These Crispy Mac and Cheeze Waffles are the perfect indulgent side dish! Two ingredients, and you get crisp on the outside, and soft cheesy Mac and cheese on the inside of these divine waffles!
You know what you need today? A life balance. These Mac and Cheeze Waffles are the kind of balance that I’m talking about. Good for you ingredients that taste like Christmas came early. Cheesy, creamy, crispy, crunchy that have come true. We’re about to make that happen here with these two – yes TWO – ingredients waffles.
I have been using Daiya products for years now. I remember the first time I used a Daiya product – it was on a vegan pizza (like this one) that I made while still vegetarian. One bite and Gav said “you could sell this!” That pretty much convinced me. The first time we tried Daiya’s Deluxe Cheddar Style Cheezy Mac, we were in shock at how cheesy it was. I actually completely forgot that it was gluten free, too! That’s exactly why I’m so excited to be sharing these waffles with you. Let’s be real – leftover Mac and cheese is always delicious, but these takes it over the top and with only one more ingredient, plus a few delicious add-ons.
I’m making these waffles as a part of Daiya’s Comfort Food That Loves You Back campaign – which is pretty awesome. Firstly, one of my favourite things about being vegan is that when I do indulge in comfort food, I don’t get that uncomfortable feeling that I used to get with dairy. That’s pretty much the point with this campaign – with Mac and cheese that’s filled with protein, is gluten free, dairy free, and free of all the top 8 allergens, this is the best kind of comfort food. The kind that doesn’t weigh you down, tastes amazing and (of course) comforting, and that you could actually enjoy throughout the holiday season. I mean, I know you’re in agreement with me, am I right?! P.S. you got to watch the video below – it’s hilarious. Needless to say we pressed our box endlessly!
So these Crispy Mac and Cheeze Waffles. Gav and I started “waffling” things from our very first waffle iron, so my first thought was to immediately make these into Mac and cheese waffles. I mean – ONLY good could come from that right?!
I tested these quite a few because I wanted to ensure that they were still cheesy and soft yet crisp on the outside. After only a few tries, one method stood true. Add a small square of cold Mac and cheese unto the hot waffle iron, sprinkle some dairy-free Daiya cheese on top (I used their new Cutting Block Shreds), then cook for like 4-5 minutes. The cheese layer almost protects that Mac and cheese so it remains in perfect cheesy condition with an extra yummy layer. Let me tell you, this has been a happier household ever since. I didn’t even need to add any additional seasonings since the Cheezy Mac is already insanely delicious.
As if that wasn’t good enough, I topped mine with hot sauce and scallions and let me tell you we have a WINNER here. This “recipe” is super versatile because while I did 3×3 inch squares, you could do 2×2 for appetiser size, or go mega with a 4×4. It’s your Mac and cheese dream world, friends.
I hope you enjoy these and find some amazing ways to serve them in your house this holiday season. Eat up and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 box Daiya Deluxe Cheddar Style Cheezy Mac
- 1 package Daiya Cheddar Cutting Board Shreds*
Instructions
- Cook Daiya Mac and cheese according to the directions on the box.
- Spread the Mac and cheese in an even layer in an 8x8 or a 9x9 pan and set in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight. These work great with leftovers too!
- Cut a 3x3 square (or really any size that you desire) and place on to your preheated waffle maker. Top with a tablespoon or two of Daiya cheddar shreds and then close the waffle. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the cheese is nice and crusty. Remove from waffle maker and continue with as many waffles as you like! Feel free to change up the size of them to your preference.
- Top waffles with hot sauce and scallions. Enjoy!
Notes
Crispy Mac and Cheeze Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 box Daiya Deluxe Cheddar Style Cheezy Mac
- 1 package Daiya Cheddar Cutting Board Shreds*
Instructions
- Cook Daiya Mac and cheese according to the directions on the box.
- Spread the Mac and cheese in an even layer in an 8x8 or a 9x9 pan and set in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight. These work great with leftovers too!
- Cut a 3x3 square (or really any size that you desire) and place on to your preheated waffle maker. Top with a tablespoon or two of Daiya cheddar shreds and then close the waffle. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the cheese is nice and crusty. Remove from waffle maker and continue with as many waffles as you like! Feel free to change up the size of them to your preference.
- Top waffles with hot sauce and scallions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Crispy Mac and Cheeze Waffles https://jessicainthekitchen.com/crispy-mac-and-cheeze-waffles/ December 3, 2018
These Orange Cranberry Waffles are bursting with holiday flavour! They are drizzled with a Cranberry Maple Compote and are vegan and gluten free!
