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Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast while keeping to your weight-loss goals? These gluten-free Chocolate Waffles are low-calorie, low sugar, and have 13 grams of protein!
Next time a chocolate craving hits you first thing in the morning, whip up these chocolate almond flour waffles! They taste decadent, but are packed with protein and fiber to help you feel full all morning. Plus, each waffle is only 257 calories.
All you need to make them is a few wholesome ingredients and a waffle maker. They’re also freezer-friendly, so they are great for meal prep. Say goodbye to store-bought frozen waffles and enjoy homemade chocolate waffles instead.
If you like healthy waffle recipes, you will love my cottage cheese waffles and coconut flour waffles!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Feels Like a Treat for Breakfast: If you’ve ever thought you can’t enjoy chocolate for breakfast, think again. These chocolate waffles taste like dessert, but they’re a healthy meal to start your day.
- Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes: I prefer cooking waffles to making pancakes. There’s less flipping and no hovering over the stove watching them cook. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes for each waffle, so you can make 3 large waffles in just 30 minutes.
- Great for Meal Prep: These gluten-free chocolate waffles freeze well and keep for up to 3 months, so they are great for batching as meal prep. Then you have a high-protein and indulgent breakfast ready to go.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Almond Flour: Not only is almond flour gluten-free, but it’s also rich in natural protein, has a low-glycemic index for maintaining blood sugar, and is lower in carbs than regular flour. The edges crisp while the inside stays tender and soft, like with my regular almond flour waffles.
- Cacao Powder: Pack your waffles full of chocolate flavor by using cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. It’s less processed, has a richer flavor, and more antioxidants. You can use unsweetened cocoa powder if you prefer, but I recommend cacao.
- Maple Syrup: Instead of loads of processed sugar, these waffles are sweetened with natural maple syrup.
- Eggs: Not only are eggs a great source of protein, but they also help the waffles rise and become fluffy.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make Them Egg-Free: If you want to make these waffles vegan, you can make them with an egg substitute. You could also try using flax eggs. You make them by combining 1 tbsp of flaxseed with 1 tbsp of water until it turns gelatinous.
- Add More Protein: Give your waffles another boost of protein by adding a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder. You may need to use less flour to make up for the protein powder, so you don’t dry out the batter.
- Make Mocha Waffles: Add a boost of caffeine and extra flavor with a tablespoon of espresso or instant coffee to your batter.
How to Make Chocolate Waffles
This chocolate waffles recipe is the perfect breakfast for chocolate lovers who don’t want to sacrifice their health goals. All you need is a waffle maker preheated to medium heat and greased with nonstick spray.
- Step 1: Whisk the Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients. Gently fold in the almond flour, cacao flour, baking soda, and salt. Stop mixing once just combined.
- Step 3: Cook in a Waffle Maker. Pour ½ cup to ⅓ cup of batter into the greased, preheated waffle maker. Close the maker and cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip it and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the waffle once it’s fully cooked. Continue this process until the batter is gone.
Expert Tips
- Preheat Your Waffle Maker: When working with gluten-free batter, it is especially important to preheat the waffle maker. A warm waffle maker ensures the waffles don’t stick and also cook all the way through.
- Measure the Flour Properly: Be sure to properly measure the almond flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping it directly. Scooping tightly packs the flour, so you end up using too much.
- Grease the Waffle Maker Liberally: The gluten-free batter is more prone to sticking to the waffle maker, so be sure to liberally spray it with nonstick spray or brush with oil.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also wrap each waffle in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat your waffles in the toaster or pop them in the oven at 350°F for 3-5 minutes. This helps crisp the outside and maintain the waffle consistency. Be sure to thaw frozen waffles in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating them.
Serving Suggestions
These almond flour chocolate waffles are the perfect high-protein breakfast if you have a sweet tooth. They are packed with chocolate flavor, but also have 13 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.
You can add your favorite waffle toppings or serve them with something savory to balance your morning meal.
- Top your chocolate waffles with maple syrup or try them with whipped cream or peanut butter. Fruits like strawberries and cherries taste great with the chocolate waffles, too!
