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.
Hi. I got your same waffle maker and made these last night. I set it just above the Medium setting and my waffles came out soft, not crisp. Which setting do you use? Dark?
Hey Laurie, I’m sorry they didn’t turn out perfectly. I use the dark setting and often leave my waffles in there a little longer, until they’re sufficiently dark. I wait until the steam has stopped escaping from the sides to check them. I suspect oat waffles might require more cooking time than regular all-purpose waffles, but I’m not sure why! Hope you get perfectly crispy waffles next time.
This is actually a GF waffle recipe I will try!
Possible to make the batter night before and leave out to bake fresh in the Am?
I think so, but I’m not entirely sure. I’d store it in the fridge overnight, given the eggs. Coconut oil will solidify at cooler temps so I’m not sure how that will factor in. Please let me know if you give it a try!
I blend night before and leave on counter overnight. Next morning I blend again. I add 1/4 c. milk.
I blend night before and leave on counter overnight. Next morning I blend again. I add 1/4 c. milk.
I gave your recipe a little twist, Katie, and removed the sweet – instead, I added crumbled bacon, cheese and some spices..and I really hate to admit it, but I’ve actually finished the entire batch throughout the last couple of hours because they were amazing.
Oh, savory oat waffles! I’ll have to give those a try soon!
These taste awesome! I was searching for a go-to for oat flour waffles, and after I found this, I make them all the time!
Thanks for the recipe! :)
Hooray! Thank you, Janice!
I just wanted to post a few quick comments right away! Right now, you can get a “fancy-pants” Calphalon No-Peek Waffle Maker for only 1200 Reward Miles from Air Miles. I ordered one on January 15 and it arrived today!!! That’s was less than 1 week in total and it’s free!!! It’s got fabulous reviews overall, though I haven’t given mine a spin yet… I have a favorite GF waffle recipe I will christen it with, followed by your oat recipe. Then I will be trying any and every GF waffle recipe I come across that looks inviting!!! I would highly recommend that anyone who gets this specific waffle maker reads THIS particular review of it on Amazon.ca , as it gives very good tips on making your debut waffle. Worth reading in advance, so you don’t get discouraged!!! Actually, it would be smart to read ALL reviews on .ca and .com IMHO. It certainly can’t hurt… !!! But in any case, read this one FOR SURE:
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R1F19UFTULL0RU/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001CHL3Q0&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=2206275011&store=kitchen
Love this recipe, great for gluten free. A perfect treat for a snow day. I have the Calphalon Waffle Iron as you posted above, and I am not getting two full waffles. Do you think the recipe will work if I add more oat flour? Thank you, love all your recipes and blog.
these are so delicious! we make them all of the time and can’t get enough. We do add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to the milk, so that we can achieve a butter milk taste.
Thank you so much, Ellise! Glad you enjoy them so much.
Hey Kate – if I wanted to get a little more yield, could I just add some extra milk and oat flour or would I need to double the whole recipe? Thanks!!
Hey Leigh, you would need to double the recipe. Otherwise, you’ll upset the balance of fat to liquid that makes such nice, crispy waffles!
Am making Belgian Waffles and would love to try your G/free recipe as I have requests………can your waffles be FROZEN ? As I sell at local small markets in packs of 6….not fresh with toppings !
Thanks , Al Sparks
Hi Kate………I am making Belgian waffles and sell them at local markets in packs of 6. Can your waffles be frozen ? I have had requests for G/free !! also I would need to increase quantities so would just increase pro – rata ?
Yep, they can be frozen and I would just multiply as necessary.
Hello! Thank you for this recipe! I’m wondering if there’s a way to make these cocoa or chocolately waffles while remaining GF of course! I saw in the comments someone just added some chocolate chips and more cinnamon. Do you happen to have any recommendations? Thnx!
Hey Kim! Yes, I think you could definitely just throw in some chocolate chips. You could also add cocoa powder for cocoa waffles. I’m guessing that 2 to 4 tablespoons would do it!
Made these for breakfast this morning, and they were so good! And I’m pretty pumped about the homemade oat flour. Why did I not know about that? Thanks for another great recipe.
Awesome, glad you enjoyed them! I love using oat flour in pancakes and waffles.
