Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles
These crispy and fluffy oat flour waffles are the very best! They're light, healthy and gluten free. Best of all, they only require one flour—oat flour!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I’m pretty particular about my waffles. I want light, whole grain, crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside, Belgian-with-deep-pockets, quintessential WAFFLES. No soggy waffles allowed! Bonus points if they freeze well so I can pop them in the toaster like Eggo’s.
These waffles meet all of the aforementioned qualifications. After tweaking five batches of these waffles, I can confirm that oat flour waffles are the waffles I’ve been searching for all along. Oat waffles are the waffles of my dreams.
Best of all, these waffles are gluten free! That means that I can share them with all of my friends.
This gluten-free waffle recipe is so simple that I have it memorized. It only requires one flour—oat flour—which is the easiest flour to make at home. Just toss some old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats in your blender or food processor and blend until they are a fine flour.
Watch How to Make Gluten Free Waffles
The secret to these waffles’ success is letting the batter rest for 10 minutes while your waffle iron heats up. The resting time gives the oat flour time to soak up some of the moisture, so you get crisp, fluffy waffles when it’s go time. I learned this trick with my banana oat pancakes, a recipe that has quite a few fans.
I love these waffles so much that I included this recipe in my cookbook. I’m re-sharing the recipe today with better photos in case this recipe has slipped by you over the years.
If you, like me, have been disappointed by other gluten-free waffle recipes in the past (or waffle recipes in general, really), give these a try! They’re just right. Please let me know how they turn out in the comments.
Oat Waffle Variations
You can also make flavored versions of these waffles—check out my Gluten-Free Banana Oat Waffles and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Waffles.
Oat-Based Pancake Recipes to Try
If you don’t have a waffle iron at home, you can make oat pancakes in a regular skillet. Try these recipes:
Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles
These light, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside, gluten-free waffles are my favorite waffles! They’re heart healthy, too. This waffle recipe requires just one flour, oat flour, which you can easily make yourself (see note). Recipe yields 3 to 4 round, 7-inch Belgian waffles, or 6 small, square Belgian waffles (the size shown here).
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (128 grams) oat flour*, certified gluten-free if necessary
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cinnamon, optional
- ¾ cup room temperature milk of choice (light coconut milk, nut milk, cow’s milk)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: oat flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: milk, melted coconut oil or butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, gently heat the wet mixture in the microwave in ten seconds intervals, until it melts again.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a big spoon until just combined (the batter will still be a little lumpy). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the oat flour has time to soak up some of the moisture. Plug in your waffle iron to preheat now (if your waffle iron has a temperature/browning dial, set it to medium-high).
- Once 10 minutes is up, give the batter one more swirl with your spoon. Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, enough to cover the center and most of the central surface area, and close the lid. Once the waffle is deeply golden and crisp, transfer it to a cooling rack or baking sheet. Don’t stack your waffles on top of each other, or they’ll lose crispness. If desired, keep your waffles warm by placing them in a 200 degree oven until you’re ready to serve.
- Repeat with remaining batter. Serve waffles with maple syrup and nut butter, or any other toppings that sound good!
Notes
Recipe based on my oat pancakes and coconut waffles recipes.
*Make your own oat flour: Simply blend old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats (be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats if necessary) in a food processor or blender until they are ground into fine flour. You’ll need to blend roughly 1 ½ cups oats to make enough flour for these waffles (you will probably end up with a little extra). Once you’ve blended the flour, measure it using the spoon and swoop method.
Make it egg free: You can omit the eggs. The waffles will be slightly more delicate, but they’ve turned out great for me.
Make it dairy free: Use non-dairy milk and coconut oil.
Make it vegan: Use non-dairy milk, coconut oil and omit the eggs.
Freeze it: These waffles freeze beautifully. Just store in freezer-safe plastic bags and pop individual waffles into the toaster until warmed through.
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.
Wonderful recipe!! I like to add mini-chocolate chips and my kids LOVE it. Thanks so much for a gluten-free recipe that doesn’t taste gluten-free :)
Great addition! Thank you for sharing, Rina.
Hello can the recipe be doubled or tripled? I would like to freeze if possible.
Hi S, yes to both! I hope you love it.
I made these today with a few changes: I subbed 1/4 cup of oat flour with 1/4 cup of mesquite powder, used1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground ginger and 2 Tablespoons of date syrup instead of maple syrup. They rock!!! I will make these again, thank you so much for the recipe.
