Brunch At Isabelle's: Carrot Cake Waffles

Need I say more?

Welcome! You’re At Isabelle’s—home to all things tasteful and tasty.

A little over a year ago, I got a waffle machine. And not just any waffle machine, a beautiful, fancy Breville. The kind that makes perfect, crispy waffles every single time. No sticking, no guessing. It even has a countdown clock and a little lip around the edge to catch any overflowing batter so it doesn’t make a mess. It’s the machine of my waffle-loving dreams. And yet, until a few days ago, I had only used it once.

Pulling out a waffle machine feels like a full commitment to brunch, mostly because the cleanup is so annoying. How are you supposed to clean all those tiny nooks and crannies? At least with a bundt pan, you can dunk it straight into soapy water. But a waffle machine is a machine. You have to be careful, and it’s just a hassle.

But onto these waffles. I’m calling them carrot cake waffles, though no, I didn’t top them with a whipped cream cheese situation. Frankly, that feels too heavy for brunch. These are loaded with grated carrots and warm spices, and I topped them with honey-glazed walnuts. They are just delightful.

While testing, I realized how much the texture and juiciness of the carrots affect the final result. Carrots vary a lot in how wet they are, which I hadn’t expected but makes sense. You want to squeeze out some of the moisture if they are especially juicy, but you don’t need to dry them completely.

I also played around with how the carrots are grated. Using only the large holes on a box grater gives good texture but not quite enough carrot flavor. Too much finely grated carrot weighs down the batter and makes the waffles a bit stodgy. I found the sweet spot is grating about three-quarters of the carrots on the large holes and the remaining quarter on the small ones.

Now onto the inevitable question: can these be pancake-ified? My answer is, could you? Sure. But should you? Probably not.

Waffle batter is usually a bit different from pancake batter. It tends to be thicker, with more butter, more sugar, and sometimes more eggs. I did test this out by making a few pancakes from the batter, and as expected, they turned out a little stodgy and too dense. That’s not to say your dreams of carrot cake pancakes should be crushed, but I would recommend starting with your favorite pancake recipe as the base and adding in some shredded carrot and warming spices. That is not a recipe testing journey I’ll be taking, but if you try it, please let me know.

Okay, onto the recipe!

Recipe:

Makes ~9 waffles

Ingredients:

• ¾ stick (85g) unsalted butter

• 5 medium carrots (1.5 cups after grating)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp freshly ground cardamom (about 11 pods)

• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, lightly packed

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (30g)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup yogurt (227g)

• 1 cup buttermilk (227g)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Neutral oil for greasing

Directions:

1. Melt the butter so it has time to cool slightly and start heating your waffle machine so it is ready when the batter is done.

2. Peel the carrots, holding them by the nubby end. Grate about ¾ of the carrots on the larger holes of a box grater, and the remaining ¼ on the smaller holes. The larger pieces add texture, while the finer ones bring out more carrot flavor.

3. Place the grated carrots between a layer or two of paper towel and squeeze out any excess juice. You don’t need to remove all the moisture, just get the bulk out.

4. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, ground cardamom, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the yogurt, buttermilk, vanilla, and cooled melted butter, stir to combine.

6. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold them together, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything.

7. Sprinkle in the grated carrots using your hands. They will be compact from squeezing, so break up the clumps as you mix to help them incorporate evenly. Mix until just combined.

8. Preheat the oven to a warming setting (about 170°F) and place a sheet tray fitted with a wire rack inside.

9. Grease your waffle machine with neutral oil. I use avocado oil, since butter tends to burn. Add batter to each waffle well as indicated by your machine. For mine, that’s about ½ cup of batter per waffle.

10. Close the lid and cook until you no longer see steam coming out. This may take longer than you expect, but your patience will be rewarded.

11. The waffles are done when the exterior is crispy and deep golden brown. Either serve right away or transfer to the oven on the wire rack to keep warm.

12. Serve warm with toppings of your choice. I like slightly sweetened yogurt with cinnamon, honey-toasted walnuts, and maple syrup on the side.

That’s all for now! See you next time At Isabelle’s.