Gluten-Free Waffles

I love my new waffle maker!  Its a Black & Decker, with reversible non-stick plates (waffle on one side, smooth on the other).  We've made panini sandwiches several times with the smooth side, turns any sandwich into something special.  I've never owned a waffle iron before and initially became interested when I read somewhere of the idea of using waffles instead of bread for sandwiches and burgers - which I haven't tried yet, but what a great idea.  In the meantime, we are really enjoying waffles.

These waffles are so easy that we can be eating a lovely hot waffles in less then 30 minutes, which means waffles are possible almost any morning. 

I did some research on waffle irons before purchasing my Black & Decker.  I didn't want a  Belgium waffle maker and liked the idea of the reversible plates.  And I spent an evening reading all of the comments about waffle irons on amazon.com and based my decision mostly on what I read (I love amazon!). 

So, here's my recipe for a basic gluten-free waffle.  This is a very basic waffle, but you can top your waffles with anything you like.  You can also add flavor to the actual waffle, add vanilla or almond extract, add ground nuts (almond, hazelnut, etc) for part of the flour.  See other options at the end of this post. 

I've shared a link to this post at Slight Indulgent Tuesdays.

4 tablespoon ground flax meal
6 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup coconut milk yogurt
3 tablespoon melted coconut oil (or any other fat)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
extra coconut milk to thin out batter (I usually need about 1/2 cup)

Lightly brush both waffle plates with oil (I used an extra virgin olive oil spray).  Close the iron and preheat to the waffle setting (follow the directions for heating your waffle iron).

In a medium sized bowl, stir together ground flax meal and coconut milk and let sit for a few minutes.  Add yogurt and melted coconut oil and whisk to combine.  All dry ingredients and stir strongly with a whisk to combine.  Add additional coconut milk until you have a nice thick batter.

When you waffle iron has come up to heat, add the recommended amount of batter for your iron (mine is about 1 cup of batter).  Close the iron and bake until done (usually about 5 minutes).

In my iron this makes 3 very large waffles.

Top with your favorite toppings: maple syrup, fresh fruit, your favorite jam, etc.

Options:
- use a purchased gluten-free flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill, especially if you are new to gluten free cooking)
- use butter in place of the coconut oil
- use 2 eggs in place of the ground flax meal and 6 tablespoons coconut milk
- instead of the coconut milk yogurt, use any yogurt you like, or try sour cream
- also, instead of the yogurt, use mashed bananas, pureed pumpkin or sweet potatoes
- for a savory option, leave out the sugar and add a bit of finely grated cheese