These crispy savory keto waffles are packed with sharp cheddar and zucchini. Easy to make, grain-free, and they make great sandwiches too! This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
Okay, stop right there. Whatever you are doing, drop it. Run to the kitchen. Don’t walk, run! You have to make these super crispy keto cheddar zucchini waffles right now.
Keto recipe development is a funny business. I usually go at it with some strategy and forethought, planning ahead to create recipes I know will resonate with my readers.
But sometimes those plans get totally upended by a recipe idea that just pops into my head. I follow the whim and suddenly I have a fabulous new, but unexpected, recipe on my hands. One I just have to share right away.
These savory keto waffles are one such recipe. I have so much zucchini right now and we needed a good side to go with dinner on Sunday evening. So keto zucchini waffles to the rescue!
Click here for more fabulous Keto Zucchini Recipes
Isn’t this a keto chaffle recipe?
I have been avoiding the keto chaffles craze like the plague. I am strange like that. It’s not that I think chaffles aren’t a good idea, it’s just that every blogger and their dog now has multiple chaffle recipes.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t like to do what everyone else is doing.
But this recipe might actually be somewhere on the chaffle spectrum. I was actually modifying an older recipe I have for low carb cheddar waffles. Those were good but they were relatively high in carbs.
Having made omelet waffles for my Easy Keto Breakfasts cookbook, I wanted to find a happy medium between these two ideas.
I did know I wanted an almond flour base, so that these would have more structure than regular chaffle recipes. And Bob’s Red Mill almond flour is always my top choice for the excellent quality.
How to make savory keto zucchini waffles
This is a fun easy recipe and as long as you have a waffle iron, you are good to go! A few tips for getting the best, crispiest, keto waffles:
- Salt, drain, and squeeze that zucchini really well. I mean squeeze the living juices out of that sucker. You want relatively dry shredded zucchini for this recipe. Too much moisture can make the waffles soggy.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together first, along with the zucchini, before adding the dry ingredients.
- Pick a flavourful, sharp cheddar for the best results. I used Cabot Seriously Sharp.
- You do need some almond flour here and as always, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill. The good finely ground blanched almond flour helps give these savory keto waffles more structure.
- Brush the waffle iron with melted butter for a good golden, crispy waffle.
- The size and number of waffles you get depends on your waffle iron. The big deep Belgian style waffle irons will produce thicker, 4-inch waffles that take longer to cook. I like my classic round waffle iron for thinner, crispier waffles. I am sure you can also do these in the mini Dash waffle irons, and you will only need about 1 to 2 tablespoon of the batter for those.
Can these keto zucchini waffles be made ahead?
They sure can! We made ours on Sunday and have been enjoying them all week. Store them in a covered container in the fridge. They re-crisp really nicely with a few minutes in a toaster or in the oven.
We turned the leftovers into “bread” for sandwiches, and they held up so well. My husband also made a breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and some ham, and was delighted with it.
Because they were so good, and because it’s prime zucchini season right now, this recipe for keto cheddar zucchini waffles shot to the top of the posting schedule.
Go make them! You can thank me later…
Other delicious keto waffle recipes
- Keto Pumpkin Waffles
- Almond Flour Waffles (pancake batter that makes great waffles too!)
- Brownie Batter Waffles
- Chicken and Waffles
- Cream Cheese Mini Waffles
- Flourless Keto Waffles
Keto Cheddar Zucchini Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini (about 200g) grated
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 4 large eggs
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Place the zucchini in a sieve in the sink and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine and let drain 1 hour. Once drained, squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Preheat a waffle iron and lightly grease with melted butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to break them up. Whisk in the cheese, zucchini, garlic, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the pepper, and cayenne, until well combined.
- Add the almond flour and baking powder and stir to combine, then stir in the cream.
- Scoop a little over ¼ cup into the waffle iron (if you have a round "classic" waffle iron – you will need more for the deeper belgian style waffles). Spread the batter toward the edges and close the lid.
- Cook until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining batter.
Sandy says
OMG, sooo delicious!!!! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Joyce says
Was looking for a little something different for breakfast to begin the new year and here these were in my eMail. Yeah! Delicious. I was wondering if a ricer would work for squeezing the moisture out of the zucchini…..& sure enough someone did it so will use it next time. Served with butter and some breakfast ham and sausage. Great way to start the day and the year. Thanks.
Valerie says
I always use a ricer (mine is from Oxo) to squeeze grated zucchini, it works great. Also works wonderfully for squeezing water from canned tuna or from cooked or frozen/thawed spinach.
