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.
I have just made these waffles and you are right oat flour, which I’ve never used before, is perfect. They are so light, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside. Absolutely wonderful.
I’m so happy to hear this, Leeanne!
Made these this morning and they are FANTASTIC!!!! Oatmeal flour! Genius! Thank you so much for helping me get my waffle on!
You’re welcome, Valerie! Oatmeal flour is a life-saver for our GF friends :)
Make sure you get gluten free oat not the regular old fashion or quick oats. If so these are NOT gluten free so, false advertisement in regards to these being gluten free on the recipe.
Hi Lindsay, I had an asterisk and a note on that, but added those details to the ingredients list for clarity’s sake. I’m not trying to mislead anyone.
I am crazy about this recipe! I double the batch, sub apple sauce for the second portion of coconut oil, and make it literally every weekend. Then I freeze the left overs for snacks during the week.
These are so easy to pop in the toaster, too!
Thank you so much Kate and Cookie! I am gluten free but my family is not… it’s hard to find foods that all of us love but this is one of the few!!! Also, I add milled flax seed to it and it’s great! Very hearty!
Great to hear that, Kelly! I’m so glad this could work for everyone.
Hi! I never, ever leave a review but having to abandon a perfect wheat waffle recipe left me scared to ruin the memory with a gf version.
I used coconut milk as I had a can open and butter, 2 Tbsp sugar in place of maple syrup and a splash more vanilla. You’ve made our dinner a tasty meal. 3 yr and 6 yr old approved. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Laura! I love hearing that everyone approved. :)
These really are SOOO yummy!!! I make them all the time! Thank you!
We made the Easy Oat Waffles for dinner to celebrate International Waffle Day, March 25. I ground old-fashioned oats, as you recommended, and the flour turned out really well. I like the way you included substitutes so that we could use eggs and dairy if we wanted to; we chose reduced fat cow’s milk and cage free eggs. The waffles were excellent. We served them with yogurt and sliced strawberries, and heated maple syrup. On the side, we had chicken sausages which our favorite butcher makes by hand. What a meal!
https://ibb.co/cPQAmF
That looks absolutely delicious, Mary! Thank you so much for updating and for including a photo. :)
I used Bobs gf baking flour and these were the best waffles I have ever made!
Yay! So glad! I love Bob’s Red Mill, too.
THANK YOU! You must be a waffle goddess, because I made these with Brown Rice Flour instead of Oat thinking they wouldn’t be as good and they were AWESOME. I’m going on a specialized diet and I’m pretty sure these will be the “special treat” I’ll need to survive it! :)
Yes! I’m so glad that worked out. Have you tried Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour blend? It’s with rice flour, and you can do a 1:1 swap with conventional flours. Good luck with your new dietary needs!
can you use the coconut oil that comes in a bottle that doesn’t need to be melted? Will that change the texture of the waffles?
That should work fine, Mary! As long as it is in liquid form, you should be good. :)
Made these for Easter breakfast. Use me an egg substitute. Worked perfect, they were delicious!
Great!
Hello! I love your blog. Your recipes are going to be a blessing for my family. Thanks!
This was awesome! Everyone (including my three small boys) loved them. First time around made with store bought oat flour and they were light and delicate. Second time around, my husband made with homemade (food processer) oat flour – a bit chunkier than store – and they were still delicious, but much different. Hearty like a Scottish oat cake. Can’t decide which I like better :) Thanks for a terrific gluten free option. Will keep trying your yummy dishes!
Thanks, Ellen! I’m so glad you enjoyed both versions. I love hearing about readers’ different takes on my recipes.
Wow! Got a new Waffle Iron (Krups) and had to try these.
They were delicious. Here are my modifications and suggestions.
NOTE: I doubled the recipe.
VEGAN OPTION:
I added 3 Tbsp Flax (soaked with probably 6 Tbsp water) as egg substitute. I should have thinned the batter with a bit more almond milk, as it was very thick.
