Carrot Cake Waffles

What was breakfast like when you were a child? I remember lots of little flavored oatmeal and cream of wheat packets, cold cereal, and the occasional Pop Tart (when I could convince my mother to buy some). And very occasionally, there were frozen waffles or those little toaster pastries with the frosting that you can squeeze out onto them. Homemade breakfasts weren’t common – I wonder if that’s why it’s been a challenge for me to make breakfast a priority over the years.

But ever since I first discovered raised (yeasted) waffles, I’ve thought about so many different variations for them ~ and carrot cake was always in mind. These are so much better than regular waffles. Not too hard or crusty, these are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a lovely yeasty-bread smell.

And now ~ these were definitely worth the wait. Lots of little carrot pieces and spicy flavors, and chocolate chips! I don’t like raisins in my carrot cake but chocolate chips are definitely a winner. (Although they did melt all in the nooks and crannies of my waffle iron!)

Since carrot cake requires (vegan) cream cheese icing, and I was aiming to keep these as unprocessed as possible, I made a tart-sweet cashew sauce to drizzle over the top. They can be served as is, or with a little maple syrup added – the maple syrup/cashew cream combo is amazing!

And since this may seem like a large project, the beauty of it is that you can make a large batch of waffles and freeze them for a quick, nutritious breakfast during the week! Move over Eggo (which, incidentally, contain eggs, dairy, artificial coloring and GMO soybean oil)…

Oh, and if you don’t have a waffle iron, I tested these as pancakes, and they were great too ~ light, fluffy and delicious!

Raised Carrot Cake Waffles

2 cups warm non-dairy milk
1 packet (2 teaspoons) dry active yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole-grain flour
1/4-1/2 cup warm water

Pout the milk into a large bowl (not metal, as that will react with the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir it in, and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and flour, and stir until combined. Add the water, and stir into a smooth batter. cover with a towel and place in a warm place for 1 hour. Or if you want to make the batter the night before, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then place it in the refrigerator overnight.

When it’s time to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron and add to the batter:

1 cup carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips (or raisins)

Stir these ingredients into the batter while the waffle iron is heating. I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and I never thought I’d say this, but I think it was too many chocolate chips! I love the sweetness from the maple syrup, and so much chocolate competed with that flavor. The next time, I’ll probably stick with 1/4 cup.

And for the cashew cream drizzle, blend together: