Energy Oat & Cashew Waffles

These waffles ditch the flour, eggs, and milk entirely. Two cups of rolled oats go into the food processor with a half cup of cashews and grind into a coarse meal that doubles as both flour and binder. The cashews carry enough natural fat to crisp the exterior and give the inside a tender, almost buttery crumb without a drop of dairy.

The grind is the make-or-break step. Pulse just until the oats look like coarse cornmeal and the cashews are broken into bits the size of grains of rice. Push past that and the cashews release their oil, turning the whole thing into nut butter. From there it’s a pour: salt, oil, water, blend, and into the waffle iron.

These hold their shape better than typical vegan waffles because the ground cashews act as the egg, holding everything together while the iron presses out a crisp shell. Top with fresh berries, a drift of whipped cream, or real maple syrup.

Pro Tips

• Let the batter rest five minutes before cooking so the oats can hydrate and absorb the water. The texture will be noticeably better.
• Grease the waffle iron well even if it’s nonstick. Without eggs, this batter has more cling than a typical waffle.
• Cook a beat longer than you think; pull them when the steam stops rolling out of the iron, not before, or the centers stay gummy.

Variations

• Swap cashews for almonds or pecans for a different nutty backbone.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of maple syrup to the batter for spiced sweetness.
• Stir a handful of blueberries into the batter just before pouring for fruit-studded waffles.