You may have noticed that a lot of my recipes are rather nut-heavy. Why? Well, so many of my clients avoid grains for their wellness goals, and nut-based flours can be a fantastic alternative in baking, crusting, and pancake-making (amongst many other things). However, I always caution clients that switching one bad habit, or problematic food, with another isn’t a good idea either. We as humans, have become so reliant on grain-based foods, which in many cases has been a major factor in the inflammation, digestive dysfunction, and blood sugar imbalances that are so rampant in modern society. However, eating other foods in massive quantities - quantities that the body was never meant to ingest - can also bring about a slew of concerns.

Enter nuts. Presented to us in North American grocery stores in their most convenient form (shelled, ground, "mylked", buttered, etc.), many nuts are actually quite a pain to remove from their shells and process into the forms so often enjoyed in grain-free recipes. Nuts are nutrient-dense little mothers and were never really meant to be consumed in the quantity so many paleo, plant-based, and otherwise grain and/or dairy free folks do.

Many nuts, when consumed in excess can cause inflammation in the body, digestive issues, and even excessive or imbalanced weight, all of which are often the reason people avoid grains and dairy to begin with! In addition to this, when grinding, "mylking", and buttering the nuts, the important step of soaking or sprouting is often neglected, making them less nutrient-available, and potentially harmful to our vitamin and mineral balance.

Blog Post: Sprouting + Soaking Your Grains, Seeds, Nuts + Legumes

Because of this potentially inflammatory and digestively compromising nature of nut consumption, it is recommended that anyone on an auto-immune protocol should be avoiding nuts, amongst other things...

More info on an auto-immune supportive protocol here!

And finally, so many people have allergies, sensitivities, and full-blown anaphylaxes to nuts, sooo once again, not the best food for everyone out there.

OK OK, I know it sounds like I’m all of a sudden anti-nut. I’m certainly not! I just like to remind people that just because I post a lot about a certain food on my blog, doesn’t mean I’m recommending it for everyone, ALL the time. Bio-individuality, right?

Blog Post: Bio-Individuality: You're One of a Kind!

I also ALWAYS like remind people the diversity and variety are key for healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle in general. It’s never wise to overdo it with one specific food, so that our bodies can get a wider range of nutrients, and don’t run the risk of building up intolerances to said food.

With ALL that in mind, here’s a delicious grain-free, nut-free, potentially dairy-free waffle recipe that will be a big hit with no matter who you share them with (except of course if they have an egg or coconut sensitivity…sorry, I had to put SOMETHING in there).

So make up a batch of these incredibly fluffy and delicious waffles next time you have some friends over for brunch, and they won’t even know that they’re not full of refined white flour and sugar. If you don’t tell, I wont ;)

Light and Fluffy Grain & Nut-free Waffles

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: About 3 minutes per waffle

Makes 6-8 small to medium sized waffles

Ingredients

8 eggs
1/2 cup melted grass-fed butter or coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking powder

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, whisk up the eggs, and then add in the butter or coconut oil, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed.
In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to wet and stir together until well combined and smooth.
Spoon batter into a heated and greased waffle iron and cook until light brown and firm to touch (about 3 minutes on mine).
Serve with butter, fresh seasonal fruit, a berry compote, whipped coconut cream, or anything else your heart desires, and enjoy!

Tip: Make up a batch and store them in your freezer separated by parchment paper. When ready to eat, take them out and reheat them in the toaster, in the oven, or on a cast-iron pan with butter or coconut oil.