Nut-Free Protein Waffle Sticks
⏱ 25 min💪 22g protein per serving🔥 ~270 cal🍽 4 waffles (16 sticks)
Waffles cut into sticks turn breakfast into something a kid can eat with one hand, and they pack cold into a lunchbox without falling apart. Oat flour and Greek yogurt build the structure, whey adds the protein, and there is no almond flour or nut butter anywhere. One waffle cut into four sticks is 22g of protein. Make a double batch and freeze the extras.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 scoops (60g) vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Heat a waffle iron on a medium setting and grease it well, since protein batter sticks more than regular batter.
- Whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla in a bowl until completely smooth with no yogurt lumps.
- Add the oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt and whisk just until combined, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Cook 4 waffles, about 4 minutes each, and resist opening the iron early because protein waffles need the full time to release cleanly.
- Cool the waffles on a wire rack rather than a plate so the undersides stay crisp, then cut each one into 4 sticks.
- Store in the fridge for 4 days, or freeze in a single layer and reheat in a toaster straight from frozen.
Tips
- Grease the iron between every waffle. Protein powder scorches onto the plates, and the third waffle will tear if you skip it.
- Pack the sticks with a small container of Greek yogurt stirred with a spoonful of jam for dipping. Cold waffle sticks are fine on their own, but dipping is what gets the container emptied.
- Oat flour is just blended rolled oats. One cup of oats blended for 30 seconds gives you a cup of flour and saves buying a separate bag.
FAQ
- Can I make these as pancakes instead?
- Yes, cook them on a greased griddle over medium-low heat and expect thicker, softer results. Protein batter browns fast, so keep the heat lower than usual.
- Are these gluten-free?
- Only if your oat flour is certified gluten-free. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Can I make them dairy-free?
- Use a dairy-free yogurt, a plant milk, coconut oil, and a plant protein powder. Add 2 tablespoons more milk, since plant protein thickens the batter considerably.
- Do they hold up in a lunchbox?
- Yes. Packed cold they stay pleasant to eat for hours. They do soften, so if crispness matters, toast them in the morning and pack them wrapped in a paper towel.