I love this recipe! I’ve made is several times & here is my favorite version:
Buttermilk Coconut Almond Waffles
1 1/2c oats
3/4c almonds*
1/4c sweetened coconut flake*
3 tbsp buttermilk powder*
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4c 2% milk (warm)
5 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs
1tsp almond extract*
* Not in original recipe
I put all my dry ingredients in the blender and I beat the extracts into my eggs before mixing everything together and letting it sit for 10 minutes.
Did I mention that I love this recipe? I keep some in the freezer all the time for a (almost) healthy snack.
I’m thinking about swapping the coconut for bananas… What do you think?
Thanks for sharing, April! Your version sounds so great. I bet banana slices would be amazing!
These were awesome. I put everything in the blender (regular oats included) and just wizzed it until smooth and baked. The easiest waffle recipe ever! I had some buttermilk in the fridge and I think that made them extra good.
My daughter suggested we chop up some banana in little pieces to add to the batter once we put it in the waffle iron and that was a really tasty touch!
Thanks for the recipe.
Great ideas!!! I’ll have to try your all-blender trick.
I did the blender trick, too! So easy!
I substituted 1/4 tsp stevia for the maple syrup and they tasted delicious and the right amount of sweet! Good on their own, but I topped with apple butter and a mixed nut butter (pecans, walnuts and cashews). This made 2.5 waffles in my Belgian waffle maker (big round one made up of 4 “triangles”). Thank you!
Glad to hear it, Kathleen!
Used buttermilk, Coconut Oil, and Agave, for a double batch. The batter seemed a little watered down. I only measured the oats going into the vita mix. First three waffles did not crisp up very well but tasted great. Added about four tablespoons of Spelt flour to thicken batter and the rest of the waffles were much crisper. I am looking for lower GI flours and I do not use syrup. I usually break up pecans over the waffles, but I never pulled them out this time. Even the culinary student in the house had a waffle despite the Coconut Oil which he hates. These were much lighter than the Spelt waffles I made a few weeks ago. My attempts with Coconut flour did not taste good and did not crisp up at all. Glad I gave your recipe a try.
Hey Walter! Hmm, sounds like maybe you didn’t have enough oat flour in the mix somehow. I’ll try to edit the recipe to be more precise with the measurements.
Kate,
Your oat waffles have become our go to recipe for waffles, YUM! Thank you so much! Our daughter Sarah has rheumatoid arthritis and stays away from both sugar and gluten due to their inflammatory properties and our daughter Christiana’s allergies are aggravated by gluten. Finding your recipe was a blessing :)
Heidi, thank you! I’m so glad you found my recipe.
These are amazing! The hint of cinnamon really makes them taste like a warm oatmeal cookie!! I’ve tried lots of failed waffle recipes, you nailed it. My GF breakfast life just got a makeover. LOVE oat flour! Such more flavor & deapth. I actually used water instead of milk and was great.
Thank you, Jessica! Delighted to hear that you’re enjoying these waffles so much. They’re my favorite!
Once again I’m very happy and so are our boys of your recipe. This waffles were a hit this morning. Might use April’s recipe next time. Thanks for the recipe ^_^
Thank you, Sylvia! So glad you all enjoyed the waffles!
Nutrition values. Carb counter.
I’m sorry, I don’t provide nutrition values because they vary by serving size and exact ingredients used. Feel free to run this recipe through myfitnesspal.com.
thank you for this recipe! I doubled all the ingredients except maple syrup- I figured topping it would be sweet enough and it was. Next time I would cut back on the salt as it was a bit much but will definitely make again!!
Thank you for commenting! I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles.
I bet the reason they tasted salty was because you didn’t double the maple syrup, but you doubled the salt. If your sugar and salt ratio is off, they’ll taste either more salty or more sweet, depending which way you’ve gone. :)
hi there! I just made(well, am in the process of making these waffles…but I don’t have a waffle iron, therefore turned them into pancakes. Most excellent!!!! I cannot tell any difference between these and unhealthy ones. I noted your comment about the coconut oil going solid when adding the cold milk to it, so i put all the liquid ingredients into a small saucepan and heated it all up just enough for nothing to be solid…then turned off the stove and added the eggs, mixed, and added to the dry ingredients. I have to wonder if my oats are gluten free since this is turning out so well. Even if they aren’t though, it’s not going to hurt me that much. They even stay together when I flip them. I might add ground flaxseed next time for added nutrition and texture.
