Protein Waffles
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Published Jan 26, 2022, Updated Mar 18, 2024
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Protein waffles made with vanilla protein powder, Greek yogurt, eggs and rolled oats. They’re super easy to make, absolutely delicious and perfect for meal prep.
The only thing better than waffles are waffles that keep you fuller longer than 20 minutes! These healthy protein waffles are packed with protein which will keep you satisfied longer and are so simple to make. They might just become your new favorite breakfast!
Why You’ll Love These Waffles
- They will fill you up! One waffle has about 17 grams of protein, so you will feel full and satisfied for hours.
- They are so easy to make! Just throw all of the ingredients in the blender, let your waffle iron do its thing and dig in.
- They’re the perfect recipe for meal prep. Make a double or triple batch of these on the weekend and refrigerate or freeze them for healthy breakfasts all week long.
Ingredients Needed
- eggs – helps to bind the waffle ingredients together… and adds extra protein!
- Greek yogurt – takes place of the liquid and oil you’d typically find in a traditional waffle recipe. It also adds extra protein! To make these dairy-free, you can sub for a dairy-free yogurt.
- non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened almond milk but any non-dairy milk works!
- maple syrup – for a hint of natural sweetness in the batter and as a drizzle on top! Make sure you are using real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, which is loaded with corn syrup and a ton of added sugars. Agave, honey or any liquid sweetener would work as a substitute for the maple syrup as well.
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
- vanilla protein powder – Make sure you’re using a plant-based protein powder for this recipe as whey protein powder will soak up less liquid. My go-to protein powder is Nuzest protein powder. It’s plant-based, has a short ingredient list and great nutrition facts! Use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
- rolled oats – in place of flour that you traditionally find in pancake and waffle recipes, I’m using rolled oats. When blended in a high powered blender, it acts just like a flour! Make sure you grab gluten-free oats if needed. I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats.
- baking powder and baking soda – helps the waffles rise.
- cinnamon – the perfect spice pairing for these waffles.
- sea salt – brings all of the flavors together.
- cooking spray – I like using coconut or avocado oil spray to coat the waffle iron before cooking.
How to Make Protein Waffles
Making waffles from a box is barely easier than this! Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray, I like to use coconut oil cooking spray. Pour just under ½ cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron, close and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the waffle iron and enjoy!
Mix-in And Topping Variations
I love these waffles plain with a little nut butter and maple syrup on top, but feel free to get creative with your mix-ins and toppings! Here are some ideas:
- Berries – mix berries into your batter or top the waffles with fresh berries when serving. They add pop of color and such good flavor!
- Chocolate chip – mix chocolate chips into your batter for extra sweetness and flavor. I’ve been loving Lily’s dark chocolate chips as they are dairy-free and low sugar!
- Chocolate – swap the vanilla protein powder for chocolate to make chocolate protein waffles!
- Nut butter – I love adding a drizzle of almond butter to my waffles along with maple syrup!
- Coconut butter – sometimes if I’m feeling fancy I’ll add a drizzle of coconut butter to my waffles in addition to nut butter. It adds a delicious flavor! Check out my recipe on how to make homemade coconut butter.
- Maple syrup – can you have waffles without maple syrup?! I think not. My husband is a big fan of bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.
- Chopped nuts – add some crunch by topping your waffles with chopped pecans, walnuts or really any nut.
- Granola – I love topping my waffles and pancakes with granola for an added crunch. This hemp granola or grain-free granola would both be delicious!
FAQ’s
These protein waffles are healthy enough to eat every day! Of course, I love switching up my breakfast and adding variety into my diet but if you want to stick to one breakfast, these protein waffles are a good option.
Yes! These waffles are packed with over 17 grams of protein each and nutritious ingredients unlike traditional waffles.
These waffles are perfect for meal prep. I would double or triple the batch and then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container to enjoy throughout the week.
Yes! You can totally swap the protein powder for collagen powder in this recipe.
If you’re not a fan of protein powder or don’t have any on hand you can still make this recipe! Just sub the protein powder for 2 additional Tablespoons of rolled oats.
I have this basic Oster Waffle Maker. It’s nothing fancy, but it works well and makes perfect waffles. 🙂 These waffles have also been tested in this Calphalon waffle maker, which worked wonderfully.
Make sure to spray your waffle maker with cooking spray, even if your waffle maker is non-stick. This helps to ensure that your waffles don’t stick to the waffle iron. I recommend using an oil mister or non aerosol spray like a coconut oil spray or this Chosen Foods avocado oil spray. Just make sure to avoid sprays like Pam as it can mess with the finish of your waffle maker, if it’s non-stick.
How to Serve Protein Waffles
Since these are protein waffles have about 13 grams of protein per waffle I feel good about eating one on its own for breakfast topped with a little nut butter and drizzle of maple syrup, but if you’re hosting a brunch or want a more filling meal, here’s what I recommend serving with these waffles:
- Quiche – get your savory fix with this dairy-free spinach quiche or this kale and feta crustless quiche.
