Low Carb Protein Waffles
Low Carb Protein Waffles that are so easy to make, contain very few ingredients and actually taste delicious.
I reeeeeeally like the sound of that! In fact, I’ve been enjoying a waffle daily on repeat all summer long!
Waffles are seriously my favorite breakfast food ever. And if I had to choose between waffles and pancakes… is that even a choice? Waffles are #1 in my book- they require no flipping and then you’ve got those nooks and crannies that perfectly hold sweet drops of maple syrup. There’s just no comparison.
Ingredients For Making The Best Protein Waffles
This recipe could not be easier and you literally only really need 5 ingredients. There are a few additional mix-ins that can take your waffle to the next level, but I typically only use these 5 essentials. This is a similar waffle iron that I use. However, mine does not have the capability to adjust the temperature.
COOKING SPRAY – This is VERY important. Because of the ingredients that make up this protein waffle, you’ll find that it tends to stick to the waffle iron unless you use plenty of cooking spray. I don’t recommend using an all natural olive oil or coconut oil spray, though. To REALLY keep the waffle from sticking your cooking spray should contain soy lecithin. Most contain it and I know it’s not the best, but it works.
PROTEIN POWDER – Another important ingredient and it DOES matter what brand of protein powder you use. Many brands I’ve tried make these waffles dry or too crispy. Tone It Up Protein Powder is a great brand to use for a protein waffle that’s fluffy and tasty! More recently, I’ve been using a mix of half Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes mix and protein powder. The dark chocolate and almond poppy seed are my favorite flavors. This is the protein powder I’ve been mixing with the Kodiak Cakes. I love the snickerdoodle flavor and the texture of the waffle turns out great.
PUMPKIN PURÉE – This helps give your waffle that fluffy and not too crispy texture. You can also use mashed banana, but I really like pumpkin. It’s lower in calories and carbs and doesn’t have too much taste. I just keep a can in my fridge and measure out what I need each morning. Since I use so much, I buy this canned pumpkin from Amazon.
CARTON EGG WHITES – I purchase my egg whites from Costco, but you can use any brand. They’re all basically the same. You could also use egg whites from an actual egg, but it seems a little wasteful for how often I make these waffles.
WATER – I honestly never measure this. I just add water until my batter is at the preferred consistency. It works best if the batter is pourable, but also not super liquidy.
Because research shows that starting your day with a high-protein breakfast can aid weight loss and boost energy, I start my day with one waffle, a drizzle of my homemade maple cinnamon almond butter, another drizzle of Walden Farms Pancake Syrup and a handful of blueberries (or another fresh fruit). It’s the perfect pre-workout meal- it satisfies my hunger and that pesky sweet tooth. I promise, these Low Carb Protein Waffles will leave you feeling worlds better than the typical high-sugar waffle (or pancake) breakfast. And if you’re trying to eat low carb, you may enjoy my skinny egg white omelet as a second or even third meal.
How To Make Protein Waffles
I measure all of my ingredients in grams, on a food scale. This isn’t necessary unless you’re counting your macros or simply want your measurements to be exact.
- Start with a scoop of protein powder, 1/4 cup or about 60ish grams egg whites, 1-2 tablespoons or about 20 grams pumpkin purée (or mashed banana). I like to add a dash of cinnamon to the mix and you can also add a splash of vanilla and about 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Pro tip: If you’re using half Kodiak Cakes and half protein powder, use about 20 grams of each (or 1/8 cup of each) and keep the other ingredients the same.
- Stir all of these ingredients, gradually adding in a bit of water 1 tablespoon at a time until the batter can be poured onto the waffle iron, but is still fairly thick.
- Once your waffle iron is heated, spray it well with the cooking spray. Then, pour batter onto the waffle iron. Use a spoon to spread the batter over the surface of the waffle iron.
- Close the waffle iron and let the waffle cook. My waffle iron automatically sounds an alarm when the waffle is finished cooking, after about 5 minutes.
- Remove waffle and serve with any favorite toppings.
This recipe is gluten free, low carb, contains no processed sugar and is made with Tone It Up Protein Powder (affiliate link). It’s my favorite plant-based protein powder and works so well to make irresistible protein waffles. Or half Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes mix and half PEScience protein powder. This post is not sponsored, but I’ve found these protein powders (and pancake mix) works best for this recipe. Not all protein powder will work the same. If this recipe doesn’t work quite right for you, it’s probably because you used a different type of protein powder. I absolutely love how this recipe is so simple, easy and healthy, but the best part is how out-of-this world delicious it is!