I would drop the extra Tbsp(s) of coconut oil next time, as they tasted a bit oily.
They did not brown like traditional waffles, so I just baked them a bit longer.
They were DELICIOUS and I will make them again.
Awesome! Thanks for all these helpful notes, Susan, they’ll be helpful for other readers. :)
I am currently trying to reduce weight, so was looking up for healthy version of my fav food.
This is a life saver, it helps me eat what I like but still eat healthy.
Except the butter/ oil I changed nothing, only added 1 tablespoon olive oil ( it still came out crispy from outside and ohh so soft inside)
Great! I’m so glad this helped, Pihu.
This sounds amazing! Would it be ok with just maple syrup vs sugar? The reason I ask is because I am not good on sugar (eczema, etc) and also, I love the idea of this as an on the go non-messy playground snack for my 16 month old. Have you used other flours too, like buckwheat or almond? I’m curious before I make the investment in the waffle maker.
Hi Suzanne, these waffles call for maple syrup, not sugar, and they are great! I’m not sure how to answer your question about that. The recipe is really designed for oat flour; almond flour behaves quite differently and will produce very heavy waffles. I have a buckwheat waffle recipe here!
Oh, thank you ever so much for this recipe. The waffles turned out fluffy and happy!
You’re welcome, Bibi!
This waffle recipe was amazing! The texture and consitency came out perfect. The flavor was nutty and had coconut as I used the coconut oil and unsweetened almond milk. The waffles left a great aroma in my kitchen. I also added fresh blueberries and used Bob’s Gluten free oat flour. I will definitely be making this again. The recipe yielded me 3 full Belgian waffles.
Yum! Your version sounds delicious, Melissa. I love the subtle coconut flavor from coconut oil, too. I’m so glad you enjoyed the waffles!
Totally agree with your choice of a waffle iron. I’ve tried a few and this one is the best. No sticking and you don’t have to oil it either. Giving your waffle recipe a try now :) Thanks
You’re welcome, Lee! Let me know how it goes.
I ran out of eggs so I used flax eggs instead. 2 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 5 tbs of water. Let that sit for 5 min and then add the rest of the wet ingredients to it. Yummy!
I’m glad the flax eggs worked out, Tina!
I came across this recipe Father’s Day morning as I searched for a GF waffle recipe. These waffles were so easy to make and delicious! Bonus: I already had all the ingredients. My 3 kids and hubby loved them and that is coming from kids and a hubby who are pretty picky. Telling them something is healthy just doesn’t cut it; they want food that tastes good and looks pretty. As a mom who wants to eat clean these were a perfect choice for Father’s Day breakfast. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you found this recipe, Sonja!
Loved this recipe as a base! I have 4 kids, 3 of them are teens so I made some adjustments to their preference
and also to make a larger batch. I dropped the eggs, syrup, and butter, then added three flax eggs, coconut flour, additional coconut milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, agave to sweeten and we threw in some blueberries :) It was a tiny bit cakey so I need o play with it a bit more, but the kids scarfed them down, so WINNING! Thanks – we love your recipes!
Your version sounds delicious, Christy! I’m glad you could make the adjustments you needed.
I suddenly had to go gluten free almost 3 years ago now, and it’s recipes like yours that keep me alive! Since first trying your waffle recipe, my husband, two sons, and I have had no desire to eat any other waffle. From one Taylor to another, thank you for bringing a hungry girl joy in baking again!
This is so kind, Teresa! I’m so glad everyone enjoys the waffles.
just tried making these according to the recipe and they were awful. the batter was thin and runny like crepe batter and they did not make up solid and fluffy or crispy or anything! have to have a freaking muffin for food now. I think you really need to adjust the recipe for those who don’t use cow milk because three quarters of a cup of liquid is just too much and I used gluten-free oat flour as well. I also have to go clean up the batter off of my counter because even though I filled it according to the manufacturer’s instructions I have batter all over the place.
