Recipe for zucchini waffles
Chelsea, my summer intern, returns to her real life as a student at Brown University in a couple of weeks. At the beginning of June, we put waffles on our must-do list, and it seemed we had all the time in the world to get around to making them. Last week, almost at the end of Chelsea's internship, Wafflepalooza finally came to town. These waffles, the first of five recipes we made (and ate) in one day, bring together zucchini, cinnamon and sugar. There's plenty of vegetable here, if you know what you're looking for, but if your kids aren't into green healthy things, you might forget to mention zucchini, and they'll probably never guess. When the zucchini glut hits, make a big batch of these waffles; freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then pack them in a ziplock bag or container. Reheat by popping the waffles in the toaster.
Zucchini waffles
From the pantry, you'll need: all-purpose flour, kosher salt, cinnamon, granulated sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, cooking spray.
Adapted from this recipe on Mixingbowl.com. Makes 8 waffles.
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups skim (nonfat) milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Directions
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place in a strainer, and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt. Place the strainer over a bowl, and let the zucchini drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water, shake off excess liquid, and transfer the zucchini to a clean dish towel. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the zucchini, and set aside.
Preheat waffle maker to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Stir together.
In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture), and beat until smooth. Stir in the zucchini and mix well.
Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray (top and bottom plates). Spread half of the batter evenly over the bottom of the waffle maker, and close the top. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the waffles are as crisp as you like them. (Different waffle making equipment will cook at different rates, so please follow the instructions that come with your machine.) Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve hot, topped with sweet butter and maple syrup.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
West Bay jonnycakes
Latkes/potato pancakes
Zucchini frittata
Lemon waffles
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes, from Simply Recipes
Art Smith's Sour Cream Waffles, from 101 Cookbooks
Carrot cake waffles, from Willow Bird Baking
Pumpkin Belgian waffles, from Inn Cuisine
Cornmeal waffles with a hint of lemon, from Baking Bites








Posted by: Kalyn | August 16, 2011 at 11:13 AM
The waffles are gorgeous. I might try white whole wheat flour in these.
Posted by: Shirley @ gfe | August 16, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Oh, yum, Lydia! Wafflepalooza and another way to use zucchini--wonderful! :-) I'm sure these will be easy to adapt to be gluten free, too. Will let you know when I give them a try. ;-)
Shirley
Posted by: Maris (In Good Taste) | August 16, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Now these are perfect waffles! What a lucky girl Chelsea is to have you as a mentor!
Posted by: Barefeet In The Kitchen | August 16, 2011 at 01:45 PM
Your waffles are beautiful! I've been planning to try zucchini waffles and pancakes and now you've reminded me to just do it. These sound delicious.
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | August 16, 2011 at 02:14 PM
Kalyn, white whole wheat would be perfect in these. Some of the other variations we made during Wafflepalooza used the white whole wheat, and they were delicious.
Shirley, let us know how your g-free substitutions work.
Maris, we've had a great summer cooking together. Not sure I'll make waffles again for a while, though!
Barefeet, same batter will work for pancakes or waffles. I love the little specks of green in them, too.
Posted by: Karina | August 16, 2011 at 04:14 PM
I would never have thought to use zucchini in waffles. Brilliant. And I imagine, beyond tasty. I love savory waffles and pancakes.
Posted by: EB | August 16, 2011 at 05:21 PM
I seriously would never have thought of zucchini waffles! I mean it makes sense, ala zuc bread.... but I never woulda thunk it.
Posted by: vanillasugarblog | August 16, 2011 at 06:39 PM
and i have to add to the never-ending say of "never would have thought of it either" but I will now. great idea!
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | August 16, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Karina, when zucchini overload strikes, I'll use zucchini in just about anything. The waffles have a light touch and a bit of sweetness.
EB, Vanillasugarblog: Why not zucchini? Or some other type of summer squash? It's a funky idea, but it really works! Hope you enjoy.
Posted by: Lana @ Never Enough Thyme | August 17, 2011 at 11:15 AM
I have honestly never thought of using zucchini in waffles, but it sounds like it really works! We use them in all kinds of quick breads, muffins, etc., so why not? Love this idea!
Posted by: blackbookkitchendiaries | August 17, 2011 at 05:55 PM
this are so creative! i cant wait to try this out. thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Jeanette | August 17, 2011 at 08:58 PM
Would never have thought to make zucchini waffles either, although it makes perfect sense since we have zucchini muffins and quick breads. Wish I could be your intern - what a dream job!
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | August 17, 2011 at 09:18 PM
Lana, isn't it funny how we incorporate zucchini into some baked goods and not others? I think you'll find this really works.
Blackbook, do try, and please enjoy!
Jeanette, if the commute weren't quite so long, I'd love to cook with you (I could be your assistant, too). These zucchini waffles were really fun. I'm going to try them on my grandkids.
Posted by: carol,boston @ cabinetstew | August 17, 2011 at 09:28 PM
I am thinking some shredded carrot could add some fun "color" shards!
And maybe while we are at it; what if we spread a little lightly sweetened cream cheese on top too...hmmm...think I just turned health food into dessert!
Posted by: T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types | August 18, 2011 at 06:46 AM
Ah, you've just given me my weekend project! Forget the zucchini bread - I'm joining the waffle gang! A great new twist on the waffle!
Posted by: rachelsdigestif | August 18, 2011 at 12:35 PM
I absolutely LOVE this idea! I just used up some extra zucchini in some muffins and bread...how typical. But this, this is genius!
Posted by: myFudo | August 18, 2011 at 01:21 PM
Now I've got a reason to wake up in the morning, really looks good. Love the photo
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | August 19, 2011 at 06:25 AM
Carol, you're going wild here! I love it when people use recipes as a starting point and go in their own direction.
TW, I'm not a zucchini bread lover, to be honest. These waffles have their quotient of zucchini without being overwhelmed by it. Hope you like them.
Rachel, because there's always more zucchini, keep these waffles in mind. You can freeze them.
MyFudo, thanks. I had a great pourer!
Posted by: Didi | August 20, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Will try this out! Just for info, how many cups of grated zucchini equals 2 medium zucchini? You know how zucchinis typically like to get a bit bigger than medium! Thanks!
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | August 20, 2011 at 09:46 AM
Didi, you'll want approximately 1 cup, but exact proportions aren't terribly important. A bit more or less will be fine.
Posted by: Jackie | September 11, 2011 at 12:54 AM
Hi
I want to use this recipe with carrots, do I still have to go through the process of salting the carrots,straining and squeezing the water out of them, as I have to do with zucchini.
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | September 11, 2011 at 06:51 AM
Jackie, carrots don't hold the amount of water that zucchini (or cucumbers, or eggplant) do, so you shouldn't have to salt them. But it's always good to throw shredded vegetables in a towel to squeeze out any additional moisture.