- If you want something simple to pair with your chocolate waffles to get to 30 grams of protein, a simple side of yogurt or add a fruit salad with yogurt.
- Make a sweet and savory meal prep breakfast pairing with egg white bites or cauliflower egg muffins to enjoy with your waffles.
Chocolate Waffles Recipe FAQs
Your waffles may be sticking because the waffle maker wasn’t preheated, isn’t greased enough, or you have not cooked the waffles long enough. Be sure it’s hot before adding the batter, coated with oil or cooking spray before you add the batter and cook it long enough before opening and removing.
If the waffles are soggy and falling apart, then they probably aren’t cooked all the way. Try giving them another 2 minutes to cook before removing them. Fully cooked waffles should easily slide out of the waffle maker.
The most likely reason for waffles being raw on the inside is that the waffle maker wasn’t heated when you added the batter. Preheating helps the low-calorie chocolate waffles cook evenly and all the way through.
More Delicious High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast
High-Protein Breakfast Burrito
Breakfast
High Protein Veggie Egg Bake
Breakfast
High Protein Breakfast Quesadilla
Breakfast
Chocolate Protein Oatmeal
If you tried this Chocolate Waffles recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Chocolate Waffles
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, or milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, or almond extract
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- ⅓ cup Cacao Powder, unsweetened, or cocoa
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Heat a waffle maker to medium heat. Mine was set at a 3. Grease the inside with oil or spray with cooking spray liberally.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup and extract until the eggs are broken down.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and fold to combine. Measure the flour the right way!
- Transfer the batter to the waffle maker, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the batter will make 1 full size waffle.
- Cook 5-7 minutes then flip and cook another 5 minutes. Remember, these are grain-free so they will need a little extra baking than regular flours.
- When the waffle is ready, you will be able to easily remove it from the waffle maker with a spatula.
Notes
- Preheat the waffle maker to medium heat to avoid sticking and to ensure the waffles cook all the way through.
- Liberally grease the waffle maker with nonstick spray or brush on oil because gluten-free waffles tend to stick.
- Be sure to measure the almond flour by spooning it into a measuring up versus scooping it with the cup. This avoids adding too much flour and making a dry batter.
- One serving equals two quarters or half of a full waffle.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi was wondering what the serving size is is it per bath of waffles or per one waffle ?
Thank you
That info is listed under the Recipe Notes under cooking instructions for you!
I just wanted to say that I used baking powder…1 tsp as I was out of soda and these turned out super fluffy and delicious. Great recipe!
I love you version of these waffles without the chocolate, so I decided to try the chocolate ones too! The first time I made them I didn’t read the recipe closely and used baking powder and they were great. This time I used soda and the flavor was very strong (although my soda is also pretty old). Either way they work just as well using powder!
These were great with the exception of the over powering baking soda taste! Is it possible to use less?
Is your baking soda old? You will definitely taste it more if it’s old. 1 tsp isn’t that much baking soda. You could drop it back to 3/4 tsp and see what happens. I have not tried it.
Hi! I’m wondering if anyone has tried making these with chocolate protein powder instead of the cacao powder. Thanks in advance!
Has anyone hd any luck with making a big batch & freezing?
I made these tonight. My son can’t have chicken eggs so we used duck eggs. But with all the ingredients as listed, the dough was super liquidy. I ended up adding probably double the amount of almond flour to get it to a consistency that I could use for a waffle maker. The good news is these were delicious…my kids loved them.
Glad they loved them. I’ve had other people make these and never have to make adjustments so not sure why you had to. Different almond flours will yield different results so if you used something different than I did, that could be why. Grain free baking is very particular.
Hi,
These look delicious!
Can you sub apple sauce and/or chia seeds for the eggs to make it vegan?
Thanks
Hi Crystal, I have not tried any substitutions. If you do, please let me know so I can update the recipe card so others know!
My kids loved these! I was skeptical they would stick to the waffle iron but they didn’t! Yummy!
Yeah I’m so happy to hear that!
Where is the chocolate in the recipe?
It is there.
Waffles are better than pancakes for meal prep! So much easier to make! But waffles are always better than pancakes cuz soggy food always sucks ha ha
True!