These Vanilla Whole Wheat Waffles are always a hit for breakfast with my kids. I love that they have extra protein, fiber, and whole grains…and that the leftovers freeze so well for future easy breakfasts!
We usually have Yogurt Pancakes or waffles on the weekend, and I love having this straightforward recipe in rotation. It boasts more nutrition than many other basic waffle recipes—which is great since they help keep us full a little longer—because the recipe has cottage cheese and whole grain flour in the batter. The cottage cheese is an unexpected ingredient, but one that adds moisture and tenderness.
I love making some of these mini and some full size so they’re just the right size for all of the members of my family. My kids love to dip the little ones into syrup or cinnamon applesauce, no forks needed.
I usually try to make a double batch so we have leftovers on hand for future easy breakfasts.
(You may also like Healthy Waffles, Savory Waffles, Sweet Potato Waffles, and Banana Waffles.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make these Vanilla Whole Wheat Waffles, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour: A mix of these creates nutritionally dense waffles that are still nice and light.
- Baking powder: This helps the waffles to rise nicely as they cook. Make sure that yours is fresh.
- Cottage cheese: I prefer to use whole milk cottage cheese so there’s fat in the waffles (which kids need). It blends into the batter nicely, so don’t worry about the curds.
- Egg: Egg helps the mixture bind together and cook up as expected.
- Melted coconut oil or butter: Either of these create the slightly crisp edges that you expect from waffles. I prefer coconut oil here, but unsalted butter will work too.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds really pleasant flavor to these waffles so they’re delicious enough to eat on their own.
- Milk: You can use dairy or nondairy milk.
- Maple syrup, applesauce, nut butter, sliced fruit, and/or additional cottage cheese for serving
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making these homemade whole wheat waffles. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe with amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Add wet ingredients to a bowl.
Step 2. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Step 3. Warm the waffle iron, coat with nonstick spray, and cook as mini or full size waffles.
Step 4. Serve or let cool to store for a future easy breakfast.
TIP: I like to make some mini and full-size to accommodate all of the appetites at my table.
Frequently Asked Questions
These whole wheat waffles have a nice mix of nutrients making them taste great and also satisfy with long lasting energy.
I like to use a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour so you get the nutritional benefits from the whole grains and tenderness from the lighter flour.
Sure, you can substitute melted butter, if you prefer.
Best Waffle Maker
I have a very basic Cuisinart Waffle Maker that makes one round waffle at a time. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a nice place to start if you want to try making waffles at home!
How to Store
To store, let waffles cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to serve. To freeze, store cooled waffles in a zip top storage bag, with as much air removed as possible, for up to 3 months.
Warm waffles on a plate in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, turning over halfway through, or in the toaster oven.
Best Tips for Success
- I prefer to use cottage cheese with either 2% or 4% milk fat.
- You can use all all-purpose flour if you prefer.
- Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter for additional flavor.
- We like to top our waffles with almond butter and maple syrup, to dip them in applesauce or yogurt, or to have them with sliced fruit or applesauce. You can of course add a side of bacon or even some eggs if you want to go full on classic breakfast!
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 style of gluten-free baking mix or use buckwheat flour, adding up to an additional ¼ cup milk as needed to make a batter that’s easy to stir and dollop.
- Dairy-free: Look for a lactose-free or vegan cottage cheese if needed. Or omit the cottage cheese and add another egg instead.
- I have this very basic, but very reliable Cuisinart Waffle Maker.
Related Recipes
Breakfast
Favorite Banana Waffles
Breakfast
Healthy Waffles (with Raspberries)
Dinner
Favorite Savory Waffles
Recipes
Favorite Yogurt Pancakes
I’d love to hear your feedback on the recipe, so please comment below if you make them!
Vanilla Whole Wheat Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup 2% or 4% cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled (or melted and slightly cooled butter)
- Maple syrup, applesauce, nut butter, sliced fruit, and/or additional cottage cheese for serving
Instructions
- Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl.
- Add the cottage cheese, egg, vanilla extract, and milk combine thoroughly. Stir in the melted coconut oil. (I add the coconut oil last as it helps to prevent it from solidifying in the batter.)
- Warm the waffle iron. (I use the 4 out of 5 setting on my waffle iron.) Coat with nonstick spray.
