What if I said you could feed your kids chocolate waffles for breakfast and still earn a gold star for responsible parenting? Pull up a chair because these High-Protein Vegan Chocolate Waffles pack a whopping 21 grams of protein per waffle! And they're not only vegan, but also gluten-free, dairy-free, and require zero protein powder. These waffles get their protein from real, whole food ingredients like creamy cashew butter, rich cocoa powder, hearty oat flour, fiber-packed black beans, and two whole kale leaves. Shhhhhh....the kids (and husbands) will never know. I've fully tested this and you have my promise.
Everything blends into a smooth, chocolatey batter that cooks up into fluffy, crispy-edged Belgian waffles that taste way more decadent than they have any business being. They’re naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, studded with melty chocolate chips, and secretly loaded with plant protein, but totally taste like dessert. These come together in about 25 minutes which is about how long it takes those kids to get ready, find their shoes and argue about who stole whose water bottle.
Breakfast… but mischievously nutritious.
Want even more breakfast inspiration? You’ll love my Vegan Banana Waffles made with oat and buckwheat flour for a wholesome, oil-free morning indulgence. Or try my One-Bowl Vegan Banana Bread, which is perfect along side a warm cup of coffee. And if you want something refreshing to serve alongside your chocolate waffles, my Mixed Berry Smoothie (just 5 simple ingredients!) makes the perfect fruity sidekick to round out your breakfast spread.
Jump to:
💗 Why You’ll Love These Vegan Chocolate Waffles
- Perfect before-school breakfast: Nutritious, filling, and definitely kid-approved. These waffles keep little bellies full until lunch.
- Easy make-ahead option: Cook them the night before, then pop into the toaster oven while everyone gets ready.
- Great for holiday brunch or dessert: Make a couple batches, break into quarters, and serve with fresh strawberries and vegan whipped cream for an effortless, crowd-pleasing platter. These could definitely be dessert waffles, put one quarter on a plate and make it all fancy with toppings. Maybe even a drizzle of chocolate sauce over the whipped cream, or even sprinkles!
- No protein powder needed: All the protein comes from real ingredients—no chalky taste, just chocolatey goodness.
- Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free: A delicious option that works for a variety of diets. Nut free option included.
🍫 Ingredients & Helpful Substitutions
For the full list and measurements, see the recipe card below. Here are the main ingredients and easy swaps.
- Black beans — These add plant protein and help create a rich, brownie-like texture. You won’t taste them at all, promise.
- Cashew butter — We love Artisana brand. For a nut-free version, use sunbutter—it works beautifully and keeps the waffles allergy-friendly.
- Cocoa powder — Gives the waffles their deep chocolate flavor. Any unsweetened variety works.
- Oat flour — Great for getting that perfect waffle texture. If you need this recipe to be certified gluten-free, be sure to choose GF-labeled oat flour (or blend your own from certified oats).
- Kale — Two big leaves tucked right into the batter for a little nutrient boost. You can also use Spinach, still won't taste it, so no worries there.
- Coconut sugar — Adds natural sweetness without overpowering the chocolate flavor. Brown sugar or granulated sugar would work also.
- Chocolate chips — Mini or regular both melt beautifully. Use allergy-friendly chips (like Enjoy Life) if needed.
- Plant milk — Any variety works: almond, soy, oat, cashew, whatever you’ve got. Use unsweetened for best results.
🥣How To Make These Waffles
Gather your ingredients, a cutting board, and a sharp knife.
Prep the kale.
Remove the tough stems and give the leaves a quick chop so they blend smoothly.
Load the blender.
Add the kale, black beans, cashew butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, coconut sugar, plant milk, baking powder, and salt to your blender.
Blend.
Blend on high for about 60-90 seconds.
The mixture should look completely smooth.
Pour the batter into a bowl.
Transfer the blended mixture into a large bowl or pitcher and add the oat flour.
Add the fun!
Toss the chocolate chips into the bowl with the oat flour and whisk everything gently until just combined. No overmixing — just enough to bring it together.
Let the batter rest.
Give it 5 minutes to thicken to the perfect waffle batter consistency.
Fill the waffle maker.
Pour about 1 to 1½ cups of batter into your Belgian waffle maker, depending on its size. You can use any size waffle maker here, if yours is smaller you'll just get bonus waffles, yay!
Cook the waffle.
Close the lid and cook for about 7-8 minutes, or until the steam stops. If you still see steam, don’t peek — the waffle needs more time.
Cool the waffle.
Lift the waffle out and place it on a cooling rack while you cook the next one. This keeps the edges crisp instead of steaming soft.
Serve your waffles with a variety of toppings such as fresh strawberries, or even a yummy strawberry sauce, a dusting of powdered sugar, some vegan whipped topping, and a few extra mini chocolate chips for a beautiful presentation!
🧊 Storage & Meal Prep
Refrigerate:
Store leftover waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days. They hold up beautifully and stay tender.
Freeze:
Freeze the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a zip-top bag. This keeps them from sticking together and makes breakfast grab-and-go easy.
Reheat:
Warm waffles in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5–6 minutes. They crisp up perfectly, almost like freshly made. You can reheat straight from frozen also, they may take a couple of extra minutes.