Eve says
Can you share a link to your waffle iron?
Carolyn says
This is the one I have: https://amzn.to/3I8AmmP
Kathy F says
First keto recipe I’ve ever made, (at least knowingly), and I loved it! There are a multitude of ways I will use this…thank you.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Mary says
Great tasting, good waffle texture. They definitely take longer to cook than a regular waffle recipe in my Dash waffle maker, however.
My only issue, which does not reflect on the recipe itself. is what else to serve them with. (Never eaten a savory waffle). Syrup didn’t seem right, so I used a bit of sour cream and salsa. I’d definitely make them again in a smaller batch.
Carolyn says
Butter! Or… use as the bread for a pulled pork sandwich, as I did. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-instant-pot-pulled-pork/
Lisa Ball says
I’ve made these a couple of times and love them! Most of mine were not sturdy enough to use in a sandwich or burger, but I used them in open-face meals (fajitas, fried egg and ham, pulled pork, chicken breast, etc.). The recipe makes a large batch and since it’s just me eating keto they last a long time and I imagine would freeze well. I’m going to add chopped pickled jalapeno next time, and I bet chopped olives would be a great addition too.
Ingrid Rinaudo says
Oh my Goodness! You should patent this recipe, lol. To a couple of them I added some pat dry, minced, (jar) jalepenos. Now I am kicking myself in the you know what for not making the whole batch (only made half a batch). I used the Dash Pancake maker unit rather than the waffle one. They came out perfect with that maker too. This recipe is a Keto keeper! Thank you for sharing!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked them!
Shirley Ritner says
Wondering how big of a batch I want to make……do they freeze well?
Carolyn says
Fantastically well!
Jill Quiring says
How do you get the waffle iron to release the waffles in one go? I greased it generously with avocado oil but I cant lift them out without a huge mess. Decided to fry up the rest of the bate as pancakes.
Carolyn says
If you have a good waffle iron, they should just release easily. It’s never a problem for me and I haven’t had any other complaints to that affect. Sorry!
Jill Quiring says
Your recipe instructions don’t specify where the garlic goes. I assume it’s in the batter! But wanted to let you know.
Jill Quiring says
Nevermind! I just read it for the third time and see garlic has a home! 😅
Eileen says
These are delicious! They make perfect waffles, and I’ve also used your sheet pan trick with these, too. Large rimmed cookie tray lined with non-stick foil. Family favorite!
Also, once the zucchini season is over, try using a 10-12 Oz bag of frozen cauli rice instead of the zucc. I heat it in the microwave for 5 min on high, then use a flour sack towel to squeeze out the excess water. Everything else is the same. So tasty!
Martine says
I saw the reader’s comment you posted on Facebook and since I just discovered chaffles, I had to try it, This was delicious! I don’t know that it’s a bread replacement so much as its own thing. The addition of the garlic and cayenne (I used chipotle) took it to a notch above,
I used mozzarella because that’s what I had on hand and it was quite good. Would probably taste cheesier with a sharper cheese. I only made a half recipe to try, but will make the full-size next time.
I have a bunch of zucchinis on hand, so I think I am going to shred all of it and fill a muffin pan with 100 grams pucks of zukes. I’ll freeze it and put it in a plastic bag so I have enough on hand to make more.
BTW, here is a tip for your viewers. Use a potato ricer to squeeze out the water. It does a marvellous at getting all the water out of your zucchinis,
Carolyn says
Great idea!
Kim says
These are AWESOME!! I threw in some minced jalapeño and used them to hold sheet pan fajitas. Delicious!
Karen says
Wow! I am not a big fan of chaffles as a bread substitute for sandwiches as they are so terribly filling. And they are not a lot like bread to boot! These are FANTASTIC! I have a Dash mini, and I think I made 14 or 15 (I was eating them at the same time!) using a scant 1/4 cup per waffle (a heavy 3 Tbsp?). These will make awesome sandwiches! I don’t know what the difference is, but they are not like any chaffle I’ve every tried. I think I”ll make 1/2 a batch using cinnamon to flavor for a more dessert like treat. I think freezing the grated zucchini and then thawing will cause a lot of liquid to drain out, so you wouldn’t need to salt it first, but I”m not sure I’d cut back too much on the salt. I thought they were flavored just right.
Melinda Stanley says
These looked good! I had to sub a few ingredients and used mozzarella and basil – not quite the same thing – but turned out great! Dipped them in marinara. I’ll try the cheddar/cayenne next time!
Carolyn says
Yum, that sounds pretty great to me!