Zucchini Blueberry Oat Waffles

Healthier and freezer friendly, these delicious Zucchini Blueberry Oat Waffles are a great way to start the day!

It’s the end of summer and we’re drowning in zucchini. I literally cannot give this tasty green squash away. With harvest and back to school rapidly approaching, I thought I would make use of our bounty and start making freezer-friendly recipes, like these healthier homemade Zucchini Blueberry Oat Waffles.

These waffles are what breakfasts are made for: Belgian-style waffles with deep pockets, slightly crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside and oh-so-good. Made with whole wheat flour, oats, zucchini, blueberries and ground flax seed, these waffles are filling, taste great and a little better for you too. These waffles freeze well too! So, I like to make a double batch and freeze for later when our mornings get busy.

How to Make Homemade Zucchini Blueberry Oat Waffles

Homemade waffles are easy to make and taste much better than store bought waffles.

The first step is to shred your zucchini. I use my food processor with the grating blade to shred a bunch of zucchini at the same time, so I have shredded zucchini to use all week or for the freezer. If you don’t have a food processor, use your grater to shred the zucchini. Depending on the size of your squash, it could take 1 or 2 zucchinis to get 1 cup.

Put the shredded zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze as much water out as possible. Don’t skip this step. This is important to make sure you get out as much moisture as possible.

Next, whisk the wet ingredients (buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and butter) into a large bowl and set aside. Now combine the dry ingredients into a medium size bowl. The dry ingredients include whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground flax seed in another bowl. You can substitute all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. Or you can do half whole wheat and half all-purpose flours, which is what I like to do.

Next, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, gently stirring until just combined. Please don’t overwork the batter. Gently fold in zucchini and blueberries. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the oats have time to soak up some of the moisture. This resting step is essential to the waffle’s success, please don’t skip this step!

Next, preheat the waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most importantly, don’t forget to spray your waffle maker with cooking spray on both the top and bottom plates. I use this waffle iron and it doesn’t need much greasing but yours might so make sure to check your appliance’s instructions. Next, spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the waffle maker (generally about ½ cup per waffle for my waffle maker) and close the top.

Cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until the waffles are as crisp as you like them. I usually turn to the medium setting on my waffle maker, but all appliances will cook at different rates. So please follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

Repeat with remaining batter and don’t forget to spray the waffle iron top and bottom plates with every set. Top your homemade Zucchini Blueberry Oat Waffles with Greek yogurt, honey or real maple syrup and fresh blueberries. Enjoy!

How to Freeze Homemade Waffles

Freezing homemade waffles is easy and a great way to have a healthy and delicious breakfast ready for when mornings are rushed. Simply make waffles according to the recipe and allow the waffles to cool completely on a baking rack in a single layer. This is important so air circulates underneath the waffles while they cool. If your waffles cooled on a plate or a baking sheet, they could get soggy from the steam, so please use a baking rack.

After the waffles have cooled completely, set the waffles flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Freeze, in a single layer, for at least two hours. Next, stack the waffles into a freezer Ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. The waffles will keep in the freezer for several months.

How to Reheat Homemade Waffles

Use your toaster or oven to reheat your frozen waffles. There is no need to thaw your frozen waffles prior to reheating. You can use your toaster or toaster oven to reheat individual waffles.

For a larger batch of waffles, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Transfer frozen waffles to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

For more of my favorite breakfast recipes, check out my Overnight Blueberry Baked French Toast, Pear Pecan Muffins with Oat Pecan Crumble and Banana Bread.

Print

recommended tools

pin for later