Sneak some veggies into your breakfast with these delicious and healthy Carrot Cake Waffles with Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese topping.
For many people, breakfast is the hardest meal of the day to get veggies in. I mean, not very many people choose a side of broccoli with their milk and cereal. That’s why I am always trying to find ways to sneak vegetables into breakfast time.
But who’s kidding, I also have bit of a sweet tooth. I love nutrition, food, baking, cooking and dark chocolate. I try to combine my love of nutrition and sweet things by creating healthier versions of normally empty-calorie foods. Adding in more nutrients, decreasing sugar and keeping it delicious. I guess I should add a disclaimer. While I do have a sweet tooth, I do not like overly sweet things. I tend to gravitate to foods that have just the right amount of sweetness to keep me interested and eating, while still being nutritious. These Carrot Cake Waffles hit that nail on the head, not to mention the Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese Icing that goes on top!
These really do taste like carrot cake in waffle form – without the raisins. A healthy cake version of waffles for breakfast…with veggies in it?! Sign me up! Even my 3 and 1 year old loved these. I don’t think they even knew there was vegetables in their breakfast.
Each waffle with topping is 186 calories, has 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and only 7 grams of sugar (27 grams total carbs). Now that’s slashing calories and upping the nutrition! Plus, did I mention they taste great? I may or may not have eaten them 3 times in the past week for breakfast…
I used whole wheat pastry flour to keep the texture light and fluffy. You can use regular whole wheat flour, they just may be a little more dense than traditional waffles. Either way, you’re sure to get a good dose of whole grains and fiber. I subbed in applesauce for the oil and sweetened them with a touch of vanilla extract and some pure maple syrup. Add in some spices, walnuts for healthy fats and of course, the carrots – your star veggie of the dish.
Another great thing about these Carrot Cake Waffles – they can easily be stored in the fridge or freezer to have on hand for when you need breakfast in a pinch. I’m all about batch cooking to make meal time easier later on.
Now excuse me while I go start me another batch of these babies. They aren’t going to cook themselves!
How do you fit veggies in to breakfast? Let me know in the comments!
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Carrot Cake Waffles
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 4-inch waffles 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Waffle iron
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sneak some veggies into your breakfast with these delicious and healthy Carrot Cake Waffles with Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese topping.
Ingredients
For the Waffles:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup natural applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
For the Topping:
- 3/4 plain Greek yogurt
- 2 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Waffles:
- Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add in the applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract, whisk together. Add in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, stir until just combined. Fold in the carrots and walnuts.
- Spray waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly on the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Continue until the batter is gone.
- Serve hot. Top with Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese icing.
- Store any leftovers in a sealed container for up to 7 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
For the Topping:
- In a medium bowl, place the Greek yogurt and Neufchâtel cheese; beat with an electric mixer or hand whisk until blended. Add in the vanilla, maple syrup and milk and continue to beat/whisk until fully combined and reaches a smooth consistency.
- Serve atop carrot cake waffles. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 waffle
- Calories: 186
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
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