These are probably the most delicious savoury waffles you will ever eat! They are popular with all the family and even make a brilliant weaning finger food for babies from 6 months upwards. Simply cut each waffle into four fingers for babies and young toddlers – they are even soft enough inside for sore gums when babies are teething.
Pesto waffles are best served warm but are still delicious when eaten cold. They are the perfect solution for a school lunch box or after-school snack. They can also be served at supper time instead of potato waffles.
I created this recipe with very fussy eaters in mind – the kids who only like beige crunchy food and are expert veg dodgers! They will never know that there is courgette hidden inside! With the protein and healthy fats from the chickpea flour, cheese and pumpkin seeds this can make a meal all in one. Easy to make gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan.
- 160 g Spelt Flour (or try wholemeal flour)
- 160 g Chickpea Flour
- 480 ml Milk
- 0.5 Courgette (finely grated)
- 10 g Basil Leaves
- 55 g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 0.5 Garlic Clove
- 1 squeeze Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Stir the flours and milk together into a bowl.
- In a mini food processor blend up all the pesto ingredients to make a paste.
- Stir the pesto into the flour mixture – there is no need to make the batter too smooth.
- Pour enough mixture into a heated waffle iron so that it covers the bottom of the waffle iron. Do not be tempted to fill the waffle machine too high as the mixture will simply spill over the sides and make a huge mess.
- Toast in your waffle iron for 5 minutes until crispy. After 4 minutes turn them as this makes them extra crunchy on both sides.
Cooks' Tips:
- If you don't have any chickpea (also called Besan or Gram flour) then grind up dried chickpeas in your food processor or Nutribullet for 2 minutes to make a lovely fluffy yellow flour - this is a brilliant hack!
- Gluten-free: Swap flour for gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free: Use silken tofu or cashew butter plus 1 heaped tsp of nutritional yeast or vegan hard cheese. You could also use plain nut cheeses or yoghurts like cashew or almond cheese or coconut yoghurt. Also, there's a great Mr Organic dairy-free pesto.
- Storage: Can be kept in a cake tin for up to a week or stored in the freezer for 3 months. Toast in your toaster straight from the freezer.
- Which Waffle Maker? I like to use a ceramic waffle maker which is naturally non-stick and is more durable than the stainless-steel ones. I love the Breville DuraCeramic waffle maker as it is easy to clean and there is less spillage over the sides if you fill the plates too much with batter.
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