When I told my 10-year-old I was going to call these Fluffy Applesauce Waffles she said “I think you should name them Best. Waffles. Ever!” So, I think that’s a pretty good sign she liked them. :)
I hope your kids dig them as much as mine do!
For this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. The lighter texture of this flour really made these waffles light and fluffy and was honestly a perfect combination with the cinnamon and applesauce. And that’s because whole wheat pastry flour is milled from soft white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour is milled from hard red wheat.
This flour is a great way to make really tender baked goods – I’ll definitely be using it again soon just to switch things up!
(PS – This is part of my baking series this fall …check out the first post here.) 
My 10-year-old separating the eggs and “folding in” her fluffy egg whites! She loves this job.
Fluffy Applesauce Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 3 eggs separated
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Make a well (hole) in the center and drop in the milk, melted butter, applesauce, and egg yolks. Mix together until well combined and set aside.
- Meanwhile use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until fluffy and forming stiff peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter – do not overmix. Follow manufacturers instructions with your waffle iron to make the batter into waffles. Enjoy!
What is the best way to freeze the waffles?
We simply put them in an air-tight plastic bag and they are fine. – Nicole
I tried these waffles tonight and they were delicious!!! Yum!!! I only had King Arthur white whole wheat flour instead of the whole wheat pastry flour but they were nice and fluffy and so good. Thank you Lisa!!!
Will almond milk work in place of milk? Thanks!
Hi. I use almond or coconut milk for most of Lisa’s recipes.
Fantastic! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank for your post!
By far the best waffle recipe I have tried.
Hi about how many waffles does this make in a regular size waffle iron???
Hi. I usually get 10-12. :)
Wow, that’s what I was exploring for, what a information!
existing here at this webpage, thanks admin of this web page.
I don’t have a waffle iron. Would this recipe work for pancakes?
Yes, I just made them as pancakes this morning. They are very fluffy :)
Wonderful but substituted buttermilk for milk, used a mixture of nutmeg, ginger, mace and cinnamon and used unbleched flour.
I am looking for a good recipe for potato waffles. Any help appreciated
Hello. Sorry, that is not one we have.
My granddaughter is Celiac – do you have a recommended substitute for the wwflour?
Hi there. You can try a whole grain gluten free blend.
Do you think these would freeze well?
Absolutely!
These are amazing! Do you have a recommendation on what to replace our tubs of margarine with? Unsalted sticks of real butter are way too hard to spread but I definitely want to stop buying the fake stuff! Thanks!
Hi. Try an organic whipped butter.
I keep a stick of butter on the counter so it’s spreadable. Plus it’s cheaper than a tub.
Me too! 1/2 stick usually though
Kerrygold butter in the tubs is great. Pastured butter and softer texture..
I got tired of buying whipped butter for spreading and the sticks, so I now just leave a stick of butter on the counter in a covered dish. I’ve been doing this for over a year now & have never had a problem with it spoiling, even in the summer. We do go through it pretty quickly though. I should mention that I buy the salted butter, so that may help it keep longer.
You can buy a butter crock. You place 1/3 cold of cold water in the bottom and change it every 2-3 days. It keeps your butter warm enough to spread but cold enough to not spoil. They’re about $10 give or take from amazon.com depending on the price cycling that day/time.
I agree with the butter crock. I love mine! You can find it on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MSCY3BD/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521693268&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=butter+crock&dpPl=1&dpID=41fJCPCXV4L&ref=plSrch
what suggestion to you have for GF ? I know the flour ratios are different sometimes
Can these be made into pancakes?
Hi. This might help: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/5948/pancakes-and-waffles-what039s-difference.
I can’t wait to make these! How would you freeze & store them?
Hi. Let them cool completely and then put them in an airtight container or bag. I’ve kept mine frozen for up to three months.
I always put wax paper between each waffle or pancake that I freeze. If I don’t they freeze together and sometimes break trying to pull apart. Love this recipe btw!
These are by far the best waffles I have ever made. They have become a regular for Sunday mornings. Mmmmmmmmm
My family made these again for breakfast this morning! We love them! They are delicious. Thank you for another great, easy and healthy recipe!
