Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein
It’s that season, the season for Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein and Wholewheat. 3 healthy things in one fluffy and crunchy breakfast. Needless to say, these will be devoured in no time by everyone who gets near them. Also, the season when the days get longer, the leaves and meals turn pumpkin orange and I feel the irresistible urge to buy Pumpkin Spice scented candles for my house. Am I the only one?
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Why You Will Love This
Not sure about you, but for me waffles are the ultimate luxury breakfast. I suppose because they are not a common one in Germany. Usually, you get waffles on street celebrations in little stalls. And, at least in my family, there simply was no waffle iron to be found anywhere. So, since I moved to Ireland and found them to be pretty common here, I got a little obsessed about finding the “perfect waffle”.
Fluffy and soft inside, Crispy outside
For me the perfect waffle is fluffy and soft on the inside, with a thin crispy crust and a lot of flavour. It’s on that last front I found most waffles rather disappointing. Until I tried my first one with sourdough discard. What a difference!
I suppose it shouldn’t have surprised me, considering pretty much all baked goods are better with sourdough. But back then I hadn’t tried as many, except of course German sourdough bread.
Pumpkin!
In my Buttermilk Sourdough Waffles with Protein, I found exactly this balance. But having the exact same thing over and over for breakfast was never for me. So, when it started getting colder here in the last week, I noticed pumpkin stuff popping into my mind and thought: “What about Pumpkin waffles?”. Mmmmh. Yes. Clearly the thing for autumn, isn’t it?
Added Protein and Sourdough
With Protein and sourdough of course. And whole wheat. And lower sugar. After all I’m still trying to modify any recipe I make into an at least slightly healthier version. And I feel pretty good about having Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein for breakfast. Ideally with fruit. And more protein in form of Greek yoghurt.
Why Do I Add Protein?
You mean apart from the well known physical benefits of protein for the body like helping you to build muscle, keeping your bones strong and increasing satiation, meaning you stay fuller for longer and with that can maintain your weight easier?
Lesser known is, that it also effects the brain by helping it to effectively transport information through neuropathways using the amino acods found in Protein.
This even has been shown to help protect from age related dementia.If you’d like to read more about how and why I use protein, I wrote a blog post about it.
The Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree – The recipe for Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles is pretty similar to above mentioned Buttermilk Waffles. We are replacing part of the buttermilk, which gives moisture, tang, and fluffiness, with pumpkin puree. This adds subtle sweetness and sneaks in veggies.
- Flour and Protein Powder – The usual plain flour in your average waffle recipe gets split into part plain white and part fine whole wheat. And some of it gets replaced by protein powder. I’m using my favourite (neither sponsored nor affiliated) brand “My Protein” here. In this case their Cinnamon Danish flavour, which adds to the overall pumpkin theme.
Note:
Cups, due to the possibility of compacting the flour while dragging the container through it, can give you wildly different results. Use a tablespoon to gently fill the cup with flour, then drag the back of a knife over it to level. This should give you the closest to the standard 120g per cup of flour.
Alternatively, if you have kitchen scales, assume 120g flour per cup and weigh it out.
In some of my recipes I will give gram measurements for this reason, but I mostly try to accommodate the American cup system.
- Spice and Sweetener – I’m adding Pumpkin spice here and molasses instead of white sugar, which goes incredibly well with the gentle sweetness the pumpkin adds, as it counters it with a hint of bitterness in the background.
- Sourdough discard is added too, which takes the place of some flour and some of the liquid. It provides flavour and more nutrition, good gut bacteria and of course a way to use up your discard. But really, flavour is my main reason for adding it.
- Optional Topping
As a topping, I have made a mix of fat free Greek yoghurt, protein powder and cinnamon here for serving, but that’s entirely optional. - My Spiced Plum Curd is pretty incredible with these waffles, adding a creamy topping and underlining the suble spice
- Also Fruit. I always try to add as many fruits and veggies to my meals as possible. In this case blueberries and plums were what I had and their tangyness goes wonderfully with the sweetness of the Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles. I didn’t mention them in the ingredients, as you can top the waffles with anything you desire. Your waffles, your choice.
