Whole Wheat Granola Waffles

I know, it's like waffles are becoming the new cookies or chicken or potatoes around here: how many different versions of one thing can I make?? I apologize buuut....I love  waffles. They're tasty and can be a great quick and healthy breakfast option--I love freezing leftovers and toasting them later. Like homemade Eggos :P And my new waffle maker is awesome. So using it is exciting. I hope you can all get on board with these because you're gonna LOVE this recipe!

I had some leftover chocolate chip granola hanging around and decided I wanted to make waffles with that. And I loved the last waffles I made so much I wanted to use that recipe as the base-but altered to be a bit healthier. Annnnd HOORAY-it worked!

These waffles taste hearty and chewy with just a hint of crunch and mmmm...they're just a great day to begin your day! Whether you top them with fruit, butter and syrup, or peanut butter.

I know that I've been eating them for breakfast every day for a week and I have 0 complaints :D

Chocolate Chunk Waffles with Banana and Almond Butter

Look-before we get to waffles. Can we just talk about my neuroses right now? I feel like there are these events in your life that you look forward to and that are built up to be a thing--namely 16th birthday, prom, and your wedding. For me--those were the 3 ultimate events. And on the previous 2 I ended up with nothing but a mess of disappointment. Not only did I not get a super cool 16th birthday party with like a d.j. or whatever (I had big hopes and dreams)...I got no birthday party at all. The friend who I entrusted with it (and who INSISTED she be the one to throw it)--ended up being "too busy" and flaked on it. Which I found out about when it was like...my birthday. (My best friend is still pissed that I didn't just let her throw it. SORRY ALEX!) And then prom..I mean I went to like 4 proms and all were kind of ok. Definitely not magical. And my senior prom in particular-my dress was blah and I went with my gay friend and ended up crying the whole time because I was still heartbroken about the guy I'd been dating and who I'd gone to prom with the previous year, thusly resulting in me getting hit with memories everywhere I looked. Not exactly a great night.

So...now it's all on the wedding. And I'm terrified. I know it won't be perfect but--I mean...I'd love for it to still be GOOD...like maybe even great...ya know? But I'm so scared something will happen (family drama, Michael being cranky, me getting my period--sorry TMI--...etc.) I've legitimately been having nightmares about being disappointed by my wedding for like...ever. At least as long as Michael and I have been together (so 5+ years). The good news is: most of my dream fears have already been 100% made impossible. But still. Ya know. Worries and such.

Do any of you guys know what I mean? And if you've had a wedding--any advice?

Enough about me being a crazy person.

Let's discuss waffles, shall we?

These were the 1st waffles I got to make in my brand new waffle maker that I got from one of my bridal showers. And ohhh they turned out beautifully! These waffles are thick and crisp on the outside while being delightfully chewy on the inside. There are decadent chunks of chocolate that you get the delightful surprise of biting into. They're simple to whip up (no beating egg whites or anything fancy like that) Annd...oh yeah...they are fairly healthyish (thanks to whole wheat, decreased sugar, etc.)!

And for an extra tasty and nutritious breakfast or snack---I topped these waffles with almond butter and banana slices. HEAVEN! I also broke leftovers into quarters, froze them, and then toasted them as needed. Which results in the best toaster waffles ever--and much healthier ones!

Michael ate his waffles with butter and syrup and loved them too. They were pretty much a hit all around. You should give 'em a try ;)

Multigrain Waffles/Pancakes

This recipe can also be known as "the one that finally made me throw my waffle iron out."

Hold on! Wait! Don't go! It's not the recipe's fault! My waffle iron was sort of broken for a bit and this is just when I realized "Oh hey....the top of the waffle iron isn't cooking at all." which was extremely frustrating because it took me quite a few waffles that ended up all messed up and in the garbage before I realized the problem wasn't on my end-that it was my waffle maker. I did manage to salvage 1 waffle so yay! We got some pictures! And with the remaining batter I just made some pancakes!

So yes...my waffle maker is now dead. BUT the good news is there's only a couple more months until my bridal showers where I will hopefully receive the one I registered for :D.

Anyway. On to this recipe. It is super hearty and full of good for you stuffs. I also folded in some whipped egg whites to make them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (which is much more noticeable when they are in waffle form).

