Sweet Potato Flax Waffles

Make these Sweet Potato Flax Waffles for a delicious weekend breakfast, and freeze for later to enjoy during a busy week.  

several sweet potato waffles on a plate with sliced bananas

I go through phases where my waffle iron is always being used daily but then sits there collecting dust. I think it’s because sometimes I get sick of cleaning it. You have to get into all the nooks and crannies to make sure you don’t miss anything.

I used to get SO excited when we would stay at a hotel that had a continental breakfast and we could make Belgium waffles for breakfast. It was always an extra little treat!

two sweet potato flax waffles with sliced bananas and walnuts on a small white plate

Are Potato Waffles Healthy?

Yes! These waffles are packed with nutrition. These sweet potatoes are filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Using the ground flax takes place of having to add flour. Flax seeds are a great source of fiber and are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Oats are another good source of fiber and have some protein as well.

This waffle recipe is balanced to help with blood sugar spikes and will keep you fuller for longer, especially when compared to other conventional breakfast foods.

sweet potato waffles on a fork resting on a plate

Sweet Potato Waffle Ingredients

  • sweet potato puree
  • old-fashioned oats
  • ground flax (I used Manitoba Milling Co.)
  • milk
  • eggs
  • cinnamon
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • cooking spray
  • toppings: sliced banana, walnuts, maple syrup (optional)

How to Make Waffles Using Sweet Potatoes

To make the sweet potato waffle base, you need to bake the sweet potatoes first. Once they are done, scoop out the flesh and add it to a blender or food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and pulse until it’s smooth. Allow the waffle batter to sit for about 10 minutes.

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and heat to medium-high.

Pour 1/3 of the batter at a time to make each sweet potato waffle. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.

Serve with your favorite toppings for a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

three sweet potato waffles on a plate with bananas and walnuts

Waffle Topping Ideas

  • Fresh fruit – bananas, apples, berries, melon
  • Greek yogurt
  • Nut Butter – peanut butter, almond butter
  • Seeds
  • Honey or maple syrup

Can You Make Sweet Potato Waffles Vegan?

I haven’t tested this version, but if you experiment you could swap the poultry eggs for flax eggs. Then cut down on the amount of additional flax. You would also want to use a plant-based milk as well.

Are These Waffles Gluten Free?

They are as long as you choose a gluten free brand of oats, like Quaker or Bob’s Red Mill.

Tips for Making

  • I used Manitoba Milling Co. finely milled flaxseed, which is almost like the consistency of flour. If using coarse ground flax, more liquid may be needed. 
  • To store you can reheat them in a toaster. They also freeze really well too which is great for meal prepping.
  • Make sure you cook the sweet potatoes until they are tender before adding them to the blender.
  • Preheating the waffle iron first helps to give a crispy outside.
  • This batter can easily be used for pancakes as well.

Team Waffle or Team Pancake?

I’ve mentioned before that I used to be a waffle person over pancake person, only because I used to be terrible at flipping them. I think my skills have improved though.
Waffle pros: They freeze and reheat better than pancakes (in my opinion).
Waffle cons: You only can really make one at a time, whereas with a large enough pan, you can easily make a few pancakes at a time.

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sweet potato waffles on a white plate with bananas and walnuts

Sweet Potato Flax Waffles

  • Author: Julie Harrington, RD
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: makes 8 waffles 1x
  • Category: breakfast, waffles

Description

Make these Sweet Potato Flax Waffles for a delicious weekend breakfast, and freeze for later to enjoy during a busy week.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup sweet potato puree (about 1 medium sweet potato – baked and flesh scooped out)
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup ground flax (I used Manitoba Milling Co.)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • cooking spray
  • toppings: sliced banana, walnuts, maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Let batter sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat waffle iron to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
  3. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into waffle iron. Cook until desired consistency (about 3-4 minutes per side).
  4. Top waffles with sliced bananas, walnuts, and syrup, if desired.

Notes

To make sweet potato puree: Score a sweet potato with a paring knife. Wrap in tin foil and bake until soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and puree.

