Corn Flour Waffles with Whipped Honey Ghee and Berries {gluten-free}

These gluten-free corn flour waffles slathered in whipped honey ghee and topped with juicy strawberries and fresh mint make dessert & brunch dreams come true. Made in collaboration with Sarah of Snixy Kitchen and sponsored by Organic Valley. 

I’m extra excited to share today’s recipe because WAFFLES. You see, up until last week, I didn’t own a waffle iron. I had major waffle envy, and tried several times to make myself buy one, but the thought of storing another piece of cooking equipment I’d only use occasionally kept putting me off. Our San Francisco apartment has little storage space, and every incoming item means that something else has to go. But when Sarah and I teamed up with Organic Valley to show off their ghee, I pulled for us to make waffles together so that Sarah could teach me her ways.

Sarah uses a simple stovetop waffle iron to make her waffle magic. It’s lightweight and easy to use once you get the hang of it, and it hardly takes up any space. She’s made many delicious waffle recipes over the years (many of which I get to eat!) so she came up with a corn flour variation and we had a feast. Sarah’s savory corn flour waffles are loaded with sweet corn and topped with sumac-kissed summer veggies and an herbaceous yogurt sauce. Head over to her site for the recipe!

I used the same waffle base to make dessert waffles by simply omitting the corn kernels, upping the sugar just a bit, and adding vanilla. When I tasted a waffle warm from the iron, it reminded me of freshly baked cornbread, and “honey butter!” leapt into my head. I stirred together equal parts soft ghee and honey with a pinch of salt, and spread it over the warm waffles where it melted into a sauce, and this sweet waffle recipe was born.

Ghee is butter that’s been clarified to remove water and milk solids before being cooked to a golden hue with a nutty flavor (think brown butter without the dark bits). Ghee is almost entirely fat, so it can be safely stored at room temperature, making it forever soft and ready to use. The lack of milk solids makes ghee a sturdy cooking fat with a high smoke point, meaning that you can brush a hot waffle iron with melted ghee and not have to worry much about it overheating. We also use ghee in place of butter in the waffle batter, where it adds the warm richness of butter with even more flavor.

Organic Valley dairy comes from a network of small to medium-sized farms, some of which are in California, and all of which let their cows spend the majority of their time grazing on pasture. This makes for sweeter dairy that’s higher in nutrients (including precious omega-3 fatty acids) and free of scary pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. We use delicious Organic Valley grassmilk and omega-3 eggs in our waffle batter, top these sweet waffles with a plume of whipped heavy cream, and Sarah drizzles her savory waffles with a sauce of grassmilk yogurt.

Organic Valley ghee makes these waffles cook up extra crispy on the outside with fluffy, tender middles. Spread some whipped honey ghee atop a warm waffle and watch it melt, the nooks and crannies catching puddles of melted liquid gold. Ripe strawberries need little more than sugar, lemon, and time to coalesce the juices into a glossy sauce, but you could use any berries you have on hand, or even sliced peaches or plums. A handful of mint adds a topnote of freshness that contrasts the richness of the ghee goodness. Sarah and I like a dollop of whipped cream on top too, but you could just as easily use a scoop of plain yogurt instead.

Enjoy these for a weekend brunch, or make extras to freeze and you’ll have yourself a quick breakfast or dessert during the week. If you’re tentatively waffle-curious like I was, I highly recommend biting the bullet and investing in a stovetop waffle iron. I finally did, which means there are sure to be more alternative flour, gluten-free waffles in our future…

Thanks to Organic Valley for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

*Thanks for reading! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make these Gluten-Free Corn Flour Waffles with Whipped Honey Ghee and Berries, I’d love to see! Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and  #bojongourmet.*

Corn Flour Waffles with Whipped Honey Ghee and Berries {gluten-free}

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These slightly sweet gluten-free waffles topped with honeyed ghee and juicy berries work as well for breakfast or brunch as they do for dessert. They get big flavor and tender texture from corn flour, which makes them taste like hot-from-the-oven cornbread without the grittiness of cornmeal.

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Servings: 12 small waffles (6 dessert servings or 3-4 breakfast servings)

Author: The Bojon Gourmet

Ingredients

Waffles:

• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (120 g) GF corn flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
• ¾ cup (130 g) sweet white rice flour (such as Koda Farms Mochiko)
• 1/4 cup (30 g) tapioca flour/starch
• 3 tablespoons (35 g) organic granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (245 ml) Organic Valley Whole Grassmilk
• 3 large Organic Valley Omega-3 Eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4.5 tablespoons (65 ml) Organic Valley ghee, melted, plus more for brushing the waffle iron

Berries:

• 1 pint basket strawberries (preferably ripe and small), rinsed, hulled, and sliced
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) organic granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
• small handful mint leaves, slivered or torn

Whipped Honey Ghee:

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) mild honey
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Organic Valley ghee, at room temperature
• big pinch fine sea or kosher salt
• lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, sift together the corn and sweet rice flours with the tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl or measuring pitcher, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
• While the whites whip, add the milk mixture and melted ghee to the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
• If using an electric waffle iron, cook waffles according to manufacturer directions, lightly brushing the iron with ghee. If using a stovetop waffle iron, be sure to heat up both sides for at least 3 minutes on medium heat. Lightly brush the top and the bottom of the waffle iron with ghee. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the middle of each waffle iron square (if using a Belgian waffle iron; otherwise and cook for 60-90 seconds. Flip the waffle iron and cook for another 60-90 seconds. Gently open the waffle iron to check the waffle and, if needed, continue cooking until both sides are crispy. (Every stove is slightly different, but mine is ready after 90 seconds on both sides).
• Transfer the cooked waffles to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the sliced berries with the sugar, lemon juice, and mint leaves. Let sit until the berries are juicy, at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.
• In a small bowl, vigorously stir together the honey, ghee, and salt until slightly whipped.
• To serve, spread the hot waffles with whipped honey ghee; they should be warm enough to melt the ghee. Divide the waffles among plates and top with the juicy berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve right away.

Notes

Be sure to use corn flour, which is more finely ground than cornmeal. (What we call cornstarch in the US is called corn flour in the UK, so don’t use that either!).

Top these beauties with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream if serving for dessert, or yogurt if you’re going for more of a healthy breakfast vibe.

Thanks to Sarah of Snixy Kitchen for developing this waffle base recipe! Find her savory version loaded with veggies and basil yogurt sauce here.

Nutritional values are based on one of twelve waffles.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2.3% | Vitamin C: 28.9% | Calcium: 8.1% | Iron: 3.2%

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!