The pancakes and waffles are chewy and tasty and pretty and this recipe makes a bunch so you can freeze whatever you don't eat and just pop into the toaster (or microwave or oven) when you're ready for a simple, healthy, breakfast!

Plus--you can totally play around with how you top them or what you add into them. As you probably know by now, I like to add chocolate chips and spread nut butter on top. Michael likes chopped apples and cinnamon in his pancakes, and he pretty much is always a fan of fruit and whipped cream on top of waffles--he's also a fan of the classic butter & syrup combo. How would you eat your pancakes or waffles?

Crispy {Healthier} Waffles

Those darned liege wafels make me want to eat Nutella on my waffles. All the time. It's irresistible. Especially now that I was able to go back to NY for a bit and have another taste of my beloved Wafels and Dinges. *Le sigh* I really need to redouble my efforts to recreate their waffles (maaaaybe after the wedding, though.)

Hey-you remember those "leggo my Eggo" commercials (heck...they may still have them on. Perhaps just on children's channels?) Anyway...toaster waffles. They're a thing but they've never really done it for me. However I have a hard time finding the time or energy to make myself a legit. breakfast in the morning. Usually I just grab something small and easy that is sitting around. If there's nothing healthy...then cookies happen.

Which I know is bad.

But-good news! I've learned that if I break waffles into fourths and freeze them I can then re-heat them in the toaster and eat them up in the morning time with very little fuss! And if you make your waffles fairly healthyish...it's a pretty good breakfast. (Yes...I realize...nutella does not a healthy breakfast make. Pretend I used almond butter.)

These waffles are great because they use whole wheat flour and coconut oil to make them a bit healthier plus they have rice cereal in them! Which is a unique and fun little spin that adds a bit of extra crispness.

(But...pssst....these waffles are still my favoritest.)

I love this new breakfast hack so much that I am much more motivated to occasionally make a bunch of waffles because I know that I'm going to be having some gooood breakfasts for a few days, at least! And I know little cheats like this will make my life easier when I-eventually-start having kiddos. 

Now I'm trying to thick of really healthy waffles I could try to make to feed my theoretical, down the road, children....yepp. Par for the course with my brain.

Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Chip Waffles

I'm oddly lazy in the morning when it comes to cooking. I mean like...I'm pretty good to go by 9. But since I wake up at 7, usually, that means me making a like...actual breakfast, doesn't happen often. I go to sleep the night before with great intentions to make something. Then I wake up and it's just like "Ughhh I don't wannaaaa." So, I was pretty proud of myself a few weeks ago when, one Sunday morning, I told Michael "I'm making a big breakfast! Waffles and eggs and bacon!"

And do you know how he responded? He snorted.
"That's funny that you think that's a big breakfast. When my mom would say she was making a big breakfast she made hash browns, an egg casserole, mini muffins, pancakes, sausage, bacon, the holy grail..."

Ok...so maybe he didn't say that last one. But the rest. How can I live up to that?! Aghhh

But anyway, I digress. We're here to talk waffles. Chocolate waffles. Double chocolate waffles. Cocoa powder + chocolate chips. Yes.

Oh and they're like...fairly good-ish for you. We've got whole wheat flour goin' and the darkness of the chocolates makes em like healthy n such and just a lil bit of heart healthy oils as fat.

Now...if you decide to top these waffles with ice cream and hot fudge...that's up to you.
You could also put fruit on top.

These waffles are just cool like that.

Pretty quick to whip up (you don't even need to whip egg whites like you do for my other waffle recipes), I was able to actually deliver on making these waffles that Sunday morning. I'm confident all you other busy (or lazy) peeps can do it too. They're thick and chewy, but crisp on the outside, and they really just taste...well..like chocolate waffles. 

So yeah. Nothing not to like about that.

Crisp and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles

WAFFLES!

WAFFLES!

WAAAAFFLES!

OK, I don't know who amongst you remembers All Dogs Go to Heaven--but there's this one scene where the little girl eats a bunch of waffles. And they look like the best waffles you've ever seen. 

These waffles blow those waffles out of the water. 

I'm for serious.

These waffles are not only pretty healthy (whole wheat flour and canola or coconut oil!)-but they are the best waffles I've ever had! The outsides are perfectly crisp and inside they are fluffy and wonderful. And, I threw some chocolate chips in mine because that's how I roll (Michael's were plain-he eats waffles like a normal person with butter and syrup. I eat mine with peanut butter on top).