GLUTEN-FREE CRISPY, CORNY TOASTED ALMOND CHERRY DELIGHT WAFFLES

I meant to post this recipe for Valentine's Day, but it didn't happen!  But, better late than never-- these beauties would be delicious any time of the year.  I based them on the white bean/oat waffles that I developed for the first version of Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes-- low in fat; high in protein, fiber and other nutrients.  They also just happen to be gluten-free.

My two 12-year-old granddaughters ate quite a few of these for brunch this last Sunday after a sleep-over at our house.  They were quite surprised when I revealed the "secret ingredient", white beans, but that didn't deter them from eating more!

Don't be put off by having to put the beans in water to soak the night before. This takes just minutes before you retire for the night and then, in the morning, the batter is quickly made in the blender while the waffle iron heats up. They can be reheated quickly in a very hot oven for a short time (you just want to crisp and heat them, not dry them out), or in a toaster. Keep some ready-made in the freezer for quick toaster snacks-- they are great eaten out of hand with a little low-sugar jam.

NOTE: Use only dried white navy beans or Great Northern beans or split (white) urad dal for making white bean flour, or purchase bean flour made from only one of those varieties. (Chickpea flour is fine, too.)  
DO NOT use cannellini beans, red or white kidney beans, butter beans, broad beans or lima beans for making flour; nor should you use those 6 varieties of beans whole, soaked (but raw) and blended into recipes to be cooked or baked. Those 6 varieties of beans all need to be soaked for at least 5 hours, water discarded, and then boiled in fresh water for 10 to 15 minutes before simmering until tender before eating.  This eliminates toxic lectins which can cause all sorts of digestive distress in some people.  
And be advised that slow-cookers do not always get hot enough to get rid of the toxin, so soak and boil as advised above before finishing in a slow-cooker.  If using a pressure cooker to cook kidney beans or the other 4 varieties mentioned as problematic, you do not need to pre-boil for 10 minutes as the very high temperatures reached inside the pressure cooker are adequate to destroy the toxin, but definitely soak first and discard the water. (Info from this article.)
The toxin in white kidney beans at about 1/3rd the concentration of red kidney beans, and broad (fava) beans, butter beans and lima beans at about 5 to 10%. 

Don't panic about lectins, but be informed-- see https://authoritynutrition.com/dietary-lectins/  and http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/food-poisoning/red-kidney-bean-toxins.html

Printable Copy
BRYANNA'S CRISPY, CORNY TOASTED ALMOND AND CHERRY DELIGHT WAFFLES (GLUTEN-FREE)

Servings: 5

Yield: makes about 10/ 4" waffles or 5/ 7” round waffles

These are crispy, ultra-nutritious homemade waffles, delicious and far superior to any frozen waffle available. These waffles are super-easy to mix up, but take a little longer to bake than ordinary waffles (about 8 minutes), so you might want to make them ahead of serving time, or have two waffle irons going at the same time. They can be reheated quickly in a very hot oven for a short time (you just want to crisp and heat them, not dry them out), or in a toaster. Note: Don't worry, no one will suspect that there are beans in these waffles!

1/2 cup    dried white navy beans or Great Northern beans (see Note above photo.)

2 1/4 cups    fresh water  

1 cup    yellow cornmeal  

3/4 cup    rolled oats (use GF rolled oats if necessary)  

2 Tbs    organic light granulated unbleached sugar  

1 Tbs    whole golden flax seed  

1 Tbs    baking powder  

1 tsp    salt  

1/2 tsp    pure vanilla extract  

1/2 tsp    pure almond extract  

1/4 cup    toasted slivered almonds  

1/2 cup    dried cherries, coarsely chopped  

 

The night before:

Soak the beans in plenty of water. The beans can soak in water in the refrigerator for up to a week with no fermentation, if you aren't sure when you'll make the waffles.

In the morning:

Drain the beans. Place them in a sturdy blender along with all of the other ingredients, in the order given. Blend until smooth and light and foamy. This may take several minutes.  NOTE: Some blenders are too cheaply-made to grind properly, although beans soaked all night should be no problem.  

Let the batter stand while you heat up your waffle iron on medium setting. 

It's best to use a newer nonstick model in order for this no-added-oil recipe to be successful. I use either a Cuisinart Classic Round waffle maker that makes 7" waffles, or a model that makes two 4" square waffles at a time. Do not use a Belgian waffle iron (one with deep depressions that makes thick waffles), or one with very tiny depressions. Just an ordinary "classic" or "traditional" waffle iron! There are various brands that make them.

When the iron is hot, spray with oil and pour on about a heaping 1/3 cup batter for each 4" square waffle or 2/3 cup for each 7" round waffle. Close the iron and set the timer for 8 minutes. Don't attempt to remove the waffle before 8 minutes is up. If the iron is hard to open, don't force it--  let it cook for a couple of more minutes.  You can usually tell when a waffle is done when there is no steam coming out of the iron anymore. The waffle should be golden-brown and crispy. Remove the waffle from the iron with a fork.

Stir the batter again briefly before pouring out each waffle. If the batter gets thicker on standing, add a little water, just until it's the consistency you started out with. Spray the waffle maker with oil before making each waffle.

Serve the waffles immediately, or let them cool on cake racks before re-heating or storing. When they are cool, they can be frozen in plastic bags or rigid containers. Serve with your favorite toppings.

 

 Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 312.9 calories; 14% calories from fat; 5.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 396.0mg sodium; 828.8mg potassium; 59.3g carbohydrates; 8.1g fiber; 5.7g sugar; 51.2g net carbs; 10.5g protein; 5.9 points. 

                                                                         Enjoy!