During my freshman year of college, I lived in the dorms on campus, so I ate most of my dinners at the dining hall (or DC, as we called it, short for “Dining Commons”). Although I typically went at a normal hour, I occasionally had classes or extracurricular activities that ended after the DC finished serving dinner at 8 pm…
So on those evenings, my friends and I headed to “Late Night” when the DC reopened for limited service at 8:30 pm. Instead of the seven (or more!) different hot meal options at regular meals, the DC only staffed two stations for Late Night: the pizza station and one other that varied depending on the evening.
However, they still restocked the salad and sandwich bars, as well as the cereal and soft serve ice cream stations. They also brought out massive trays of freshly baked, soft and chewy, perfectly warm and gooey cookies—chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles, and even chocolate fudge cookies!
Between the pizza and cookies, we sometimes even intentionally skipped dinner and just waited for Late Night instead…
Especially when we learned that one particular DC also set out individual bottles of batter right next to the waffle irons! Those quickly became our favorite Late Night treat, and we sped straight towards that station as soon as we swiped our meal cards to get in.
The DC banned students from getting creative and adding other ingredients (like fruit or sprinkles!) to the waffle batter, claiming that it stuck to the waffle irons and took a long time to clean out, but that didn’t stop us from taking a trip to the soft serve ice cream station with our steaming, freshly cooked waffles. We showered them with juicy berries, crunchy granola, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup… and maybe even a dollop of whipped cream…
But my favorite topping was always the mini chocolate chips. They immediately started to melt as soon as they hit the hot waffle, which created the most rich and decadent waffle imaginable!
And now, far too many years later, I finally experimented with adding chocolate to the batter of my waffles (not just chocolate chips sprinkled on top!). The result?
These incredible, best ever Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Waffles! They’re unbelievably rich and chocolaty, still crispy on the outside and fluffy (with a hint of brownie fudginess!) on the inside… The perfect chocolate waffle texture!
And unlike the ones we made at the DC (which probably came from a boxed mix!), these healthy chocolate waffles contain no refined flour or sugar… And just 78 calories!
That sounds like breakfast—or Late Night—bliss to me!
HOW TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE WAFFLES
Let’s go over how to make these ultimate healthy chocolate waffles!
To make the batter, you’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. Skip the Dutched or “special dark” cocoa powder! Those actually taste less rich and much more mild in this particular recipe. Plus… You’re actually adding almost as much cocoa powder as flour, so your ultimate healthy chocolate waffles will already taste really rich and decadent with plain ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder!
If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know what white whole wheat flour is already! It’s 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 have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture. That lets the rich chocolaty flavor of your ultimate healthy chocolate waffles really shine!
Tip: I also included my preferred gluten free options for these healthy chocolate waffles in the Notes section of the recipe!
But pretty, pretty please… Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale! ← That’s the one I own and love. Too much of either ingredient will make your waffles dry, and too much cocoa powder will make them taste bitter. It does take a few extra moments to measure these ingredients the right way, but your ultimate healthy chocolate waffles will have the perfect texture and taste so much better if you do!
Whereas many traditional waffle recipes call for ¼ to ½ cup of melted butter or oil (if not more!) to keep them tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, you just need 2 teaspoons in this recipe. That really helps keep your ultimate healthy chocolate waffles low fat and low calorie!
Then to make sure they’re just as fluffy and tender on the inside, you’ll mix lots of Greek yogurt into the batter. Greek yogurt is one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients! I’ve used it to make waffles, pancakes, muffins, scones, brownies, cupcakes… Even frosting!
In this particular healthy chocolate waffles recipe, the Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also adds a protein boost!
To sweeten your ultimate healthy chocolate waffles, you’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and use pure maple syrup instead. Make sure it’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees, not “pancake” syrup! The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup.” It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
However… Because my family always adds an incredibly generous drizzle of pure maple syrup to their warm waffles (and pancakes!), I only used an itty bitty amount in the waffle batter. More than a couple of teaspoons seemed like overkill—and a sugar crash waiting to happen!
If you prefer sweeter tasting waffles, then check the Notes section of this healthy chocolate waffles recipe. I’ve included a few tweaks for you there!
Nerd Alert!
There’s a special ingredient in these ultimate healthy chocolate waffles… Plain white vinegar. I know, I know. It sounds a little strange and probably somewhat gross. But here’s why you need it!
You’re adding both baking powder and baking soda to your waffle batter. Plain white vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base). When they react, they create air bubbles. Those air bubbles help your healthy chocolate waffles rise, and they also give them a more tender texture.
By the time your waffles finish baking, all of the vinegar has reacted with the baking soda, so you can’t taste it at all. I promise! These ultimate healthy chocolate waffles just taste exceptionally rich and decadent.
I love nerdy and delicious baking science like that! ????
The one thing I typically hate about making waffles is baby-sitting the waffle iron. Does that bother you too? I can only cook one waffle at a time, which means I either need to (a) heat up the oven to keep all of the cooked waffles warm while I finish with the batter, (b) serve each person individually and nobody eats at the same time, or (c) skip both of those previous options and just eat cold waffles.
A little frustrating… Especially since none of those options are perfect. Do you feel the same way?
Well… That’s what I love about this best ever healthy chocolate waffles recipe! Everybody can eat at the same time because…
You bake the waffles in the oven instead! Just spread the batter into waffle pans (these are the ones I own!), pop them in the oven, and the entire batch of waffles finishes at the same time.
Normally I avoid buying “one use” pans, but these are definitely worth every penny. I’m so glad I took a chance and bought them—and they’re really inexpensive too!
However, there is one teensy tiny downside to baking your waffles…
The outsides are just as soft, tender, and fluffy as the insides. I love that texture for the inside of my waffles, but I prefer a crispy exterior.
As I mentioned earlier, traditional recipes achieve this by adding lots of melted butter or oil to the waffle batter… But I don’t have enough hours in my day to work out and burn off all of those unnecessary calories!
But I discovered a secret trick that’s a total healthy waffle game-changer!
Toast your healthy chocolate waffles! Just like the [not-so-healthy] frozen waffles I grew up eating, popping these healthy chocolate waffles in the toaster oven turns their outsides crispy, while their insides stay nice and fluffy. It’s the perfect waffle texture and makes these the best healthy chocolate waffles I’ve ever had!
Bonus: These ultimate healthy chocolate waffles are perfect for meal prepping and freezing! You can even toast the frozen ones, and they taste just as amazing with the same fluffy insides and crisp outsides.
Who else thinks this looks and tastes like waffle heaven?? ???? 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 ultimate healthy chocolate waffles!
| The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Waffles | | Print |
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup, room temperature (see Notes)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) distilled white vinegar
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- 5 tbsp (75mL) water
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat 2 waffle pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, 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 3 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared waffle pans, and spread the batter out with a spatula. (It doesn’t spread much on its own!) Bake at 350°F for 10-13 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 CRISPY OUTSIDES: Let the waffles cool completely to room temperature. Toast individual waffles in a toaster oven until deep golden brown on the outside.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will make your waffles dry, and too much cocoa powder will make your waffles taste bitter.
IMPORTANT BAKING TIPS – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These are the waffle pans that I use. They’re totally affordable and worth every penny! I baked waffles at least once a week for two months straight, and the pans still act like they’re as good as new!
Make sure to generously coat your waffle pans with cooking spray! The waffles tend to stick to the pans if you don’t spray them well.
IMPORTANT STEP 4 NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I do NOT recommend skipping Step 4! It makes a HUGE difference in the waffles’ texture! Without it, your waffles will be fluffy and tender, but they won’t have crispy outsides. You can easily toast leftover waffles straight from the refrigerator, too!
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I prefer my waffles on the not-very-sweet side because I know how much syrup my family tends to drizzle on theirs before eating! If you prefer sweeter waffles, you can substitute 2-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for an equal amount of water.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
COCOA POWDER NOTE: I do not recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. They have a different acidity level, which will affect the taste and texture of your waffles. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like this!) produces the best flavor.
