On the final day of my visit to Northern California to see my parents for the holidays, we drove to our favorite brunch spot just under an hour away from their house. Even though we arrived mid-morning, the host still immediately seated us at a table, and as he handed us menus, my mom glanced to her left.
“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “I think that’s someone I work with!”
She approached a woman with her back facing us at the table next to ours, and when the woman looked up, they both laughed and exchanged hugs. After introductions all around between our two families, we learned that the woman’s father-in-law always tried to visit the restaurant at least once — if not two or three times! — every time he flew out from Chicago for the same reason that my family dines there as often as possible…
The blueberry coffee cake! Towering slices of supremely moist and tender breakfast cake, packed full of juicy berries, topped with sweet cinnamon streusel, and served warm with butter that immediately melts into the decadent cake.
Shortly before the other family finished their breakfast, Mom called over our favorite waiter. She whispered to him to put a crowd-sized sheet pan of that irresistible blueberry coffee cake on our bill but give it to the other family so they could take it home. (We’ve often bought a pan for ourselves for Christmas mornings in previous years when my mom’s parents flew out for the holidays!)
As soon as our favorite waiter handed them the gift tin, everyone’s eyes at their table widened in true shock. “Happy holidays!” he smiled, which prompted the woman to whirl around.
“Was this you?” she asked.
My mom sheepishly nodded, and their entire family thanked us profusely. It’s always fun to spread sweet surprises during the holidays!
Even though I brought a slice of coffee cake back on the plane with me to enjoy at my own house, I didn’t quite get my full blueberry fix… So I decided to add them to another one of my favorite breakfast treats, which resulted in these healthy blueberry waffles!
These homemade waffles are fluffy on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and full of sweet juicy berries. They’re also lightened up and just as satisfying as that restaurant’s coffee cake… And perfect for breakfasts, brunches, and even freezer stashes too!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY BLUEBERRY WAFFLES
Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.
Taste: Comforting and nostalgic, with bright bursts of natural sweetness from the fruit.
Texture: Fluffy and soft inside, lightly crisp outside, with pops of juicy berries.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY BLUEBERRY WAFFLES
Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these healthy blueberry waffles! The first ingredient that you’ll need is…
Flour. You’ll use white whole wheat flour flour to make these waffles. Yes, I know that sounds a bit strange… But I promise such a thing exists, and it’s not just a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour!
Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture. That lets the moist and fluffy texture of your waffles truly shine!
Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy blueberry waffles gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared my top recommendations there!
Leavening agents. Next, you’ll whisk in baking soda and baking powder. You definitely need both! We’ll cover why in a little bit. I promise!
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Unlike many traditional waffle recipes that require ¼ to ½ cup of butter to achieve a moist texture inside and crisp texture outside, you only need 2 teaspoons in this recipe. That really helps keep your healthy blueberry waffles low calorie and low fat!
Then the rest of their fluffy and tender texture on the inside comes from one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know what it is…
Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your waffle batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it also adds a protein boost. I call that a win-win!
Vanilla extract. To ensure your healthy blueberry waffles taste just as buttery as traditional ones, you’ll include a generous splash of vanilla extract to the batter. Adding extra vanilla enhances and increases butter’s rich flavor — and that’s one of my favorite healthy baking tricks! I use it when making all sorts of treats, including my #1 favorite chocolate chip cookies. That vanilla boost makes a big difference in the flavor of your healthy goodies!
Egg whites. These factor into the structure of your waffles. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein helps ensure that your waffles stay thick and fluffy (not limp and soggy!) after you’ve cooked them.
Sweetener. Many traditional recipes call for refined granulated sugar, but you’ll use a bit of pure maple syrup to sweeten your healthy blueberry waffles instead. That’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup,” and it’s often sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Hint: I only added a very small amount of maple syrup to my waffle batter because I know my family loves to generously drizzle maple syrup all over their cooked waffles… So mixing more into the batter seemed a little silly! However, you can easily add more if you’d like to make your waffle batter sweeter. I’ve shared how to do that in the Notes section of the recipe!
Secret ingredient. Remember how I promised to explain why you need both baking soda and baking powder? Well… That’s because you’re adding a special secret ingredient into the batter! Which is…
Distilled white vinegar! No, I haven’t lost my mind. (Although some people may beg to differ…) The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to create air bubbles (carbon dioxide, to be exact!). Those air bubbles make your healthy blueberry waffles rise nice and tall, which gives them a lighter and fluffier texture on the inside.
I love nerdy baking science like that!
And no, I promise you cannot taste the vinegar in these waffles. It fully reacts and turns entirely into air bubbles while your waffles cook!
Milk. I typically use nonfat milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk the most. Just about any type will work, so feel free to use whatever you already have in your fridge. No need for a special trip to the grocery store!
