Made with 100% whole wheat flour, apple chunks, tons of cinnamon, and a homemade caramel sauce, there’s so much to love about these apple cinnamon waffles!
Warm up fall mornings with a stack of these apple cinnamon waffles! Each waffle is packed with apple chunks, warm cinnamon, and other cozy flavors.
They scream fall (so do our apple pancakes) and are made in minutes with a waffle iron. Top with a homemade caramel sauce for the ultimate seasonal breakfast!
What You Need for Apple Cinnamon Waffles
There are 2 parts to love about these fall waffles: spiced apple waffle batter + homemade caramel sauce. Here’s what you need for each:
Apple Cinnamon Waffles
These waffles come together with nourishing waffle ingredients like whole wheat flour, leaveners, eggs, coconut oil, and almond milk. For the apple cinnamon twist, we use:
- Apples: You’ll need about 1 cup of diced apples (about 1-2 whole apples depending on the size).
- Cinnamon: Can’t have apple cinnamon waffles without cinnamon! Use a whopping 1.5 tablespoons for maximum cinnamon flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup is an all-natural sweetener that pairs wonderfully with the other cozy ingredients.
Caramel Sauce
This wholesome homemade caramel sauce comes straight from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen’s cookbook! Her cookbook is packed with 150 recipes that are paleo and gluten free friendly, with a stellar dessert chapter featuring feel-good recipes including this caramel sauce made with:
- Coconut Milk + Butter: Full-fat coconut milk is the base of this caramel sauce and is what keeps it luxuriously smooth.
- Maple Syrup: For sweetness.
- Flavors: Pure vanilla extract, seeds from half of a vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt add wonderful flavor.
Substitutions for Apple Cinnamon Waffles
If you don’t have all of these waffle ingredients on hand, here are a few substitutions to try:
Flour: Use classic all-purpose flour in place of the white whole wheat pastry flour.
Cinnamon: Apple pie spice would be incredible in these waffles. Use 1.5-2 tablespoons in place of the cinnamon.
Eggs: Instead of regular eggs, use 2 flax eggs.
Milk: Use your favorite kind of dairy or non-dairy milk in this recipe. Oat milk would be delicious!
For fun, use this recipe to make caramel apple cinnamon pancakes! Thin the batter out by adding about 1/4 to 1/3 cup more milk. Cook pancakes over medium heat for about 90 seconds per side.
FAQ
Do you need to peel the apples first?
We recommend it, yes! It’s not necessary, but we love using peeled, diced apples for these waffles.
How thick should the waffle batter be?
The batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter, but not too thick! If the batter is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of almond milk at a time until the batter is thin enough.
Can you make these waffles without the caramel sauce?
Absolutely. The caramel sauce is a wonderful addition to these waffles, but feel free to skip it altogether. Top each waffle with nut butter, syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or fresh fruit instead.
Storing Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Waffles (and pancakes) are a surprisingly great make-ahead breakfast recipe. They reheat easily in the toaster or microwave for a quick breakfast to enjoy all week long. Store apple waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to Freeze Waffles
Freeze leftovers or whip up a double or triple batch of waffles to keep on hand in the freezer for whenever the waffle mood strikes! To freeze waffles:
- Let the waffles cool completely to prevent freezer burn. This keeps the waffles as fresh as possible.
- Stack 2 waffles together. Tightly wrap with a piece of plastic wrap and place in an airtight container (we love this Stasher bag). Make sure to remove as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Frozen Waffles
When ready to reheat frozen waffles, you have 2 options:
- Option 1 (recommended): Cut the frozen waffles in half and toast on medium. This crisps up the waffles as they warm up – and who doesn’t like a crispy waffle?!
- Option 2: Thaw waffles in the refrigerator overnight and microwave for about a minute in the morning.
Serving Suggestions
Top a stack of apple cinnamon waffles with a sprinkle of cinnamon, chopped nuts or apples, or even a dollop of applesauce. For a heartier meal, serve with scrambled eggs (or your favorite kind of eggs), a strawberry smoothie, or fresh fruit.
Apple Cinnamon Waffles with Caramel Sauce
Light and fluffy, these apple cinnamon waffles are perfectly spiced and topped with a must-make homemade caramel sauce.
Prep:15 minutes
Cook:40 minutes
Total:55 minutes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups white whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup diced apples peeled first
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- seeds scraped from 1/2 a vanilla bean
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
For the Waffles
Preheat the waffle iron to medium heat.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Mix in the wet ingredients except for the coconut oil.
Pour in the melted coconut oil and mix until smooth.
Spray the waffle iron with coconut oil cooking spray on both sides. Scoop about 2/3 cup of batter into the waffle iron. Close the waffle iron, flip, and cook for about 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds (depending on how hot your iron is).
Transfer the cooked waffles to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm, and repeat the process until all of the waffle batter is used up.
For Lexi’s Clean Kitchen’s All-Purpose Caramel Sauce
Combine all of the caramel sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the caramel begins to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon. For thicker caramel, let the sauce simmer longer.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. The longer it cools, the thicker it will be.
Drizzle onto pancakes and enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Store these apple waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Let the waffles cool completely. Once cool, stack 2 waffles together and tightly wrap with a piece of plastic wrap. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to reheat, cut the frozen waffles in half and toast on medium. Or, thaw waffles in the refrigerator overnight and microwave for about a minute in the morning.
- Caramel Sauce Storage: Let the caramel cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, let the sauce come to room temperature or warm it up on the stove.
- Almond Milk: The batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter, but not too thick! Start with 1 cup of almond milk. If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon at a time until the batter is thin enough.
- For Pancakes: Thin the batter out by adding about 1/4 to 1/3 cup more almond milk. Cook pancakes over medium heat for about 90 seconds per side.
Nutrition facts
Calories: 321kcal Carbohydrates: 34g Protein: 6g Fat: 18g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 10g