Sorry these were so disappointing for you, Kate. This is not a comment I get often on this recipe. I used all three types of milk (nut, coconut, and cow’s milk) and didn’t have that problem, so I don’t think it was the amount of liquid the recipe calls for. Can I ask– did you make sure to use baking powder, and not baking soda? Baking powder is a leavening and thickening agent, so it will cause the batter to thicken up and rise once it hits the heat. Baking soda behaves differently and needs an acid to activate it, so they aren’t good substitutes for each other. Just a guess!
I’ve made these waffles three times now and they just keep getting better. I was lazy so I threw all the ingredients into my ninja blender and it makes it go so much quicker plus I think it ensures that the batter is super smooth. This morning I added blueberries and pecans and omg these waffles are so perfectly crispy and fluffy! I’m in love with this recipe ❤❤
Great idea using the blender! Blueberries and pecans sound like the perfect additions. Thanks, Somalia!
Kate, thank you for this recipe all the way from Melbourne, Australia. I am gluten intolerant and finally found a recipe that my wife and two teenage boys can enjoy for breakfast. They all gave this recipe the thumbs up and commented they are much better than my gluten free pancakes! They were great with fresh strawberries and maple syrup. I bought a cheap waffle maker from ALDI after finding this recipe and it worked a treat. I made a double batch and froze the rest. I think I will be fighting my boys off from eating the frozen ones! Cheers, Mark
Hooray! I’m so glad everyone loved the waffles, Mark.
Hey! First off, love your cookbook. We recently got it after going officially vegan last month and it’s been great to have all the modifications for different needs.
We made these waffles and it was great to have a more successful Sunday waffle experience–the last couple attempts haven’t been as yummy or successful as we had hoped. Love the flavor of using the oat flour. It was a bit denser than I’m used to. Some of that is the different flour and lack of egg. Thoughts on adding some apple sauce or a mashed banana to the mix?
I absolutely LOVE these waffles. My daughter is allergic to dairy and eggs so we use coconut oil and almond milk and use bananas in place of the egg. Super easy and delicious! All my kids (and me) love them!! (They are sometimes a bit difficult to get out of the waffle iron as they are soft, but I just plop them off onto a cooling rack and they crisp up a bit as they cool. Love these!
Amazing waffles and the non gluten free people in my family love it too! Well done and thank you for the great recipe.
Loving these waffles and thankful for the recipe I make them night before by blending all ingredients in blender with the addition of extra 1/4 C. milk. (no need to make oat flour or melt oil). Next morning I blend the mixture again. They are absolutely perfect. I have also added blueberries and rhubarb after putting mixture in the waffle iron and before putting down the cover.
Rather than buy an expensive waffle iron I bought a second inexpensive one and cook two lots at the same time.
I made these but I was too lazy to make oat flour. I subbed all purpose gf flour(2/3) and almond flour(1/3). I put no eggs in. I forgot to reduce the coconut oil, so I added ~1/4 c flax seed meal to compensate for almond flour. Came out awesomely!! I doubled recipe and am freezing for easy peasy frozen healthy vegan gf waffles. Very yummy. Thank you!!
I made these today and they were outstanding. Thank you! I left the maple syrup out of the batter because I once put honey in a waffle batter and after that, the non-stick coating didn’t work and I ended up having to get a new waffle iron. I didn’t want to risk it! I thought the flavor was still great without the maple syrup.
I am glad it still worked out for you, Betty!
When you say 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoons of coconut oil=
1/4 of coconut oil plus 1 tablespoons of coconut oil? Sorry for asking this, it may sound a stupid question, but where I am from we don’t use this kind of mesure. Thanks
Jessica, you are correct! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Fantastic yum yum. These are the best. I used coconut oil. Definitely worth making. Thanks
Great! Thank you for the comment, Tom. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, that would be appreciated!
Both my finicky husband and my 13-yr old LOVED them! After they were halfway through, I explained how they were gluten free.
Just like Kate said, they came out crispy and looked delicious. They are very filling, it actually snuck up on me when I was eating my waffle. Overall, delicious recipe!
