Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Waffles that are decadent, yet healthy, oil-free, dairy-free and made with oat flour and almond butter. These are just 8 easy ingredients and so much better than store-bought waffles. Topped with a homemade chocolate sauce and fresh strawberries and you’ve got the perfect breakfast!
I’m back with some delicious vegan chocolate waffles. These are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free, as well as refined sugar-free. They are sooo delicious. I wrote this recipe back in June and am excited to finally be sharing it. I last shared these Chai Waffles and many reviews have come in saying they are the “best waffles” they’ve had in their entire life. And if you missed my post last week, be sure to check out my Top 20 Vegan Recipes to Wow Non-Vegans! It literally created the most traffic I have ever had in one day for a post. I was simply shocked. I got so much traffic that my site actually crashed several times, it was both funny and frustrating at the same time.
To all the people who have messaged me and emailed me, thank you so much for showing your concern. I will never forget those who reached out to me during this difficult time for so many. For those that don’t know, I live in Houston where the worst catastrophic flooding in our city has ever happened this week. Texas and Houston have been hit horribly with fatal floods and thousands and thousands have lost their homes. It has been an emotional week for so many.
A couple of days ago we awoke to our street flooded and the water halfway up our yard and driveway. I have lived in Cypress my entire life and have NEVER seen that kind of water. My hubby and I both panicked a bit and were certain we would flood that day, especially given the relentless rain forecast. By God’s grace, our home did not flood. We are so very thankful but it is a bittersweet feeling because so many, thousands, did flood and many of our neighbors did. Also, several have lost their lives so far and it is devastating.
We are also home flippers (yes, I do more than blog, lol!) and we just found out this morning that our condo we spent months renovating has flooded. It is upsetting but we are very thankful that it wasn’t our home we live in. It’s much better than what others have sadly endured and face each day now.
Imagine your life is simple, comfortable and easy and then in a moment, you lose everything. You are frantic and just trying to get out before you are engulfed in water. That is the reality of what many Houstonians and Texans have been facing this week. Yes, possessions can be replaced, but that does not diminish the devastation these people face. Especially some that have lived in their home for decades. Losing everything in moments. Only to not know what the future holds. These people, including children, are wet, hungry and need the very basics.
INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE WAFFLES
To make these delicious vegan chocolate waffles, you only need 8 easy ingredients:
- oat flour
- cornstarch
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- plant-based milk
- maple syrup
- almond butter or sunbutter
- vanilla extract
HOMEMADE VEGAN CHOCOLATE SYRUP
For these vegan gluten-free chocolate waffles, I threw together a really fast homemade vegan chocolate syrup. It was soooo delicious. Just maple syrup, almond butter, cocoa powder and vanilla. Forget Hershey’s this stuff is so much more delicious and healthier. You will only need 4 ingredients:
- maple syrup
- almond butter or sunbutter
- cocoa powder
- vanilla
Does it get any better than vegan chocolate waffles with a homemade chocolate syrup and then strawberries?
I hope you all really love these vegan chocolate waffles! Be sure to leave feedback below and star rate the recipe after you make them. It helps me out and is so appreciated! And thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers.
MORE VEGAN BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Chai-Spiced Waffles
- Vanilla Cake Waffles
- Strawberry Cream Cheese
- Best Vegan Fluffy Pancakes
- Fluffy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
- Gluten-free Corn Flour Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Vegan Almond Blueberry Cream Cheese
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) superfine oat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill) or spelt flour (Spelt is not gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch or potato starch
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (48g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (240g) "lite" canned coconut milk, cashew milk or soy, room temp (other milks will yield a runnier batter)
- 6 tablespoons (120g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (64g) roasted almond butter or sunbutter for nut-free
OPTIONAL HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SYRUP
- 1/4 cup (80g) maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons (16-32g) almond butter or sunbutter (1 for a thinner sauce, 2 for a thicker sauce)
- 2 tablespoons (16g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Add the oat flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and whisk very well until thoroughly incorporated.
