EASY to make, healthy, and delicious peanut butter waffles with vegetables for the whole family! Made with simple ingredients and no added sugar, they're a great way to enjoy more protein, fat, and vegetables for breakfast or any time of the day.
I’ve been sharing a lot of pancake recipes and many of you have been requesting for baby-friendly waffle recipes as well so here’s my very first one to share with you!
Peanut butter waffles
I love adding peanut butter to our breakfast for so many reasons. Besides the fact that it’s so delicious, it’s such an easy way to add more protein, fat, and fiber.
Peanut butter is also one of the top allergens and it’s recommended to introduce it to your baby early and often to minimize the risk of developing a peanut allergy. That means you can and should introduce it as soon as your baby is ready to start solids.
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These waffles have the perfect texture, flavor, and fluffiness. Packed with simple, wholesome ingredients, they will nourish your baby and child and keep them full for longer than your typical waffles.
These aren’t too sweet so you can add either sweet or savory toppings to pack in even more nutrition with every bite.
Same goes for these pumpkin baby waffles!
And i f you don't even want to bother making the waffle batter, you MUST try these croffles!
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour - I used regular version but if you want the flavor to be milder, feel free to use white whole wheat flour, which is still 100% whole grain
Rolled Oats - I personally love the texture and heartiness it brings to any baked good. It also thickens the batter, resulting in waffles that are soft on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside.
Smooth peanut butter - Do not use crunch peanut butter for this. In addition to boosting nutrition, it adds a hearty, nutty flavor. Feel free to substitute with any nut butter of choice or sunflower seed butter if there's an allergy.
Banana - you can control the level of sweetness by its ripeness. And if you're afraid to offer banana because you think it makes your baby constipated, read this!
Eggs - use room temperature - you'll end up with lighter, fluffier waffles!
Milk - be sure to use whole fat milk as our babies and kids need fat for optimal brain development. If there's an allergy, here are my top two non-dairy alternatives.
Carrots and zucchini - be sure to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Feel free to do all carrots or all zucchini if that’s easier. While you're at it, grate extra and make these zucchini carrot avocado muffins!
Waffle Maker
The one we have is a Belgian waffle maker, and we absolutely love it!
As you can see in the images, the waffles are thicker and larger than standard waffles because the waffle iron has deeper grids. The ability to flip the waffles over is also an awesome feature as it helps create fluffy and evenly browned waffles.
I had a friend try this recipe out using her regular waffle maker and she said the waffles turned out perfectly light and fluffy!
The husband is the master waffle maker around here as I don't want to learn how to use yet another gadget. And he finds it therapeutic so a win-win! Apparently waffles cook faster in a regular waffle maker than in a Belgian waffle maker so definitely bake according to your manufacturer's instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients to ensure the baking soda and powder gets mixed in evenly.
In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Let the waffle batter sit for 10 minutes.
Add to preheated waffle iron and bake - using about ½ cup of the batter per waffle.
Expert tips (Be sure to read!)
- Be sure to squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can from the zucchini and carrots by using a dish towel or cheesecloth.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients really well separately to ensure that the waffles rise evenly.
- Do NOT overmix the batter or you’ll end up with tough rather than light and fluffy waffles.
- Let batter sit for 10 minutes or so to make sure the flour and oats soak up the liquid making the batter thicken. This will also allow the gluten to expand a little, resulting in a more tender texture.
- Be sure to preheat your waffle maker. If you don’t, the exterior won’t crisp up properly.
- Due to the variations of waffle makers (e.g. models, sizes, etc) on the maker, each waffle maker will vary in how long it takes for the waffles to cook through. So bake according to your manufacturer's instructions.
- Don't stack the waffles on top of each other as you wait for them all to be made. The heat and steam from them will cause the waffles to get too soft. If you wish, you can keep them warm in the oven while you wait for the rest to finish cooking.
- These waffles are great to make ahead and enjoy on mornings when you’re short on time (when are we not, right?) and need something quick, easy, and healthy.
How to serve to babies and kids
6-8 months: (pictured: waffles with mashed avocado and yogurt, raspberries, omelette strip). Bigger the better at this age so either quarter or cut into strips so your baby can grab with their palm.
9-12 months: You can cut into bite-sized pieces or serve large pieces so your baby can practice taking bites.
Favorite toppings:
Again, these waffles are not very sweet so feel free to make every bite count by topping with either sweet or savory ingredients, like avocado, yogurt, cheese, vegetables, fruit, peanut/tree nut or seed butter, dips, mashed beans, lentils, etc. So many options!
By the way, this plate is AMAZING! It’s so spacious, allowing plenty of room for small hands to explore, and the suction is so powerful! My baby has not once been able to remove it from the table.
For toddlers, here's a fun idea - DIY waffle bar ;). Serve the waffle alongside various toppings and see what fun combinations they come up with.
Freezing and Reheating Tips
Let waffles cool completely in a wire rack after cooking. Then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze, lay them on a cookie sheet and flash freeze. This allows you to easily remove from the freezer one at a time. Check out my "how to safely store leftovers" post for details!
When ready to heat, pop them into the toaster or toaster oven. You can also place in the microwave for 1 minute per waffle - won’t be as crispy but still tasty. These can also be enjoyed cold, making it perfect for your child's lunch box.
