Carrot Cake Waffles

Why We Love This Recipe For Carrot Cake Waffles

Feast your eys on these Carrot Cake Waffles! I know, I know,  you’re probably thinking what the heck are carrot cake waffles?? And that I have completely lost my nut and gone to the dark side of recipe development…

But I assure you my dear friends and readers that I haven’t! These Carrot Cake Waffles are not nearly as indulgent as they sound.

Really, I just took the concept of all of the naturally healthy goodies that you add into carrot cake batter: shredded carrots, raisins, walnuts and crushed pineapple, and folded it into a simple whole-wheat waffle batter.

I sweetened the batter up naturally with apple juice and a touch of our homemade maple syrup.

Think of them as the love child of my Morning Glory Muffins and Maple Carrot Sheet Cake.

To top them off I piped on whipped cream cheese to sub in for cream cheese frosting. So even though they sound uber-indulgent, they really are quite nutritious! One waffle provides nearly ¼ of your daily Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Each one has 9 grams of protein and 5 grams of hunger-busting fiber.

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Apple juice

I used apple juice to help sweeten the waffle batter. To keep it healthy, get 100% apple juice with no added sugar.

Carrots

Look for carrots that are larger, firm and bright in color. The larger they are, the easier they will be to grate.

Pineapple

Pineapple also helps add a natural sweetness to this recipe. You could buy fresh pineapple and crush it yourself, but I used canned for convenience. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Toasted walnuts

I love adding nuts to recipes for added crunch. Toasting them prior helps to bring out a nutty and toasty flavor. You can also omit them or use another nut like pecans if you’re not a huge fan of walnuts.

Raisins

I used completely normal raising for this recipe but you can use other kinds like golden if that’s what you’d prefer.

Additional Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil
• 3 tablespoons dark pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• whipped cream cheese, optional

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make These Carrot Cake Waffles

Step 1: Preheat

Preheat the waffle iron according to box instructions.

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, juice, oil, and 3 tablespoons maple syrup in a large bowl. Stir in the grated carrot, pineapple, raisins and walnuts.

Step 3: Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Step 4: Combine

Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a silicone spatula until well combined and not many flour clumps remain.

Step 5: Cook waffles

Cook batter according to the waffle maker’s instructions. Serve carrot cake waffle topped with whipped cream cheese and additional maple syrup, if desired.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Additional Healthy Sweet Breakfast Recipes to Try

• I love making this Maple Parsnip Morning Glory Coffee Cake for weekend brunches.
• You could easily make these Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes on a weekday before school/work.
• These Oatmeal Pancakes are a fun alternative to regular pancakes.
• For an extra protein kick make these Apple Protein Pancakes. They’re also gluten free!
• These Tangerine Protein Pancakes are also another good protein-filled breakfast.
• These Clean Eating Pancakes are totally dairy and gluten free.
• Don’t miss this Ultimate Guide to Carrots!