Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThese keto waffles capture all the golden, crisp flavor you love in conventional waffles — without sugar or grains! Best of all, these almond flour waffles use basic pantry ingredients. (They even count as paleo waffles, too!) It’s one of the best keto breakfast recipes that the whole family can enjoy. You’ll want to make a double batch!
I originally published this keto waffle recipe when we just got back from a beach vacation, and I couldn’t stop talking about how much I missed my almond flour and coconut flour. Low carb breakfast options when traveling are pretty much limited to eggs, bacon, cheese, veggies, and low carb fruit. Needless to say, I was looking forward to coming back to make low carb pancakes, keto French toast, and these keto almond flour waffles! And, if you’re looking for extra protein, try my protein waffles next!
Why You’ll Love These Keto Waffles
- Golden, crisp texture on the outside
- Fluffy and airy on the inside
- Slightly sweet, buttery taste
- Uses simple keto ingredients
- Quick prep time and cook time (ready in 15 minutes!)
- 4 grams net carbs per serving
- Perfect for topping with keto maple syrup!
The blend of ingredients makes all the difference for perfect keto friendly waffles. Combining almond flour with an easy-dissolving sweetener (Besti dissolves like no other and has no aftertaste) makes a batter so rich and fluffy, it’s nearly indistinguishable from conventional waffles!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this almond flour waffle recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Egg – An essential ingredient for making these low carb waffles fluffy… and we’re only using ONE, so they won’t be eggy. Unfortunately, egg substitutes won’t work here, because we’re separating the white from the yolk and whipping the white to help with lift and airy texture.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Choosing high quality almond flour is a must for fluffy keto waffles. It needs to be blanched and finely ground like the Wholesome Yum brand. If it happens to be clumpy, sift it! Do not use almond meal, which is grainy.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Adds the perfect just-like-sugar sweetness to these waffles. Other keto sweeteners like erythritol can make the waffles gritty.
- Almond Milk – The milk in these grain-free waffles thins out the batter to the right consistency. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any keto milk is fine. Coconut milk beverage will work, but may impart a very subtle coconut flavor. If you don’t care about these being paleo or dairy-free, you could even use half & half or heavy cream.
- Almond Butter – Nut butter improves the flavor and texture! You can also use runny peanut butter if you prefer — just make sure it’s natural and sugar-free.
- Butter – Adds flavor and richness. Butter is definitely keto, but on paleo people have differing opinions. Some people include grass-fed butter as part of this lifestyle, while others avoid it. If you don’t want to use butter, ghee or coconut oil are fine replacements, and the latter is also a great option for dairy-free keto waffles.
- Baking Powder – Keto waffles with almond flour tend to be dense, so to prevent this, we’re using more than a white flour recipe would. Don’t confuse baking powder with baking soda, which is not the same and would cause your waffles to be bitter.
- Sea Salt – Balances the sweet flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Use the best quality variety you can.
How To Make Keto Waffles
This section shows how to make almond flour waffles, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Unlike many keto waffles recipes, these are pretty airy inside — the way real waffles should be. Many others don’t crisp up the same way that wheat flour does, or turn out dense due to the almond flour.
To keep these keto waffles light and airy, I used the technique from my favorite keto bread: Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks first, stir together the rest of the ingredients, and finally fold in the whites. The result was a light, fluffy batter, and the best almond flour waffles I’ve ever made.
- Preheat. We want it hot by the time we add the batter, so turn it on first and it’ll be ready by the time you have the batter completed.
- Beat egg white. Use a hand mixer to beat until it develops stiff peaks. A whisk attachment works best, but beaters are okay if that’s all you have.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, Besti, baking powder, and salt.
- Add almond butter and butter. Heat butter and almond butter in the microwave or a double boiler, until smooth and melted. Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients.
- Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Stir in most of the remaining wet ingredients: egg yolk, almond milk, and vanilla.
- Fold in egg whites. Fold egg whites gently into the batter, making sure not to break down their volume too much.
- Cook. Scoop batter into a greased waffle iron (it will be a little too thick to pour). Cook the keto waffles until no more steam comes out and your waffle is golden brown. Unplug the waffle iron and allow the waffle to rest inside to make it easier to remove.