Meal Prep: Make a batch of these waffles ahead of time. They freeze well. Just pop them in the toaster to warm up.

I used Manitoba Milling Co. finely milled flax seed, which is almost like the consistency of flour. If using coarse ground flax, more liquid may be needed. 

Keywords: waffles, breakfast, sweet potato, grain free, gluten free

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Disclosure: This recipe was submitted to for a recipe contest and eligible to win prizes. I was not compensated for my time.  

Chef Julie Harrington, RD - Culinary Nutrition Consultant of chefjulierd.com

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Sweet Potato Flax Waffles via Chef Julie Harrington, RD @ChefJulie_RD Make these Sweet Potato Flax Waffles for a delicious weekend breakfast, and freeze for later to enjoy during a busy week.  #sweetpotato #waffles #breakfast #brunch #flax #flaxseed #freezerfriendly

What’s the Difference Between Flaxseed, Flaxseed Meal, and Flaxseed Oil?

 

A little sprinkle here and a little sprinkle there. Incorporating ground flaxseed into your daily diet has a ton of health benefits. There is flaxseed, ground flaxseed, and flaxseed oil – which one should you choose?
Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 9.34.35 PM

First, let’s get the facts on flax. Why should you be incorporating flax into your diet? Why is flax healthy for you?
Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 8.58.52 PM
F is for Fiber. It’s amazing how much fiber a little flaxseed contains. Just two tablespoons of flaxseed meal delivers 4 grams of fiber, as much fiber as 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal! Studies suggest that when flaxseed meal is added to the diet, harmful LDL cholesterol drops, while the good HDL cholesterol stays put. Regularity improves, also.
L is for Lignans. Here’s where the flaxseed story gets major points. Flaxseed contains high levels of natural antioxidants called lignans. Many plant foods have some lignans, but flaxseed has at least 7 times more than any other. To get the lignans that are in just two tablespoons of flaxseed meal, you’d need to eat about 30 cups of fresh broccoli.
A is for Alpha-linolenic Acid. Modern siets—even healthy ones—are routinely deficient in omega-3s. Flaxseed is a mega-source for the plant version of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid. The oil in the flaxseed is about 50% alpha-linolenic acid. Canola and walnut oils, the next highest sources, have about 10%. But most foods have far less. One serving of flaxseed meal contains 1800 milligrams of omega-3.
X is for eXcellent choice. Should you consider adding flaxseed meal to your diet? Absolutely!!
(source: Bob’s Red Mill)

oatmeal-flax-pizza1(Fruit Pizza with Oatmeal Flax Crust via the Lean Green Bean)

The first face-off: Whole Flaxseed vs. Ground Flaxseed
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It’s recommended to use ground flaxseed because the whole flaxseed will just pass right through the body undigested skimping you of all the nutritional benefits of the flaxseed. Consuming ground flaxseed digests in the body and absorbs the omega-3s as well as lignans (explained above).

If you already have whole flaxseeds, simply grind them up in a coffee grinder or a strong food processor to make ground flaxseed. You can also garnish baked goods with the whole flaxseeds.

Sprinkle ground flaxseed on cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and even salads. It has a slight nutty flavor. You can even use it as part of a breadcrumb for chicken, fish, etc.

muffins-13(Oatmeal Flax Blueberry Muffins via Pinch of Yum)

The second face-off: Flaxseed vs. Flaxseed Oil
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Flaxseed oil is a concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acids (specifically alpha-linolenic acid – ALA), which makes it true that flaxseed oil contains more ALA than flaxseeds, due to it being in a concentrated form.
Flaxseeds are in its natural form and contain a plethora of other nutrients that flaxseed oil miss out on due to the fact that flaxseed oil is just the oil extracted from the seeds.
The flaxseed is rich in dietary fiber; minerals such as manganese, copper, and magnesium; and vitamins such as folate, and vitamin B6.

Dietitian Tip: Do not replace one for the other.  Incorporate both into your healthy diet.

In good health,
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