- In a medium separate bowl, add the milk, syrup, vanilla and almond butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the liquids over the dry and whisk just until mixed and smooth. Don't over-mix it, as oat flour can get too thick if overly mixed. Add a tiny bit more milk if needed but be careful not to add too much, as the batter is on the thicker side. Now let the batter sit while you heat up your waffle machine. The batter will thicken some as it sits, that is normal. I used a 7 inch round waffle maker and got 4 of the large round waffles. Obviously, this will vary if your machine is smaller. If using the same size as my machine, once your machine beeps that it is ready and hot, spray with nonstick spray on the top and bottom plates. If you don't spray, they will stick. Even though it says "nonstick surface", mine stuck without spray. May also be because I don't use oil in the recipe. You will add a scant 2/3 cup of batter and quickly spread out the top with a spoon being careful not to spread it too close to the edge to prevent overflowing. Leave about a 1/2 inch space. With my machine, I used the setting 4 and it beeps when they are done. This creates a nice crispy waffle. I always let it go about 20 seconds after the beep and then remove. I get nice and crispy results. They seem soft right at first, but crisp up almost immediately once the air hits them. Yours may totally vary if you have a different machine.
- Waffles are best eaten immediately, as they do soften if they are left out awhile. If I have leftovers, I just pop them into my toaster oven to bring back the yummy crispy texture!
- To make the chocolate syrup, add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk very well until all lumps are gone and it is very smooth. If you want a darker chocolate taste, add more cocoa powder.
Best gf waffles I’ve ever made! Brandi, you have nailed pancakes and waffles, I’m so glad I discovered you, thank you!! 🙂 Can’t wait to try the chai waffles next!
Best gf waffles I’ve ever made! Brandi, you have nailed pancakes and waffles, I’m so glad I discovered you, thank you!! 🙂 Can’t wait time try the chai waffles next!
OMG these are freaking amazingly delish.
Yay, so glad you loved them!
These chocolate waffles were CRAZY AMAZING!!! 🙌 I don’t know how she does it but Brandi hits a home run with every recipe! 😄 I really didn’t need to know how good these are, because now I’m hooked!!!!
Yet again, another winner. I’m currently licking the bowl (well, not the bowl, but the spoon scrapings from the bowl) of these yummy waffles. Waffles have been hit or miss for us since being vegan (over 8 years now) but these are delish. We decided to have breakfast for dinner tonight and your website was the first place I went. I used spelt flour and a mixed nut/seed butter from Costco that is delicious and they turned out excellent. Next time, I’ll make the sauce because that sounds amaze-balls.
Yay Elyse!! Really thrilled to hear these were such a hit!! And I love having breakfast for dinner, gotta do that soon!!
Hi! I was wondering if you can sub tapioca starch for the potato starch?
Thank you!
You can try it but tapioca does make things chewier, compared to potato and cornstarch, so the texture will not be as light and fluffy.
Delicious! And they cook so well! Not always easy for vegan and gluten free!
Thank you so much Christina for leaving a review! I am so glad you enjoyed these!
These waffles are the perfect intersection of easy, delicious, and healthy. These are so fast, I have made them on weekday mornings sometimes. My kids beg for them. This is our go-to and I almost have the recipe memorized! Brandi, you have done it again! Can’t wait for the book!
Aww, you are the best Amanda! Thank you SO much for making these so much, I am so happy to hear how much your kids love them! Yay!
These waffles were PERFECTION!! So soft and fluffy, with a touch of crisp freshness. They were rich, decadent, and had just the right amount of sweetness. I cannot wait to make some for my family! Thank you for impressing me yet again! 😊
Oh yay, that is awesome to hear Ashley! Thank you so much for making them and the amazing review!
Wow!! I am eating these right now as d they are so decadent, it should be for dessert! I want to top them with ice cream! I was out of almond butter, so I dubbed it with cashew butter and it came out great. I love the sauce too!! I want to eat this every Sunday!
That is so wonderful to hear Jeannine, thank you so much for the wonderful review!!
Wow!!! Now that I saw the pictures, I’m hungry for them. Is it possible to substitute the almond butter or sunbutter for another type (like coconut butter or oil)? It is not easy to find these kind of butter in my State in Brazil.
Hi! I have not tested with either of those but I would imagine they would work. I don’t think it’s easy to mess this recipe up, so I think you should be fine!
