These light, fluffy oatmeal waffles are naturally gluten free, healthy, and perfect for the whole family! Crispy yet moist, with no bananas or milk needed. Enjoy with a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of bacon.
My husband has a not-so-secret secret love affair with this oatmeal waffle recipe.
Yes, these are cinnamon oatmeal waffles and they are gloriously delicious, ridiculously easy, and the official breakfast for all Saturdays from now until eternity. Or at least until we run out of syrup.
Waffles are one of those things that you either do right or do terribly wrong. These oatmeal waffles are:
- Light
- Fluffy
- Belgian
- Crispy
- Healthy
INGREDIENTS FOR OAT FLOUR WAFFLES
- Butter. Butter is what makes the oatmeal waffles crisp and fluffy. If you skimp on the butter, your waffle will taste “okay,” but it won’t be great. It also won’t be nearly as good leftover, even if you do toast it.
- Rolled Oats. Use the good old fashioned oats here. Quick oats aren’t quite right for this recipe.
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Ground Cinnamon. If you don’t like cinnamon, omit it, but you might want to add something else for flavor because this spice is the star of the show.
- Maple Syrup. Every oatmeal waffle recipe I’ve found says to add sugar, but since I’d like to keep this a healthy recipe, I switched to maple syrup and reduced the amount used.
- Molasses. I also added molasses because I love the depth of flavor, but both can be omitted without seriously changing the flavor of the waffle.
- Water
- Eggs
HOW TO MAKE THE OATMEAL WAFFLE RECIPE
Step 1. Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2. Meanwhile, measure oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into the blender (here’s the blender I use). Process on high until the mixture resembles flour, about one minute.
Step 3. Add 1 cup water, eggs, and optional sweeteners and blend on high into a batter, for about one minute.
Step 4. Add the butter and again, blend on high for about one minute.
Step 5. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes and preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions. Letting the batter sit gives the oats time to soak up some of the liquid, making crispier waffles.
Step 6. Stir the batter well. At this point the batter should be thin enough to *just* run off the spatula, but no thinner. If it doesn’t, add ¼ cup water and re-blend.
Step 7. Grease the waffle maker with cooking spray, then pour the desired amount of batter into the waffle iron. The batter will not spread on its own, so use a spatula to spread it all the way to the edges. Cook the waffle as desired, or according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Step 8. Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring well before pouring onto the waffle iron.
Making this oatmeal waffle recipe is that simple!
TIPS FOR THE BEST WAFFLES
To make the best waffles, here are a few things I’ve found helpful.
- Make your waffle batter in a blender. Unless you have oat flour on hand, a blender is a perfect way to make this recipe. You can use rolled oats in place of flour! Plus you won’t dirty a large mixing bowl or whisk. A food processor may work as well, but I have not tried it.
- Make sure your lid is on tight and blend on high so that the tiny specks of oat flour incorporate well with the liquids and absorb them. If the oat flour is too large, it will not absorb the liquid properly and your batter could be runny.
- My waffle iron came with a scoop that is just the right amount of batter for the waffle iron. Every waffle maker is different, but if I had to guess, I’d say use ½ to ¾ cup batter. Remember that this batter is thick and will not spread to the edges of the iron, so be sure to use a spatula to get the batter to the edges.
- Some have stated that this batter is too thin. When you follow the recipe as written, the batter should just run off a spatula when dipped in and pulled out of the batter. If it is very runny, add ¼ cup oats and re-blend until it reaches this thickness. Alternatively, if it is too thick, add ¼ cup water and re-blend.
Note: I invested in a double waffle maker identical to this one, except I got mine at Walmart for half the price. It makes AMAZING waffles with deep pockets AND it is quick. I can’t recommend it enough!
TOPPINGS FOR OATMEAL WAFFLES
We top our waffles with anything from maple syrup, butter, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. Chocolate chip and nut butter topped waffles are tasty too!
HOW TO FREEZE OAT WAFFLES
Let the waffles cool completely before freezing. I recommend freezing waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet and then transferring it to a freezer-safe bag.
Another option is to place a piece of parchment or wax paper between each waffle and freeze in a stack. I haven’t tried this method myself because both parchment paper and wax paper are expensive (in my opinion), so I go with method #1. It’s the cheapest and it works.
HOW TO REHEAT FROZEN OATMEAL WAFFLES
A toaster is a great way to reheat frozen oatmeal waffles, assuming your toaster is large enough. You might have to break the whole waffle into halves or quarters so it fits.
We don’t have a toaster, so we reheat it in the oven. I place frozen waffles directly on a rack in the middle of the oven and turn the oven to 350F. By the time our oven preheats, the waffle is ready.