The Process
Mix
The main difference in my waffle recipes compared to the average one is the way you add the protein powder: It gets mixed really well with the wet ingredients, to avoid lumps and get a, incredible tasting custard like base. Which is mixed into the dry ingredients and you are ready to bake after letting it sit for say, 30 minutes, to give the flour time to hydrate.
I tend to use my Nutribullet* for mixing, as it gives me the smoothest and fluffiest results. Plus I’m too lazy to whisk by hand. What can I say…I’m a morning grump.
If you want to get ahead, prepare the batter in the evening, but hold back the baking soda until morning, as it will lose its raising power overnight. Store covered with cling film in the fridge.
And you are ready to bake.
Bake
Pre-heat your waffle iron. I’m using one like this, which
Depending on your personal device. I’m using a similar one to this waffle maker * from Breville. Though mine is from the Irish equivalent “Sage” and apparently not available in the US. I use about 1/3 cup of batter per waffle.
Bake until the steaming subsides and the waffles are browned to your liking. I usually leave mine mostly on the lighter side, so I can toast them right out of the freezer.
And you are ready to serve. Easy, isn’t it?
Meal Prep
If you want to prepare the Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein and Wholewheat the evening before baking them, don’t add the baking soda until the day of baking, as it uses it’s raising power if left overnight.
These freeze wonderfully and get even crispier if reheated. I just store them in small freezer bags in portions of 2-3 and throw them into the toaster if a craving hits.
For savory breakfast options, check my Turkish Eggs with Asparagus or super easy Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche.
You can find more recipes with protein in a whole dedicated category.
Need more Pumpkin in your life?
Try my Sourdough Pumpkin S’mores Cookies.
Looking for other Sourdough Discard Ideas with Protein?
Moist and easy Sourdough Chocolate Banana Bread with Rye and Protein
The perfect start for your day: Sourdough Protein Pancakes with Wholewheat
Deeply chocolate-y Sourdough Brownies with Protein
My probably favourite pancake version: Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein and Wholewheat
Equipment
- 1 Bullet Blender optional
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine wholewheat flour
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard
- ¼ cup coconut oil plus 1 tsp for greasing your waffle iron.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 scoop protein powder I used “MyProtein – Cinnamon Danish”
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp icing sugar for serving. optional
- Maple Syrup for serving optional
- ½ cup Blueberries I used some plums I had, for serving.
- Optional topping:
- 150 g fat free Greek yoghurt
- 60 ml soy milk or any creamy full fat plant milk
- 1 scoop protein powder. I used again Cinnamon Danish but use whichever you enjoy.
Instructions
- If you have a blender, you can just add the wet ingredients first plus the molasses and protein powder, mix until creamy and the powder has dissolved. Then top with the dry and blend for a few seconds. Don’t overmix at this point, to avoid the waffles getting tough.
- By hand: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sourdough starter discard, coconut oil, granulated sugar, xylitol, protein powder, kosher salt, and eggs until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
- If baking right away, add the baking soda now. If you prepare them the night before, add it just before baking for full effect.
- Preheat your waffle iron according to its instructions.
- Lightly grease the preheated waffle iron with coconut oil using a brush or non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron, spreading it evenly to cover the surface. The amount of batter needed will depend on the size of your waffle iron.
- Close the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the waffles are golden brown and crispy.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the waffles from the iron and transfer them to a plate.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter until all the waffles are cooked.
- If you are making the protein yoghurt as topping, shake the powder with the bit of plant milk in your protein shaker until no lumps remain, then stir into your yoghurt. Season with cinnamon and maybe maple syrup if you like it very sweet. The protein powder adds a fair amount of sweetness, so try before adding more.
- Serve the Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles with Protein and Whole Wheat warm, dusted with icing sugar, and topped with fresh blueberries or your choice of fruit, maple syrup and the yoghurt if using.
Oh my word! These look so incredible! I’ve pinned this recipe, I’m so making it for Christmas morning!
Katie xoxo
Aww, thank you! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Living a high protein diet, this was perfect! Thank you!
Thank you, so glad it helps. 🙂
Perfect for autumn!!! We loved these yummy waffles!
Thank you. 🙂