Oat Belgian Waffles-Sugar Free, Oil Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free and Absolutely Delicious!
My Belgian waffle iron is an Oster, Model CKSTWF1502-TECP. There is a dial for choosing level of doneness. Mine works best when I choose close to the Max setting and set the stove timer at 16 minutes. The waffle can be removed easily with a fork. At first, I had to pick the finished waffle out in pieces, but I learned to let the batter cook longer and selected a higher degree setting on the Min-Max dial. The recipe says for six waffles; I usually get four waffles.
Put dry ingredients in a large bowl:]
2 cups steel cut oats, ground to a fine powder in my Vita Mix (a regular blender might work or a coffee grinder about ½ cup at a time) When I was out of oats, I made this recipe entirely with oat bran. It turned out great!
1/2 cup flax ground flax seed (Flax seed needs to be ground fresh to maintain its nutrients, so purchase a coffee grinder to grind it fresh.)
½ teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon (The common cassia cinnamon contains a chemical, coumarin, which may be dangerous to the liver and kidneys.)
Mix wet ingredients in a blender, Vita Mix or other powerful blender:
1 to 2 cups of almond milk (I make my own; put 1 cup of organic almonds, soaked overnight is best, and 4 cups pure water in the blender and blend on high. Strain, if you prefer, but I don’t.) Place three cups in a jar. Place 1 1/2 cups in the blender.
Add 1 medium ripe banana, cut in pieces
Blend.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, adding milk as need to make a just-right batter, not runny but not too thick.
At this point, zest the rind of a lemon on a citrus zester. (If you do not have one, you will want to purchase one.) Add this finely shredded lemon rind to the final batter, sprinkling it evenly and mixing it lightly into the batter.
Put globs of batter on the heated Belgian waffle iron and smooth it to all sides of the waffle iron, the thinner the batter layer the better. I often scrape the top of the batter in the waffler iron and put it back in the bowl to make a thin layer of batter to cook. Press the lid down.
Set the time for 16 minutes. Check to see if the waffle is done. Use a fork to lift the sides of each fourth of the waffle to lift the waffle onto a plate.
For toppings: My favorite topping is plain plant-based yogurt. I add monk fruit sugar in place of sugar. (Monk fruit sugar extract is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, has zero calories and carbs and does not raise blood glucose levels.) I add blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. If you prefer a more cooked syrup, you can place 2 cups of blueberries and the juice of 2 oranges or 3 clementines in a pan on the stove; bring to a boil and simmer just a few minutes; blend in the blender if you prefer a smooth syrup. You can add monk fruit sugar if you want more sweetness.
These Belgian waffles contain lots of fiber and are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner😊
The recipe I used to create this recipe was in former fire fighter, Rip, and Jane Esselstyne’s book, The Engine 2 Diet, based on the research of their father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyne, formerly head of Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. (In July of 2014, Dr Esselstyne reported the experience of 198 participants seriously ill with the cardiovascular disease. During the 3.7 year of follow up of the 89% adherent to the program, 99.4% avoided further major cardiac events. Dr. Esselstyne wrote Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.)