Tips For The Best Keto Waffles
Now, let’s talk about the most important aspect of this low carb almond flour waffles recipe: how to get them crispy and airy! It’s a nice change of pace from other keto waffle recipes. Here are my tricks for doing just that:
- Don’t skip the nut butter. I got this idea came from my flourless almond butter waffles recipe, which has no flours at all (not even gluten-free or low carb flours) and gets its crispness from almond butter. This time, we’re making almond flour waffles so they do contain flour, but I still included some almond butter to help get them crisp.
- Fold in the egg whites, don’t stir. Whipping the egg whites is the key to airy waffles that aren’t dense, and you don’t want to break them down when incorporating them into the batter. If you stir instead of folding, the air bubbles in the egg whites will collapse and the waffles will be more dense. After combining, the batter should be light and fluffy.
- Let the waffles rest. Even with the almond butter, the keto waffles are somewhat soft when you first open the waffle iron. They crisp up as they go from hot to warm, which is why I suggest turning off the iron and letting the waffle sit in there for a minute or two to cool a little. That also makes it easier to remove without tearing.
- Toast for extra crispness. This is not required, but if you want them extra crisp, you can pop the waffles in the toaster or even the oven for a couple minutes. A toaster oven should also work if you have one.
For an extra crispy waffle, try keto chaffles instead!
Add-In Variations
This easy keto recipe is the perfect base for any kind of keto waffles you like. I have grand plans for making flavored ones out of them. Some flavors may require modifying ingredient ratios, but extracts and add-ins that simply get stirred in and stay whole are a safe bet. Try these variations:
- Chocolate Chip – Add a few tablespoons of sugar-free chocolate chips to the keto waffle mix.
- Lemon Blueberry – Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and some blueberries.
- Cranberry Orange – Mix 1 teaspoon of orange zest and sugar-free dried cranberries to the keto almond flour waffle batter.
- Banana Nut – Add 1/2 teaspoon of banana extract and some chopped walnuts.
- Cinnamon – Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
TIP: All these add-ins should be added in step 5.
That’s right before you fold in the egg whites. This way, you’re not stirring the mixture unnecessarily after the whites are folded in.
If you want to know how to make almond flour waffles in a particular flavor, let me know! I love requests and can add it to my list.
Topping Ideas For Keto Waffles
- Sugar-Free Maple Syrup – My absolute favorite is Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup (shown below), which comes ready to use, and my friends and kids don’t believe it isn’t real maple. 😉 If you prefer to make your own, I also have a homemade sugar-free syrup recipe here.
- Sugar-Free Jam – Try chia jam made with strawberries, or blackberry jelly.
- Butter – Nothing wrong with a simple pat of butter! I prefer grass-fed, but any kind works.
- Berries – While blueberries work better than other fresh berries as add-ins, any kind of keto fruit is fair game for topping. Another thing I like to do is create a berry sauce with fruit like raspberries, similar to the kind used for topping low carb cheesecake.
Like many low carb almond flour recipes, this one is very filling! The recipe makes large, Belgian-style keto waffles. You can easily have a half serving (half of the waffle) at a time — especially if you add toppings.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Make these into freezer waffles! Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Reheat: Reheat keto waffles frozen straight from the freezer, or simply from the fridge, by popping them in the toaster.
More Keto Waffle Recipes
For a basic recipe, these are the best keto waffles. When you’re ready to switch up the flavor, try these other keto recipes using a waffle maker!
Recommended Tools
- Hand Mixer – For beating the egg whites. My favorite feature of the one I have is that all the beaters store in a compartment attached to the mixer when not in use.
- Small Saucepan – For heating the butter and almond butter, if you don’t want to use a microwave.
- Belgian Waffle Maker – This is the one I have and used for this recipe, so the batter is enough for 2 large waffles. The number of waffles may vary if your waffler maker is a different size, but I love this one because it never sticks and heats evenly. A mini waffle iron is also fine to use for smaller portions.
Keto Waffles (Crispy & Airy!)
Make this easy, CRISPY keto waffles recipe in just 15 minutes! These almond flour waffles come together fast, with simple ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the waffle maker (I love this one and it's the perfect size for this recipe). Grease lightly (I usually spray with oil).
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Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg white to stiff peaks. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine almond flour, Besti, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a small bowl in the microwave, or a small saucepan on the stove, melt together the butter and almond butter. Whisk together, then add the butter mixture to the dry flour bowl.
