Gluten-Free Waffles

Gluten-free waffles (with tapioca flour) that you can easily prepare in just 10 minutes with simple ingredients. They have a soft, chewy, and super cheesy center with a lightly crispy exterior. You can make them ahead and freeze them!

Gluten-Free Waffles Recipe

I have already shared here Brazilian cheese bread recipe, gluten-free breadsticks,  Brazilian tapioca, bacon and cheese hot pockets, and cheese rolls which are all made with tapioca flour just like these  Gluten-Free Waffles (aka Waffle Pão de Queijo Recipe).

Yes, they are Brazilian Cheese Bread made into Waffles! How cool is that?

For pão de queijo lovers like me, it is exciting news!

These gluten-free waffles are quicker to make than baked pão de queijo.

Can you believe that only takes 3-5 minutes for them to cook?

Our Brazilian waffles are also naturally gluten-free because they are made with tapioca flour -- which is widely available under different brand names both online and at local supermarkets.

Our waffles are cheesy and soft, and can be served for breakfast, brunch, or snack time -- or even as a dessert!

For breakfast and brunch (savory), you can eat our gluten-free waffles fresh from the waffle maker and spread a little softened butter on top, drizzle maple syrup over, and accompany them with bacon, breakfast sausage, hard-boiled eggs, or sunny side up eggs, fruits, and jams (American style).

For snack time or as a dessert (sweet), you can eat them with homemade dulce de leche and chopped roasted cashew nuts, or guava paste sauce (Brazilian style). It is really up to you!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Unlike Van's gluten-free waffles, ours won’t crumble easily. In fact, they will hold their shape quite well!

To make these gluten-free waffles, you’ll need 7 simple ingredients:

• Whole milk – You may replace it with full-fat plant-based milk such as almond milk.
• Vegetable oil – You can use olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer!
• Eggs – They must be at room temperature!
• Tapioca flour – It is a naturally gluten-free flour often used in easy Brazilian recipes like Brazilian cheese bread, tapioca crepes, and more. It gives these gluten-free waffles a chewable texture. If you don’t have tapioca flour at home, you may use old-fashioned oats that you can blend ahead until obtaining a fine texture (flour) to make oat four waffles instead. You can also use cassava flour to make cassava flour waffles, or (gluten-free) all-purpose flour. All of them will call for a ratio of 1:1 (1 cup of tapioca flour= 1 cup of finely blended rolled oats, cassava flour, or (gluten-free) all-purpose flour. But be aware the flavor of our gluten-free waffles won’t be the same if you use any of those substitutes. Some use sweet rice flour combined with all-purpose flour to make mochi waffles!
• Parmesan cheese – Use either shredded or grated Parmesan. It will add flavor and saltiness to the waffles.
• Salt – If your Parmesan cheese is already quite salty, you may cut off the amount of salt in half.
• Mozzarella cheese – Sue shredded mozzarella to fill the waffles. The total amount of mozzarella cheese will depend on the number of waffles you make which varies according to the size of your waffle iron. Mine yielded 5 waffles so I needed 10 tbsps of shredded cheese!

How to Make Gluten-Free Waffles

Heat the waffle iron well.

Meanwhile, blend all the ingredients together in a blender until obtaining a creamy, homogeneous mixture.

Lightly brush your waffle machine (both top and bottom) with oil, or spray with cooking spray. Then, almost fill the bottom with the blended mixture. Place 2 tablespoon of the mozzarella cheese on the center of each waffle and pour just enough of the blended mixture on top to cover the mozzarella. 

Close the waffle iron. Let cook for about 3 minutes (soft, my fave way) to 5 minutes (well-toasted).

Remove the gluten-free waffles from the waffle iron and serve right away.

WATCH OUR QUICK STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO RECIPE!

What to Serve Gluten-Free Waffles With

If you are serving them for breakfast or brunch, enjoy them with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, or you can serve them with boiled eggs or fried eggs, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, bacon, sausage links, and fruits like berries.

As a dessert, serve them with dulce de leche and chopped roasted cashew nuts or guava paste sauce (snack).