Enjoy Other Favorite High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
High Protein Zucchini Pancakes
Blueberry Banana Power Muffins
Banana Chocolate Chip Power Cakes
Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
If you try this yummy waffle recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking up! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Low Carb Protein Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 scoop (about 23g) protein powder* (or use half protein powder and half Kodiak Cakes mix, about 20 grams or 1/8 cup of each)
- 1/4 cup egg whites from a carton + 2-3 tablespoons or more of water for a thinner consistency
- 1-2 tablespoons (about 20 grams) mashed banana or pumpkin purée from a can
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional- I typically leave this out.)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I typically leave this out.)
- Optional for serving: maple syrup, almond butter, Walden Farms calorie free pancake syrup and/or fresh fruit
Instructions
- Heat waffle iron.
- Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl, until batter is free from most clumps. Add as much water as needed to get a waffle batter consistency. The batter should be pourable, but not super thin.
- Once waffle iron is heated, spray top and bottom of iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter over bottom of the iron. Natural non-stick cooking sprays do not work well in this recipe because this waffle tends to stick easily. Use the back of your spoon to spread the batter evenly over the iron.
- When waffle iron goes off, transfer waffle to a plate and top with your favorites. Serve immediately or store in a covered container to reheat and enjoy later.
Notes
-Nutritional information is calculated with Tone It Up protein powder, 22g Simple Truth canned pumpkin purée and Simple Truth brand carton egg whites with no additional toppings.
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Recipe originally published July 2016 and updated June 2021.
SIGN THIS GIRL UPPPPP!! YUM!
Oh my, these look incredible! Definitely need to try them. I can’t imagine how they’ll taste from these ingredients. Are they fluffy? And the amount above is on one portion or one waffle (I’ve never had waffles so I don’t know how many to make :D) thanks for reply!
Thank you! They do come out fluffy. They do not have that crisp outside, like a normal waffle, though. The amount in the recipe is for one serving, which is one large waffle. I have a large waffle maker, but if you have a smaller waffle maker, you may be able to get more than one waffle.
I used maple extract to give it more of a waffle tast I was pleasantly surprised
Hi, I want to try this recipe asap, it looks great! I don’t have a waffle iron. Do you think this could work as a pancake? Thanks!
Yes, I always interchange my waffle and pancake recipes. Just make sure to cook at a lower heat and for longer. I would also make sure when you spoon the batter out, use the back of the spoon to thin it out in a circle shape. If it’s too thick, it may not cook properly in the center. Enjoy!
ITS amazing
I made this but it’s really dry? Any ideas? I have to take a drink of water with every bite lol
It’s probably definitely the type of protein powder that you used. I’ve experienced with lots of types and Tone It Up by far has the best texture. Nuzest works great too. IdealLean was definitely too dry. I order Tone It Up from Target, but you can also pick it up in store.
Tried to make this recipe twice now and can not get it to work. 😩
It’s more than likely either the protein powder you’re using or the nonstick spray. What problem are you having and I’ll try to help? I make this recipe at least once a week, so I know we can get it to work for you!
I am so excited to find this recipe, because I love waffles, but am always on a diet. This finally gives me an excuse to buy my very own waffle iron. God-bye Eggos.
I hope you enjoy! It’s a favorite recipe of mine that I make all of the time. I will tell you, the quality of waffle is going to be dependent upon the protein powder that you use. I would grab the tone it up brand from Target… I have it delivered to me monthly.
I made this with !st Phorm’s Level 1 Vanilla Protein and they turned out amazing! I was surprised they were even crispy on the outside, will definitely be making these again!
That’s so great to know of another protein powder that works great with this recipe! Thanks so much for your feedback!
How well do these freeze! I love them and was wondering if I could pre- make these and freeze them?
I’m so glad you’re loving them! I personally haven’t frozen them, but I think it would work just fine. I would reheat in a toaster oven for a few minutes. Let us know how it works for you!
Hi, have you tried it with quest protein powder?
I have not, but I’ve tried Quest before in other recipes with good success. If you’re able to make pancakes using Quest, I would say it would probably work for waffles. Just be sure to spray your waffle iron really well and use a cooking spray like pam (one with a soy additive) rather than an all natural cooking spray.
Hi! I’m super exited to try this recipe! I’m on a super strict diet that doesn’t allow me to eat bananas or the pumpkin pie, is there anything else I can substitute them with or will it work just the same if I don’t use them?
