This recipe for vegan overnight yeasted waffles is dedicated to my fellow night owls. I would almost always rather stay up late to get something done than get up early. Since you do most of the work for these waffles the night before, if you want to make breakfast for guests, this is the perfect way to give yourself a few more minutes to sleep in. Aside from saving time in the morning, the waffles themselves are the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, with a mild sourdough tang. And I won’t blame you a bit if you let your guests think you woke up at the break of dawn to make them.
I used to make the standard version of these overnight waffles, with dairy and eggs (recipe here), but I wasn’t sure if a version with plant-based substitutions would work. Turns out it was no big deal!
Also no big deal: Plant-based whipped cream. It’s made with coconut milk, and it’s a great topping for these waffles.
Don’t worry, making the whipped cream won’t increase your waffle prep time. It’s quick enough that you can whip it up while your waffles are in the waffle iron.
So there are two things that I put on waffles that are kind of non-standard, as far as I know. The first is peanut butter. Peanut butter on waffles with maple syrup is something I’ve been eating since I was a kid. The first time I had it, I remember saying it tasted like a Reese’s peanut butter cup. I don’t know if this is a weird topping, or totally common. Have you had it?
The other weird thing is a really recent innovation Steven and I came up with, sriracha syrup. I don’t even remember why we first decided to try this, but it’s just maple syrup mixed with sriracha chili sauce, to taste.
I took both of these to the next level, though, and made myself a waffle with peanut butter, sriracha syrup, and strawberries on top. I know it sounds weird.
But guys, it was delicious. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I wasn’t even planning to blog about this combo, so this unstyled, candid shot is my only documentation right now. Trust me, it’s good, like a spicy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve put on a waffle?
Vegan Overnight Yeasted Waffles
Servings: 4-6
1/2 cup warm water (105º-110º F)
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm soy or almond milk, divided
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled to lukewarm (or substitute another vegetable oil)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (substitute white all-purpose flour, or a mixture of up to half whole wheat, half white all-purpose flour)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with yeast and sugar, and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, until dissolved and foamy.
Whisk in 1 cup of milk, oil, flour, and salt. Cover and allow to sit overnight.
The following morning, preheat the waffle iron and oil very lightly with a vegetable oil spray.
Whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk and baking soda into the batter. Prepare the waffles according to waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions, using 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter per waffle.
If you’re making a batch for a group, put extra waffles directly on the rack in an oven set to “warm” while you make the rest of the waffles.
You can freeze extras, and pop them in the toaster when you’re ready to eat them!
Vegan Whipped Cream
1 14-ounce can (414 ml) full fat coconut milk* (I have heard that the Whole Foods 365 Full Fat brand works best)
1/4 – 3/4 cup (28 – 84g) powdered sugar
optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
The night before you plan to make this whipped cream, put your can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight, being sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage separation of the cream and liquid. (If you forget, I’ve had success putting the can in the freezer for 2 hours before use.)
Chill a large mixing bowl and mixer whisk in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before you plan to make your whipped cream.
Remove the coconut milk from the fridge without tipping or shaking, and remove the lid. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind (reserve for use).
Note: if your coconut milk didn’t harden, you may have gotten a can without the right fat content. In that case, you can try to salvage it with a bit of tapioca flour – 1 to 4 Tbsp – during the whipping process.
Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Mix until creamy and smooth – about 1 minute. Taste and add more powdered sugar as needed.
Use immediately or refrigerate – it will harden and set in the fridge the longer it’s chilled. Will keep for up to 1 – 2 weeks.
