Whole Wheat Waffles with Blueberry Ginger Syrup
Alice Waters' recipe for 100% whole wheat waffles, topped with homemade blueberry ginger syrup and vanilla yogurt. Healthy, filling and oh so tasty!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Alice Waters’ recipe for whole wheat waffles, topped with homemade blueberry ginger syrup and vanilla Greek yogurt, is hard to beat. This a.m. meal requires more effort than my simple summer breakfast ideas, but it is absolutely worth the effort. Plus, if you make it in your PJs on Saturday morning and freeze the leftover waffles, you can turn reaheat them and enjoy wholesome made-from-scratch waffles on a busy weekday.
Speaking of reheating, I’ve found that the best way to reheat one of these waffles is to microwave it for about thirty seconds, then throw it in the toaster on low. That way, the inside gets hot and the outside crisps up. I may actually prefer them reheated than straight from the waffle iron, because they don’t come out quite as crispy as I’d like.
Both of these recipes come from Green Market Baking Book, which is a great baking book that is organized seasonally. None of the recipes call for refined sugar, but more call for all-purpose flour than I would like. Considering that my whole wheat banana bread and muffins are just as light and fluffy as their white flour counterparts, I’m convinced that most baked goods can be made with whole wheat flour without any sacrifices. Regardless, it’s an inspiring baking book.
Blueberry Ginger Syrup Recipe
Adapted from Green Market Baking Book.
Ingredients:
- 1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly for about a minute, until the sauce thickens. That’s it!
Note: The amounts listed above will probably make enough for the entire batch of waffles. I halved the recipe when I made it. Also, I tried substituting fresh minced ginger for the powdered ginger and the ginger flavor overwhelmed the sweet blueberries. I’d stick with powdered ginger.
Whole Grain Waffles
These crispy whole grain waffles are perfect for weekend breakfasts. These freeze well for later, too (just defrost in the toaster).
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also use spelt, rye, cornmeal or buckwheat)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups buttermilk (make your own: add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups milk, and let sit for 5 minutes)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted (original recipe called for one full stick of butter)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To keep the cooked waffles warm while you finish cooking the rest, reheat your oven to 200 degrees and heat up your waffle iron.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon) in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until they are mixed. Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Pour batter into your waffle iron until the batter reaches the edges of the iron. Cook until crisp and golden.
- To keep them warm until you’re ready to serve, place each waffle in a single layer on a rack in a 200-degree oven. Five minutes in the oven may help them get a little crispier.
Notes
Adapted from Alice Waters’ recipe in Green Market Baking Book.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I find that one of these whole wheat waffles, topped with delicious Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt or peanut butter, makes a filling, satisfying breakfast!
Heaven. My husband has been begging me for waffles. Tonight just might be his lucky night! These look incredible. :-)
Yes please.
Beautiful waffles! I have a whole grain waffle recipe but it even comes out of the waffle maker very soft, these look like they can at least hold up under each other. I’ve got to try these. And blueberries over top sounds perfect – growing up my mom always used to make a blueberry sauce to go over pancakes and waffles :D
hmmm the blueberry ginger syrup looks great. Also, I’ve never heard of the Green Market Baking Book, it sounds interesting.
These look lovely! They sound super yummy too :)
Blueberry and Ginger sounds so great together! I bet it’ll taste good too ;)
Those whole wheat waffles look amazing!
New follower from The Kitchenarian’s suggestion on her site. Glad I found your blog. Love this recipe. Looks incredibly good. Hope you are having a great weekend.
Glad you’re here, Kim!
oh so good! perfect weekend breakfast! I indulged on whole wheat pancakes yesterday and in whole wheat pear cake today… I feel a connection, here! :) have a good weekend!
I’m all for whole wheat treats. Your cake sounds amazing, I want to hear more about it!
Oh I will share the recipe soon –I really liked it: wholesome and tasty! :))
this looks amazing. the berry sauce is such a great addition.
Hmmm…you’re making me wish I had a waffle iron! Love the use of whole wheat flour and maple syrup! Scrumptious photos, btw. :)
These look so amazing, they’re so fluffy and fat! I found your blog when I was searching for whole wheat banana bread recipes. Made it last week and it was so moist and light! I’m enjoying your blog and recipes, thanks for sharing!
What a great way to start your day! Gonna try your recipe tomorrow morning.