- Meat – for some added protein serve these waffles with some sort of breakfast sausage and/or bacon. For a vegan option, try my tempeh bacon.
- Fruit salad – I love this simple fruit salad.
- Fun drink – you can’t have brunch without a mimosa or bellini am I right?! For a non alcoholic beverage try this grapefruit apple cider vinegar drink.
How to Store Leftovers
Whether you’re meal prepping these waffles, making a double batch or just have leftovers, you can store waffles in the refrigerator or freezer. Allow the waffles to cool completely on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: place waffles in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag (I like to use my Stasher bags) and layer the waffles with pieces of parchment paper between to prevent sticking. The waffles will last in the freezer for up to 3 month.
To reheat: I like to pop my waffle into my toaster or toaster oven straight from the fridge or freezer so they reheat and get a little crispy, but you can also reheat them in the microwave for about 60 seconds.
More High Protein Breakfasts
- Protein Overnight Oats
- Protein Pancakes
- How to Make a Protein Shake
- Egg White Bites
- Protein Muffins
- Egg White Oatmeal
- Baked Egg Muffins
- Egg White Omelette
- Protein Baked Oatmeal
- PB&J Protein Yogurt Bowl
Want more ideas? Check out my full collection of high protein breakfast recipes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Protein Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened almond milk , or any non-dairy milk
- ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop (25 grams) plant-based vanilla protein powder, I used Nuzest
- ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- cooking spray, I like using coconut or avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour a scant ½ cup of the mixture into preheated waffle iron, close and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from waffle iron and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and nut butter or toppings of choice.
Notes
- Greek yogurt: If you need a dairy-free option, swap the Greek yogurt with dairy-free yogurt.
- Maple syrup: Feel free to swap the maple syrup with honey, agave or any liquid sweetener.
- Protein powder: If you don’t like protein powder or don’t have any on hand you can sub in the protein powder for 2 additional Tablespoons of rolled oats.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I use plain non fat Greek yogurt instead?
Hi Melanie – are you wanting to just plain yogurt instead of greek yogurt?
best tasting protein waffles i have ever had and such a lovely texture. also work well as pancakes. LOVE THEM
YAY! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that they work well as pancakes too, Rebecca. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
3/5 from us. This recipe made 3 smaller waffles. The taste was decent, at first I didn’t like it but it grew on me. The main issue is there is almost no substance to them, they were light and almost hollow after cooking. I may try adding a couple tbsp flour next time to see if that helps round these out.
Dang! So sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you change anything about the recipe? What size is your waffle maker? I’m wondering if yours might be much larger than mine. Maybe doubling the recipe would help?
Love all your recipes, including this one. Thank you!!
Yay!! So glad you loved this recipe, Allison! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
Love the recipe. Hate the ads.
Hi Patrick – I am sorry to hear that you’re having troubles viewing the recipes because of the ads. Are you looking at the recipes on your desktop or phone? I’ll make sure to chat with my developer about this. Thank you for your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
I followed the recipe exactly except the flavor changes,I used PB protein powder and peanut butter instead of maple syrup. They came out delicious. Made about six regular waffles. After cooking toasted up perfect in a toaster. Topped with more peanut butter and they were perfect.
I am so happy you enjoyed these, Melanie! Your flavor substitutions sound delicious! Thank you for your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
Yummy recipe! Obviously not the same texture as normal waffles, but with a few of your favorite toppings… it’s delicious!
Yay! Glad you’re enjoying these protein waffles, Melanie. Thanks for leaving a review, I really appreciate it.
I was a little intimidated by the longer than preferred ingredients list but I just threw everything in my Vitamix and it was so easy! I used the only yogurt I have which is this 5.3 oz regular Yoplait vanilla yogurt. Because I was adding more liquid, I thought I’d be okay adding a full serving, 2 tablespoons, of my Orgain protein powder and the result were these very fluffy, very yummy, waffles! Thanks, Brittany! This will be a repeat for sure!
Woo! So glad this recipe was a success for you, Michelle! Thank you for sharing your review, I appreciate it so very much!
These work so good! Super tasty. You don’t actually need the baking powder if you are using baking soda and Greek yogurt, so don’t stress if you don’t have any on hand 🙂
Woo! Glad these waffles worked out for you and thanks for sharing that tip, Megan!
These turned out SO good!! Fluffy on the inside but crisp on the outside & the flavor is great. Toppings we used were blueberries & maple syrup, dark chocolate chips, and bananas w/ melted peanut butter. 1/3 C was perfect for the quad Belgian waffle maker I used. I made a quadruple batch as meal prep for the week😋
Woo! I’m so happy to hear this recipe was a hit for you, Ilaria. Making a quadruple batch to meal prep is genius. Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.