Chocolate Orange Waffles | Vegan & Gluten-Free

These Chocolate Orange Waffles are crispy around the edges and soft & fluffy on the inside. Turn your dessert-for-breakfast dreams into reality with this vegan and gluten-free treat! 

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to breakfast, I’m already dreaming of dessert. Something warm and sweet to start my day with that cozy, satisfying feeling ????  These Chocolate Orange Waffles are just the thing to turn my dessert-for-breakfast dreams into reality! The sweet and tangy orange notes perfectly complement the rich chocolate flavor, making these waffles an absolutely irresistible start to the day.

And is there a better way to start the day than a freshly made waffle? I mean, what else can top that crunchy-on-the-outside, warm-and-fluffy-on-the-inside breakfast goodness? After tasting this recipe, I’m not sure anything can.

INGREDIENTS 

These waffles are made using budget-friendly and easily accessible ingredients that you can keep on hand for loads of other baking recipes. Hearty oat flour combines with deliciously nutty almond flour for our fluffy waffle base, while cacao (or cocoa) powder and a bit of vanilla give our waffles a deep and oh-so-decadent chocolatey flavor. We’ll use a bit of maple syrup and plant-based milk to bring all of the ingredients together and add just a touch of sweetness. And finally, the real fun comes in with the zest of about half a navel orange — this is the ultimate finishing touch of flavor! 

Don’t forget — waffles are just pancakes with extra built-in topping holders, so if you’d prefer to enjoy these as Chocolate Orange Pancakes, you have my full support! Personally, I can never say no to the perfect little built-in topping holders so waffles are my first choice ????  We’ll talk more about my favorite toppings later, but for now, let’s break down how to make the vessel for those toppings:

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE ORANGE WAFFLES

This recipe comes together in just three main (and super easy) steps: mixing the dry and wet ingredients to form a batter, then pouring the batter into a waffle iron and cooking until you’ve got beautiful crispy edges! 

1. Sift the oat flour and almond flour, along with the cacao powder, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Form a well in the center, then add the non-dairy milk, maple syrup, orange zest, and vanilla, then mix well. 
3. Pour a bit of batter into your waffle iron and close to cook until the waffles are cooked to your liking. Repeat with the remaining batter. 
4. Serve warm and top with anything your heart desires. See below for my favorite ways to top mine!  

In my humble opinion, no waffle (or pancake, for that matter) is complete without a HEAVY dousing of maple syrup — an absolute non-negotiable for me. And for this waffle recipe in particular, I like to top mine with a few slices of fresh orange, a handful of hemp hearts, and maybe an extra drizzle of melted chocolate because why not? If you don’t have any fresh citrus slices on hand, feel free to use any other fresh fruit here. And you don’t have to stop there with the toppings — a big slather of nut butter or even a dollop of creamy plant-based yogurt would also work really well with this recipe!

Waffles are best served fresh and will dry out if you leave them on the counter or store them in the fridge. I recommend freezing any leftovers immediately and toasting or defrosting as needed – they’ll stay fresh there for up to two months. Because these waffles freeze so well, they make the perfect morning meal prep for busy weekdays or cozy weekend breakfasts!

If you’re looking for more mouthwatering recipes to make your dessert-for-breakfast dreams come true, you’ll also love these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (+ Healthy Icing), this Whole Wheat Vegan Monkey Bread, and this Peanut Butter Cup Granola!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Chocolate Orange Waffles

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These Chocolate Orange Waffles are crispy around the edges and soft & fluffy on the inside. Turn your dessert-for-breakfast dreams into reality with this vegan and gluten-free treat! 

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups (180g) rolled oats, blended into a fine flour*
• 1/2 cup (48 g) blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup (23 g) cacao or cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups (355ml) non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
• 2 tablespoons grade A maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (about 1/2 navel orange)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• Optional toppings: sliced or supremed oranges, hemp hearts, maple syrup, etc.

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat your waffle iron and grease it, if necessary.
2. Dry Ingredients: sift or whisk the oat flour, almond flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. I recommend sifting at least the cacao powder and almond flour, to eliminate any large clumps.
3. Wet Ingredients: form a well in the center of the bowl, then add in the non-dairy milk, maple syrup, orange zest, and optional vanilla. Mix well, then fold into the dry ingredients. Continue to mix the batter until no large clumps remain.
4. Cook: Pour 1/2 cup of batter into each waffle “segment” of your iron, then close and cook for 4 to 5 minutes; cook time will depend on the heat of your iron as well as your preference on doneness. Once the waffles have cooked according to your liking, carefully remove them from the waffle iron with a rubber spatula and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
5. Serve warm, and top as desired. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to two months and defrosted as needed.

Notes

• Oat Flour: add the oats to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds, until the oats have broken down to form a fine, fluffy flour.
• Substitutions: I have not tested this recipe with any other flour substitutions. Almond flour keeps the waffles moist, but it could be replaced with 1/4 cup of extra oat flour, if desired. Maple syrup can be swapped with any other sweetener, granulated or liquid.