How To Make Homemade Waffles Without Milk: Dairy Free

Author: Tosh Lubek Published: 21st February 2022

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Being dairy-free can be a struggle for many people since most of what we eat has some form of milk in it. Some people choose to avoid some of their favorite foods or go with substitutions that leave their food tasteless and dry. Waffles tend to be one of those foods that dairy-free people either give up or end up using the wrong substitutions for.

The key to being dairy-free is to make a lot of your food yourself, especially if you aren’t keen on reading labels. Many pre-made waffles and waffle mixes contain some form of dairy. The best way to make dairy-free homemade waffles is to find the perfect substitutions. You can also have delicious add-ins and play with different flours.

In this article, I not only suggest what you can substitute for dairy but also save you time by providing links to the best products and deals I can find on Amazon.

Pick a Dairy Substitution

The first step to making great homemade waffles without milk is to pick a dairy substitute. The wonders behind cooking will allow for many liquids or almost liquid ingredients to replace milk in any recipe. It just depends on what you’re making. An added benefit to using a dairy substitute is that many of these substitutes are plant-based and are great for the environment!

Non-Dairy Milk

Nowadays, there are plenty of non-dairy kinds of milk available that you can use and not have to worry about changing the measurements for the amount of milk a recipe calls for. Many of the non-dairy kinds of milk also have additional flavors you can mix in, like chocolate or strawberry. You can also get unsweetened varieties if you’re watching your sugar.

Some fantastic non-dairy kinds of milk to use to make amazing homemade waffles include:

• Almond milk
• Cashew milk
• Coconut Milk
• Hemp milk
• Macadamia Milk
• Rice milk
• Soy milk

I have found good multi-buy deals on all these dairy milk substitutes on Amazon

Almond_Milk  Cashew_Milk  Coconut_Milk  Hemp_Milk  Macadamia_Milk  Soy_Milk 

Other Milk Substitutes

If you don’t want to use non-dairy milk, you can still use other substitutes for great homemade waffles without sacrificing the moist fluffiness that waffles are known for. Different milk substitutes will call for different adjustments, and you won’t be using the same amount of liquid a recipe will call for.

• Applesauce: Use ½ cup of applesauce and 1 ¼ cup of water or plant-based milk for every 2 cups of flour. You also won’t need to use oil with this substitute!
• Water: you’ll want to use 1 ½ cups of water to 2 cups of flour for this dairy-free substitute. It’s easy, and you don’t have to worry about excess clean-up!
• Non-dairy yogurt: Using non-dairy yogurt is a fantastic milk substitute for waffles. You’ll have thick, protein-packed fluffy waffles using a non-dairy yogurt. Most of them are made from coconut, soy, or almonds.

Milk Substitutes to Avoid

While it may seem logical for some substitutes, they really aren’t the best to use if you want to try to maintain a waffle’s texture and flavor. Some mistakes for waffles without milk that you should avoid are:

• Adding extra oil: this will make your waffles greasy and heavy
• Adding extra eggs: this will make your waffles tough and eggy

Using Pre-Made Mixes

Many people like to make their homemade waffles with a pre-made mix rather than from scratch. If you’re dairy-free, you must look at what ingredients are used in the mix if you’re not making the waffles from scratch. Some pre-made mixes have powdered milk added into them already, so all you have to do is add water. 

Here are some amazing dairy-free pre-made waffle mixes that you can try (use the link to see the product on Amazon):

• It’s Really Vegan! Pancake and Waffle Mix
• Birch Bender’s Blueberry Pancake and Waffle Mix
• Orgain Protein Pancake and Waffle Mix

Many dairy-free people are also looking out for other allergens in food as well. Most of the dairy-free pancake mixes will still contain gluten, but there are delicious pancake mixes without gluten!

A Different Kind of Waffle

You can look at being dairy-free a whole other way. You can even make waffles without batter! Chaffles are a fantastic way to make a homemade waffle without dairy or extra carbs. The chaffle base is eggs and cheese, so just make sure you’re using dairy-free cheese. Chaffles aren’t as light and fluffy as a Belgian waffle, but they’re a delicious crispy waffle.

You can make chaffles to be savory or sweet (even with the cheese!). Here is a basic chaffle recipe that you can play with and add different flavors:

• ½ cup shredded dairy-free cheese (or dairy-free cream cheese)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of flour (most people use almond flour)
• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour the mixture into your waffle iron. Close the waffle iron and allow the chaffle to cook until crispy. Enjoy!

Waffle Irons and Cooking Spray

Depending on why you’re dairy-free or making dairy-free waffles, you must make sure you have a dedicated dairy-free waffle iron, especially if you’re on a dairy-free diet for your own intolerance or if you’re breastfeeding and your baby has an intolerance. Here are some great waffle irons, whether you’re making waffles for yourself or a whole crew:

• Hamilton Beach 4-Square Waffle Iron
• Cuisinart Round Belgian Waffle Iron
• Presto Flipside Waffle Iron

You’ll also have to check the ingredients on the cooking spray you’re using. Some cooking sprays aren’t vegetable-based and will have some dairy in them. Here are some things you can do to ensure you have amazing dairy-free waffles that don’t stick to the waffle iron:

• Put vegetable or canola oil in a spray bottle and spray the waffle iron.
• Use a dairy-free non-stick cooking spray.

Dairy-Free Add-Ins and Toppings

Some people like waffles plain; others love to fill them with different ingredients and top them with even more to add extra flavor. While most popular add-ins and toppings are dairy-free (like fruit and bacon), some can sneakily bring dairy into your waffles. Some great dairy-free add-ins and toppings to use are:

• Dairy-free chocolate chips
• Dairy-free whipped cream
• Dairy-free syrups, such as caramel

Conclusion

If you’re newly dairy-free or have been dairy-free your whole life, you no longer have to worry about sacrificing one of the best breakfasts (or dinners) to stay dairy-free. Following some quick substitutions is the best way to make sure you have great homemade waffles without using milk. Just make sure that everything is dairy-free from start to finish.