If necessity is the mother of all invention, then necessity is certainly also the conceiver of every great recipe.

(With the exception of chocolate chip cookies, which were the fortuitous result of an accidental addition of a jar of chocolate candies into a batch of Toll House sugar cookie batter). At least, that’s how the story goes anyway…

This story is about Belgian waffles, of the homemade variety, which came into my life by accidental necessity (flour and baking essentials being readily affordable and long-lasting during a pandemic), and—apart from my brief summer fling with fresh berries and oatmeal—have remained my go-to choice for a breakfast of champions.

Slathered with warm maple syrup, these delicious autumn-inspired waffles will suit anyone’s particular whims of fancy.

The general formula for the batter base is as follows:

2 cups of stone-ground whole wheat flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

2 tbsp cinnamon

*Sift dry ingredients together*

Next step:

Make a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed and 2 tbsp water). Set aside for five minutes.

Preheat your waffle iron to a medium-high setting.

Here is where the creativity happens!

For Pumpkin Spice Waffles: Add 1/4 cup of organic canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup of date syrup, and 3/4 cup of vanilla-flavored oat milk (my favorite is Planet Oat) to dry ingredients, and stir. Pour roughly two generous scoops of batter into the waffle iron (or enough to cover about 2/3 of the iron); the batter will rise as it cooks.

Waffles are finished when steam is no longer emanating from the iron. 

Gingerbread Waffles: Add 1/4 cup of molasses, 1/4 cup of apple cider, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Garnish with coconut whipped cream and another sprinkle of cinnamon.

Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles: Add 1-2 very ripe bananas (enough for 1/4 cup of mash), stir into dry base with 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, and 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips. Spoon and bake! Garnish with more chocolate chips, freshly sliced banana, and chopped almonds.

Apple Cinnamon Spice Waffles: Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup finely chopped McIntosh apple. Stir well and bake until crisp. Garnish with cinnamon and brown sugar.

*Don’t forget to stir-in the flax egg when you’re adding the additional ingredients to the dry mix!

I hope you enjoy! Leave a comment below and tell me which recipe is your favorite.

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