Light and fluffy Oatmeal Protein Waffles that are made with all wholesome ingredients for a balanced meal. This easy healthy breakfast is a great source of complex carbohydrates and boasts 28 grams of protein per waffle.

Honey being poured on top of waffles with fresh berries and almond butter.

After I shared my recipe for Oatmeal Protein Pancakes, I had one reader ask if the recipe could be made into waffles. 

Having not tried it myself, I wasnโ€™t certain how the recipe would turn out as waffles but I was confident enough in its potential success  to give it a try.

And it worked!

In my experience, most pancake recipes can be turned into waffles, especially if there is starch and fat in the recipe. 

So here we are, making waffles out of pancake batter, and protein waffles at that!

I love that these macro-friendly waffles have the perfect balance of complex carbohydrates and protein with a small amount of fat.

They are everything I want in a balanced breakfast, except I would also add a side of sauteed vegetables for some added dietary fiber. 

For my fellow gym goers or exercise enthusiasts, I think youโ€™re going to love this healthy waffle recipe!

The best part is you donโ€™t have to be an athlete to love this macro friendly meal. It isnโ€™t just tolerable for a healthy recipe, itโ€™s all around delicious!

Large waffle on a plate with fresh strawberries and blueberries and a gold fork.

Letโ€™s discuss the wholesome ingredients for easy protein waffles.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Protein Waffles:

Rolled Oats: Taking the place of all-purpose flour for a whole grain waffle recipe, we use old fashioned oats. Quick oats work great too!

Oats get blended up in your blender to make a flour, which is then used as the base for these waffles.

For gluten-free waffles, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.

Protein Powder (Optional): Adding a boost of protein to these waffles for a balanced meal, we add some protein powder.

You can add any favorite protein powder you love. I use a goat whey protein powder that is unsweetened and unflavored.

Vanilla protein powder works great too! Stick with a plant-based protein like hemp protein powder or pea protein powder to keep the waffles vegetarian. 

Whole Eggs and Egg Whites: The combination of eggs and egg whites serves a few important functions here. They are responsible for making fluffy waffles that are nice and airy and have the best texture.

Eggs and egg whites also help them hold the waffles together, and add fat for moisture and protein to the oatmeal waffles.

For the egg whites, I keep a carton of egg whites on hand rather than separating out the whites from the yolks.

I find this to be very useful to have around for situations where I need eggs for a recipe, like the boost of protein, but donโ€™t necessarily want to add fat.

Milk of Choice: Choose your favorite milk! You can use regular cowโ€™s milk or a dairy-free milk such as oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk. I like using canned coconut milk for a richer flavor but this also adds more calories.

Pure Maple Syrup (Optional): For a touch of sweetness, add a little pure maple syrup or honey to the batter. You can also use regular cane sugar or brown sugar here, or omit the sweetener altogether if you cook without added sugar.


Baking Powder: Used as the leavening agent, baking powder gives the waffles a nice crispy outside, ensures they cook evenly, and keeps them held together nicely.

Ground Cinnamon and Sea Salt: A pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon bring warmth and depth of flavor to the waffles. You can skip the cinnamon if you arenโ€™t a fan, but donโ€™t skip the salt!

Stack of two Belgian waffles on a white plate with berries and honey on top with a gold fork.

Looking for ways to change up this easy healthy waffle recipe? Here are some potential customizations.

Recipe Adaptations:

  • If you arenโ€™t using protein powder, add another ยผ cup of oats (or oat flour) to the recipe.
  • Replace the egg whites with one additional egg for a total of three whole eggs.
  • Use all egg whites instead of eggs for extra protein. To do so, you will need ยพ cup of egg whites.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the batter if you have some on hand.
  • Make chocolate chip waffles by sprinkling chocolate chips over the batter once it hits the hot waffle iron. 
  • For blueberry waffles, sprinkle fresh blueberries over the waffle batter after pouring it onto the hot waffle maker.
  • If you prefer waffle recipes that use a gluten-free flour blend instead of oats, make The Best Gluten-Free Waffles Recipe
  • Make my Grain-Free Almond Flour Paleo Waffles for an almond flour waffle recipe.
  • Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or ground flax seeds into the batter for an omega 3 infusion. 
  • Add two ripe mashed bananas to the batter to make banana oatmeal waffles. 
Stack of protein waffles on a white plate with fresh fruit, syrup, and nut butter.