Maybe applesauce or yogurt, but I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried these substitutions. Good luck!
Do you think I could use two whole eggs into the egg whites?
I’m sure that will work great… might actually even turn out better. I would use one beaten egg.
Can I use whole eggs instead of just writes?
I’m sure that will work great… might actually even turn out better. I would use one beaten egg.
Hi, I tried it with quest and it’s super dry do you have any suggestions? I used a canola oil spray and sprayed the waffle maker really well.
Also I used one egg instead of egg whites because I thought it would help make it more moist and bind better
It must be the protein powder. That’s what happens when I tried IdealLean protein. If you want to give it another try, try Tone It Up http://bit.ly/2T8ijra
I made this today with vanilla Tone It Up and they came out great! Thank you so much. I’m going to try chocolate flavor next time ☺️
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the waffles! Love using the chocolate too, but right now I’m on a peanut butter kick!
Tastes amazing but overflows in my waffle makes even following the directions…. what kind of waffle maker do you use?
I have a Belgium waffle maker, so it’s pretty large. You might try making two waffles, if yours is a little on the smaller side.
These are awesome! I multiplied the recipe x4 and it made 15 waffles on my mini dash waffle maker. Perfect for sticking in the freezer for the week! They are definitely fluffier when fresh, but delicious toasted up during the week too.
Love it! Making a bunch ahead of time definitely makes mornings less hectic. Thanks so much for your comment!
So, are these Belgian waffles? If not, do you reckon it would be possible to make Belgian waffles from this recipe? It’s just I recently ordered a Belgian waffle iron and I’m curious to try it… 🙂
That will work perfectly. That’s what I use. Just add enough water to the protein/pumpkin/egg white mixture to make the batter pourable, but not overly thin and still thick. Then I used my spoon to spread the batter out over the waffle maker. Enjoy!
Why is there so much sodium in 1 waffle?
It’s from the protein powder.
Looks like you can’t find that protein powder anymore and I’m afraid of buying something else and it not working 🙁 Have you tried any others?
All Tone It Up protein works really well, but I like the peanut butter best. You can grab it here https://my.toneitup.com/collections/protein-powder/products/plant-based-peanut-butter-protein-powder or from Target, this is another favorite https://bit.ly/3g8ryQ4 or https://bit.ly/2XfWrJO
Can you substitute the protein powder for something else?
I haven’t ever tried anything else, so I can’t say for sure, but you could try oat flour, regular flour or almond flour. I also have this waffle recipe that doesn’t use protein powder.
This recipe is so great, thank you for all the recommendations! I’ve been eating protein waffles from https://shop.kodiakcakes.com/collections/toaster-waffles-flapjacks, but i’ve been looking for something with fewer carbs. I think i just need to buy a waffle iron now haha. Can’t wait to try!
Let me know what you think!
I feed my son these for breakfast several times a week. Great way to start his day. I’ve used both pumpkin and bananas. He loves them and eats them plain without syrup.
Love hearing that! Thanks so much for your comment!
I made this with 2T of cooked yam, topped with bosc pear and cinnamon-so desish!
Yay! So happy to hear!
Does this only make one waffle ?
yes
These came out so good and fluffy too! 👏🏼 I used my Quest vanilla milkshake powder and pumpkin purée I wasn’t sure how it would go based off other lightened up recipes I’ve tried but after seeing them fluff up and have that nice crisp too I was excited to try them! Thank you so much for a indulgent low carb way to enjoy one of my favorite foods 😊
Yay! So happy to hear that you enjoyed and thanks so much for sharing your feedback and that these worked well with the Quest protein.
I made this for breakfast using unsweetened applesauce instead of the banana or pumpkin. It was really good! Topped it with blueberries.
Happy to hear you enjoyed! And thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
It was so good!
So happy you enjoyed!
This works well with SunWarrior protein powder. They are amazingly good! I like to prep them ahead for busy days.
Definitely make sure your iron is well-sprayed and that there is no steam coming from your iron before you open it (rather than trusting the light for doneness!)
My new favorite breakfast 🙂
Super happy they worked great for you!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. I tried protein powder after my nutritionist suggested adding it to my diet and I found it utterly disgusting in smoothies. In this recipe it doesn’t have a prominent taste at all and with my favourite toppings its become a yummy quick breakfast. Thanks again.
That makes me so happy that you enjoy these!