Egg-Free Buffalo Chicken Chaffle
Hearing all the buzz about chaffles (Cheese + Waffle) made me want to give one a try. You can make chaffles either sweet or savory. Eating sweet cheese did not appeal to me so I decided on making a savory chaffle for my first tasting. If I liked it I figured I could try a sweet one next.
I combined a number of recipes I found online but wanted to make this egg-free for those of my readers that don't or can't eat eggs. I also like the fact that it is a way for me to eat a little more flax, giving me additional omega-3 and fiber.
Most chaffles are made in mini waffle makers. They look cute and aren't very expensive but I don't own one and didn't want to invest in one just to test out this recipe so I used my Belgium waffle maker.The chaffle most certainly worked in my waffle maker but it is probably much easier to remove from a mini waffle maker with it being so small reducing the risk of tearing. One draw back for the mini waffle maker like my Belgium waffle maker is that it doesn't have removable plates. My personal wish is that waffle makers would realize how inconvenient it is to clean a waffle maker without removable plates and make them all with removable plates. I know there a few out there (not mini waffle makers) with removable plates and someday I might buy one but my late mom gave me mine and I think of her when I use it, so it has sentimental value. Sorry, I digressed.
If you're like me, you're wondering, what does a waffle made out of cheese and "egg" taste like? I discovered it tastes like the browned cheese that drips onto the pizza pan or skillet if you make a super cheesy grilled cheese sandwich and the cheese melts and browns on the skillet. If you like that crispy cheese flavor you'll love these chaffles plus throw in the flavors of Buffalo chicken and your golden (pun intended!) I would definitely make chaffles again and might even try a sweet version.
I loved the additional toppings I put on mine but they are optional so you can decide if you want to use them. For me, one serving was plenty. I served it with a side salad and was very full. Now for what you've been waiting for, the recipe!
Egg-Free Buffalo Chicken Chaffle 2.65 net carbs per 1/2 the recipe without the optional toppings. 1 tbsp. ground flax (I use this brand) 3 tbsp. water 1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken or drained and flaked canned chicken 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or any combination of shredded cheese to equal 1/2 cup. 1 tbsp. finely crumbled blue cheese 1 tbsp. almond flour (I use this brand) 1 tbsp. mild hot sauce (I use this brand) 1/2 tsp. gluten free baking powder (grain free if necessary) (I use this brand) 1/8 tsp. (heaping) garlic powder 1/8 tsp. (heaping) onion powder 1/8 tsp. unrefined sea salt or to taste (I use this brand) Pinch black pepper Additional water (about 2 tablespoons) Toppings, optional Hot sauce, Ranch dressing, chopped celery, crumbled or cubed blue cheese 1. Spray mini waffle maker, large waffle maker or even a Belgium waffle maker with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, if there is a temperature gauge, until hot. Prepare Challle batter in the meantime. 2. In a medium bowl, combine flax and 3 tablespoons water, stir or whisk together and allow to sit until thickened and gooey. This is your flax "egg". Once thickened, add chicken, shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon blue cheese, almond flour, hot sauce, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper; mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a medium thick chicken salad texture or very thick batter like texture, thick enough you'll have to slightly spread it. 3. If using a mini waffle maker, spoon half of batter onto center of waffle maker; spread to cover waffle maker. Cover and cook 5 minutes or longer, until Chaffle is golden brown and crispy. If using a full size waffle maker, spoon entire batter onto center of waffle maker and spread to the edge, cover and cook 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. I found, allowing it to cool slightly made my larger Belgium waffle Chaffle easier to remove. I ran a fork around the edges and slid a pancake turner underneath so it didn't break. 4. Top with any or all of the toppings suggested if you'd like.
Note: You may substitute a real egg for the flax and water mixture (flax egg) just beat the egg before adding the other ingredients. Servings: 2 Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/2 of a recipe (4.4 ounces). Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. Topping ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data. Amount Per Serving Calories 215.3 Total Fat 14.42g Saturated Fat 6.75g Cholesterol 57.32mg Sodium 881.75mg Potassium 57.71mg Total Carbohydrates 4.21g Fiber 1.56g Sugar 0.4g Protein 18.44g
