We love to make these egg-free waffles from scratch and always have a supply on hand in the freezer so we can have them at the ready with our morning coffee. Recipe is from the What to Eat When Cookbook publishing October 20, 2020. Copyright National Geographic 2020. All recipe images credited to Scott Suchman.
2 cups water, divided in half
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1⅓ cups 100% whole wheat pastry flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large ripe banana, peeled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (about 3 ounces) walnuts, toasted, chopped (optional)
Canola oil cooking spray (to grease waffle iron)
2 cups (about 12 ounces) fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup (about 5½ ounces) fresh blueberries
½ cup unsweetened orange juice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
In a small bowl, stir 1 cup water and chia seeds well to mix. Set aside to allow the chia seeds to plump up slightly, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; whisk to blend well and set aside.
In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the banana with a fork, then add the vanilla and mash until well blended.
To the bowl with the flour mixture, add the remaining 1 cup water, the chia seed mixture, and the banana mixture, whisking until no lumps of flour remain. Fold in the walnuts, if using. If the batter seems too thick, add water by tablespoonfuls for a slightly more pourable consistency.
In a medium saucepan, combine all the berry sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the berries are softened and the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
Meanwhile, coat a preheated 6- or 7-inch waffle iron with canola oil cooking spray. For a 6-inch waffle iron, pour ½ cup batter onto the iron; use ⅔ cup batter for a 7-inch iron. Close the iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown, cooked through, and beginning to crisp on top, about 3½ to 5 minutes, depending on the waffle iron. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with warm sauce on top.