It’s a new year and Insta feeds everywhere are swimming in salads and good intentions. So, just in case you forgot—I’ll remind you that waffles can be good, too. Soooo good.

But really, this golden stack of beauts is crisp-but-plump with wonderful things…butternut squash, chunks of dark chocolate, Greek yoghurt, and made with more easily digestible spelt flour.

What sets these waffles apart from all the rest is the creamy combo of puréed roasted butternut and full fat Greek yoghurt, plus fragrant browned butter and warming winter spices. The addition of dark chocolate chips or chunks is entirely optional—this stack will taste like a stairway to brekkie heaven whichever way.

How Do I Roast Butternut Squash?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 C/ Gas Mark 4 and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Peel butternut using a veggie peeler and slice in half. Scrape out the butternut seeds and strings using a large spoon. Cut halves into 2cm x 2cm chunks.

Arrange butternut chunks on the baking sheet. Brush with oil, then sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. Drizzle with maple syrup.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Let cool for approximately ten minutes.

What Makes Spelt So Special?

Spelt, an ancient grain, tends to be more easily digestible than standard wheat flours. It also has a marginally higher nutritional profile because of its tough outer husk which protects the nutrients inside the grain. The flavour of spelt flour is ever so slightly nutty and sweet, which works perfectly in baking.

BUTTERNUT AND CHOCOLATE SPELT WAFFLES

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 (plus 45 minutes for roasting butternut)
Yield: 10 waffles 1x

Print Recipe

DescriptionYum

A golden stack of crisp-but-fluffy butternut squash and creamy Greek yoghurt spelt waffles, studded with dark chocolate.

Scale

Ingredients

1/4 cup salted butter (plus a little extra, for serving)
1 and 1/4 cups butternut, roasted and puréed
1 cup full fat Greek yoghurt
2/3 cup milk of choice
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp nutmeg1 tsp ground ginger
1 and 2/3 cups spelt flour (can substitute with wholemeal)
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or a bar, chopped)
5 tbsp coconut oil, for brushing waffle iron
Maple syrup or cinnamon + sugar for serving

Instructions

Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook until the butter begins to foam and become fragrant—then watch for the solids sinking to the bottom of the pan and the colour changing to golden brown. Remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender, combine the butternut puree, browned butter, yoghurt, milk, eggs, salt and spices. Blitz until smooth.
In a large bowl, stir together flour and baking powder with a fork until fully mixed. Add chocolate chips, then pour blitzed butternut mixture into same bowl and fold everything together until just combined.
Preheat waffle iron. Brush with a bit of coconut oil to help edges of waffles crisp up. I use a small ladle—around 1/2 cup per waffle square—to pour batter, although yours might be different. Typically, this batter takes 4-5 minutes to cook through, but you want to be looking for a very golden brown colour, and a firm outer texture that’s easily removed from the waffle iron. Repeat (including brushing with coconut oil each time) until all the waffle batter has been used up.
Keep waffles warm on a baking tray in a low oven, and serve with a generous swipe of salted butter and maple syrup (or cinnamon sugar—my fave!).