Healthy Waffles (with Greek Yogurt)

These healthy waffles are a nutritious twist on a breakfast classic. Made with whole grains, Greek yogurt, and molasses, this healthy waffle recipe is a filling start to your day!

Wake up your family with a stack of deliciously healthy waffles

My family loves waffles. And as delicious as traditional waffles are, they often aren’t the healthiest breakfast option.

So, I came up with this healthy waffle recipe for those mornings when we're craving waffles but still want a nourishing breakfast. 

Made with whole grains and Greek yogurt, these healthy waffles are a breakfast you and your family will love. Keep reading to see how easy this recipe is to make!

Are waffles healthy?

You may be wondering, “can waffles be healthy?" 

Yes, of course! Waffles can be a very healthy breakfast, depending on the ingredient you use to make them. 

Traditionally, waffles are made with white flour, sugar, and butter. They’re then topped with maple syrup and more butter.

As a result, waffles are often a low-fiber, high-sugar breakfast that’s delicious but not all that filling or nourishing. 

But these Greek yogurt waffles are a more nutritious, every-day alternative that I feel good about feeding to my family.

Made with quinoa and molasses, we love this healthy waffle recipe

To make this waffle recipe healthier, I used a mix of different whole grains rather than all-purpose flour. You'll find these flours and grains in this breakfast recipe:

• Quinoa flour
• Spelt flour
• Quick cook oats

As a result, they have a heartier, nuttier taste than waffles you’d make from a mix or get at a diner. 

For a sweetener, I used mineral-rich molasses, rather than white sugar. It's delicious; you can definitely taste the dark, complex molasses flavor. 

These healthy waffles are best when still hot 

This recipe makes spelt waffles with an eggy, soft texture. 

If you love your waffles nice and crispy on the outside and soft inside, be sure to eat these Greek yogurt waffles immediately after taking them off the waffle iron as they don’t stay crispy for long! 

How to make healthy waffles

The key to making healthy waffles is to carefully watch your ingredients!

This recipe uses a handful of whole grains for fiber, molasses instead of regular sugar, and Greek yogurt and eggs for filling protein. 

Ingredients you’ll need for this healthy waffle recipe

Here are the ingredients you'll need: 

• Quick cook oats
• Spelt flour
• Quinoa Flour
• Baking soda and powder
• Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Milk
• Molasses
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Salt

Why I like using quinoa flour

I love baking with quinoa flour as you get all the nutritional benefits of whole quinoa: high protein, good source of calcium and magnesium, and high in fiber. 

I also like the nutty, earthy taste it adds to this healthy waffle recipe. It definitely makes these waffles taste like they’re good for you. 

The only downside is that store-bought quinoa flour can be a bit pricey. To save some money, you can make your own flour by roasting and then grinding raw quinoa seeds at home. 

I recommend using whole grain spelt flour

To make these waffles as healthy as possible, use whole grain spelt flour. It's not as light as white spelt flour, but contains more fiber and is less processed.

If you don’t have spelt flour, you can also use white whole wheat flour instead. 

Greek Yogurt adds a creamy taste and a boost of protein

Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ways to add a boost of nutrition to waffles and pancakes, as it also provides a tangy taste and creamy texture. 

Waffles are usually pretty low in protein. So using Greek yogurt is an easy way to make these spelt waffles more filling. 

I use full fat Greek yogurt as I find it results in a creamier, melt-in-your-mouth texture compared with low-fat or fat-free. 

Molasses is a nutrient-rich sweetener

Molasses was always my sweetener of choice when cooking and baking when my son was younger. 

Unlike white sugar, molasses contains essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium (which are good for bone health) as well as selenium, potassium, and vitamin B6. 

It also has a distinct taste that’s slightly bitter and not as sweet as other sweeteners. 

As a result, there’s no refined sugar in this healthy waffle recipe. 

Just note that due to its rich brown color, molasses does make these waffles look a bit darker.

This is the molasses I use. I like it so much that I've even brought a bottle from the US back to the UK before.

How long should a waffle cook?

How long it takes to cook waffles depends on your waffle maker and how hot it is. 

Cooks Illustrated recommends preheating your waffle iron for at least 10 minutes, regardless of whether the light on your iron says it’s preheated, to ensure that your waffle will cook evenly. 

While your waffle is cooking, you’ll notice that a bunch of steam is rising up from the waffle maker.

TIP: You’ll know the waffle is done cooking when the steam becomes very thin and almost disappears completely. 

Healthy waffle toppings

Toppings are arguably the best part of waffles. However, they can also turn a healthy waffle into a less healthy option.

Here are my recommendations for more nutritious topping options: 

• Greek yogurt instead of whipped cream. In addition to being higher in protein, Greek yogurt is also lower in calories and fat than whipped cream. 
  
• Low sugar fruits like berries instead of bananas: To help reduce the amount of sugar, I opt for low sugar fruits like berries, peaches, apples, or pears. 
  
• Nuts: Nuts provide some healthy fats and a lovely crunch. I recommend using sliced nuts so that they’re not too big to bite into with the other toppings. 
  
• Carob nibs instead of chocolate chips: Carob nibs add a wonderfully bitter, chocolate flavor but without any added sugar. Just make sure to buy carob nibs, not carob chips as the chips often contain sugar.

This healthy waffle recipe is breakfast favorite

I really hope this healthy waffle recipe makes it on your table soon. It’s definitely a recipe we make when we’re wanting a sweet yet nourishing breakfast. 

Looking for more healthy twists on breakfast favorites? Here are a few recipes on The Worktop you might like: 

• Healthy Homemade Poptarts
• Healthy Apple Pancakes
• Healthy Baked Oatmeal
• Healthy Peach Crisp 

Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below.