In the pictures, I just am using some fresh blueberries and a bit of coconut “whipped” cream. The term whipped is used loosely since I didn't really go through the trouble of whipping it, rather I just emptied a can of coconut cream into a bowl, added a dash of maple syrup and stirred it. Same thing 🙂
Of course, you could just use the traditional maple syrup as well!
If you like a little crunch, perhaps try some “Chocolate” AIP Tigernut Granola on top! Or my Pumpkin Spice Tigernut Granola.
If you want a long list of AIP-friendly breakfast toppings that could also be used on these waffles, I've got a list in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library.
More AIP breakfast recipes like this
AIP Cassava Flour Pancakes – fluffy, delicious, amazing. Need I say more? (Also a “chocolate” syrup recipe)
10 AIP Breakfast Ideas – don't know what to make? This post will give you ideas
Lemon AIP Scones – little bundles of lemony deliciousness that you can sink your teeth into!
Spiced Carrot Porridge – if you're in the mood for a warm porridge, this AIP one will hit the spot!
AIP Breakfasts Book – my new eCookbook! 61+ AIP breakfast recipes and ideas make your mornings amazing
AIP Waffle Recipe
If you make these waffles I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
AIP Waffles
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Tapioca Starch
- 3 tbsp Coconut Flour
- Pinch Salt
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Avocado Oil (or melted Coconut Oil)
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup ( or Honey)
- 2/3 cup Coconut Milk (or Tigernut Milk, or Banana Milk)
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil ( or Coconut Oil – for greasing the waffle iron)
Instructions
- Preheat a standard waffle maker to medium-high. Mix all of the ingredients together, whisking to get rid of any clumps. Once the waffle maker is heated, grease it with a little avocado or coconut oil and then spoon the batter into the maker.
- Cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until slightly browned. (It's ok to open the maker and check – just close it again if they aren't done)
- Remove and serve immediately. These are best served immediately, but if you do make them ahead of time the microwave is the best place to reheat.
I used the recipe to make pancakes. Thank you, they were perfect!!
Is there cassava flour or something that I can use in place of tapioca starch? I ran out! Eeks!
Sorry, I just saw this but you can use arrowroot powder/starch instead of tapioca.
These waffles are amazing!!! My kids love that they get to have waffles again even with all their food sensitivities!! One question. The last batch I made, I added too much salt. How can I fix it? I added more coconut flour and maple syrup and that didn’t help. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Hmm, as for the salt thing, I’m not sure – perhaps just double the dry ingredients and save them in a container for later use? I hate when I add to much salt (happens more than I care to admit, haha)
I love the recipe! I don’t have a waffle maker so I used my Nuwave Bravo oven. I also didn’t have tapioca starch handy so I used 1/3 cup cassava flour and 1/3 cup coconut flour. I put the mixture into a silicone mold and hit the ‘waffle’ button on the Bravo which cooks at 450 for 5 minutes. They came out browned on top (I like them a little crunchy) but soft and fluffy on the inside. Next time I might be tempted to flip them over and toast the other side, but they were still great!
Not gummy! Not at all! I have done AIP for 5 months and gave up hope of non-gummy waffles or pancakes. I’ve tried a dozen other recipes. These were not fluffy, but had a great cake like texture and tasted wonderful. I was going to eat one and ate all 4!!!
This is a keeper
Wow this is really good! Crispy!! I used my mini waffle maker and YUM!! Love it, and easy ingredients!!
Thank you for this!!! I love my waffles on the weekend and I’m on an AIP diet until October. This was my little treat this morning for coming off a 5 day partial fast. Tapioca=Cassava so I used cassava flour. I don’t have a waffle maker either so I ordered a silicone waffle mold from Amazon to put in my tabletop oven. I used coconut shortening which looks just like butter, and a little maple syrup on top. I ended up cooking for 10 minutes at 350. Next time I’ll increase the temp and reduce the time. They weren’t crunchy, but they were great! I could only eat one, it was very filling.
So glad you liked them! And just so you know, yes, tapioca is from the same plant as cassava but the flour is actually made in a completely different way (it’s just the starch extracted rather than cassava flour which is the whole root dried, peeled and ground) so it’s a totally different flour. Pretty cool that they can do that, isn’t it? But glad the cassava worked for you as well!
Thank you a lot first of all. It’s yummy, but it’s a bit gummy also with me. Next time i will add more coconut flour and see💓 you are amazing 😉
These are good, but I’ll do some tweaking to make them better. I had to add an extra 2 tablespoons of coconut flour to make them work, which I know could be the case in a lot of things that use coconut flour, as it’s very finicky. I thought they were most successful when cooked longer (till brown and crispy), for a good texture that wasn’t gummy in the middle. I also think the hallmark of a great waffle is that it should be good enough to stand alone, and taste great with just basic maple syrup- which I wasn’t convinced this was… but when I paired it with strawberries, bananas, and a dollop of coconut yogurt on top- total yum explosion! It was the perfect taste and texture for those toppings to give you a decadent breakfast experience. Thanks for the recipe!
These are amazing! They seemed watery when I was done mixing but when I used “good” baking soda (not outdated) they turned out great. I would suggest cooking them longer so they aren’t “chewy” on the inside. The flavor is great. I’m not missing waffles anymore!!
would a gluten free flour mix work also?
Um, I really have no idea, sorry! These are meant to be grain-free for the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol so I’d probably do a Google search for gluten-free waffles instead to find one more suitable for that.
Happy to find a waffle recipe without egg! Thank you. I did find these a bit funny in the middle but had a nice dark brown crisp in the outside. Not sure how to get rid of the gumminess.