One thing I know for sure is that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. You guys already know that it’s my favourite season, and with that comes ALL the festive foods. I always feel like I’m lacking in festive breakfasts , so wanted to shake it up this year with these Orange Cranberry Waffles with Cranberry Maple Compote. Let me tell you – you’re going to need these waffles on your Christmas/holiday table.
We’ll be spending Christmas this year as a family away from home, so what better way than to bring a piece of home with me? Of course I’m not actually travelling with these waffles (though I’ve been known to do that) but you can bet that the waffle maker is coming with me in my suitcase. Yup, it’s that good.
Calphalon’s IntelliCrisp Waffle Maker is without a doubt, the best waffle iron I have ever used. If you watched my insta stories then you saw me raving like crazy over it. This is just one amazing appliance in Calphalon’s new line of kitchen appliances. This beautiful collection includes the Calphalon Quartz Heat Countertop Oven , the Calphalon Special Brew Coffee Maker , the Calphalon Even Sear Multi-Grill , the Calphalon Digital Sauté Slow Cooker , the Calphalon Intellicrisp Waffle Maker and the Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender . Let me break down my favourite things about this waffle maker:
- It BEEPS when it’s ready to put the waffle maker is preheated. HELLO, this waffle maker is the thing dreams are made of.
- It’s ceramic coated so you do not – I repeat – you do not need to oil or butter this. No more praying that this won’t stick. It won’t stick – simple as that!
- There’s a sensor that senses the waffles, then counts down the cooking time, then beeps when it’s finished. Okay, this saved all stress and anxiety
- It locks in place, so when you’re taking it down from a high shelf it’s super easy to grab
- It’s gorgeous. Like, this waffle maker is super sleek.
Long story short, go and run out and buy this for everyone you know that loves waffles. Which is pretty much everyone on earth. It’ll make the perfect Christmas gift because if I didn’t already have it, it would be on my list. Friends, look out for WAY more waffle recipes from me in the future.
Speaking of waffles, yes, these Orange Cranberry Waffles are perfect. The flavour leans more on the cranberry than the orange side, but you could easily up it by swapping out a few tablespoons of the vegan buttermilk for more orange juice. It’s speckled with beautiful burst cranberries, and has a subtle hint of orange. So basically this tastes like sunshine.
You guys didn’t think I was going to add plain ole’ (as delicious as it is that way) maple syrup to these festive waffles did you? No. Orange Cranberry Waffles deserve maple syrup spiced with orange zest and cranberries. It’s as easy as heating the maple syrup in a pan with a handful of cranberries, a little vanilla extract and a bit of zest until the cranberries pop. Then let it cool while you finish the rest of the waffles. It takes these already perfectly crisp on the outside soft on the inside waffles to another level. You know when you guys are always asking for those little things I do to take my own versions over the top? This is one of them!
I hope you enjoy these waffles friends! The recipe can be easily doubled, or even tripled. Also, these freeze like a dream. I guarantee that you’ll be making them more than once throughout the holiday season, so to make it easier you can freeze your cranberries and even your orange zest. That way the zesting – the “hardest” part – is easy for you. Enjoy, friends!
Ingredients
Orange Cranberry Waffles
- 1 cup of oats, ground into a flour (or oat flour) , 87g
- 1 ¼ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour , ( 185 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , 2.4g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder , 7.2g
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon , optional
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt , 4.2g
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 ½ cups cashew milk , or any nut milk, 360ml
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar , or white vinegar, 10ml
- 1 tablespoon orange juice , 15ml
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter , 44g
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract , 2.5ml
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup , 30ml
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries , 50g
Cranberry Maple Compote
- ½ cup maple syrup , or agave, 120ml
- ¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries , 25g
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
Vegan Orange Cranberry Waffles
- Mix the cashew milk and apple cider vinegar together. Let sit for at least 3 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt and orange zest together. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix all the vegan buttermilk, orange juice, the melted vegan butter, the maple syrup and the vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.
- Turn on and preheat your Calphalon IntelliCrisp Waffle Maker according to which done level that you want. I set mine two dials before max because I like mine crisp and brown but also very fluffy.
- When preheated, use a ½ cup/125ml measuring cup, scoop out some batter and pour/spread into the middle of each side of the waffle maker (so ½ cup per side). You don’t need to push it to the edges. Close and remove when the timer on Calphalon IntelliCrisp Waffle Maker is finished and the waffle maker beeps.
- Remove each waffle and place on a baking sheet in your oven or toaster oven on “warm” or 200F/95C to keep warm and crispy until finished with the entire batter. Continue with the rest of the batter.
- While the waffles are being made, you can prepare your Cranberry Maple Compote.
Cranberry Maple Compote
- Add all the ingredients to a pot over high heat. Bring the ingredients to a boil until cranberries begin to pop, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool while cooking the rest of the waffles.
- Serve with the waffles and enjoy!