Excellent. Fluffy and tasty- However, the first batch stuck to my waffle maker like no-ones business. Added 3 tablespoons oil. Then the results were very good. Could really smell the cinnamon and the applesauce. Yum. Might add a touch of sugar next time and even more cinnamon.
We tried the Whole Wheat Waffle recipe posted earlier, and we didn’t like it. It was too dense and bitter-tasting. But this recipe is amazing! They are light, fluffy, and delicious! My whole family begged for more! This recipe is a definite keeper!
These are delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and made a double batch. We froze a bunch and they are great as a quick breakfast on the go.
I should mention, I only had regular whole grain whole wheat flour from our local mill, so that’s what I used. I can’t find whole wheat pastry flour in my city.
My daughter (age 16) and I made these waffles this morning using leftover applesauce (from your recipe). We have recently been working on making the transition to real food. We are not accustomed to eating whole grain so we were slightly suspicious of these. :) However we loved them! They are indeed light, fluffy, and yummy. We were surprised how sweet they are.
I think using whole wheat pastry flour makes a definite difference. We can’t wait to try it for a muffin recipe next. Thanks, Lisa!
These are good, my family loves when I add pecan or walnut pieces before closing the lid to cook! Yum!
I’ve been making your regular waffles for a while now, my kids love them. They’re requesting breakfast for dinner tonight, so I’m excited to try these! We pretty much live off of your recipes, I can’t wait for your second book to come out
Wow! Made these last night for wife and 4 kids (one of my 3 kids had a friend over). Judging by the fact every piece was eaten, these were a huge hit! Nice flavor, and a perfect texture. The friend even said I should open a restaurant! Thank you for all the awesome recipes. I’ve tried many and most are a hit.
I’ve been making your regular whole wheat waffles for a year or two and always loved them… But these totally out do them:) soo good!
What a great way to add more ‘real foods’ to any families meals! Appreciate your simple recipes that make it possible for us ALL to succeed! I’ve taken your waffle recipe a step further and made my own applesauce!
We loved these waffles. We struggled a little bit with our Belgian waffle maker and ended up turning the setting pretty high than what we normally do because they wouldn’t stay together. Once we figured that part out, they were a huge hit!! I still ate the destroyed ones :)
Anything with Cinnamon and Applesauce is already yummy! Love the pictures of your daughter in the kitchen.
Love the idea! Unfortunately, waffles have been out of our rotation since I got rid of our teflon coated waffle iron:( Any suggestions on where to find a non-toxic waffle iron??? We miss waffles dearly!!!
I made them into pancakes successfully.
I just got a Chefman ceramic coated waffle maker from Kohls, it was on Black Friday sale for $30 and is $35 now. I am not sure how well it works since I have not tried it. I also do not know if ceramic coating is any better than teflon.
These look wonderful! Can anyone suggest how I might substitute the 3 eggs for an egg-free version. These look SO yummy but we just found out my son is allergic to eggs (a huge pain, but thankful to finally know why he was always sick!). I already sub regular milk for almond milk (allergic to milk too) but the egg is tricky. Is the egg to help bind it together? Or help rise/make fluffy? Thanks, Lisa! I always LOVE the work you do. You’ve helped my family more than you’ll ever know. :)
Summer, you can try using a “flax egg.” Lots of recipes online for how to do this. Or “Chia eggs.” Basic recipe is 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds and 2.5-3 tablespoons water. Set aside for 15 min. to gel.
I made these last weekend and they were a HUGE hit with the kids. I cook from your website/cookbook for almost all of our meals and really appreciate all of your healthy (but practical) and delicious recipes. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I was curious how you feel about using nonstick cookwear? I no longer use any pots or pans with teflon and gave up on the idea of making waffles at home because I can’t find a waffle iron without it.
Jill
Hi Jill. You can find waffle irons with the ceramic non-stick coating.
Thanks Amy! I have never seen these and am so excited to get one. Do you happen to own one?
Nope but I have seen them. :)
What is the benefit to separating the eggs and adding the yolks and then the beaten whites?
When folded in gently, the beaten egg whites make the waffles incredibly light and fluffy. It is definitely worth this added step!