Other kid-friendly peanut butter recipes
- Microwave egg oatmeals
- Chia puddings
- Beetroot dip with chickpeas
- 3 ingredient banana cookies
- Beetroot muffins
- Vegan African peanut stew
- Instant Pot Peanut Chicken and Broccoli
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Vegetable Waffles with Peanut Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (235g) whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup (25g) rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (120g) mashed ripe banana
- ⅓ cup (75g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 medium eggs lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups whole fat milk
- ½ cup shredded carrots (50g measured before squeezing)
- ½ cup shredded zucchini (60g measured before squeezing )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to keep waffles warm.
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Be sure to squeeze dry the zucchini and carrots before adding.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients together. Be careful not to over mix. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes or so.
- Preheat waffle iron. Grease by brushing or spraying with oil. Pour in ½ cup batter and cook according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown.
- If desired, place the waffles on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you finish cooking the rest of the batter.
Notes
- Be sure to squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can from the zucchini and carrots by using a dish towel or cheesecloth.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients really well separately to ensure that the waffles rise evenly.
- Do NOT overmix the batter or you’ll end up with tough rather than light and fluffy waffles.
- Let batter sit for 10 minutes or so to make sure the flour and oats soak up the liquid making the batter thicken. This will also allow the gluten to expand a little, resulting in a more tender texture.
- Be sure to preheat your waffle maker. If you don’t, the exterior won’t crisp up properly.
- Due to the variations of waffle makers (e.g. models, sizes, etc) on the maker, each waffle maker will vary in how long it takes for the waffles to cook through. So bake according to your manufacturer's instructions.
- Don't stack the waffles on top of each other as you wait for them all to be made. The heat and steam from them will cause the waffles to get too soft. If you wish, you can keep them warm in the oven while you wait for the rest to finish cooking.
Nutrition
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Iris says
Thank you for always posting recipes that are easy to do! It’s great that this recipe has veggies in it, it’s rare to find breakfast recipes that include vegs in it (besides muffins). This was a hit with my toddlers, we used wholemeal spelt flour. I’m from Australia, I believe whole wheat flour is the same as wholemeal flour here. Thanks for putting in the metric measurements too!
Min says
Hi Iris! I'm so glad these waffles were a hit! You should try my veggie french toast, savory baked oatmeal, or zucchini baked quinoa next ;). A delicious way to get more veggies first thing in the morning
Fiona says
These are exactly what I was looking for! My almost 2 year-old loves waffles, so I’m happy to expose her to more veggies in a form that I know she’ll eat. They’re easy to make and I’ve frozen most of them for later. So handy!
Min says
I'm so glad!! What are other foods she likes to eat? I will try to come up with a veggie-loaded version too 😉
Betty says
Can we use any other veggies too, like broccoli? Thanks!
Min says
You bet!
Nikki says
my kids both baby and toddler love this waffles! i always made more and freeze them, its so convenient and healthy.
thank you Min
Min says
Most definitely a freezer staple for us too! Thanks for sharing, mama!
MMG says
Whole wheat flour alternative?
Min says
All purpose, white whole wheat, spelt, etc..all will work. Not sure about GF flours like almond, but 1:1 GF flour should be fine.
Bonny says
My 15mth old love these. He eats one almost everyday.
Min says
Aww we just made a batch today too to replenish our freezer stash!
Melinda says
These were easy and healthy! I used applesauce instead of banana. My baby actually didn't really take to them, but I think she just wasn't hungry haha. I enjoyed them with some syrup, and there's a bunch in the freezer for another day.
Jenny says
Baby is allergic to banana. What would you substitute?
Min says
I would try unsweetened applesauce
FABIANE says
what a delicious recipe.
I had only half of the banana necessary available and it was frozen so after defrosting and taking as much liquid as possible I add half apple sauce. To compensate for the extra liquid I did only 1 1/4 cups of milk. It came out perfect. I got 16 individual waffles
Min says
Amazing! Thank you for sharing this!
Katrina says
So excited to try these! How many bananas do I need for a 1/2 cup of mash? And do you think they’d work as pancakes? I don’t have a waffle iron.
Min says
Hi! About 1 medium banana! I personally haven't tried but many people have shared that they turned out great as pancakes!
RC says
What could I substitute for bananas in this recipe? My LO is allergic to bananas. We love the pumpkin waffles and can’t wait to try this one too!
Min says
I would try unsweetened applesauce. Let me know how they turn out!
Xinjie says
I've tried this recipe and it totally changed my view of wheat flour! First time trying wheat flour for waffles and it tastes great! My Kid loves the waffles too! 🙂
Min says
So glad!
Toni says
Hi Min, these were great! First waffles I’ve made with veggies. I was so excited to find your recipe but a little nervous my 4yr old wouldn’t like them (she doesn’t eat carrots). I used 1c carrots as I didn’t have zucchini. I also used frozen (thawed) bananas. I thought there was too much liquid for the dry but after waiting 10 mins the batter was perfect! I am thrilled to say my daughter loved them & this is my new go to waffle recipe! Just make sure to fully oil the waffle maker, my first batch stuck. Thank you for sharing your creation with us. I’m now following on IG looking for future inspiration. Cheers
Min says
So so glad to hear these were a hit!! Thanks for taking the time to share your win with me 😉
Megan says
Hi Min!
Very excited to try this recipe. What waffle iron do you use? We are looking to replace ours.
Thanks!
Megan
Min says
Hi Megan, it's mentioned in the post under "waffle maker"
Joanne says
What do you think I can substitute with if the little guy is allergic to all nuts and seeds please?
Min says
I know sounds weird but try with beans like chickpeas or cannellini. You may be able to leave out completely as well