A while ago I started avoiding grains in my diet. The choice isn't due to any diagnosed allergies. Rather, my body just feels and functions better without them. Since then I've found no shortage of variety for lunch and dinner. Yet breakfast often comes up short—a girl can only eat so many eggs!—so I'm always on the hunt for morning meals that mix things up without weighing me down. At Christmas I shared my grain free gingerbread waffle recipe, and now I'm excited to reveal its recently perfected cousin: grain free peanut butter waffles!
Of course I could have just slapped some syrup on these babies and called it a day, but I wanted to convey how versatile this recipe is. These waffles are equally delicious in sweet or savory applications. I keep extra segments in the fridge for use as sandwich bread, soup accompaniment, or a quick afternoon snack. Finally, they lend themselves brilliantly to that greatest of all indulgences, the ice cream sandwich. And because these waffles are so angelic in their composition, I like to pair them with the finest filling I can find. Enter McConnell's Ice Cream.
I was first introduced to McConnell's on a trip to Santa Barbara where the brand is based. It's easily the best ice cream I've ever eaten. The folks there keep it simple with the fewest and purest ingredients possible—think Guittard chocolate, organic eggs, and cream from grass-fed cows. They tickle the tastebuds with offerings like 'Sea Salt Cream and Cookies' or 'Churros con Leche'. Their vanilla, a flavor I usually dismiss as boring, is the sweet, smooth Platonic ideal of what ice cream should be.
When McConnell's vanilla met with my peanut butter waffles and a swirl of homemade chia jam, it was a match made in healthy-ish dessert heaven. Give this combo a try, or play around with chocolate, coffee, or any other flavors you like! If you fancy yourself an ice cream connoisseur, you've gotta dip your spoon into McConnell's (they ship nationwide in addition to being sold in many SoCal groceries). And if you try these waffles, please let me know how they turn out. I love feedback and suggestions so I can continue to make my recipes better!
Grain Free PBJ Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches
to make 3 grain free peanut butter waffles (makes 3)
2 medium bananas
4 large eggs
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
to make ice cream sandwiches
1 pint premium ice cream of your choice
1/4 cup jam or fruit spread (homemade chia jam works perfectly!
With a traditional blender or immersion blender whip all waffle ingredients into a smooth batter. Let sit for at least five minutes. Spritz preheated waffle iron with nonstick spray, measure approximately 3/4 cup batter onto iron, and bake until golden brown. Let cool. Allow ice cream to soften slightly in a mixing bowl, then gently stir in jam leaving large marbled swirls. Spread ice cream mixture over one whole waffle, press a second whole waffle on top, and freeze until firm. Cut into quarters and devour!