The first cool morning of fall always has me craving pumpkin. What I don’t want is a sugary breakfast that has me hungry again by ten o’clock. So these waffles have been on repeat in my kitchen. There’s no protein powder and no long ingredient list. Everything goes into the blender, and you probably have most of it in your fridge and pantry already.
Why I love these after 40
We don’t skip breakfast around here. A high protein, high fiber breakfast sets us up for a solid day and curbs cravings all day. Protein helps protect muscle, which naturally declines with age. Fiber keeps me full and helps keep my blood sugar steadier through the morning. One serving of these waffles gives you about 30 grams of protein and 7 to 8 grams of fiber, and they taste like fall.
What you’ll need
For one generous serving (2 to 3 waffles):
⅔ cup cottage cheese
1 egg
⅓ cup pure pumpkin purée
½ cup oat flour
1 - 2 tsp sweetener of choice
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
How to make them
Add everything to your blender, starting with the cottage cheese, egg, and pumpkin, then the oat flour on top.
Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until the batter is completely smooth and you can’t see any curds. Don’t overmix!
Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes so the oat flour can thicken it.
Grease your waffle iron well and pour in the batter.
Cook until the steam mostly stops. This usually takes a minute or two longer than regular waffles, and the extra time gives you those crisp edges.
Where the protein and fiber come from
Most of the protein comes from the cottage cheese, which adds about 16 to 18 grams. The oat flour adds another 6 to 8, the egg adds about 6, and the pumpkin adds around 1g.
For fiber, the oat flour does most of the work, with about 5 grams. A good share of that is beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that slows digestion. The pumpkin adds another 2 grams or so.
A few tips from my kitchen
Want more protein? Use more cottage cheese. Every extra ¼ cup adds about 6 to 7 grams.
Check your can. Buy pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar.
Spoon your oat flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping it. A packed half cup can throw off the texture.
If they come out dense, a pinch of baking powder will make them lighter.
Make a double batch. They freeze beautifully, and you can reheat them in the toaster on busy mornings.
If you make these, leave a comment and tell me how they turned out. I love seeing what you top them with.