Hi Mary, I’m happy to hear these turned out well for you in pancake form! I love using oat flour in breakfast-y treats. It’s pretty easy to work with! Great idea to add ground flaxseed next time.
I subbed a chia egg (1T ground chia + 4 T water) and it worked great. I also tossed in some blueberries for good measure! Made the waffles on my thin round iron and they were totally delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, thank you so much for letting me know!
Made these tonight, doubled the recipe, subbed chia seeds soaked in water for eggs, and they are awesome sauce! They’re not crispy but I’m sure when I reheat them in the morning in the oven, they’ll be perfect!
Thanks, April! Sorry to hear your waffles didn’t crisp up. Maybe leave them in longer next time?
I left them in longer and they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside! 10 thumbs up on the recipe!
Perfect! Thanks, April!
These came out really good, however I have to point out that your note is wrong. Equal amounts of rolled oats do not equal the same amount of oat flour. It probably doesn’t matter so much on a small single batch where you are only using 1.5 cups but when you double it like I did, your recipe will be off. 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats weighs 3-1/2 oz; quick cooking oats 3-1/8 oz.; and oat flour 3-1/4 oz. As a bread baking enthusiast, I know how much of a difference a 1/4 oz. can make! That’s why I much prefer weight vs. volume in a baking recipe. If you want to be accurate, process your oat flour, then measure. BTW, these waffles freeze really well, so go ahead and make that double batch!
Thank you for pointing that out, TAB! I read the 1-for-1 tip in King Arthur’s baking book and took it for it’s word, but I’ve been beginning to suspect that it’s a little off. I will amend my recipe accordingly.
I just made these with a few substitutions. I didn’t have any milk so I used vanilla greek yogurt diluted with water. I also reduced the amount of butter to about 4 tbsp. They are delicious! Such a healthy alternative to regular waffles. So perfect and crisp and fluffy. Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I’m planning on eating these before long runs with a smear of peanut butter.
Thanks, Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the oat waffles. They are my favorite!
Seriously i will never ever make another waffle. These are full of wonderful texture and tasty!!!! I am in love an wanna eat them everyday. They don’t even need butter or syrup. :) thanks cookie and Kate!
Hooray! Thank you, Lynnie!
I have a cheapie waffle maker, so maybe that’s why the waffles didn’t turn out crispy. But they were DELICIOUS! I’ll try cooking them longer next time. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad they were tasty, Pat! I have a fancy waffle maker and it always beeps too soon. Leave them in there until they’re golden and crisp and you should have perfect waffles!
Great recipe! I used Arrowhead Mills organic Oat flour. Used Hain Featherweight Sodium Free baking powder and no salt bec we are salt restricted due to ear problems. Came out great, thank you!
Thank you, RoseMarie!
These waffles are THE BEST! Thank you so much for this incredible recipe!!
Hooray! Thanks, Mary!
Do you think I could sub chia or flax eggs for the real ones?
Yep, I’ve heard that chia eggs work well!
Thanks so much!
Just made these for our special Sunday breakfast and they are GREAT! I used quick cooking steel cut oats that I ground in my mini cuisineart and the texture was wonderful. Had one covered in fresh fruit and hot maple syrup. My second with almond butter and maple syrup. This is my new favorite waffle recipe!
Thanks, Boris! Glad to hear it! They’re my favorite waffles, too. :) I’m glad to hear that blending up steel-cut oats worked for you!
These are fantastic! I love any kind of waffle, and anything made of oats, so these were just the perfect thing for breakfast today. Quick and easy and the payoff is great. Just found your blog today and after this recipe I’ll absolutely be trying out more of your recipes!
Thank you for saying hello, Anita! I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles!
Made these this morning as Belgian waffles, using the chia ‘eggs’. Was out of vanilla, but didn’t let that stop me. They cooked up perfectly, and were delicious! This is my new favorite vegan, gluten-free waffle recipe. Thanks for sharing it with the world!