Wow! The whole family loved these. We had breakfast for dinner. Dinner was chocolate waffles. ☺
Yay! I love to hear that Paige! Chocolate waffles for dinner sound amazing to me! Haha! Thank you for the feedback!
Such a mouth-watering waffles recipe, Brandi! Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Hi Agness! Thank you! Honey is much thicker and sweeter than maple syrup, so not really sure how that would work in the batter. Do you have agave? That would work much better than honey.
These sound and look AMAZING! I mean, chocolate so duh. Winner already. I am so happy you are first and foremost safe. I am sad for your neighborhood, and the flooding of your condo. But happy your main home is ok. All my love to you guys! Big hugs!!
Thank you so much my friend! I’m also very thankful it wasn’t our main home. Very thankful to God!
Dear Brandi!
That is such a devastating and sad time, and I’m so sorry to hear you have been affected by this crazy weather! I didn’t realise that you live there, and my heart and thoughts are going to all of those affected.
I’ve been watching it on the news here in UK, and although, UK suffers with the floods every year, but this is just something completely different, the scale of the floods in your part of the world is unheard of and never been seen before. So happy to hear that your house survived and you and your family are OK.
Sending you hugs and much love, and these waffles are something i will be trying for sure!
Thank you so much Anna! I really appreciate that. Our city is stronger than ever though because of the people. We have all pulled together to help each other. You are exactly right…the flooding here is the worst there ever has been. It has destroyed thousands of homes. So sad. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!
The minute i saw the picture of these waffles i had to jump out of bed and try them! They were SO SO YUMMY. i love that they aren’t overly sweet. Ive made choc syrup before for my kids but now that we are converting to vegans we are always looking for new ways to adapt recipes!
Thank you so much Jozi for leaving a review, I really appreciate it! I’m so glad these were such a hit with you and your kids, yay!
Any idea of these can be made with Coconut or almond flour??
Hi Miekah! No, this recipe would have to be completely altered if subbing those flours since almond flour gives a ton of moisture and coconut flour takes a lot of moisture. If you are looking for recipes with almond flour, I have these pancake recipes that I’m sure would work as waffles too.
https://thevegan8.com/2014/09/11/life-changing-pancakes/
https://thevegan8.com/2016/05/25/fluffy-gluten-free-vegan-buttermilk-pancakes/
Glad you are ok! We survived Hurricane Irene here in VT 6 years ago and although terrible, it does not compare with the devastation in Houston. I no longer have a waffle iron, and am wondering if the recipe can be modified for pancakes or if you might have a similar pancake recipe since these sound fabulous! Thanks!
Hi Elle, thank you so much! Yeah, this is supposedly the worst flood in history for the US, it was so bad, it almost just seems surreal, like a bad movie. But, the people in our state and community have shown so much love and compassion, that it has helped so much. I have not tested these personally as pancakes and pancakes are finicky because they need the right ratio of ingredients so that they cook through in the centers. I *think* these would work since there is cocoa powder and cornstarch in them, but I don’t know. Try it out and let me know. I don’t have any other chocolate pancakes on the blog, I do have one going in my cookbook, but that is far down the road. This batter is on the thick side, which would definitely help these be really fluffy, so I think it would work. I need to test them myself! Just make sure to let the batter sit for 10 minutes while letting your pan heat up on low heat for 10 minutes and then make them, that is the best chance to ensure fluffy and cooked through pancakes since it allows time for the baking powder to react with the wet ingredients.
This is a real bright spot in dark times. Glad to hear that you’re safe from the storm, and still sharing such brilliant treats. I would serve these waffles with a scoop of ice cream on top… Still for breakfast!
Sooooo good!! The whole fam loved it 🙂 I did end up adding a bit more milk to thin it out some! Mainly to make more haha so good! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much Jessi for the wonderful review! Your pics on IG were so adorable! Yes, it’s supposed to be a thick batter, but more milk will certainly stretch the batter, haha!
These waffles=look amazing.
You’re safe=so thankful! I’m in Oregon watching online the devastation in Houston. Praying for you all. ❤️
Thank you so much Julie for your kind words! So appreciate them!
So glad to hear you’re ok lovely! These waffles look amazing! I’m very much into anything chai flavoured 😀
Thank you so much Nadia, I really appreciate that!