This recipe is fantastic. Newly gluten & dairy free and have been trying so many different recipes. This has been the best one! I used flax eggs and the rest of the recipe as written. I make them on the weekends and freeze the leftovers. They come out perfect with a few minutes in the toaster. Great for a quick weekday breakfast! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Just made these and WOW! Soooo delicious! Loved the flavour and texture. Looking forward to sharing with family and friends! Thank you!!!
I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Enn!
Holy Moly, these are so delicious. I bought oat flour at Whole Foods and made these for my grandson (12) and he loved them. It’s an easy way to get him to eat oatmeal.
I’m glad you and your grandson loved them! I appreciate your review.
These were GREAT! I measured out (in gms on a scale) the correct amount of oats. I blended all dry ingredients in a Nutribullet which turned my oats into flour. I used plain kefir for the milk and the melted butter option. I worried about blending the liquid ingredients and eggs with the dry ingredients in the Nutribullet, but decided to pulse it just a few times. It worked! Letting it sit a little longer than the 10 min made for a thicker but perfect tasting waffle (the first ones were a little thin). With just 2 of us living in a small condo, I only have room for a mini-waffle maker. Kept me busy but they were tasty and got better and better with each waffle! This will be my go-to recipe now.
I want to make these for Easter and wondering if I can sub in buttermilk?? May just have to try it and let everyone know how it goes…
Hi! Sorry, I recommend these as is. I hope you were able to enjoy them!
Yes I stuck with the recipe as written and they turned out great! Very lite and crispy, almost wafer-like texture and great flavor. Winner!
Great to hear!
Hi was curious if anyone’s tried flax egg replacement I’m this recipe? If so how turned out? Thanks
I made these a few times several years ago and they were perfect. When I tried to make them again, they would not cook properly- falling apart, hollow on the inside, crispy but would disintegrate into nothingness the second I took them out of the waffle maker.
I follow the recipe to an absolute T – weigh out the flour, use exact same ingredients, follow the steps, etc. yet I cannot get a good waffle out of it again. I’ve replaced all the ingredients, tried different brands, different waffle maker, you name it! I cannot figure out what I’m doing wrong.
I am desperate to get a good GF waffle again. Are there any suggestions you have for what I am doing that’s making it turn out this way? Why are they hollow?! I would really appreciate any help :(
Hi K, I’m sorry to hear that. I have made these so many times and don’t have that issue. Are you forgetting the eggs? Or are you cooking at an elevation?
Mine turned out with a really strong baking soda taste. Is 2 tsp correct?
Hi Sara, you want to use baking powder. Let me know if you try it again!
These were delicious! I was as bit skeptical, but I’m ditching wheat flour as much as possible (it’s not a gluten thing) & love oatmeal so why not give it a go? I made the oat flour in my Vitamix by whizzing rolled oats for about 1 min. I let the milk & eggs come to room temp while I went on my morning walk. The melted coconut oil didn’t solidify & that’s prob. the reason why.
I will be making these again & again in my new waffle iron that actually doesn’t stick! Thank you for this great recipe.
Great to hear, Janet! Thank you for your review.
I am so happy with this recipe!!! My son has allergy to wheat and eggs (chicken eggs), so I was happy to find this great oat recipe! I subbed regular eggs for duck eggs since those don’t bother my son, and also used vanilla almond milk. They turned out SO GOOD!!! I seriously am the worst at pancakes and waffles, especially if I’m trying to make it safe for my son, they never taste good…but this one worked wonderfully.
I just made these waffles & I was pleasantly surprised by how good they are, so this will be my go too recipe for waffles. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I do have one question, can I safe the batter & use it tomorrow, or should I just use up the whole batter & freeze the waffles?
Hi Julie! These waffles freeze well. I wouldn’t recommend leaving the batter. But, these waffles do freeze well!
“¼ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted”
What is this 1/4 cup for?
Hi Shawn, you need 1/4 cup plus 1 table spoon of coconut oil. Does that help?
Love this recipe, I’ve been making it for over a year now. Two of my children have multiple food allergies so a few of your recipes have been really helpful to us. Thank you!
I’m glad this recipe is enjoyed by your family, Kamilah! Thank you for your review.
Any idea how much sugar (by which I really mean a sugar alternative) could be used in place of the maple syrup?
I haven’t tried it with an alternative, sorry!
