These cornbread waffles with maple mascarpone topping are a hearty way for lunch or brunch, like weekends; they are also naturally gluten free.
Mornings are all about coffee, coffee and more coffee. Most of the time, breakfast is a very simple dish. But on special occasions or with guests, we strive to become Lunch People. Or a brunch: at least! We didn’t actually have a waffle maker until last year after having a lazy morning waffle brunch with our friend Ashley in Denver. Now our waffle maker is here to stay. And with that: we’ve been making these fluffy cornbread waffles ever since. They’re naturally gluten-free and really filling: we like them even better than a “regular” waffle! Read on for all of our secrets.
do you like waffles These fluffy gluten-free waffles are magically fluffy, the best vegan waffles are classic, and these best blueberry waffles are perfectly tart.
How we ended up with a waffle iron
Our friend Ashley is 1000% passionate about breakfast and this cornbread waffle recipe is adapted from her. As I mentioned earlier, Alex and I are not breakfast people. But after she made us cornbread waffles in the slanting morning light, with freshly brewed coffee, and the heady smell of batter browning, we were suddenly 100% convinced that making room in our closet for a waffle maker was worth it. And we weren’t crazy about it. (For example: Our favorite blueberry waffles with blueberry sauce are now a tradition. Yum.)
Either way, it only seems fitting to honor the breakfast queen with this cornbread waffle recipe to celebrate the birth of her first baby! These Maple Mascarpone Waffles are a mix of Ashley’s Cornmeal Waffles and our Maple Mascarpone Topping. We love the dense texture and complex flavor of these gluten-free cornbread waffles, which are made with cornmeal and rolled oats. For our version, we paired them with this fluffy-sweet mascarpone and cheese filling. It started out as a blob over the top but ended up in a messy schmear that seemed totally appropriate.
How to make cornbread waffles
These waffles are naturally gluten-free, but even better, they’re made with wholesome, whole-food ingredients, so you won’t end up with too much sugar after eating! Instead of refined flour, they’re made with cornmeal and oats, which keep you fuller for longer. And they’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup, which also makes them free of refined sugar. It’s not just to make them “healthy” – you’ll actually feel better after eating them than a standard waffle! That’s a win in our book.
You’ll notice that this cornbread waffles recipe uses both cornmeal and masa harina. Masa harina literally means “dough flour” and is used to make the dough for homemade tortillas and tamales. It is ground flour made from dried hominy: corn kernels that have been soaked in a solution of lime water to remove the husk. Masa Harina is ground very finely. Although not used in a typical cornbread recipe, it gives these cornbread waffles a light and fluffy texture.
Here are the general steps to making these cornbread waffles (see below for the full recipe):
- If using oatmeal, grind the oatmeal in a food processor until oatmeal forms, about 1 minute.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry: masa harina, cornmeal, rolled oats, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: egg, milk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Mix the dry with the wet.
- Leave undisturbed for 7 minutes. After sitting down, the dough becomes very thick and cannot be poured.
- Place in a preheated waffle iron and bake until golden brown.
Related: Gluten free breakfast ideas for everyone
What is the difference between a classic waffle iron and a Belgian waffle iron?
This cornbread waffle recipe makes about 4 regular waffles or 2 Belgian waffles. What is the difference? Belgian waffles are much larger than regular waffles: they are larger in diameter, thicker, and have a deeper lattice pattern. This makes Belgian waffles even fluffier than regular waffles because they are taller. When preparing Belgian waffles, remember that a serving is half a Belgian waffle: not everything!
Alex and I ditched our standard waffle maker in favor of a Belgian waffle maker. We love that they’re fluffier and bigger than a standard waffle. Here’s the waffle maker we got: we love it! It’s also great for gifts (like wedding favors!).
You understand: Belgian waffle maker | Amazon
Looking for brunch recipes?
We caught up with internet friends to celebrate Ashley at a virtual breakfast party. In addition to our cornbread waffles, here is the full list of recipes:
This Cornbread Waffles recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
The description
These cornbread waffles with maple mascarpone topping are a hearty way for lunch or brunch, like weekends; they are also naturally gluten free.
For the maple mascarpone
- ½ cup Mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the cornbread waffles
- ½ cup Masa Harina
- ¼ cup fine or medium ground cornmeal
- ¼ cup gluten-free oatmeal (do it yourself with Making ¼ cup Finely grind oats in a food processor or high speed blender)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 big egg
- ¾ cup milk (or almond milk)
- 2 tablespoons Butter (or coconut oil), melted and cooled
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- Chopped pecans for serving
- Preheat a waffle iron over medium-high heat; grease it if necessary
- In a small bowl, mix the mascarpone with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine masa harina, cornmeal, oatmeal, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then stir in the milk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Leave undisturbed for 7 minutes. After sitting down, the dough becomes very thick and cannot be poured.
- Pour half of the batter onto the heated waffle iron and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until golden brown. (The resulting waffle will be golden and soft, but will firm up a bit as it cools. If the waffle iron is too hot, it may prevent the inside from fully cooking).
- Serve immediately with the maple mascarpone. To store leftovers, cool completely and freeze in an airtight plastic bag; warm up in the toaster or oven. (This recipe makes 2 large waffles or 4 small waffles; if scaling up, place the cooked waffles in a 300F oven to keep them warm while the remaining waffles bake.)
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: plaque
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Cornbread Waffles, waffle recipe, brunch recipes, breakfast recipes, mascarpone, maple syrup, naturally sweetened