I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I was to get your email this morning!!!! Thank you for getting back to me. SO beyond happy to hear that you and your family are safe – how fortunate that your home wasn’t flooded. I am sorry to hear about the condo though, I know how much work you put into that. We’ve been thinking about you and all of those in Houston – just so heartbreaking. I just can’t imagine the pain and loss. So incredibly devastating. I’m glad you shared about it here as well because I’m sure there are a lot of people wondering how they can help. Sending so much love to you from Bend, OR!
p.s. – These. Waffles. Are. Perfection!!! You know how much I love chocolate upon chocolate so that “optional” chocolate sauce would be a must! And strawberries are a perfect match for these. Looks amazing, my friend. xoxo
Thank you so much my friend for your kind and thoughtful email! You are always such a wonderful friend! Yes, sucks about the condo. We’ve already ripped out sheetrock, floors and cabinets will be next, but it’s ok. We are alive, safe and well! We will be fine!
Haha, yes, “optional” is not really optional is it?! Lol! Thank you so much! They were so good, pretty much like dessert 🙂
OMG I feel awful I totally forgot you lived in Houston otherwise I totally would have emailed you to make sure you were ok. Since my health issues my memory and cognition has not been what it once was. I hope to make a full recovery in that department. I am so sorry you have been effected by this disaster. When I see pictures of the flooding it just blows my mind and my heart goes out to all effected. I am so happy you, your family and your home is safe. It is unfortunate about the condo cause I know a lot of work goes into renovating a house and it is a financial loss as well but you are safe and that is what matters. Hopefully the damage isn’t too bad and can be easily fixed. I hope Houston and other effected areas are able to bounce back from this quickly. It is tragic that people have lost their lives because that can’t be undone but the city will bounce back and the damage will be fixed. I can understand that it has been such an emotional and stressful week. I hope you take some you time to recharge and find balance. Stay safe you are too important to the world for anything to happen to you. I heard that the Harvey is supposed to make land fall again and I hope that it doesn’t effect your area because your area has been through enough. Stay safe.
And wow girl these waffles look insane. I am drooling here and the pictures are seriously just perfect. Love the white background against the brown of the waffles. You seriously know how to stage a picture perfectly to bring out the best in the food you are showcasing. Right now I am trying to resolve some gut issues and going with my doctors orders I can’t eat any carbs essentially. It is very hard to do this being vegan and raw. I have been eating this way for 12 weeks and my gut isn’t cured so I may try another approach. Anyway at this point I can’t indulge in this epic-ness yet but certainly I will once my health is in order. I am so thankful for your recipes you have no clue. The amazing flavor and variety you give to a vegan diet is just life saving. Thank you so much and again I am over joyed you and your home is safe.
Don’t feel awful, thank you so much for your email! You are so kind and wonderful and always such a sweet person and I really appreciate it! As we discussed over email since this post, we are ok and safe and that is what matters most. Our city will rebuild stronger than ever!
Thank you so much! That means so much to me to hear that, so glad you love the photos and styling. I second guess myself a lot sometimes in trying to get the right shot, haha.
I really hope you get better and soon, I know you are trying hard and going through so much! Sending healing vibes and hugs to you!!
I am so so glad that your home did not flood and you and your family are doing okay. I have lots of family in that area and have been following the news closely and thinking about you lots these past few days. Aww that’s really unfortunate about the condo but yes could definitely be worse. But on a less serious and more scrumptious note: WAFFLES! Not just waffles but waffles that could also double as dessert I think. Heck I’d make this for my next birthday they look so decadent with that super simple sauce drizzling down over top!! You know I love your desserts, but you really do kill it in the breakfast department too 🙂 Now for the ever so tough decision between this version and the chai…haha!
Thank you so much Natalie for your sweet words! It has been so devastating and sad and heart-breaking for so many. We will all rebuild in time. Thankful for the beautiful people that have shown how much they care and for their self-less acts of compassion. Haha, yes, these are definitely dessert style with the chocolate syrup on top! Put some ice cream on top and boom, birthday dessert, lol. Aww, thanks so much Natalie! While I love these chocolate, the chai are the best!