Just made these today from the recipe in your book, and you’re right, these are the BEST. Great texture and flavor. I used oat milk and they came out perfect. Even my picky kids liked them. Thank you!
Love to hear that, Danielle! I’m glad your kids enjoyed them too. Thank you for your review!
Made these wonderful oat waffles this morning for my husband and grandson, I am the one who has to eat gluten free, they loved them! Served with strawberries and pure maple syrup! How does it get any better than this! Thank you, they also like the oat pancakes.
I’m so delighted you enjoyed them, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
I think these were good but mine didn’t come out crispy after 5 minutes in my waffle maker. They were more like muffin texture a bit dense but still good. I used a blender to make my oat flour. I used honey instead of maple syrup because that’s what i had. I would like to figure out how to make them a bit crispier. With way still a simple and great tasting recipe.
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. How high did you have your waffle maker sent?
I actually kept them in my waffle maker longer , around 5min instead of the preset time, and it helped crisp them up.
I tried air fry and toasting. They both work great!!
I played around with the time in the waffle maker and they came out crispier. For some reason i thought i was waiting 5 minutes originally but i guess i wasn’t. The other thing is making sure my batter wasn’t as thick. Thanks for the tips i’ll try the air fryer also! These are the best tasting waffles in my opinion. My whole family loves them.
Thank you for your review, Cyndy!
Yum yum and yum! I just made these for the 1st time and they were wonderful! I didn’t blend up enough oats so I added a little GF flour to make up for it. The coconut oil adds a nice hint of coconut and I didn’t need to spray my waffle iron. Super tasty – will add these to our rotation for sure!
Great to hear, Azure! Thank you for your review.
I grounded my oats. I made them. I love the taste and the nuttiness. Minor drawbacks: they are not too sturdy; had to remove them carefully from waffle iron. They’re a bit floppy. I followed the recipe exactly.
These waffles are amazing! I just bought a new waffle maker and this is the first recipe I used. My 2 year old loves them too! Great start to many mornings of yummy waffles! And bonus that they freeze well
Hi Kim! I’m glad you loved it. I appreciate your review.
Can this recipe be used to make pancakes?
Hi Tyler, I would recommend my Blender Oatmeal Pancakes
I love your recipes Kate, especially blueberry muffins, blueberry cake and zucchini bread. I am wondering if these waffles will work with olive oil instead of butter. I am cholesterol conscious and don’t use much butter.
Thank you for the healthy recipes.
Joanne
I’m delighted you are enjoying so many recipes, Joanne! I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Followed the recipe exactly and they came out wonderfully! Topped mine with cottage cheese for extra protein and some blueberries. Thank you for this recipe!
These waffles are amazing. I make a double batch and freeze them. Thanks!!!!
I’m glad you love it, Donna!
I’ve enjoyed these waffles since I bought the C&K cookbook a few years ago, but I have to share how much my 1 year old loves them! I substitute 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce for the 2 eggs, omit the salt, and use 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. He has so much fun watching them cook in the waffle iron and absolutely loves eating them! I’ll usually cut them into quarters to freeze them for an easy snack.
I’m glad that works so well! I appreciate you sharing, Taija.
This is the best waffle recipe we’ve tried! Thank you! My toddler requests these every morning!
That’s great to hear, Jen! I appreciate your review.
I made these this weekend, recipe as written. They were great! I was the only one eating this version so I saved the batter for the next day. Added a bit of water to thin and they were still just as good. Thank you for this incredible, simple recipe. I love waffles & love having a healthy option without white flour. So good!
You’re welcome, Jen! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Finally got the crispy waffles I was after!! So delicious!! Thank you
You’re welcome, Lindsey! I appreciate your review.
Can I omit the maple syrup?
Hi Louise, you can try it. Although, I recommend it for best results.
These are definitely better than commercial GF/VG waffles, but something seems “off” without the eggs. The batter was very dry and too stiff. Any suggestions?
Hi! How did you measure the flour? You can add eggs, unless you are choosing not to add them for dietary reasons.
I measured the flour using a dry measuring cup and leveled off with a knife. Omitted eggs for dietary reason. I see someone posted they subbed 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce so will try that.
Followed recipe exactly but crispy was not one if the outcomes. Not planning on making again.
I’m sorry to hear that. How high was your waffle iron set?
