Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating

Outside of creating holiday-themed recipes, I’ve been suffering from a little bit of Grinchism lately. Brandon called me out on our walk with Coco when we spotted an inflatable family of penguins in Santa hats tucked away in someone’s doorway. I could hear the motorized fan blowing from at least twenty feet down the sidewalk but it wasn’t until we were right in front of their door that I saw them.

“Well that seems like a waste of electricity,” I said. “You can’t even see it until your standing directly in front of the door. And it’s not even dark out yet. I mean, people are dying!”

“Whoa, you’re really being a grouch,” he said. “Lighten up, would ya?”

Yeah, you know it’s bad when you start getting bent out of shape over inflatable Christmas penguins.

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating

 This is the third year in a row that we won’t be going home for the holidays and I think it’s starting to wear on me. To me, this time of year is about being with family. Decorations just feel like a constant reminder of how far away I am. Even if I can’t be with family, I realize that I’m beyond lucky to have my husband and our Precious Pretty (aka Coco) by my side. I need to just suck it up and smile at the damn penguins! Because it could much worse, right?

Besides, if cranberry syrup doesn’t put you in the holiday mood, I don’t know what will.

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating

Is that color not gorgeous? I had to resist the urge to smear it on my face. Cranberry facials! You know you want one.

Or maybe that’s just me, dreaming of a spa day that includes a warm steam bath. Or anything warm. Because it’s freaking cold.

But first, WAFFLES.

Whole grain waffles made with almond meal and fresh orange juice, topped with BEAyootiful cranberry sizzurp.

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating

You know what else is beautiful about this recipe? You can make it with whole wheat flour (or spelt) or gluten-free brown rice flour. I tried both and they were equally delicious.

They might seem complicated to make but they actually come together in under 30 minutes. And the tangy sweet flavor from the orange and cranberries is totally worth it.

If you’re not already in the holiday spirit then grab a few oranges and some cranberries and get cookin’! You’re sure to start feeling it with a batch of these. :)

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 large waffles or 8 small

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cup brown rice flour (or whole wheat flour if not GF)

1/4 cup almond meal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange juice + 3 tablespoons orange zest (juice/zest of 2 large oranges)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon honey

Cranberry Syrup

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Combine the cranberries and the maple syrup in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes then set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile preheat the waffle maker and then combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (brown rice flour to salt) and sift together.
  3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (egg to honey) and add the coconut oil last. Make sure the coconut oil isn’t hot before adding otherwise it will cook the egg.
  4. Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry until they are just combined. Grease your waffle maker (if necessary) and then add the recommended amount of batter and cook as directed.
  5. While the waffles are cooking, place the 1/2 of the cranberries and maple syrup in a food processor and blend until smooth. You can blend more or less depending on how many chunks of cranberries you want in your syrup. Add the pureed syrup back to the remaining cranberries in the pot and stir together, then transfer it to a container for pouring.
  6. Serve waffles warm with cranberry syrup and enjoy!

Notes

waffles adapted from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin

https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/orange-almond-waffles-cranberry-syrup/

Orange Almond Waffles with Cranberry Syrup | #glutenfree #wholegrain #cleaneating