That is great, Ebony! So happy your family loved them – even your picky 13 year-old. Thanks so much for your review!
Hello: I do really enjoy it. Do you reheat the waffles while still frozen or you allowe for it to be thawed? (Toaster)
Do you happen to know the nutritious information of it? ( I think that’s what is called ☺️)
Thank you so much
You could do either! The nutrition information is located at the bottom of the page under the notes section. I hope this helps, Jessa!
I just made these waffles. I weighed my oat flour, and the weight given for 1 1/2 cups oat flour (128 g) actually comes out to 1 cup. This was unsifted but fresh and loosely spooned in. I ended up using 1 1/2 cups of the flour though, as the waffle batter seemed thin otherwise, and they were quite satisfying and tasty. Many thanks for the recipe.
Welcome! Thanks for your review, Kathleen.
We tried your gluten free waffle recipe this evening, since I got a new waffle iron from the office Xmas party. Your recipe was wonderful. I used regular GF flour versus oat flour (I didn’t have post flour and didn’t feel like making my own at 7:00 p.m.) and it was still great. Thank. You so very much.
You are welcome! Thank you for trying it, Richard. If you would want to leave a review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
I make these waffles in large batches and freeze them. Then when I’m ready for one I pull it out and toast it. I prefer the oat flour to wheat flour because it gives the waffles a nice texture and flavor. We aren’t actually gluten free at my home, but I like to use a variety of flours in my family’s diet.
These are really great for freezing! I am glad thy are a go-to for you. Thank you, April for your comment and review.
I made some authentic belgian waffles but they were too heavy so these look awesome! That recipe said to beat the eggs whites separately to stuff peaks…have you ever tried that? Seemed to have made the difference.
I am obsessed with these waffles, they turned out so well! This is my new go to recipe.
Also, I subsitituted flax egg for the egg and it worked great!
I’m happy to hear it! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it :)
Love this recipe!
Used my new mini waffle maker!
I used one 4 oz. cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of butter. Worked very well.
I also used almond milk and more cinnamon. Yum! Thanks!
Welcome, Niki!
Just made these waffles for my wife who has celiacs disease. She loves them. They are absolutely delicious. We used Bobs Red Mill Gluten free oat flour and followed the recipe exactly except I used 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla instead of 1 teaspoon.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing, Steve!
These waffles do look amazing and I am determined to have mine end up this way too! I used homemade oat flour and did add a small scoop of protein powder and about a tsp of ground flax. The batter was pretty thick and the waffles were definitely softer and a little eggier than yours. Do you think the protein and flax made a big difference? or maybe my flour wasn’t ground fine enough?
It’s hard to say what exactly caused it since there were a few different variables. Since you added additional ingredients, that was likely it.
Thanks! I will try them again only with the ingredients in your recipe and see what they are like! There really is nothing like a perfect waffle :)
Bummer, but my waffles were complete duds this morning. They didn’t rise well, had poor texture and didn’t crisp up. I’m thinking perhaps the courseness of my oat flour is to blame. Thanks for the recipe, though… I like the idea. I may try them again, though blending the batter as in some of my other recipes rather than than mixing in a bowl.
That could be the case. But it also could be the freshness of your baking powder. Also, make sure you let the batter set for 10 minutes to thicken up. Hope this helps!
Just made these waffles and they came out great!! This recipe is a keeper! I replaced 3tps of the oat flour with flaxseed meal for added omega-3. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review.
I’ve tried many different oat recipes before until I found this! These are the best and healthiest waffles I’ve ever had!!
My family loved them too! The only bad thing is that I want to eat them all :/
I know what you mean! It’s hard to not want to eat more than one. Thanks for sharing, Maria!
These were the best waffles I’ve ever had! Much better than any I’ve had using flour and so easy and quick to make. I used the butter instead of coconut oil. So so so good, thank you!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! The waffles were great fresh and out of the freezer!
Great! I’m so happy you enjoy them. Thanks, Carol!