Whole Grain Cornbread Waffles with Warm Berry Compote

Fluffy, dense whole grain waffles that taste like cornbread! Top with butter and syrup, a big spoonful of easy chia seed berry compote, or go the savory route with a drizzle of pesto and a fried egg. Either way, these 10-minute waffles are a quick + easy option for a fun, healthy breakfast!

Lately I’ve been obsessing over waffles for breakfast. On weekdays, like the savage that I am. Yes, it feels a little extra, and yes, I think you should do it, too.

Aint nobody got time to wait for the weekend to make waffles, amiright?

Since I’m indecisive in all areas of life, but especially when it comes to breakfast, I opted to make a waffle that could easily go both ways- one that could be sweet or savory with little to no extra effort.

Enter the cornbread waffle.

Admittedly, I’m kind of a cornbread snob. I love it dense, full of texture from the cornmeal, and just slightly sweet. If it tastes like vanilla cake with a sprinkle of cornmeal, I’m not really interested. So, these waffles lean towards the former, with a combination of whole wheat flour and medium-grind cornmeal to give them lots of structure and texture. Oat flour works here for a gluten-free option, too, if needed!

The best part? The batter is mixed in 1 bowl in about 2 minutes, rests for 5 minutes while your waffle iron heats up, then just cooks until golden and crisp.

And, if you’re so inclined, you can throw together a warm berry compote while your waffle batter rests. All you need is berries (fresh or frozen, any kind you like), chia seeds (to help thicken the warmed, juicy berries), and, if your berries are particularly tart or you like things on the sweeter side, a drizzle of maple syrup. Heat the berries on the stove until bubbling, add the chia seeds and optional sweetener, and just let it hang out while your waffles crisp up.

So, yes, I’m talking waffles AND homemade berry compote in 12 minutes, flat; alternatively titled: you can make these right now for breakfast, weekend or not.

If you’re a fan of cornbread, you are going to FLIP over these easy cornbread waffles. They’re loaded with whole grain goodness and so much cornbread flavor, and are such a hearty, filling breakfast option. I hope you love them!

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your waffles and share it with me on Instagram– I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen!

Whole Grain Cornbread Waffles with Warm Berry Compote

Yields: 2 6-inch Belgian waffles and 1/2 cup berry compote

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

waffles

• 1/2 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or oat flour for GF)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

berry compote

• 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries of choice (I used blueberries and raspberries)
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• optional: 1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup, to sweeten

Instructions:

1. Whisk together all the wet ingredients for the waffles (milk, oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla). Add in all remaining waffle ingredients and stir to combine. Let waffle batter sit for 5 minutes before using (this gives the cornmeal time to absorb some liquid before cooking).
2. While waffle batter sits, make the berry compote. Heat the berries in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling, then turn off the heat and add the chia seeds. Stir well, then let sit while you cook the waffles. When ready to serve, taste and add sweetener, if needed, to suit your tastebuds.
3. Preheat your waffle iron to high, and, if needed, grease with cooking spray (I use olive oil spray). Pour half the batter into the waffle iron, cook until golden and crisp, then repeat with the remaining batter. Top waffles with warm berry compote (or just butter and syrup, etc) and eat immediately.
4. If you happen to have leftover waffles, store them at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for 4, or the freezer for 1 month. To reheat, I recommend toasting like a piece of bread!

Notes:

While I find some pancake and waffle recipes to be virtually interchangeable, I tried a batch as pancakes and found them to be flat and entirely unexciting…I highly recommend making this recipe as waffles!

MAKE THEM VEGAN: I haven’t tried it, but I suspect increasing the milk to 3/4 cup and adding a heaping Tablespoon of flaxseed meal would work well here instead of the egg!

MAKE THEM GLUTEN-FREE: simply swap out the whole wheat for oat flour or an all-purpose GF flour blend.

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