Note: My oven takes an eternity to preheat, so the waffle is in there for a good 10-15 minutes. Your oven probably preheats faster, so the first time you reheat a waffle, use a timer and check on it every 5 minutes or so. Once you know how fast (or long) it takes, you can set the timer for the total time the next time you re-heat.
FAQS FOR OATMEAL WAFFLES
Are pancake and waffle mix the same?
I have not used this recipe for pancakes, personally, but my readers have!
One reader reported that she uses half the amount of fat to make pancakes, so instead of 6 Tbsp of butter, she uses 3 Tbsp of coconut oil. Feel free to try it out or use this oat pancakes recipe!
What is the difference between a waffle and a Belgian waffle?
Belgian waffles have deeper pockets and are known for being crispy and fluffy. Regular waffles are thinner. Many regular waffle recipes have no eggs. This recipe does use eggs, so it should result in a delicious, crispy, and fluffy Belgian waffle.
How do you make Belgian waffles from scratch?
Simple, follow my recipe! It is so easy to make. It’s a great hearty breakfast to add to your regular rotation!
Can I make this a dry waffle mix recipe?
Yes! Simply prepare the recipe with the dry ingredients and store it in an airtight container.
When you’re ready to make oat waffles, simply add the wet ingredients to the mix and blend!
Are oatmeal waffles vegan?
This recipe is not vegan. While it does not use any dairy or nondairy milk, it does use eggs and butter to create a crispiness around the edges.
SERVE WITH OATMEAL WAFFLES
A few of my favorites to serve with this waffle recipe are:
I also use this recipe in lieu of bread for kids’ lunches, so you can make peanut butter and jelly waffle “sandwiches” that taste amazing!
MORE EASY BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Oatmeal Jam Bars
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
- Chocolate Pancakes
- One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Overnight Pumpkin French Toast
- Easy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts
Sign up to get instant access to my Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts Plan, complete with recipes, supply list, and shopping list!Watch How to Make Cinnamon Oatmeal Waffles
Cinnamon Oatmeal Waffles
This oatmeal waffles recipe comes out crispy and fluffy every time, and it’s made with oat flour and no milk. This is my family’s favorite Belgian waffle and it’s naturally gluten-free!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 waffles 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1–2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tsp molasses (optional)
- 1–1 ½ cups water
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, measure oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in the blender. Process on high until the mixture resembles flour, about one minute.
- Add 1 cup water, eggs, and optional sweeteners and blend on high* into a batter, for about one minute.
- Add the butter and again, blend on high *for about one minute.
- Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes and preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir the batter well. At this point the batter should be thin enough to *just* run off the spatula, but no thinner. If it doesn’t, add ¼ cup water and re-blend.
- Grease the waffle maker with cooking spray, then pour the desired amount of batter** into the waffle iron. The batter will not spread on its own, so use a spatula to spread it all the way to the edges. Cook the waffle as desired, or according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring well before pouring onto the waffle iron.
Notes
* Make sure your lid is on tight and blend on high so that the tiny specks of oat flour incorporate well with the liquids and absorb them. If the oat flour is too large, it will not absorb the liquid properly and your batter could be runny.
** My waffle iron came with a scoop that is just the right amount of batter for the waffle iron. The Frozen-themed waffle iron did not, and it used ¼ cup batter for each waffle. Every waffle maker is different, but if I had to guess, I’d say use ½ to ¾ cup batter. Remember that this batter is thick and will not spread to the edges of the iron, so be sure to use a spatula to get the batter to the edges.
*** Some have stated that this batter is too thin. When you follow the recipe as written, the batter should *just* run off a spatula when dipped in and pulled out of the batter. If it is very runny, add ¼ cup oats and re-blend until it reaches this thickness.
Nutrition
- Calories: 194
If you make a double batch, let them sit 15 minutes instead of 5. None of mine turned out very fluffy, except the very last one I poured. The batter had thickened just slightly by that point, and it was exactly what it needed to do!
Thanks for sharing this tip Kristyna!
I made these waffles with no changes, using 1 cup of water and the 2 TBL of maple syrup.. The batter was thin as other reviewers described, however, it did thicken up slightly after sitting 10-15 minutes. They did not crisp up as my standard wheat flour recipe does but were softer and the inside seemed slightly undercooked. I tried leaving them in a few seconds longer but then they just darkened too much on the outside without any changes to the crispness or insides.
