The Original Basic Chaffle and 3 Variations

Here's your ultimate guide to making the best low-carb chaffles you have ever tasted. Get the top tips and FAQs on basic chaffles and more.

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Ever since the current chaffle craze began about 4 years ago, everyone from foodies to dieters has been wild for chaffles and the reasons are very clear.

Jump to:

• What is a Chaffle?
• Chaffle Recipe Chart
• Original Basic Chaffles Ingredients
• What Cheese is Best?
• How Do You Make Chaffles Taste Less Eggy?
• How to Make Chaffles
• How Do You Know When a Chaffle is Cooked?
• Variations of the Basic Chaffle
• Equipment
• Nutritional Information
• Storage & Freezing
• How to Reheat Chaffles
• My Top Tips
• What Do You Put on a Chaffle?
• More Low-Carb Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

A low-carb chaffle is a dieter's dream. With the basic chaffle coming in at just a mere 1 carb, it is an excellent bread substitute for high-carb bread and breakfast treats.

But then this recipe wonder is also a foodie's darling. Dense in nutrition, the chaffle also satisfies the most finicky foodie with an abundance of tasty and healthy topping choices. In short, neither dieter nor foodie will ever become bored.

So, let's talk about your chaffle making options and find out everything you want to know about them. With just a few tweaks to the Basic Chaffle Recipe, you can become a chaffle master and never feel like you are making and eating the same thing each and every time.

What is a Chaffle?

A chaffle is a low-carb waffle that is made without wheat flour or milk. The name comes from a contraction of the words "cheese" and "waffle".

The basic chaffle contains only egg, cheese, and salt. But you can tweak this recipe and create various versions that are higher in fiber or softer in texture.

So, most chaffle recipes contain egg and cheese plus low-carb flours, flavor enhancers, like spices or herbs, and baking powder as a leavening to lighten the texture.

Chaffle Recipe Chart

For a concise view, this chart lists recipes for 4 chaffles, a basic chaffle, the almond flour chaffle, chia seed chaffle, and the wonder bread chaffle. This information includes ingredients, method, cook times, textures, and basic nutrition.

Note that the texture of the chaffles increases from left to right in the chart and that the wonder bread version is listed to the far right since it is different in ingredients and texture from the others.

Original Basic Chaffles Ingredients

These are the simplest to make and can be made with only egg and cheese. I prefer to add a pinch of salt to all recipes for better flavor, but the salt can be omitted. The baking powder is completely optional.

• One Large Egg - These recipes are designed to make 2 chaffles and require a large egg to make enough batter. An extra large egg may be too much batter and overflow the waffle makers. A medium sized egg will yield too little batter and the chaffles will not be fully round.
• Shredded Cheese - Choose your favorite cheese and consider using a cheese that goes well with your chosen toppings, like pepper jack with taco toppings or mozarella with pizza toppings.
• Salt - Just a pinch will do!
• Baking Powder - Optional, but helpful if you are trying to lessen the eggy taste. A small amount of baking powder will lighten the texture. Use an aluminum free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

What Cheese is Best?

We personally like the Italian 5 or 6 cheese blends of pre-shredded cheese. These blends have a mild taste that goes well with many toppings. But any cheese that melts well is great! Here are some excellent choices:

• mozarella
• cheddar
• Italian 5 or 6 cheese blends
• cheddar jack
• colby
• monterey jack
• pepper jack

How Do You Make Chaffles Taste Less Eggy?

These are the four best ways to make chaffles taste less eggy and more like traditional waffles and bread:

Choose Good Quality Eggs. Eggs produced by hens that eat a vegetarian diet are better. I've tried a lot of eggs over the years and have found that these eggs have the best flavor. Some bargain brands will have a strong egg flavor and in my opinion, if they are not tasty then they are not cost-effective.

Let the Chaffles Cool. As they cool they become crispier and the eggy flavor lessens.

Substitute Egg Whites. Most of that eggy flavor comes from the yolk. So, if the egg flavor is too strong substitute 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg.

Add Baking Powder. Baking powder will change the texture to more bread-like and as a result, reduce any strong eggy flavor.

How to Make Chaffles

The Method is the Same For All Chaffles. However, the cooking times will vary.

Preheat the Mini Waffle Maker. Many waffle makers have a light to indicate when it is preheated. For best results, be sure it is fully heated before proceeding.

Chop the Cheese. Chop the cheese into finer bits on a cutting board.

Beat the Egg. In a small bowl beat the egg vigorously with a fork until well beaten and frothy.

Mix. Add the cheese and any other ingredients into the egg and stir with a fork until well combined.

Spray and Cook. Even though the waffle maker is non-stick a quick spray with butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray will help keep the cheese from sticking.

Put ½ of the chaffle batter into the center of the grill of a miniature waffle maker. If needed, spread the batter to the edges of the grill. Close the waffle maker to cook the chaffle.