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Add the yolk, almond milk, and vanilla to the batter. Stir until smooth.
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Fold the egg whites into the batter. Mix enough so that you don't have pockets of whites separate from the rest of the batter, but be careful not to break down the whites too much. The batter should be light and fluffy.
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Transfer half the batter (about 3/4 cup, 177 mL) into the lightly greased waffle iron. Close and cook until steam stops coming out, about 5 minutes. Unplug and let cool slightly in the waffle iron to make the waffle easier to remove. (It will crisp up as it goes from hot to warm.) Repeat with the remaining batter.
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Optional: To make waffles crispier, carefully remove them from the waffle iron, then toast in a toaster, toaster oven, or regular oven for a few minutes.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 large Belgian waffle
These are very filling and the recipe makes large Belgian style almond flour waffles. You can easily have a 1/2 serving (1/2 of the waffle) at a time if you add toppings.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
401 Comments
Judy
0Hi! This looks so wonderful. I don’t have a wafflemaker, but I’m considering getting a mini wafflemaker. Will that work?
Thank you.
Judy
0Well, looks like I didn’t wait. bought it. LOl
Keto Lady
0Made these exactly as instructed, not crispy but floppy soggy waffles. Taste good though.
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi there! If you want them extra crisp, you can pop the waffles in the toaster or even the oven for a couple minutes. Hope this helps!
Cindy
0I made this waffle recipe. It was easy to follow and end product was beautiful. The flavor was lacking to say the least . The flavor was bland and the texture was course and grainy.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy, was your almond flour finely ground? If not, that could account for the grainy texture. You may also be able to grind your dry ingredients down more in a food processor before continuing with the wet ingredients.
Gina Henderson
0This was the only grain free waffle recipe that actually held up! Really enjoyed my breakfast! I have leftovers that I plan to serve with dairy-free ice cream later!!
Karen
0Made this recipe. Followed exactly and they were NOT worth the work! I have made similar recipes folding egg whites, but this did not cook correctly in the waffle iron. Took forever then the inside fell apart though the outside was overly brown.
Doug
0Topped waffles with a little whipped cream (no added sugar) and Raspberry coolie (just raspberries liquefied in blender)
Doug
0I didn’t have almond butter so used 60g of butter. Used almond meal and found I needed a bit more than half a cup to get a better batter. Added 1/4 tsp of bi-carb and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar to help with rising, don’t know if it was needed, but all worked well. These waffles are great.
Jana Bowers
0FANTASTIC!!
Vanessa
0I absolutely loved this recipe. These waffles were incredibly delicious.
Delores Challand
0Looking to lose some weight, thx.
Birdie
0I made these for the first time and it was a crumpled mess! I cook with almond flour often and have tried 4 waffle recipes these didn’t hold up at all
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Birdie! Make sure you let the waffle cool a bit before removing it from the waffle iron. This should help. There’s a video you can watch to see how to make them as well.
Gabby
0Hi! Love your recipes and this one is great. My only concern is how flimsy they are when I try to remove them from the waffle iron. They constantly break into pieces so we can’t even put them into the toaster to crisp them up. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gabby, you might have some luck adding 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the batter. Let me know if you try it!
Lindsay
0Thank you for this recipe, I love these waffles! My family likes breakfast for dinner and this is perfect recipe for me to keep my carbs in check. The rest of my family liked them as well.
J. Celestine
0This was almost as good as my Belgian waffles. My teenager didn’t know the difference.
Sharon Blake
0This turned out good- thank you so much for the recipe!
Katt
0I always love your recipes! I ‘ve tried so many of them and none have failed. I just have a question about the Keto waffles… can I pre-make this batter and save it in the fridge to use a different day or will the egg whites lose their fluffiness with time?
I’m trying to find keto breakfast meals I can prepare ahead of time to either freeze or make easily at a later date so my boyfriend doesn’t have to starve in the morning when I’m not there to make stuff for him! He can’t cook hahaha
Thank you in advanced 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Katt, The egg whites do lose their fluffiness. If you want to make these ahead, it’s best to just make the waffles ahead and reheat. They are both fridge and freezer friendly.
Katt
0Ahh, okay, I’ll be doing that then. Thank you so much!