Thank you! Glad to hear it!
BEST. WAFFLES. EVER.
Came across this recipe via google; was looking for something using ingredients I had at home, quick and simple. I also love that they are not loaded with sugar! I had my first batch with smoked salmon. Then chocolate and vanilla syrup. then banana and caramel syrup.
Thanks for sharing!
Yay! Thanks, Elle!
OMG!! Best waffles I’ve ever made (or had, for that matter!!) We ate them with fresh strawberries from the garden, a dollup of yogurt, and a drizzle of my recently-put up plum raspberry sauce. It was like strawberry shortcake, only better! Thanks for your awesome recipes!
Yay!!! Your waffles sound awesome.
Excited to try these… Any idea if a yeasted version would work?
I just made it…and I loved it!!!
Looking foward to try new recipes .
Thks, Kate.
Yay, thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for the oat flour recipe as well. The waffles were delicious.
Thank you! Glad to hear it.
After having tried many waffle recipes throughout the years and unable to get something crisp on the outside, I was floored with how amazing these turned out. My 4 year old son cried when we ran out and I told him we’d make more another day. Kudos to an incredible recipe!
omg I just ran across these and cannot wait to give them a try!
I tried this recipe today and I LOVE it! My kids liked it and my husband, and I was super excited and proud when I made my own oat flour – I never thought to do that before. Thanks!
Hooray! I’m so glad to hear that, Lisabeth. Making oat flour is fun, right?!
Hi Kate!
I halved this recipe as I only needed a small batch for a quick afternoon pick-me-up, and they were delish!!! They were a bit grainy, but I think that’s just my blender as it doesn’t yield very fine oat flour ;) I’ve tried buckwheat waffles before as another gluten-free alternative, but they weren’t fluffy enough and tasted quite bland. These, however, were fantastic and not too far in taste from normal waffles! Wonderful substitute and fantastic recipe :)
Thank you for saying hello, Olivia! I’m so glad you enjoyed these. I think the grainy-ness is probably due to not-so-fine flour. You might just try blending longer next time and see if that does the trick. If you want to give buckwheat waffles another shot, I think you’ll enjoy my buckwheat waffle recipe, too! They’re crisp, fluffy and definitely not bland.
Hi Kate,
I always have oats in my kitchen & had to scour google for a nice & simple oat flour waffle recipe.
My partner loves waffles but tries to limit processed carbs from his diet. These were a god send!
I used unsweetened apple sauce in place of oil & stevia instead of maple syrup & they came out perfect! Even crisped up great.
Thanks so much for your recipe, we have them in the morning as a pre training energy boost
So glad you enjoyed the waffles! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
These were good! I almost added more maple syrup after I tasted the batter and thought…trust Kate – she knows what she’s doing :)!
And you were right.
I did use the chia eggs which worked beautifully for this plant-based eater! I’ll buy white chia seeds when this bag runs out – the brown/black ones make the waffles a bit darker in color (but no less tasty).
These were super yummy and exactly what I was hoping for! I subbed no-fat Greek yogurt for the 1/4 cup of coconut oil (I still melted 1 tablespoon of coconut oil) and they were perfect. Thanks, this will now be my go-to recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, Jelly!
Hi Kate,
Made these yesterday without modification (although I cheated and used a commercially available GF oat flour — it was Christmas morning, after all), in a Belgian waffle iron purchased specifically for starting this new family Christmas-morning tradition.
Ta Da! Perfection! ….and I have a feeling that my kids will clamor for them regularly! Thank you!
Hooray! Thanks, Valerie!
I made this recipe for Christmas morning for my daughter-in-law who is both gluten- and dairy-free. The whole family agreed that it was tastier than our traditional recipe. This is our new Christmas tradition!
Awesome! Thank you for letting me know, Jo!
Has anyone tried to make this recipe with less fat (butter) or less oil? It seems like a really high amount for the little yeild amount of waffles and generally people would eat at least two.
Waffles require a high fat ratio to get crispy, so while you could reduce the amount, you won’t end up with crispy waffles. I’m kind of obsessed with my waffles being crispy. :)