Easy Classic Gluten-Free Oat Waffle Recipe

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I love waffles. They’re one of my favorite breakfast options and I love having a batch in my freezer ready to grab and heat in the morning. I’ve made these waffles more times than I can count, tweaking and altering until I was finally happy with the end result. And these classic gluten-free oat waffles? *chef’s kiss* They’re exactly what I want in an easy waffle recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The texture of these waffles is perfect (in my humble opinion). Crispy on the outside with just the right amount of soft chew on the inside. 
• They’re perfect for meal prep. They freeze beautifully and crisp up nicely in the toaster. 
• They’re super customizable. Switch up the spices and add whatever mixins you like to change things up to match your mood.
• They’re easily adaptable to your dietary needs and preferences. This waffle recipe is already gluten-free and vegan, but you can easily swap in regular wheat flour or dairy products if that’s your preference. 

How To Make Easy Gluten-Free Waffles

This gluten-free vegan waffle recipe is about as easy as it gets. The hardest part is letting the batter rest before making the waffles. But it’s worth it for the amazing texture. 

The Ingredients

To make these gluten-free vegan oat waffles, you’ll need…

Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend – I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (the blue bag, Target’s Good & Gather Gluten Free Flour Blend, and Namaste Allergen and Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend successfully. Because gluten-free flour blends vary so much, I can’t make any guarantees about other blends, but if your blend has a similar ingredient mix as the ones listed above, I’m willing to be you should be ok. You should also be able to use regular flour without any issue.

Oat flour – I love the addition of oat flour. It adds a nice flavor and lends a bit of chew to the texture, which I love. It also helps act as a binding agent in the absence of an egg. You can make your own oat flour using rolled oats and a high-speed blender but I usually purchase my oat flour from the Good Earth bulk section. It’s very reasonably priced and cuts out a step for me. 

Arrowroot starch – A bit of extra starch helps to lighten up the batter and contribute to the nicely crisp exterior we all love in a waffle. 

Cinnamon – You can use any spice you like or skip it altogether but I love cinnamon and highly recommend it. It’s not overpowering but the flavor is amazing. 

Baking powder – This contributes to the loft of the waffles and is necessary since this recipe doesn’t include any eggs, so don’t skip it.  

Sea salt – Just a pinch, for flavor enhancement.

Oat milk – Oat milk is what I most commonly have on hand in my house but any non-dairy or regular dairy milk will work just fine. I wouldn’t suggest canned coconut milk, though, because it’s much thicker. You can try it but you’ll likely need to add more liquid to get the right batter consistency. 

Apple cider vinegar – Adding vinegar to the milk creates a soured milk that’s somewhat similar to buttermilk (though not really a perfect substitute). Soured milk adds a nice subtle tang to the flavor and contributes to the loft of the waffles in combination with the baking powder. 

Brown sugar – You can use regular cane sugar here but I do love the richer flavor of brown sugar. I haven’t tested it with any alternative sugars. 

Avocado oil – I keep avocado on hand for roasting and I like to use it in this recipe because of its neutral flavor. But any neutral flavored oil will work. 

Vanilla – Another must, in my opinion. You can skip it if you don’t have any or swap in another extract like almond, if preferred. 

The Method

The method for making these classic gluten-free waffles is pretty straightforward. 

In a large bowl, combine the oat milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, measure out the gluten-free flour, oat flour, starch, cinnamon, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. 

NOTE: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale and the weight measurements when measuring out flours for baked goods. And this is especially true with gluten-free flours as they can vary quite a bit when measured by volume. However, I’ve included volume measurements in the recipe below. If using volume measurements, just be sure to spoon and level the flour in the measuring cups rather than scooping out the flour directly. 

Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Then add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth and combined with minimal lumps. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. This allows the flours to fully hydrate, which is key to getting the proper texture. The batter will be almost as thick as a quick bread batter. 

While the batter is resting, preheat your waffle iron so it’s nice and hot. 

Lightly spray your waffle iron with a bit of oil. Scoop ¼-½ cup of batter to the waffle iron for each waffle. I’ve made these using both a small Belgian waffle iron and a square four-waffle iron. I’ve found that about ⅓ of a cup of batter works well for both of my waffle irons but use your best judgment based on the size and type of waffle iron you use. 

Let the waffles cook for about a minute or two longer than the waffle indicator says. Because this batter is thick, it needs a bit of extra time. Watch the steam coming out of the iron. If there’s still a lot of steam, then the waffles need more time. All waffle irons are a bit different, so this might take some trial and error to get the perfect timing for yours. 

Place the cooked waffles on a cooling rack in a warm oven to keep them warm and crisp while you use up the batter. You should get between 6-8 waffles, again depending on the type and size of waffle iron you have. 

Enjoy waffles warm with syrup, jam, yogurt, fresh fruit compote, powdered sugar, or anything else your heart desires. 

If you have leftovers, let them cool completely before storing them in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (if they last that long!). To reheat, pop them in the toaster. They may need a bit more time in the toaster if frozen.  

Recommended Products

Just a few products I use, like, and recommend…

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• Glass Mixing Bowls
• Round Waffle Iron
• 4-slice Waffle Iron

Other Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes You May Like

• Vegan Gluten-Free Orange Spiced Buckwheat Bread: This orange spiced buckwheat bread is made with simple ingredients and is deliciously nourishing. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and perfect for breakfast.
• Spiced Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal: This spiced apple baked oatmeal has an apple pie-inspired filling that is cozy, nourishing, and perfectly sweet. It’s easy and great for meal prep.
• Gluten-free Cardamom Orange Oat Scones: These gluten-free oat scones combine the warmth of cardamom with the brightness of orange for a cozy breakfast that can easily be prepped ahead.
• Warmly Spiced Gingerbread Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies: These gingerbread oatmeal breakfast cookies are warm, nourishing, packed with flavorful spices, and perfectly capture the cozy vibes of the season.