💭 Pro Tip: For easy portioning, break the waffles into quarters before freezing. They thaw faster, fit better in bags, and you can reheat just what you need. Perfect for busy mornings or quick snacks.
❓FAQ's
Yes! I like to make 2 or three batches at a time, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Stacked cutting boards also work great: board-waffle-board-waffle, etc, then pop in the freezer. Once frozen transfer the waffles to a zip-top bag and then they're ready anytime you need a quick breakfast.
Nope — not even a little. Everything blends completely smooth, and all you taste is chocolatey waffle goodness. No one will detect a thing...that's a Fresh Fun Flavor promise!
Definitely! I've tested these with Sun Butter and it worked perfectly! This way everyone can enjoy these delicious waffles!
Yes! They work in any waffle maker. Just keep an eye on the cooking time — smaller or thinner waffle irons may finish a bit quicker. Mainly you are looking for the steam to stop, that's your indicator that the waffles are finished cooking.
Chocolate pancakes, heck yeah! Heat your griddle to 350 degrees and make those pancakes! Drizzle with strawberries and chocolate sauce, delicious!
👩🏻🍳 Want to see some behind-the-scenes fun (and maybe a little kitchen chaos)? Keep scrollin’ — it’s all happening below the recipe card!
Print
High-Protein Chocolate Waffles
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 big Belgian Waffles 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These healthy vegan chocolate waffles are rich, crispy outside, fluffy inside, and secretly packed with whole-food protein. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, 100% kid-approved, and come together in about 25 minutes. Perfect for make-ahead breakfasts or a Sunday morning family meal.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups plant milk of choice
2 large kale leaves, stems removed (See Notes)
½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained (freeze the rest for next time)
⅓ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cashew butter (or sunbutter for a nut-free option)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup oat flour (use certified gluten-free if needed)
¼ cup mini or regular chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat your waffle maker and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray if needed.
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Add the plant milk, kale, black beans, cashew butter, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and salt to a blender.
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Blend on high for about 60 seconds, or until the mixture is completely smooth with no visible kale pieces.
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Pour the blended mixture into a medium bowl or large measuring pitcher.
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Add the oat flour and chocolate chips. Whisk gently just until everything is evenly combined—don’t overmix.
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Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. You may want to whisk once again right before pouring as sometimes the chocolate chips can settle to the bottom of the bowl.
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Pour 1 to 1 ½ cups of batter into the waffle maker (or enough to cover the plate without overflowing).
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Close the lid and cook for 7–8 minutes, or until the steam has mostly stopped and the waffle is cooked through. If you are using something smaller than a Belgian waffle make your waffles may cook more quickly,
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Carefully remove the waffle and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with your favorite toppings. Like fresh strawberries, or a strawberry sauce, vegan whipped cream, and extra mini chocolate chips!
Notes
About the Kale: I used Dinosaur Kale, but any Kale works, you can even use Spinach. If you use Spinach aim for about 2 cups loosely packed. For the Kale just use 2 large leaves, if you want to be more precise it would also be about 2 cups loosely packed.
To make pancakes: Heat a griddle or skillet to 350°F (medium heat). Lightly grease if needed. Pour the batter into small rounds and cook until bubbles form on top and the edges look set. Flip and cook the second side until fluffy and cooked through.
Nut-free option: Swap the cashew butter for sunbutter to keep the recipe allergy-friendly.
Make ahead: Cook the waffles, let them cool completely, and store them in the fridge for 4–5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5–6 minutes to bring back the crisp edges.
Freezing: Freeze waffles in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Reheat straight from frozen at 350°F for 7–8 minutes. For easier portioning, break waffles into quarters before freezing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Waffle Maker
- Cuisine: American
⭐Did you enjoy these High Protein Vegan Chocolate Waffles?
If you give these Chocolatey Waffles a try please leave a comment and rating below! Justin and I read every one! Your feedback helps more people find my recipes and keeps the delicious messy chaos going in the Fresh Fun Flavor kitchen. Plus, we just love hearing from you!
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
Caught lapping up ingredients (sigh, and also yuck).
Mad at me because I told him No.
Me re-making plant make likes it's the best part of my day.
Waffle photoshoot setup, cat banished and new milk safely in the fridge.
What really happened
There’s a very specific sound cats make when they’re drinking water. A rapid little lap-lap-lap rhythm you can hear from several feet away. I know it well because Charlie’s water bowl lives in our kitchen and he announces every sip like he’s hosting a 'how to get noticed drinking water' podcast.
So imagine me, in the next room, suddenly hearing that EXACT SAME lap-lap-lap… coming from the direction of my ingredient photo shoot area (aka my kitchen floor, unfortunately that's where my best natural light is).
I sneak in and there he is, my furry sous chef. Happily taste testing the bowl of plant milk as if he had been personally invited to quality check the ingredients🙄.
I say “Charlie No!”
The look he gave me was full betrayal. The kind of face that says, “Wow. After everything I’ve done for this family.” If you look close you can see the mad look he has on his face.
So, I had to make my plant milk.... again. Because, you know, food safety and such, and also since my family prefers non gross vegan chocolate waffles.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for High Protein Vegan Chocolate Waffles is an estimate calculated using Nutrifox, an online tool. Please note that this information is for general guidance only and should not replace advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, this page may include affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Fresh Fun Flavor!
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