Healthy whole wheat waffles that are MAGICALLY thick, fluffy, and perfectly crisp. Spiked with a touch of espresso, bourbon, vanilla, and warm spices for the ultimate flavor, and topped with drippy maple almond butter sauce and melty chocolate chips.
Today is the last day of our Irma-cation, which has gone on for 6? days now (I’ve lost count), including days off to prepare and recover from the storm. For any of you in heavily affected areas, you and your homes are in my thoughts and prayers. For Gainesville, though, thankfully the damage was not nearly as severe as anticipated, and I didn’t even lose power, YAY! (This was a huge relief, but I have to admit a little anti-climactic because I was so prepared with my flashlights, new Yeti cooler, and prepped meals…oh well.)
While enjoying my power, I broke out the waffle maker and had my absolute FAVORITE (to date) waffles, a variation of my Fluffy Whole Grain Waffle recipe. While the waffle recipe is essentially the same, this bourbon-espresso-maple almond butter version is SO GOOD that I thought it deserved its own page. With its own pictures. And title. And maybe a golden throne and jeweled crown.
These waffles get their insanely thick, soft, and fluffy texture from white whole wheat flour (100% whole grain yet not dense), cornstarch (just trust me), baking power, applesauce, a touch of avocado oil, and the magical secret: egg white beaten all the way to soft peaks.
Yep, mix everything else first, then fold that voluminous, frothy egg white into the batter just before pouring into the waffle-maker. This one little extra step makes all the difference for achieving ULTIMATE fluffiness. Use an electric hand mixer with just one whisk attachment and a small bowl, and the hassle is nothing. It’s 100% worth it.
But wait, we want them to be crispy, too, right? Absolutely yes yes yes. These crisp up beautifully on the outside for the perfect overall texture. A problem you have probably run into with waffles, though, is keeping them crispy over that short interval before actually eating them.
The solution: Transfer crispy waffles to a wire rack (or grates of an oven/toaster oven), NOT directly to a plate (condensation on the plate will take the crispiness away in seconds.) Then, if you’re really about it (I AM), go ahead and toast the waffle for a couple minutes directly on the rack of the toaster oven. I know it may seem a little excessive after just making them in the waffle maker, but it works. Ultimate crispness and fluffiness will not just be the view looking into the waffle maker, but will make it all the way to your mouth.
Finally, we need to talk about the flavor going on here–the reason these waffles are getting their own spotlight. Just a small pinch of espresso powder and the tiniest splash of bourbon, combined with other waffle flavorings–vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a little sweetener–take these waffles over the moon.
And that maple almond butter sauce, though. I know I’ve posted about it several (dozen?) times, but for good reason…it’s LIFE-CHANGING. Maple almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon heated and mixed into a gorgeous drippy sauce, and ready in SECONDS. No joke. Go make it NOW.
Finally, chocolate chips are optional, but are they really though?
- 76g white whole wheat flour*
- 10g cornstarch
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 packets monk fruit sweetener**
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 6 Tbsp 1% milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp bourbon
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tsp Justin's Maple Almond Butter***
- 4 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch cinnamon
- 10g mini dark chocolate chips
- Mix flour through espresso powder (dry ingredients) until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the applesauce, avocado oil, milk, vanilla, and bourbon.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined.
- Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.
- Preheat waffle iron and cook waffles as directed, until crisp. (The batter will make 2 large round waffles.) To keep the waffles warm and crisp, place directly on the rack of a toaster oven and toast 1-2 minutes before serving.
- To make the maple almond butter sauce, combine the almond butter***, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 10-15 seconds, then stir until a smooth sauce forms. Pour over waffles. Top with chocolate chips.
- *About 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (although I recommend using a scale for the best results)
- **Or any equivalent to ~3-4 tsp sugar
- ***I have not tried other almond butter varieties/brands with this sauce. Justin's Maple melts particularly well and is ideal for this recipe. Let me know if you try a different brand how it turns out.