Let me tell you a story about waffles. I woke up one morning a few months ago possessed with the idea of owning a waffle iron. I never had. But now it only seemed right. What had I been doing all this time without a waffle maker in my home? In my kitchen? Being regularly used? I suddenly could not imagine my life without a waffle maker.
I needed one immediately, and instead of getting in my car and driving to Target, I decided to look for one on Craigslist. Surely, I thought, there are thousands of unused waffle makers in sad kitchens around LA, pining for a new home. And I was right. Within minutes, I’d found one belonging to Olga, an elderly Russian Jew (hey, I’m a Russian Jew, so I can say these things) a few blocks from my apartment. I went. I saw. I conquered. I came home with an unused Belgian waffle maker and a set of gold-plated Russian tea spoons. I was in heaven. I immediately made waffles. (Sidebar: Later in the day, Olga wrote me one of the best and lengthiest emails I’ve ever received, which concludes: “Hope to hear from you, wish you to become a Jewish intellectual, like many before, and a happy family most important dear red head Lily.” But I digress.)
I quickly discovered there are so many kinds of waffles to make! Whole wheat. Buttermilk. And then these coconut waffles. These coconut waffles…
These gluten-free coconut waffles are gems—light, fluffy, easy to make, and delicious. You’d never know they were missing the gluten. The coconut flour is airy and aromatic, the strawberries sweet and juicy, and the lemon maple whipped chèvre an ideal bridge between the two.
The chèvre in the pictures I happened to add water to. What can I say, I was experimenting! There’s no need to do that though—just let the chèvre soften a bit before using.
Serve with plentiful maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Waffle recipe slightly modified from Joy the Baker.
Ingredients
Coconut Waffles
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp. mashed banana or nut butter (I used almond but have also used peanut butter when I didn’t have fresh banana)
- 4 tbsp. melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
Lemon Maple Whipped Chèvre
- 1/3 cup chèvre or other mild soft goat cheese, at room temperature
- squeeze of lemon
- ¼ tsp. vanilla
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. sugar
Garnish
- 1 pint sliced fresh strawberries
- plentiful maple syrup gently warmed on the stove
Instructions
- Mix wet ingredients thoroughly with a whisk. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, rubbing out any lumps with your fingers. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mixture will start to thicken as you whisk it. Let sit for 5 minutes as the waffle iron preheats.
- In this 5 minutes, combine all ingredients for the whipped chèvre in a bowl, and mix either with a whisk or in a larger bowl with an electric beater, just until all is incorporated. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking—I’ve started on the tart side, so feel free to add more sugar or maple as you desire. Set aside.
- Make waffles. They’re best served immediately. If this isn’t possible, then set your toaster oven to warm and place the finished waffles inside, lightly covered with tinfoil, while the others cook.
- To serve, top with lemon maple whipped chèvre, fresh strawberries, and maple syrup. Welcome to waffle heaven. All here are loved.