Do these waffles freeze well? Thinking of making a big batch and freezing to make school morning breakfasts quicker and easier!
I always double the batch and freeze the extra
We make waffles for dinner sometimes and my kids love them! We usually make your banana waffle/pancake recipe, but will have to try this one. Especially since I just canned a bunch of applesauce.
Any one have a suggestions for a gf flour option, my son is gluten and dairy free and I can sub earths balance for the butter but am not sure about the flour.
Hi there. You can use a gluten free whole grain blend. I like Bob’s Red Mill.
What do you use to keep the waffles from sticking the waffle iron? I don’t use mine often because of this problem. Thanks!
We buy coconut oil spray from Trader Joe’s. It works great and with the spray you don’t use enough to make it taste like coconut.
Thanks!
This sounds good, we were going to have breakfast for dinner tonight, so I think we will try this! Separating the eggs works really well. Also, a tip: turn the oven to 200 and when each waffle is done cooking, place it directly on the oven rack. It keeps it crisp and warm while the others cook and then everyone can eat at the same time!
how many waffles does this make? it would be helpful to know serving amounts on your recipes so I can figure out if i need to double for our larger family. thanks! (unless i am totally overlooking it and it’s already listed) I love your recipes.
I also would really love serving size on the recipes. We are a family of 6 and we typically need to make a little more than the average recipe calls for!
This is interesting I will have to try it. My son is allergic to eggs so in all your recipes I have been subbing applesauce for eggs, 1/4 for each, and everything has been coming out amazing!
Thanks for the tip! We have an egg allergy here, too, and it’s so challenging to bake without eggs (and also without flax as it’s usually nut-contaminated). I’ll give this a try.
I don’t have a waffle maker. Can this recipe be used to make pancakes instead of waffles?
It should work fine!
You can get them really cheap on black friday. I got mine at Macy’s, and it was like $20 and a $12 mail-in rebate, so $8 at the end and i’ve been using it for 2 years no issues.
I made these for Sunday breakfast and they were great! I used some leftover homemade applesauce and Trader Joe’s white whole wheat flour and then topped with more applesauce. I got 11 waffles from my Belgian style waffle maker.
How many waffles does this recipe make? I have a family of 6 and they love waffles so I want to be sure this will make enough, if not I will double it. Thanks. :)
I got 11 in a Belgian style waffle maker so you’d probably get a couple more from a traditional type.
Made these this morning. They are a huge hit with my hubby. :-)
Yay for fluffy waffles with healthy ingredients! These couldn’t be more perfect :)
I made these for breakfast this morning, and they were excellent! Thank you, Lisa, for a recipe we’ll enjoy for years to come!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I literally just made these, my new favorite!! They were so good, perfect!! I’ve tried so many and these hit it spot on!
Yay I’m so glad!
Could you substitute the applesauce for pumpkin?
Hi Nicole. That should work, too.
Looks fantastic. I may try these with a flaxseed substitute as well. Thanks for sharing!
http://bit.ly/1OWFie5
I don’t have a waffle iron, would I be able to make these into pancakes instead of waffles?
Hi Bridget. You could cook this recipe as pancakes or here is one of Lisa’s pancake recipes: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/21/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-pancakes-freeze-the-leftovers/.
What waffle iron do you recommend? I’d like to invest in one and would love any advice!
I have a Cuisinart Griddler with waffle plates. It was the only “waffle maker” I could find with removable plates for easier clean up. It is also a griddle and a panini press. It has easily become my most frequently used small appliance.
I honestly have a very basic one and love it – http://amzn.to/1MP6R4A
I did not know there were waffle makers with removable plates. While mine was very inexpensive and works fine, it is a major PAIN to clean it, so I would definitely check into one with removable plates for cleaning!
I am currently unable to eat diary products. What would you recommend for a substitute for the butter in this recipe?
I have used coconut oil in place of butter before.
Earth balance also makes a spread that is dairy free and one that is dairy and soy free. I have a child with intolerances to both and it has been a lifesaver in recipes. I also use coconut oil at times. :)
You can use coconut oil.
I substituted the whole wheat flour for regular. Instead of applesauce, I used pumpkin puree. 5/10. I may try again?