Changing how you present food to your kid can make a big difference to your child’s acceptance of that food. These Savoury Waffles are a great way to get your kids pleading for more vegetables!
I’ve named this dish “Savoury Waffles” simply because I’ve made them in a waffle machine. However, they aren’t your traditional decadent, doughy waffle. Really they are just a vegetable fritter in disguise.
As you can see, from the picture below, the mixture is made with very little batter. I’ve used half a cup of flour in this recipe but, in the past, I have managed to get away with using only a quarter. Having less batter, I believe, allows more of the sweet potato and carrots to be in contact with the plates, cooking them better.
These Savoury Waffles are made using sweet potato and carrots but the recipe can be easily adapted and you can try / hide a variety of vegetables in these delicious waffles. In addition to carrot I have tried:-
- grated onion
- grated zucchini (courgette)
- grated capsicum (bell pepper)
Other vegetables, I haven’t tried in this recipe but believe would work well, are:-
- grated parsnip
- grated squash
- corn
- peas
- finely chopped spinach
You can also make them with white potatoes, if you prefer, and add any herbs and spices to suit taste.
I recommend squeezing out the juice of the vegetables if you are adding different / more vegetables. The mixture will be too wet if you don’t do this. I usually place the grated vegetables on a clean dish cloth and squeeze until all the juice comes out.
NOTE: Don’t throw away this juice, it is full of goodness! I usually add it to pasta sauces, chilli, bolognese etc. You could also add it to smoothies.
Savoury Waffles can be used in so many ways. I love to accompany them with a variety of toppings such as
- hummus
- natural greek yoghurt
- cream cheese
- pesto
- tomatoes, cucumber, beetroot etc
You can also use them
- as the “bread” for sandwiches or
- pop them in a lunch box.
This is a great finger food for babies, I would recommend reducing the cheese or simply eliminating it, to reduce sodium levels. Young babies, doing baby-led weaning, will find the waffles easy to grip due to the textured surface.
I love serving vegetables in different ways. If you do to then why not try my savoury muffins, carrot and parsnip fritters, noodle baskets, carrot and sweet potato fries, cauliflower tots and rainbow fritters.
Have you tried this recipe? I love hearing your feedback, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram
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Savoury Waffles Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium (approx. 220g) Carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 medium (approx. 265g) Sweet Potato, peeled and grated
- 1 cup (125g) Cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup (70g) Plain Wholemeal Flour
- 1 Spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley
- 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Add the grated carrot, sweet potato, cheese, spring onion, parsley and wholemeal flour into a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. SEE NOTE 1
- Add the eggs and mix well.
- Spray waffle machine with oil (if needed) and heat to a medium setting (if it has settings.)
- Place 2/3 - 1 cup of the mixture in the centre of the waffle machine and spread a little to the sides. Close and cook for approx. 5 mins, until browned, crispy and cooked through in the centre. Remove from waffle machine and place on a wire rack.
- Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.
Recipe Notes
- I used a food processor to grate the vegetables which I believe gives the best results. If you use a box grater then the vegetables can become mush and clump together. This will depend on how sharp your box grater is and the force you use. If very wet, I recommend squeezing some of the juice out (using a cheese cloth / clean dish cloth) before mixing with the flour and egg.
- You can easily change the vegetables you use in this recipe. I have, in the past, tried a mixture of grated onion, capsicum (bell pepper), zucchini (courgette). If adding other vegetables I recommend squeezing the juice out before mixing with the flour and egg.
Cheryl in Chan says
Hi Amy, thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to try. I am just curious if food processor grates the veggies? Mine seems to just finely chop. Will that be okay too?
Amy says
Hi Cheryl, my food processor has a grating disk that I use. Finely chopped may not work as they might not cook enough.
Sam says
Hi Amy,
Can I save the batter for later?
Amy says
Hi Sam, I haven’t actually stored the batter so can’t say how it would hold up. I’m sure it would be ok with a good mix before cooking.
Patrick says
Top recipe because it’s versatile. Didn’t have sweet potato so I subbed with one each of red pepper, carrot, shallot and courgette. Grated all in food processor and placed in a sieve with a weighted bowl on top for twenty mins before mixing with the flour. Beat some smoked paprika and salt with the eggs then mixed all. In my not so powerful waffle maker they took 7 mins, no flipping. If I was somewhere with no waffle maker I’d just fry it in a little oil and congratulate myself on making a healthy meal.
Amy says
Thanks for your feedback and five stars, Patrick. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