Now that weโ€™ve covered the simple ingredients for healthy oat waffles, letโ€™s make them!

How to Make Oatmeal Protein Waffles:

Transfer the oats to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend on a high powder for 30 seconds, or until a flour forms. Add in the protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt and blend for another 10-20 seconds or until the dry ingredients are well-combined.

Dry ingredients in a blender to make oatmeal waffles

Add the eggs, egg whites, milk, and pure maple syrup (if adding) to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the wet ingredients are well-combined.

Wet ingredients for waffles in a red mixing bowl, ready to mix.

Transfer the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms. Let the batter rest at least 5 minutes (it will thicken up during this time). 

Wet ingredients in a mixing bowl with dry ingredients on top, ready to be mixed in.
Waffle batter in a read mixing bowl.

Plug in your waffle iron and spray both the top and the bottom of the heating elements with cooking spray.

Make waffles according to the manufacturer instructions for your maker. Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, place the cover, and cook until golden brown. My BELLA Classic Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker uses about ยพ to 1 cup of batter per waffle and I set it on high heat.

Belgian waffle maker with a freshly made waffle inside.

For me, each waffle takes about 5 minutes to make for a crispy outside thatโ€™s golden brown.

Repeat for the remaining waffle batter. My Belgian waffle maker makes 4 large waffles out of the batter. A small waffle maker makes about 8 small waffles. 

If you’d like, you can store finished waffles on a baking sheet while the rest of the waffles are cooking.

Serve waffles immediately with butter, pure maple syrup, and any other desired toppings. Whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, sliced bananas, Greek yogurt, almond butter, peanut butter, in season fresh fruit, jam or jelly are all great topping options for waffles.

Store any leftover waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze waffles in a large zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

Close up horizontal photo of waffles on a plate with fresh berries.

And thatโ€™s it! A great option for a  healthy waffle recipe youโ€™ll want to put on repeat.

Make these healthy waffles for meal prep or weekend breakfasts! It’s a great way of increasing your protein intake or ensuring you’re getting enough daily protein. 

If you’re serving more than four individuals or if you want leftovers, consider making a double batch of these high protein waffles. You can always reheat any leftovers in a toaster oven on busy mornings.

As I mentioned in my Oatmeal Protein Pancakes, we often eat recipes like this for dinner since there is adequate protein (especially if youโ€™re eating two waffles) and it feels like youโ€™re getting a treat. 

Nutrition Facts:

If youโ€™re making Belgian waffles (large waffles) out of the batter, you will end up with 4 large waffles. Each waffle contains 345 calories, 8 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbohydrate, 7 grams of fiber, and 28 grams of protein.

For those of you who workout, this is an excellent pre or post workout meal, as it gives you the amount of protein you need for muscle synthesis and also replenishes glycogen so that youโ€™re getting the most out of your effort.

If youโ€™re looking for more healthy breakfast recipes that are macro-friendly like this, also try my Chicken and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta and my Sweet Potato Rolled Oat Protein Pancakes

Interested in more breakfast recipes? Here are some of my most popular options.

More Breakfast Recipes:

What are your favorite waffle toppings?

Honey being poured on top of waffles with fresh berries and almond butter.

