Coconut Waffles

It’s the weekend so what better way to start things off than with a delicious breakfast bread – with steam rising from the top, crispy on the outside yet tender and fluffy on the inside. These golden waffles are layered with flakes of toasted coconut and warm notes of pure vanilla with just a hint of almond. Morning meals just got a bit more interesting!

Every trip I take to Atlanta I come home inspired. There are so many wonderful places for brunch and with our love for good food, Emily always knows about great spots. On a recent visit we dined at a favorite spot and ordered coconut waffles for the table to share. And they did not disappoint. So once I was back home in Texas I was on a quest to recreate this dish.

Sweetened flaked coconut is the star attraction but amping up the coconut flavor seemed necessary. Many of the same basics for waffles are included in this recipe. Buttermilk always makes for a tender quick bread and is frequently used in pancakes and waffles. It’s often blended with regular milk so to boost that luscious coconut flavor I added a cup of coconut milk in place of the regular milk then substituted coconut oil in place of vegetable oil.

Start by toasting the sweetened coconut to a golden hue. Toasting brings out the depth of flavor from this tropical drupe – more commonly known as a fruit.

Blend cornstarch into the dry ingredients to balance out the gluten in all-purpose flour. This brings a cake flour quality to the batter creating a light, delicate waffle.

Finish by adding a depth of flavor from pure vanilla extract and a hint of almond extract that plays nicely off the coconut.

Top with a creamy pat of butter and serve with warm maple syrup and more toasted coconut – yum, just yum!

Coconut Waffles

1-½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 extra-large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

⅔ cup coconut oil, melted

1-½ cups flour

½ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Butter and maple syrup for serving

Spread the shredded coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and golden in color. Stir every 5 minutes so that the coconut toasts evenly.

In a medium-size mixing bowl whisk the eggs along with the buttermilk, coconut milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and melted coconut oil.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour with the cornstarch, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Pour the egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk just until blended. Add 1 cup of the toasted coconut and gently stir into the batter. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Lightly spray the interior of a waffle iron with a cooking spray. Heat on the medium setting and when hot fill each well with batter. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the waffles are crisp and golden.

Serve hot with butter, warm maple syrup and top with additional toasted coconut.

To keep the waffles warm you can place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. Any leftover waffles can be frozen and reheated in a 350-degree oven or popped back in your waffle iron.

Makes 14 individual waffles.