I just made these for Sunday breakfast and they came out perfectly – definitely no runny batter, here – following the recipe exactly. I actually considered using the extra half cup of water, but in the end decided to skip it. My 5 year old gobbled them up, and really… is there any tougher critic than a 5 year old? ‘Nuf said!! 🙂
I don’t think there is Jennifer – thank you so much for sharing your feedback!! ♥
Tried these this morning. Delicious! I did use almond milk for a bit of extra protein (I’m not good at protein so I sneak it in when ever I can) and it was a bit too thick so added more to get it right. Next time I will use water! I did make a simple cinnamon sugar syrup for a drizzle along with a cream cheese drizzle. They tasted great and my yeast allergy husband was thrilled it tasted like a cinnamon roll (no longer in his diet).
One suggestion, emphasize that the oats need to be certified gluten free. Some people may making it for celiac friends and not know that is quite critical. I suggest GF Harvest for oats over Bob’s (I have gotten sick on Bob’s as they now use the method of “cleaning” the gluten off the oats.
Thanks for the tip Sandra, and I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these waffles!!
If I use egg whites, do I need to adjust anything for leaving out the yolks?
Hi Lynn – I’ve never made these without the yolks, so I can’t make any recommendations other than using them!
This is second time i made this recipe. Today was same result soggy thin waffles. 🙁 only difference eas i ised 2 flax eggs since we have an allergy.
Heather – did you use flaxseed eggs in the first batch too? I really don’t know why these wouldn’t turn out for you. We literally make this exact recipe almost every weekend, and have never had soggy waffles.
My 10 yo made these. They turned out perfect!
Awesome! So glad to hear it Kelli!
They definitely didn’t come out crispy but taste was good 🙂
Not crispy? Maybe you can tinker with the heat level, or cook longer? Ours are always crispy. Glad they were good!!
I have same waffle maker, which setting are you using on that?
1-2 ticks from dark
I made these today and they came out so well! Delicious and healthy and my kids loved them. I doubled the recipe and it only made 3 waffles though 🤣 I guess my waffle maker just makes extra jumbo waffles? I was hoping to be able to freeze some for later.
These are fantastic! My kids say they are the best they’ve had. Question though – do you know of a dairy free alternative for the butter? I’m assuming they wouldn’t come out as good if they were made with oil, but I figured I’d ask just to see if you knew of anyone trying.
Hi Angela! I often quadruple this recipe and split the fat to 50/50 butter/coconut oil. I haven’t made them exclusively with just coconut oil, but I bet you could!
What are your thoughts on using honey in place of the syrup/molasses?
You definitely can Susan! I’ve actually stopped using sweetener completely, since we usually add butter and syrup anyway. The family hasn’t noticed!
Using honey? Is there a difference on amounts? like same 1 cup to one cup of honey? Curious… I wish in your recipes that you would tag your blender, I saw it once and now I want to get it, as my vita-mix is just OK,
No difference in amounts Lynard, as it just enhances the flavor. As I mentioned to Susan, we don’t add any sweetener anymore. Here’s a link for my blender: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2017/11/ways-to-use-a-blender/!
I don’t normally comment, but WOW! I’ve tried A LOT of waffle recipes on the internet, and this one right here has to be my favorite. It’s much healthier than the traditional store bought batters and the flavor is out of this world. My kids and husband LOVE it. THANK YOU!!! (We’ve made this 2 weeks in a row!)
You’re SO welcome Rachel!!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review and comment!
Hi, I love your recipe! I just wanted to know how much calories in one waffle?
I’m not sure Kayla, but you can use an online nutrition calculator!
Made 3 batches of this today, to serve 26 people for breakfast!! Everyone LOVED it!! Thanks again for the hit Tiffany!!!
You’re so welcome Mary Katherine!!
Made this for lunch today it came out great 👍 thanks for the recipe
So glad you liked it Blair!!
I tried it twice and still the same results. Batter was runny and stuck to the waffle iron. I tried doing what others recommended and still was a mess. I let it sit for over an hour and batter was still runny. Yes I followed the recipe to a T!
Jezika – I make this recipe every weekend and it’s always turned out without any issues. The batter sticking to your waffle iron is actually not a problem with the batter, but the iron itself. As for the batter, it should thicken up significantly within 5-10 minutes. The batter should be thin enough to *just* run off the spatula. No thinner, and it shouldn’t be gloopy. If it is, you’ll need to add more oats (1/4 cup at a time) and re-blend.
Could you sub wheat flour for the oats?
I haven’t done this Ashlee, and I don’t think I would recommend it. There’s just enough difference between oats and wheat flour where the batter might end up not being what you were looking for!
