Yeasted Vegan Waffles

We made these not so much because we are vegans as because we didn't have eggs or enough butter or any cow's milk (we are sometimes not so good at grocery shopping, and by "we" I prety much mean "I"). They turned out delicious nonetheless -- they may in fact be the best waffles I have ever personally made! They've certainly set the bar high for future posts here at the waffle blawg.

The recipe is adapted from Carmen Cooks, where it is hyped as producing amazingly crispy and light waffles. Our iteration of it, even with all the changes we made, lived up very well to the description. I will undoubtedly use this recipe again & again, and I can't wait to expand on it with sweet and savory varieties.

Vegan Yeasted Waffles

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
• 2 cups oat milk (or non-dairy milk of choice), warmed
• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (we used Earth Balance), melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• scant 1/2 cup flax egg replacer*, or other equivalent of 2 large eggs
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

The night before serving your waffles, in a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast into the water and let dissolve for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the oat milk, shortening, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover loosely and let rise overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, admire the risen batter and then add your egg replacer and baking soda. Fire up the waffle iron, grease it thoroughly, and go to town. Top with your favorite things and enjoy.

Leftovers, if you somehow have any, seem to toast up well -- freeze them after a day or so in the fridge.

* See here and here for ideas on how to make this. Our procedure was...spontaneous and confused, to say the least (not to mention unmeasured), and it's kind of miraculous that it worked at all. Once you make some of this it will keep in the fridge for maybe a couple weeks, and you will have an easy, cholesterol-free and omega-3-rich egg replacer on hand for baking!

Pretty waffle photo taken by Laura.