Pro Tips for Homemade Waffles

• Make sure to heat your waffle maker well before pouring it into the batter.
• Grease your waffle iron (top and bottom) with no-stick cooking spray or brush it with oil.
• Do not overfill your waffle machine in order to avoid spillage!
• Blend the ingredients well until forming a creamy and smooth waffle mixture.
• These gluten-free waffles made with tapioca flour are best consumed warm, right after making them – or they can become too chewy!
• Pour just enough batter over the shredded mozzarella cheese to cover before closing the waffle maker.

Can I substitute tapioca flour in this recipe?

Yes! If you don’t have tapioca flour in your pantry, you may use old-fashioned oats that you can blend ahead until obtaining a fine texture (flour).

You can also use cassava flour or (gluten-free) all-purpose flour. All of them will call for a ratio of 1:1 (1 cup of tapioca flour = 1 cup of finely blended rolled oats, cassava flour, or (gluten-free) all-purpose flour.

But be aware the flavor of these gluten-free waffles made with tapioca flour won’t be the same if you use any of those substitutes.

Can I make a gluten-free waffle mix ahead?

Yes, you can! You can blend all the ingredients together, except the mozzarella cheese, and store the mixture in a mason jar. Chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Remove the jar out of the fridge at least 10-15 minutes before cooking the waffles in a waffle iron.

But before pouring the mixture onto the heated waffle machine, you will have to whisk the mixture quite well. If needed, add just enough milk and oil to the mixture to lose a little. It has to have the consistency that had before chilling.

How can I make these waffles dairy-free?

Simply replace whole milk with full-fat plant milk such as soy, almond, coconut, or oat milk. Moreover, use dairy-free cheese.

Can I make these waffles egg-free?

Yes, you can! Because our gluten-free waffle recipe already calls for vegetable oil, the best substitute would be a puree of ground flaxseed and water.

Make the puree by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tbsps of water to replace each egg called in the recipe.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

It is one of those easy freezer recipes you can make ahead!

Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles

You can freeze the gluten-free waffles in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

But make sure to place a piece of parchment paper in between each waffle; otherwise, they will get stuck one to the other.

Reheat from frozen in a toaster until hot. Serve right away! 

Other Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes

• Baked oats
• Protein overnight oats
• Breakfast chilaquiles
• Keto egg muffins
• Oat flour pancakes
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

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5 from 14 votes

Gluten-Free Waffles

Gluten-free waffles (with tapioca flour) that you can easily prepare in just 10 minutes with simple ingredients. They have a soft, chewy, and super cheesy center with a lightly crispy exterior. You can make them ahead and freeze them!

Course:Breakfast

Cuisine:Brazilian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 5 waffles

Calories382 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 1.00 per person

Equipment

• 1 waffle iron
• 1 kitchen blender

Ingredients

• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 medium eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese (2 tablespoon per waffle) The total amount of mozzarella cheese will depend on the number of waffles you make which varies according to the size of your waffle iron. Mine yielded 5 waffles so I needed 10 tablespoon of cheese)!

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat the waffle iron well.
• Meanwhile, blend all the ingredients together in a blender until obtaining a creamy, homogeneous mixture.
• Lightly brush your waffle machine (both top and bottom) with oil, or spray with cooking spray. Then, almost fill the bottom with the blended mixture. Place 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella cheese on the center of each waffle and pour just enough of the blended mixture on top to cover the mozzarella.
• Close the waffle iron. Let cook for about 3 minutes (soft, my favorite way) to 5 minutes (well-toasted).
• Remove the gluten-free waffles from the waffle iron and serve immediately.
• If you are serving them for breakfast or brunch, enjoy them with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, or you can serve them with hard-boiled eggs or sunny side up eggs, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, bacon, sausage links, and fruits like berries.
• As a dessert, serve them with dulce de leche and chopped roasted cashew nuts or guava paste sauce (snack).

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

It is one of those easy freezer recipes you can make ahead!

Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles

You can freeze the gluten-free waffles in a sealable freeze bag for up to 2 months. But make sure to place a piece of parchment paper in between each waffle; otherwise, they will get stuck one to the other.

Reheat from frozen in a toaster until hot. Serve right away! 

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 107mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Calcium: 426mg | Iron: 1mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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Post first published on January 13, 2014.