Alice Kennedy
0Always take your kids because resorts and cruises have kids clubs and all hotels have background checked child care. So you can have your kids and your break , too.
Ireney
0My boyfriend and I eat carb-consciously. Most desserts and breads went out the window years ago. When I’m looking for a sure thing recipe, I can bet money on your website collection. These waffles were no exception! Perfect. Tasty, delicious, great texture, no crumbles, crisp on the outside and soft in between. We mashed up some fresh strawberries as a topping. No need to hunt down another waffle recipe; this is it. Next, I will try your maple syrup. Thanks for all your hard work.
Bella I
0I loved these! First review ever about a recipe. My first attempts at keto pancakes were so bad I never tried again. These waffles gave me hope that you can have a sweet treat on keto!!
Dana
0We made these this morning! I don’t have a belgian waffle maker, just used my regular one. They taste great the only issue I had was they didn’t rise. Flatter than a pancake, but I was able to get them out of the maker and on the plate so I call that a semi-win. I will keep trying.
LA
0I’ve made these about 20 times and have always had great success. Today they were a crumbly mess. In the past, I’ve used almond flour with the brown bits. Today I used the super fine blanched. Specially what type of flour works best for this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You could use either, but I usually use super fine blanched almond flour for better texture. I don’t think that was the cause of crumbling. It might be a difference in how hot your waffle iron was, or how long the batter sat?
Aubrey
0WOW. I never post comments. I was SO impressed with these waffles. They truly barely “taste keto”. They are light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. No weird taste! I am going to triple the recipe next time! I doubled the recipe this time and it made 2 1/2 waffles in my large belgian waffle maker.
Christina
0These waffles are the closest alternative I have found to the real thing. They’re delicious, hubby and tween boys liked to them too. The boys typically don’t like any of the keto baking recipes, so I consider this a win! Thanks so much for the easy to follow recipe!
Virginie Cabrimol
0I made these today and OMG!! they were sooooooo yummy. I prefer them to regular waffles.
I topped these with low carb homemade whipped cream and strawberries and made my afternoon 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
Sara Lerner
0Love this! Best paleo waffle recipe I’ve tried yet!
Catherine
0Made these this morning. I have tried so many keto recipes for pancakes and haven’t liked them, so I was skeptical that a waffle recipe would work at all. Well I’m happy to say I was wrong! These were light and fluffy and crispy. Of course they taste like almonds, but I like that. This is a fantastic recipe!
Ike Jones
0Waffles are one of my favorite things…i know waffles. I have used many recipes through the years and this is hands down the best. I may never use another waffle recipe! These are not just the best waffles I have ever made, but the best I have ever had. Here’s the problem..I liked them so much I had too many. I’m going to have to be very careful the rest of the day. Kudos.
Fay
0We make a waffle that uses Buttermilk Pancake/Waffle mix, buttermilk (instead of water) and chopped cooked bacon, then we top it with maple syrup – it has an amazing, tangy salty flavor then that maple syrup – yum! Can you help me figure out a way to make this Keto? Your sugar free maple syrup is fabulous, I just can’t quite figure out how to get that tang in the waffle. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fay, You can make something similar to buttermilk with a keto friendly milk and lemon juice. But I can’t provide an exact recipe without testing – the one I do have is above.
Janice
0I am allergic to almonds and since it is used in so many recipies I don’t know what would be a good subsitute. What to you suggest? I have not seen other nuts used. Could they be a substitute if i processed them in my food processor?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Janice, Substituting other nuts depends on the recipe. Grinding nuts at home doesn’t yield as fine a consistency as blanched almond flour, so in some baked goods the texture will be different. For waffles I think it’s fine, just grind them as finely as you can. You’ll have a stronger nutty flavor with other nuts, but it should still work!
Shelley
0Thank you. These are absolutely delicious!!
Tracy Lawniczak
0Amazing!! However I need to figure out how to bring fat down. One waffle didn’t fill me up and 2 waffles according to my fitpal was 50 g of fat. Way to much for just 1 meal
Carrie
0These were a family hit!!!! Your recipes are great and so easy to follow 🙂
Melissa
0Made these and they were fabulous. Added “Cake batter flavored extract” instead of vanilla. Reminded me of a funnel cake. Can’t wait to make them again!