I had the same issue, I found it I add a touch of flour it comes out right. I wonder if the difference is if you use quick oats or old fashioned oats.
I also substitute applesauce for eggs.
Any idea on nutritional info on these waffles compared to others? I would imagine yours would be much higher in protein than traditional waffles given the oatmeal…
Charlene
You can input this recipe into a nutrition calculator Charlene, but I tend to agree with you!
Thank you so much for a very heart healthy recipe! We can’t wait to try these waffles…will let you know after breakfast how we make out 🙂
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do Michelle!
These are SO delicious! I had the same problem as Sara the first batch because I used the lowest setting on my blender to process the oat mixture into flour. I think I was worried about it flying everywhere and making dust lol! So I could still see lots of pieces of oats when the batter was done. It was super runny and the waffle fell apart. So my next batch I processed it on high until the batter was really fine and there were no larger oat pieces left. It absorbed the liquids and made the thick batter. The waffles came out perfectly and didn’t fall apart. I used the max setting on our Hamilton Beach waffle maker because the kids said they wanted them crispy. We loved and ate all the waffles, even the first batch that didn’t stay together and they all tasted great! This recipe is a total keeper for us! Thank you Tiffany!!!
You’re so welcome Madelyn! I appreciate you sharing your blender tips. I have a Blendtec, and use the “batter” setting and never considered how the speed might effect the batter. I’ll be sure to update the recipe. It’s always my goal to be a “keeper” in someone else’s recipe box – thank you for the honor!!
Thank you for the tip!
I just made these today and the batter was very runny – not thick. I did everything and measured according to your recipe but the mixture was just runny and the waffles were “holey” and did not make a thick waffle like in your picture. I used 1 3/4 c rolled oats and followed everything else except no cinnamon and no sweeteners. Thoughts?
Hi Sara! Are you sure you followed the recipe exactly? If the batter was very runny, it sounds like there was too much water. Also, the batter needs to sit for 5 minutes for the oats to absorb water, and it will continue to get thicker as it sits. If you followed the recipe as-written, you can remedy by adding more oats, about 2 Tbsp at a time until the batter thickens.
I had the exact same problem! And I only use 1 cup of liquid, we had hollow waffles, my family seemed to like them ok.
Katrina, did you make sure to let it sit for a little bit for the oats to absorb the liquid? Also one reader had to adjust their blend to High to make sure it blended up all the oats to thicken the recipe. That might help!
I just followed this recipe and I use 1 cup of water (Not 1 1/2) nice and thick batter like it should be.
Thanks for the recipe! I did use milk for added calories. It was easy and delicious.
You’re very welcome!
I just made these and they are delicious! My family loves waffles, and I have been making some gluten free ones with sunbutter as the base, and while those aren’t too expensive, they are still pricier than I prefer. I love that these are gluten free, have such few ingredients, and are inexpensive, while maintaining an amazing taste and texture! Thanks so much for all your experimentation to give us this wonderful recipe!
You’re so welcome AnnaKathryn! I’m glad you guys enjoyed them! I was surprised too at how simple and inexpensive the recipe is, yet SO good!
I can’t wait to try these! Did you try making with milk instead of water? I’ve made many waffle recipies and all of them call for milk, just curious what difference you noticed. The parchment does work to freeze them without sticking. I found it at Aldi for $3 for a big roll during the holidays and stocked up ; )
Your blog is wonderful! It has given me motivation to eat healthy on a budget and try to DIY as much as I can. Thank you!
Hi Erin! I did try making these with milk instead of water, and didn’t notice a positive change in taste or texture, so I definitely recommend water. Strange, I know!
I’m so glad my blog is encouraging you! That makes my day. 🙂 Fantastic idea on the parchment paper – I should have done the same! Next year… 🙂
Water is better!! I had to try it both ways & the finished texture is fantastic with water. I may be adding the collagen for more protein in the future but not milk.
I’m trying the chocolate waffles tomorrow!
Ooh – the chocolate waffles are EVEN BETTER!!!
I made these this morning, however, was quite disappointed. The waffles were soft and very flat although the favor was nice, wasn’t really a waffle.
Hi there! I recommend cooking the waffle for longer. Crunchy/soft isn’t a batter issue with these, it’s a waffle iron issue. I have to cook mine for 3-4 minutes LONGER than when my iron says they’re done.
Made as per directions (including optional ingredients) and they turned out super! Tasty with a great texture, will be adding to my make-again list and love the idea of preparing a dry mix to make them one step easier next time 🙂
Thanks!
Made this. No butter, instead Used 3 tsp oil and 1 tbs of cornstarch, and a mashed banana. Turned out well.