Hi Kate! These are awesome, and I often make them for my hubs and I. Very consistently, though, I find that one batch only makes 2 waffles in my Cuisinart Belgian waffle maker (roughly 7″ waffles). This isn’t in itself a problem, since we really only need one waffle apiece, but I’m wondering if I just use a vastly different size of waffle iron than you do. Thoughts? Thanks!!
Hi Andrea, the waffle maker size can impact it. Sounds like some big waffles!
This is the best gluten free waffle recipe I have ever tried. It doesn’t require 5 eggs like most recipes, nor does it have thickeners. I add a more cinnamon and blueberries to mines now. Thank you so so much for this recipe.
Love these waffles! I added a mashed banana to the batter and they turned out delicious!
I love this recipe! I used oat milk instead of regular milk. I’m going to try avocado oil instead of butter next time. Thank you so much!
My daughter said that these were the best gluten-free waffles she had tasted.
I love to hear that, Hazel! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I’ve made these so many times. My daughter eats them almost every morning and has for a long time. I’m not a baker and can’t tell you how many bad gluten free dairy free recipes I’ve made. These always come out great. I premix my dry ingredients in a triple batch so when I’m in a hurry that helps. Then all I have to do is the wet ingredients . I freeze them on parchment and then put in freezer bags and take one out every morning. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hands down best waffle recipe ever! I rcvd my new ceramic waffle iron for Christmas and made these waffles for Christmas brunch! They’re perfect! Fluffy on the inside with a nice crisp on the outside without being crunchy. The waffles have a slight sweetness to them without being overly sweet when adding maple syrup. I’ve made these 3 times since Christmas! This is the only waffle recipe you will ever need. And bonus they’re gluten free! Thank you Cookie and Kate :-)
Love to hear that, Candis! I appreciate your review.
These come out perfect every time! I recently took your advice to cool them on a rack (versus a plate) and they came out even more perfect. Now if you could just tell me the secret to amazing French toast… :)
I’m glad you loved these waffles! Try my Foolproof French Toast
Delicious oat waffles. I got caught up into waffles and wanted to find a healthy way to eat them. These ones are yummy yummy. Prefer the combination with coconut oil though.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Anny! I appreciate your review.
Ridiculously delicious. Made exactly according to recipe.
So much faster than other gf waffles. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Heidi!
Hello, how thick should the batter be? Thanks!
Hi! Take a look at the process photos, hopefully that helps. It should be thicker than pancake batter. But not too thick like muffins.
I make these all the time for my kiddos. They love them! I made them today with some gf, df mini chocolate chips as a treat for later when they go to a birthday party. We usually have to bring our own treats and these are quick and easy. Thanks!!
Sounds delicious, Amanda! I appreciate your review.
My husband called these “proper waffles”. Cooked up light and crispy. I used whole oats, olive oil, whole cows milk, pumpkin pie spice and blended everything in a blender. I did omit the maple syrup in recipe since the kids put it on top. Very good flavor for gluten free!! Will definitely make again. Very easy. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Hooray! I’m glad this was a hit, Veronica.
I was looking for a recipe for my oat flour.
Delighted to find your recipe for oat flour Belgian waffles. I love Belgian waffles. This recipe is very good. I did separate my eggs and whip the whites. They were nice and fluffy. Yummy!!
Great to hear, Suzanne!
I love these waffles! I was so excited to find something wholefood, nutritious, filling and delicious for my wheat intolerant, picky eating kids (and me). They think they’re having a treat when really they’re having high protein “porridge”.
They’re convenient too. We have an electric waffle iron so I make a mix, put it in a container in the fridge and cook a couple fresh in the mornings. Doesn’t take long at all.
I found the recipe a bit fiddly at the beginning stressing about melting the oil and being everything just so. Now I know thwy are forgiving and they turn out great I dont worry too much. I don’t bother with the maple syrup or cinnamon or the vanilla. The kids are happy with them like this and there’s enough other sweet things that I have to battle over.
Super filling and satisfying too.
Thanks for a wonderful, life changing recipe. It really opened my eyes to oat for and I use it a lot. Way better and more filling and nutritious than regular GF flour – though it has its place in blends for different things.
I’ve made literally dozens of GF waffles, most partial or fully oat flour based, and I can attest that these are the literal best of them all, including far fussier and fancier recipes. Texture and taste and color are all spot on and I love that nutritionally these are essentially just oatmeal in waffle form. Thank you! Bookmarking to serve as our house waffle going forward!
I’m glad you think so, Elisabeth!