Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles

I was so excited about quitting my job that I ran out of space snacks last night to write about these awesome waffles.

I noticed this recipe over on the Petite Athleat the other day and immediately ran out to buy coconut flour so I could try them. Kevin, of course, was extremely skeptical about sweet potatoes in waffles. I have a tendency to banish him to the living room when I’m puréeing things he won’t approve of. Works like a charm!

Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles (via Petite Athleat. Note: I suggest reading her comments in that post regarding almond flour)

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup egg whites
• 1 ripe banana, mashed  <— I added this for no apparent reason. It was sitting on my counter.
• 4 oz sweet potato, microwaved & mashed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of sea salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk  (add maybe 1/4 cup more if you feel the need to add bananas like me)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour

• Coconut flour is rich in protein, fiber and fat which makes it exceptionally filling.
• Coconut flour is also a good source of lauric acid, a saturated fat thought to support the immune system and the thyroid.  Like most healthy fats, lauric acid also promotes good skin health.
• Coconut flour is an exceptionally good source of manganese which helps you to better utilize many nutrients including choline and biotin (found in eggs), vitamin C and thiamin.  Manganese also supports bone health, nervous system function, thyroid health and helps to maintain optimal blood sugar levels.
• Coconut flour is not grain-based, and, as such does not present many of the issues that accompany grains.  Coconut flour is gluten-free and, while it does contain food phytate, the mineral-binding effects of phytates in coconut are virtual nonexistent so coconut flour does not need to be soaked.

Here’s the kind I used… I found it at Whole Foods. Actually, Kevin found it. It was REALLY tough to spot. I was starting to get really disappointed. But then again, I’m blind, so who knows. It’s also available online which is what I’ll probably do if I get into using it.

So now I have some more at home, so I’m sure I’ll be playing around more. It’s apparently tricky to experiment with because it’s not at all equivalent to other flours, and you have to use more eggs when you’re using it (more tips @ Nutritious Kitchen). I’m thinking of trying to use it in some banana bread.

Since I’m totally committed to my Just Jot It July, I totally tallied up those nutrition facts.

That’s for one small waffle. We have the waffle maker that makes two small square ones at a time, and this recipe made about 1o.

I was a happy camper because I had one leftover for breakfast! I toasted it and had it with a fried egg + some egg whites. I will say, just as an FYI, the waffles seem a little “eggy.” Not like weird, but it’s noticeable if you eat them totally plain.

I made this little concoction out of plain nonfat Greek yogurt + cherries for mine. It was basically like a mini smoothie syrup. I’m not crazy about syrup

We ran out of eggs! That’s a tragic morning in our house. Kevin had to suffer with Puffins. Haha. That’s not suffering. And since he was so nice to fry my egg, I said he could have as much as he wanted. Not that I’m on cereal patrol, but I was trying to keep us from eating the entire box in one day. Puffins are just so poofy! You want so many!!!

Have you ever tried any Paleo recipes? Baked with coconut flour? I want some more coconut flour recipes. I’m a little intimidated by experimenting with it because it’s expensive, and I don’t want to waste it.  But oh, FYI, I did do some reading and you tend to use significantly less coconut flour than other types of flour in recipes. For example, only a half cup-ish for those waffles? That’s pretty manageable.