- Place 1 tablespoons of batter in each center of the four sections of the waffle iron to make four mini waffles at once. Or place just one tablespoon of patter in the center of the waffle. Or use ⅓ cup batter to make a regular size waffle.
- Close the waffle iron and cook until done. Transfer to a plate and serve, or to a baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven to keep warm until the batch is done.
- Repeat to finish the batch. Serve waffles with desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- To store, let waffles cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to serve. To freeze, store cooled waffles in a zip top storage bag, with as much air removed as possible, for up to 3 months. Warm on a plate in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, turning over halfway through, or in the toaster oven.
- I prefer to use cottage cheese with either 2% or 4% milk fat.
- You can use all all-purpose flour if you prefer.
- Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter for additional flavor.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 style of gluten-free baking mix or use buckwheat flour, adding up to an additional ¼ cup milk as needed to make a batter that’s easy to stir and dollop.
- Dairy-free: Look for a lactose-free or vegan cottage cheese if needed.
- I have this basic, but very reliable Cuisinart Waffle Maker.
Nutrition
This post was first published February 2020.
The prevailing flavor is coconut oil. I added more vanilla and some cinnamon after tasting the first waffle but didn’t help much. As the batter cooked coconut oil was leaking out of the waffles even though it was fully incorporated into the batter. I had to clean solidified coconut oil out of all the crevices of my waffle maker once it cooled. I like the rest of the ingredients so I’d give this recipe another try with butter.
Hi,
Can you pre-make the batter and use as needed
Possibly, though it may depend on how long you plan to use it. It would work better to simply make the waffles and then reheat them as needed.
Hi there, just wandering why the use of 2 different flours? Can they both be replaced with GF flour?
I sometimes use a mix of flours so we get the benefits of whole grains and the lightness of all purpose. You can replace the full amount with a gf all purpose flour if you prefer.
I replaced 2/3 of a cup of flour with wheat bran, but they turned out very oily. Next time I will reduce the coconut oil. Very tasty- kid loves them! I made them as mini waffles and freezed half. Perfect for back to school breakfasts
So delicious and satisfying! My toddler and I made them together for Saturday morning breakfast. Even my picky eater (aka my husband) loved them!
Amy, I love this recipe because you know exactly what’s in your food vs buying a mix. I heart the idea of coconut oil instead of canola (hello gut health), cottage cheese (hello protein) and a mix of flours. While my toddler may not mark this as her fave recipe, I DO! Two mini waffles kept me full for four hours (including a workout). I found myself realizing I wasn’t hungry when normally I am. Because busy parents may eat what kiddos eat – thank you!
What can I replace the egg with?
I prefer a store-bought egg replacer in this recipe.
Really wonderful waffles! Wholesome ingredients and my son and I enjoyed them. Had them with some apple sauce for dipping and a drizzle of unsweetened peanut butter. For flour I used only White Whole Wheat and I included only half the coconut oil and they still came out moist, fluffy and lightly crispy on the outside.
What can you use as a substitute for the egg (if anything)?
A store bought egg replacer works best here.
Has anyone tried or would it work to use all whole wheat flour?
I finished the batter and then my waffle maker stopped working. Can I make them pancakes or muffins instead?
You can make them into pancakes.
I have an extremely challenging eater in my house. But breakfast foods are his favorite and he usually eats anything with syrup lol so I made these and he loved them! unfortunately I only had all purpose flower on hand but will try again with a more nutrient dense option! thanks so much!
LOVE these waffles! We always have some in the freezer.
Question. I just ran out of cottage cheese… can I sub in whole milk yogurt instead?
Yes, that should work similarly. Enjoy!
I made these this morning with 100% spelt flour and they’re absolutely delicious! I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter and served them with crème fraîche for my 7 month old, and added some maple for my toddler and myself. I cooked them between 2-3 on our All-Clad waffle maker and they turned out perfectly crispy on the edges but soft in the middle. We’ll definitely be keeping these on a regular rotation and batch cooking for the freezer!
Just made these & was wondering how they would taste with spelt flour! glad to hear they are delicious still!
We used unsweetened non dairy yogurt and almond milk. This is another great hit! So light and fluffy!