Cook Times:

• Basic Original Chaffle - 3 to 4 Minutes
• Almond Flour Chaffle - 5 Minutes
• Chia Seed Chaffle - 5 Minutes
• Wonder Bread Chaffle - 3 to 4 Minutes

Remove from Maker. Using a small fork gently remove the chaffle and set it on a wire rack or a layer of paper towels to cool. All chaffles except the Wonder Bread Chaffle will crisp up as they cool.

Repeat. Spray the waffle maker with butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray and cook the remaining mixture the same as the first one.

How Do You Know When a Chaffle is Cooked?

Steam will escape from the waffle maker, indicating that the chaffle is cooking. If you are using baking powder, the waffle may also puff up. It is fully cooked when there is no more steam and the chaffle is nicely golden brown. Begin to check if your chaffle is done at the time listed on the recipe and extend the cooking time 1 minute at a time as needed.

The bottom plate of a waffle maker tends to cook a little hotter than the top plate, so the bottom of any waffle may be slightly more golden brown.

Also, not all waffle makers will heat and cook the same. I have more than one Dash Mini Waffle Maker and each is a little different, some cook faster and some cook slower.

Variations of the Basic Chaffle

Almond Flour Chaffles

Lighten the texture and make a less dense chaffle by adding almond flour. This works well with heavier toppings and has a delicate almond flavor.

• All of the Ingredients for the Basic Chaffle PLUS
• Almond Flour - Almond flour is very low carb, gives great texture, and has a mild almond flavor.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Chia Seed Chaffles

Get extra fiber and boost the nutrition by adding almond flour and chia seed to the Basic Chaffle recipe.

• All of the Ingredients for the Basic Chaffle PLUS
• Almond Flour- Almond flour is very low carb, gives great texture, and has a mild almond flavor.
• Chia Seed - Chia seed boosts fiber and nutrition.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Wonder Bread Chaffles

This no-cheese chaffle is soft and breadlike, which makes it the easiest to split for making sandwiches and is the perfect choice for soft spreads. Watch the cooking time closely as these chaffles cook and brown up quickly.

• Two Large Egg Whites - Egg white makes a very mild flavored chaffles. You will need two whites to make enough batter.
• Almond Flour - Mild in flavor, rich in texture and fiber, almond flour gives this chaffle its bread like quality.
• Mayonnaise - Rich in eggs and oil, mayonnaise is a two in one ingredient. Use a plain mayonnaise that does not have a distinct flavor added.
• Baking Powder - Do not omit the baking powder in this version. A small amount of baking powder will lighten the texture. Use an aluminum free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
• Salt - Just a pinch will do!

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

All of these recipes are meant to be made in a small 4" waffle maker and the Dash Mini Waffle Maker is the perfect chaffle maker. It is that exact size and is super popular due to its low price tag for the basic model.

If you do not have a 4" waffle maker you can use a standard waffle maker that makes a 7" or 8" waffle. Put the batter in 2 of the 4 grids of the maker or double the recipe to totally fill the standard waffle maker.

Nutritional Information

Estimated Basic Nutrition	Basic Original Chaffle	Almond Flour Chaffle	Chia Seed Chaffle	Wonder Bread Chaffle
Calories	95	133	143	123
Carbohydrates	1 gram	3 grams	3 grams	3 grams
Fiber	-	1 gram	3 grams	1 gram
Protein	7 grams	8 grams	8 grams	5 grams
Saturated Fat	3 grams	3 grams	3 grams	1 gram
Sugars	1 gram	1 gram	1 gram	1 gram

Storage & Freezing

You can store chaffles in the refrigerator in a sealed container or plastic/silicon bag for up to 5 days or you store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

How to Reheat Chaffles

Chaffles can be reheated in the oven, microwave, toaster, or toaster oven. Each of these devices will heat differently depending on the recipe. So, start at a lower temperature or setting to avoid burning them. After reheating, let them cool so that they crisp up.

My Top Tips

♡ Weigh the Cheese - Weighing the cheese ensures you have the right proportion of cheese to the other ingredients. But if you don't have a kitchen scale, you can use ⅓ to ½ cup of finely shredded cheese. There is no need to pack the shredded cheese into the measuring cup.

♡ Chop the Cheese- Use finely shredded cheese and then chop it finely. This makes the texture and the color more even and we think it tastes better.

♡ Baking Powder - Baking powder is an essential ingredient for the Wonder Bread version but can be added to any recipe to lighten and improve the texture.

What Do You Put on a Chaffle?

You can serve chaffles with all your favorite spreads and toppings including spreads, meats and cheeses, veggies, low-carb fruits, sugar-free syrups, and of course butter. Plus you can make any sandwich low carb or keto by substituting chaffles for bread.

Check out my post 8 Delicious Chaffle Toppings You Will Love for some great ideas.

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