Oatmeal Protein Waffles

4.86 from 7 votes
Easy, healthy oatmeal protein waffles made gluten-free! Enjoy a delicious boost of protein and complex carbs for breakfast with your favorite waffle toppings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Large or 8 Small Waffles

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats*
  • 6 Tbsp protein powder of choice optional**
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon optional
  • ยฝ tsp sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 egg whites โ…“ cup
  • 1 cup milk of choice***
  • 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup optional

Optional Additions:

  • ยฝ cup chocolate chips
  • โ…“ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

  • Transfer the oats to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend on a high powder for 30 seconds, or until a flour forms. Add in the protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt and blend for another 10-20 seconds or until the dry ingredients are well-combined.
  • Add the eggs, egg whites, milk, and pure maple syrup (if adding) to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the wet ingredients are well-combined.
  • Transfer the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms. Let the batter rest at least 5 minutes (it will thicken up during this time).
  • Plug in your waffle iron and spray both the top and the bottom of the heating elements with cooking spray. Make waffles according to the manufacturer instructions for your maker. Pour batter onto the heated waffle iron, place the cover, and cook until golden brown. My BELLA Belgian Waffle Maker uses about ยพ to 1 cup of batter per waffle and I set it on high heat. For me, each waffle takes about 5 minutes to make for a crispy outside thatโ€™s golden brown.
  • Repeat for the remaining waffle batter. My Belgian waffle maker makes 4 large waffles out of the batter. A small waffle maker makes about 8 small waffles.
  • If you’d like, you can store finished waffles on a baking sheet while the rest of the waffles are cooking.
  • Serve waffles immediately with butter, pure maple syrup, and any other desired toppings. Whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, sliced bananas, Greek yogurt, almond butter, peanut butter, in season fresh fruit, jam or jelly are all great topping options for waffles.

Notes

*You can also use 2 cups of oat flour.
**If you donโ€™t add protein powder, increase the amount of oats (or oat flour) to 2 ยผ cups.ย 
***Use regular cowโ€™s milk or a non-dairy milk like oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. For rich and luscious waffles, use full-fat canned coconut milk.
Store any leftover waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze waffles in a large zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1large waffle (of 4) ยท Calories: 345kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 42g ยท Protein: 28g ยท Fat: 8g ยท Saturated Fat: 1g ยท Trans Fat: 1g ยท Cholesterol: 99mg ยท Sodium: 631mg ยท Fiber: 7g ยท Sugar: 4g
Author: Julia
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free protein waffles, gluten free waffle recipes, healthy protein waffles, oat waffles, oatmeal protein waffles, protein oatmeal waffles
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!

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Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. I just devoured these waffles! So simple and easy to make with ingredients in my pantry. They are light and deliciois. Thanks for the great recipe!

  2. Hi,
    I made these this morning and they were very dense. Not light at all. I messed up and mixed the wet into the dry. Do you think that would have made them dense? I didn’t overcook them and tried them both in a Belgium waffle maker and thin waffle maker. I so wanted these to be yummy-any suggestions. Thank you

    1. Hi Ginny! I can help troubleshoot what may have happened. A few questions: Did you by any chance add extra protein powder? Did you substitute anything for the egg whites? Let me know if you made any changes to the recipe and I can help troubleshoot from there.

  3. I am not understanding the instructions.
    Repeat for the remaining waffle batter. My Belgian waffle maker makes 4 large waffles out of the batter. A small waffle maker makes about 8 small waffles.
    If you’d like, you can store finished waffles on a baking sheet while the rest of the waffles are cooking.

      1. Hi Jean! My apologies for the confusion! I fixed the recipe so the full instructions are in the card now. I’m currently having my website redesigned and in the process, we switched recipe plugins. Essentially some of the recipes have missing instructions and we’re finding them slowly but surely to bring them back to normal. That said, in most of my newer recipes I also provide full instructions in the text above the recipe card so at least you’ll have that to fall back on if you run into the same situation again ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope you enjoy the waffles! xo

  4. Yum! These came out great and taste great! I love that I can get my protein boost in the form of an indulgent tasting breakfast! ๐Ÿ˜

    1. I’m so happy to hear it, Jennifer! I love the way the waffles turn out too. Definitely feels like you’re eating something sinful when it’s actually quite healthful! xoxo