Mike Conner
0Unfortunately, didn’t have a good experience. Other than only using butter (no almond butter)followed the recipe to a T. These didn’t work at all – batter never firmed up, just a gelatinous glob. I left the 1st half in the Belgian waffle iron until it began to burn, still glop. Tried to make pancake with the remainder – same result. We’ve made keto muffins, biscuits and pancakes before with great success – won’t be trying this one again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mike, The problem is you used butter instead of almond butter, so you didn’t follow the recipe. They are very, very different. The almond butter is a major component in this recipe and provides structure as well as texture, so it absolutely won’t work with butter alone. Hope you’ll get the chance to try it as written.
Suzanne Swanson
0I followed the recipe to a tee- but I guess you HAVE to use a Belgian waffle maker? I have a regular one and the batter just dissolved into crumbs- the batter did not hold together at all- I couldn’t even get it out of the waffle maker :(. So last ditch to save the rest of the the batter I tried making pancakes out of it using coconut oil to coat the frying pan. Couldn’t get the batter to hold together there either. I did use super fine blanched almond flour and I’m a pro at whipping and folding in egg whites so that wasn’t the issue… Does the Almond butter need to be a certain brand or type? I did mix it very well before measuring it out so it wasn’t too much oil. Can’t for the life of me figure out what went wrong… What was left of the cooked batter did taste good…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzanne, Sorry you had issues with the waffles. I’m not sure if the difference in waffle maker was the issue. Did you watch the video to see at what point your process was different?
Leeann Rudolph
0Making them now. I thought they were a little too sweet so next time I will scale back. Other than that, they are good to go.
Anna
0OMG these waffles are amazing!!!
Crispy on the outside, soft on the outside.
Thank you so much for sharing!!
Laura Allen
0Could I make this without the sweetener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laura, Yes, you can! There’s only a little sweetener though so they don’t come out super sweet, but you can omit it if you’d like.
Brittanny
0First attempt at waffles and this is the recipe I tried. Easy to follow instructions and the waffles were delicious. My husband was skeptical but he loved them!
Suzy
0This is exactly what I needed! Will try it for sure
Wilhelmina
0These waffles look like a must try! So yummy!
Lani
0This was okay. Followed recipe exactly. Doubled the batch for our family. Better than others I’ve tried. My family didn’t like it and I think I’ll keep looking around too.
Carolyn Monzingo
0These look amazing. I haven’t made them yet but have a question about the carb count. When I put the ingredients into my food tracker I come up with 4.2 net carbs. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carolyn, The net carb count on the recipe card is 4g, so it’s essentially the same as what you got.
Heather Huhman
0These are the best waffles I’ve ever had, and I am a waffle connoisseur. I could live on these waffles. Seriously. Thank you for this recipe!
Danielle
0Ok I NEVER comment on anything, but I had to for this. I’m eating your recipe, switched out peanut butter for the almond butter, put a little butter and sugar free maple pecan syrup on it and it blew me away. Even before the toppings it was delicious. Smells and tastes like a peanut butter cookie to me. I have tried so many pancake and waffle recipes for keto and have been disappointed EVERY time. This is a game changer. Thank you so much for sharing!
Amy
0These are my new go to Keto waffles!!! I love the addition of Almond Butter. I make my own to avoid the sugar (I add cinnamon, vanilla and salt for flavor). They were not light and fluffy but I struggle with folding in egg whites so will keep working at it.
Ashley
0Just made these and they are great! I added collagen to the batter and used peanut butter instead they are amazing!
I think next time I’m going to make them savory no sweetener or vanilla and add cheese and spices!
I’ve missed something like toast for breakfast and these hit the spot!
Marlene Finger
0I made these waffles today. They did get crispy but were a little over-cooked and I didn’t leave them cooking until the steam was done. If I had, they would have been burnt. Otherwise, they were great.
April
0I just made these waffles this morning, and they were delicious!!! I’m so glad I came across your blog! I can’t wait to make these again! I creamed a little butter and sugar free caramel syrup as a topping. Yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, April! Thank you for stopping by!
Mary Hinojosa
0If don’t have waffle maker, will it be a fluffy pancake as your waffle? Might have to get waffle gadget…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, I haven’t tried these as pancakes, but you can try these almond flour pancakes or coconut flour pancakes.