BUTTER + COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Any oil will work in place of the butter or coconut oil.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
VINEGAR NOTE: Do not omit or substitute for the vinegar! It’s absolutely required. It reacts with the baking soda to make your waffles rise better and end up with a more tender texture. The vinegar flavor completely disappears after baking—I promise!
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
OPTIONAL DRIZZLE: Stir together 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, and 2 ¾ teaspoons of milk (any kind!) in a small bowl. Transfer to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the waffles. (Double or triple this optional drizzle recipe to make more!)
TO MAKE IN A REGULAR WAFFLE IRON: This recipe was specifically designed for baking. You can use the batter in a traditional waffle iron, but the waffles will turn out more limp and soggy compared to the thick, firm, and fluffy baked waffles. If making the waffles in a regular waffle iron, do NOT skip Step 4 for crispy waffles—it makes a HUGE difference in the final waffle texture! Toasting your waffle iron waffles will make them much firmer, rather than limp and soggy!
TO MAKE PANCAKES: Lightly coat a large nonstick pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over low heat. Using a scant 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, dollop the batter onto the hot pan, and spread into a circular shape using a spatula or back of a spoon (if desired). Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, or until a slight skin starts to form around the edges and the top turns a deeper shade of brown. Slide a spatula underneath, and flip. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Re-coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and repeat with the remaining batter.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use as follows: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
DOWNSIZING THE RECIPE: This recipe is easily halved, if needed!
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Banana Waffles
♡ Healthy Blueberry Waffles
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Waffles
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Waffles
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Waffles
This recipe looks delicious! But I prefer to use the whole egg rather than just the whites — will it still work? Perhaps I should reduce the water a little?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sherry! If you’d prefer to use 2 whole eggs, that’s completely fine. You shouldn’t need to make changes to any of the other ingredients since 2 egg yolks won’t add too much volume. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these waffles!
Hi these waffles look delicious! I was just wondering what type of waffle maker do you use to make these?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Nataly! I link to the exact waffle mold that I use both in the recipe and in my blog post above it. (My links are the pink-colored font — I know it can sometimes be easy to miss!) 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these waffles!
OMG!!! I made these today in the waffle maker and the kids went totally gaga for them!!! I loved mine plain with a turkey sausage but with syrup they could not get enough!! Thank you for such a wonderful healthy alternative!!!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these waffles Jennifer! That means the world to me that you and your kids loved them so much — thank you for taking the time to let me know! You just made my entire day!! 🙂
I love your recipes! Do you think the recipe will work if I substituted the eggs for flax eggs to make it vegan?
It means SO much to me that you love my recipes Shereen! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I don’t have much experience with flax eggs, but I do know that Ener-G will work! My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk, although that doesn’t apply here!). 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these waffles if you try making them!
How many calories is this?
The full nutrition information, including the calorie count, is actually included directly underneath the recipe box! I know it can be easy to miss. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these waffles Calista!
I tried these but they turned out salty and bitter for me 🙁
Any clue what might have gone wrong?
I’m honored that you tried making my recipe, Shreya! These waffles are actually intentionally not very sweet — and I shared why in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be really easy to miss that section! I also share how to make the waffles sweeter in that same Notes section, if that’s what you prefer. I know not everyone is a fan of really dark chocolate like I am (my current favorite is 95% dark chocolate!) — and not everyone tops their waffles with the same incredibly generous amount of maple syrup as my family! 😉
I have a feeling that if you use that modification for sweeter waffles, they’ll turn out much sweeter, the way you probably expected them to! Does that make sense?? 🙂
Hi! I really want to try this recipe, but I don’t have any waffle pans. Would it work if I cooked them in a waffle iron?
I’ve actually covered this exact question in the Notes section of this recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these waffles if you try making them, Ellie!
I made this pancakes this morning. Sunday’s are our pancakes day. The kids loved them! I don’t have the maker you mentioned so I did them like pancakes. Is there any substitute for the vinegar?