Recipe: Whole-Grain Sweet Potato Waffles with Orange and Cinnamon

by Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

November 21, 2012 • 1 comment

 Use sweet potato to add seasonal taste to waffles

This is a time of year that I surely want to get my fill of all the produce the season has to offer, and sweet potatoes are very high on my list. My friend Kim prepared the first sweet potato waffles I ever ate. They were divine and the kids loved them – crispy and golden on the outside and soft on the inside, with a touch of sweetness.

While Scarlet typically sticks her nose up at sweet potatoes, she gladly devours them when encased (or enveloped) in a waffle. From my perspective, any sweet potato is better than no sweet potato.

If you want to go the extra step for a lighter-on-the-inside waffle, separate the egg yolks from the whites, mixing the yolks with the sweet potato. Then, after your batter is ready, whip the whites into soft peaks and gently fold into the batter.  If you do not have whole-wheat pastry flour, the next best option is white whole-wheat flour, which is a softer wheat variety. Regular whole-wheat flour will result in a denser waffle.

Enjoy sweet potatoes this week, however you prepare them. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Recipe: Whole-Grain Sweet Potato Waffles with Orange and Cinnamon

1 large orange sweet potato or yam (about 1 cup [225 g]) cooked, mashed)

4 eggs

1/4 cup (60 ml) expeller-pressed canola oil

3/4 cup (180 ml) lowfat milk

1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) grated orange zest

1 1/2 cups (188 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (in the natural food section)

1/2 cup (70 g) fine whole-grain cornmeal

1 tablespoon (13.8 g) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Expeller-pressed canola oil spray

Poke the sweet potato six times with a fork and microwave until fork tender in the middle, about 4-7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potato in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Preheat the waffle iron.

Crack the eggs into the same bowl and whisk until blended. Stir in oil, then milk and orange zest. At once, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir just until moistened. Do not over stir or waffles will be tough. The batter will be thick, but pourable.

Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil. Pour a 1-cup scoop of batter evenly over the griddle and close the lid. Cook 3 1/2–4 minutes until it no longer emits steam and the waffle is golden brown. Continue to cook the remaining batter. Serve hot with light butter, toasted pecans, and real maple syrup, agave nectar or honey.

Store leftover waffles in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to two months in a well-sealed container. Reheat in toaster.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Makes 6 servings, 1/2 waffle each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 230 calories, 5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 511 mg sodium, 126 mg cholesterol, 36 g total carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 11 g protein, 15% DV iron, 22% DV calcium, 133% DV Vitamin A, 12% DV Vitamin C.

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Whole-Grain Sweet Potato Waffles with Orange and Cinnamon

By Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Published: November 21, 2012

• Yield: 1/2 waffle (6 Servings)
• Prep: 30 mins
• Cook: 12 mins
• Ready In: 42 mins

Easy healthy whole-grain sweet potato breakfast waffle with hints of lemon zest and cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1 large potato about 1 cup (225 g) orange sweet potato or yam cooked, mashed
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) expeller-pressed canola oil
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) lowfat milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups (188 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup (70 g) fine whole-grain cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon (13.8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Expeller-pressed canola oil spray

Instructions

1. Poke the sweet potato six times with a fork and microwave until fork tender in the middle, about 4-7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potato in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Preheat the waffle iron.
   
2. Crack the eggs into the same bowl and whisk until blended. Stir in oil, then milk and orange zest. At once, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir just until moistened. Do not over stir or waffles will be tough. The batter will be thick, but pourable.
   
3. Spray waffle iron with vegetable oil. Pour a 1-cup scoop of batter evenly over the griddle and close the lid. Cook 3 1/2–4 minutes until it no longer emits steam and the waffle is golden brown. Continue to cook the remaining batter. Serve hot with light butter, toasted pecans, and real maple syrup, agave nectar or honey.
   
4. Store leftover waffles in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to two months in a well-sealed container. Reheat in toaster.
   

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Breakfast
• Skill Level: Easy