Water. Maybe it’s just me… But I feel a little disappointed when I see jagged waffle edges that don’t fully extend all the way to the rim. Adding water solves that! Water helps thin out the batter and makes it easier to spread across all of those nooks and crannies found in waffle molds.
Fresh blueberries. Finally, you’ll need one more key ingredient: blueberries! It’s impossible to make healthy blueberry waffles without them, right? I prefer using fresh ones because they taste a little bit juicier to me and don’t stain the waffle batter gray like frozen blueberries do, but you can still substitute frozen blueberries in a pinch!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BLUEBERRY WAFFLES
Time to talk about how to make the best healthy blueberry waffles! Once you’ve stirred together the batter, it’s impossible to make waffles without…
Waffle pans. You probably thought I was going to say a waffle maker, right? Nope! I use these waffle pans to make these healthy blueberry waffles. They’re inexpensive and easy to store, and they work so well. I usually avoid buying “one use” pans, but these are worth every penny because they yield the thickest and fluffiest waffles I’ve ever eaten!
Hint: I specifically designed this waffle batter and recipe for baking in waffle pans. When made with a waffle iron, the waffles turn out thinner and a bit soggier — but I go over how to fix that in the Notes section of the recipe!
Final step. This just might be the most important part of this healthy blueberry waffle recipe… You need to complete one more step in between when your waffles finish baking and before you eat them!
In order to make these healthy blueberry waffles really moist and fluffy on the inside, you use ingredients that also cause them to be soft and tender on the outside… Not crisp and light, the way I want the outsides of my waffles to be. Traditional recipes call for extra butter to achieve that crisp texture contrast, but I did something else…
I popped my waffles in the toaster oven! Just like the frozen waffles I grew up eating, when you toast these healthy blueberry waffles for a little bit, they get that perfect lightly crisp texture on the outside, while still maintaining their moist and fluffy texture on the inside. I promise it’s worth every second of impatiently waiting for them to toast!
Because…
That definitely looks like true waffle bliss to me! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy blueberry waffles!
Healthy Blueberry Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) distilled white vinegar
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- 6 tbsp (90mL) water
- 1 ¼ cups (175g) fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat two waffle pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter between the prepared waffle pans, and spread the batter out with a spatula. (It doesn’t spread on its own!) Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- FOR WAFFLES WITH CRISP OUTSIDES: Let the waffles cool completely to room temperature. Toast individual waffles in a toaster oven until deep golden brown on the outside.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Waffles
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Waffles
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy waffle recipes!
Hi Beautiful Girl, I have just made these and they are amazing!
A big thing over here, at the moment, is Michael Mosley’s Fast800 diet. It’s a way of eating which has been scientifically endorsed to help assist with weight loss and accredited by many seriously worthy institutions. I LOVE waffles … and for me your recipe is a game changer! I can slot them into my Fast800 with NO problems … and a doddle to include into the ‘follow on diet’ – The 5:2.
Thanks again, hope the sun is shining where you are …
Love Sally UK
I’m so glad you loved these waffles Sally!! That means the world to me that you’d consider making them again — that’s the best kind of compliment! Thank you! 🙂
So I never had blueberry waffles before and it sounds amazing!
Thanks so much Jenny! That means a lot to me! 🙂
Hi. I have celiac. This website is so amazing because it gives you do many gluten free options. I have known about this since 5th grade I believe. I am making this recipe for a brunch banquet for my work. I am sure everyone is going to love them! Thank you !
Cassie
I’m truly honored that you plan on baking these for your work’s brunch banquet! That means the world to me! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you thought of them Cassie!
Everyone loved them! This website is amazing! I do have one question though. Can these be made with other fruits? I knkw that sounds stupid but one of my clients is wondering and now tha5 I think about it, it is a good question. Thanks
Cassie
I’m so glad everyone loved them! And thank you so much for your kind words about my website — that means so much to me Cassie! 🙂 I haven’t personally tried other fruits, but I’m guessing that should work. At the very least, diced strawberries and raspberries will! (And no stupid questions exist here!!) I’d love to hear what you think if you try subbing other fruit!
I took your suggestion and tried the strawberrys in replace of the blueberries. It turned out very well. Thank you for everything you do and for always answering my questions!
It’s my pleasure Cassie! I’m so glad that substitution turned out. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Approximately how much batter do you place in each waffle square? Your recipe sounds amazing!
I’m honored that you’d consider trying my recipe, Debbie! Honestly, I just eyeball it. 😉 I typically start with 3-ish tablespoons of batter in each waffle cavity (I have this handy 2-tablespoon measuring spoon!), and that leaves me with some left over. I’ve just found it’s easier to add more batter to each cavity than it is to redistribute it if there are some with more than others!
However, if you’re really concerned, then you can weigh the second bowl before beginning (the one with the butter, egg whites, etc!) and then weigh it again after you’ve finished making the batter. Divide that number by 12, and that’ll be how many grams of batter should go into each waffle cavity. Does that make sense? 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these blueberry waffles if you try making them!