Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

Last year, Jeremy and I tried to start one of our very first traditions together – a rather simple one: enjoying brunch together every Sunday. It’s the only day of the week that we both typically have off of work and get to see each other for more than an hour or two at a time, and we always do our best to get the most out of those kinds of days!

While the first few weeks went over swimmingly, life threw us some curveballs – work called, Sundays got disrupted by this or that, one of us would catch a cold, and so on. So, this year, we’re revisiting and revising that goal to simply try and enjoy Sunday brunches whenever we can… and slowing them WAY down when we do.

We love this so much because it allows us to prepare and eat some of our favorite foods (we love breakfast) and sip some of our favorite drinks (Bloody Marys and mimosas for the win!) together. It also gives us a chance to spend some quality time actually preparing a meal in our own kitchen, since we’re usually rushing through it during the week, or discover new restaurants around town or in our travels if we decide to dine out.

A favorite brunch staple of mine is waffles, and while I’m all for the traditional Belgian waffle topped with goodies like powdered sugar, whipped cream, sweet syrups, and fruit, I’m trying my best to opt for healthier options when I can.

These low-fat, whole wheat banana waffles hit the spot – and because of the applesauce and mashed banana, they were extra moist. All we needed was a dollop of Greek yogurt and some fruit on top! (I also imagine they’d taste excellent drizzled with maple syrup or topped with a bit of Nutella.) Anyway, onto the waffles!

I found this recipe at Eat Yourself Skinny and only adjusted it to add a little more cinnamon!

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup milk (I used almond)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar alternative (I used Stevia in the Raw, but Splenda, honey, maple syrup, or agave would work)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 large ripe banana, mashed

Directions

Preheat your waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until fluffy.
Whisk the milk, applesauce, and vanilla in with the egg mixture. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the mashed banana.
Pour the batter in to your waffle maker (I like pouring the batter into a large liquid measuring cup first, and then pouring it in) and cook until timer goes off, or until waffles are a golden brown.

So, so good!