Love&Light
Margherita
I made these for dinner tonight! Wonderful! Maybe not quite as delicate as white-flour waffles, but close. Didn’t have blueberries to make the syrup, but served the waffles with real maple syrup and Liberte blackberry yogurt. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you for commenting, Janet! Happy to hear you enjoyed the waffles.
The blueberry ginger syrup is amazing! It was all I could do not to eat it right out of the pan : )
Thanks, Lindsey. I wouldn’t blame you for eating it right out of the pan. :)
Thank you for such wonderful recipes. I have made these whole grain waffles, your banana oat pancakes and the lemon blueberry muffins and they have all been excellent. My two 3 year olds and husband have loved them also. We are tremendously appreciating your blog!
Kelly, thank you so much for your kind and encouraging comment. I’m delighted to hear that you and your family are enjoying my recipes. Your hands must be full with two three year olds, goodness!
Been searching for the perfect waffle recipe. This is it! Thank you for posting it. I was short an egg so used a Tbls. yogurt. Also used powdered buttermilk. Came out great!
Amazing waffles! A great way to start the week.
This is such a great whole wheat waffle recipe. I’m anxious to pair it with strawberries and raspberries!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
This recipe is EXCELLENT.
I didn’t have time to make the syrup, I used sliced bananas.
Thank you.
Thanks, Packy! Glad you enjoyed the waffles.
I just made these waffles, they are wonderful. I did make a few minor changes – cut the recipe in half (just because it would be too much for me) so I just used wheat flour, I also added 2 Tbls of ground flax, I used Aguave nectar instead of the maple syrup – they are really good with natural peanut butter and blueberries on top. Very healthy breakfast option!
Thanks for commenting, Tammi! I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles. Thank you for sharing your substitutions, too.
These are amazing!! We add a cup of blueberries to the mix and then top them with maple syrup or strawberries instead of the ginger sauce. Perfect weekend breakfast!
Thanks, Aimee! Glad you enjoyed them!
I don’t typically use other people’s recipes, because they don’t turn out well, but this one surprised me.
I did have to make a few adjustments, like I ended up adding about 1/4 cup potato starch to make it crispy and an extra spoonful or so of bread flour just to thicken it up. Beyond that it was pretty good. I even mixed in some frozen blueberries at the end and it was pretty yummy!
Thank you, Faylina!
Perfect! Used half whole wheat pastry flour and half spelt. In the vault! :D
Not sure if I did something wrong but I followed the recipe and didn’t substitute anything. I found them lacking in flavor and very light airy texture. Wouldn’t make again.
I love most of your recipes.
I’m sorry to hear that, Sara. I know you said you felt it lacking in flavor. But, was there something particular you were wanting more of or wish it had more of?
This is our go to waffle recipe. Kids and parent approved… Whole wheat goodness is the bonus!
Wonderful, Joe! Yes, a great one for kiddos.
Easy, fluffy and delicious! I can’t wait to try your reheating suggestion, although I loved them just as they were. The addition of cinnamon and just a hint of sweetness combined with the nutty whole wheat flour makes these a fantastic way to start your day. I love having them with an over easy egg – a nice sweet and savory combo.
Also – a tip for those looking to halve the recipe (as I needed to due to being short handed on the buttermilk); just whisk up one egg and scoop out half for your recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Anna! I’m glad you like them just the way they are.
This is our go to waffle breakfast recipe. Yummy and so easy!
I’m happy you loved it, Elena!
I have just made this pancake! It’s a guilt-free indulgence! Thanks!
Hi! I don’t have the whole wheat pastry flour that you recommend but do have regular whole wheat flour. Will that work?
Thanks much!
Hi Mandira! The pastry flour helps them be a little more fluffy and not as dense. I would suggest my whole wheat pancakes instead
Nice waffle and sauce recipes! I now make them often and the waffles do come out crispier than other recipes. One thing: could you please give a or cup measure equivalent for 2 pints berries ? Frozen varieties don’t come in pint measures. Thanks!
I have pre-diabetes and whole grains are essential. This is a fantastic recipe!
I made these waffles this morning. Very tasty. I made them with 1 T. Honey and served them with 1/2 cup thawed blueberries instead of making the syrup. It was a beautiful balance. Thank you for sharing the recipe. We will be making the the waffles again soon. I cook for a diabetic person.
Can you please recommend a substitute for whole wheat PASTRY flour?
Hi Sana, you could use regular whole wheat flour, it will be a little heavier, or all-purpose flour, it will lack some of the nutrition of whole wheat flour.