Are Waffles Keto?

With many traditional comfort and breakfast foods now off-limits for those following a ketogenic diet, you might wonder about waffles. Are traditional waffles keto? Is there a way to enjoy waffles on a ketogenic diet?

What Are Waffles?

Like pancakes, waffles are also a type of cake typically made from flour, water or milk, eggs, and butter. Some waffle recipes might add brown sugar to the mix. To make waffles, you cook batter between two hot metal plates that have grooves and patterns that give the waffle its shape. Waffles are usually topped with fruit, whipped cream, syrup, and other delicious toppings. Fried chicken with waffles is also popular, especially in Southern cooking.

Waffles are a traditional breakfast food dating back to medieval times when people would use iron plates with long handles to cook over an open fire. In ancient times, the Greeks used hot metal plates to cook flat cakes, known as wafers. ^[1]

The quick answer is no; waffles aren’t keto-friendly because they’re made with grain-based flour. For example, a 100-gram serving of packaged buttermilk waffles from the grocery chain Fareway clocks in at just under 43 grams of net carbs, much too high for just one keto meal. The ingredients are wheat and barley flour, water, buttermilk, soybean oil, whey solids, sugar, leavening, whole eggs, soy lecithin, salt, and added vitamins. The carb count of these waffles is higher than some due to the added sugar. ^[2]

A 100-gram serving of homestyle waffles from the grocery chain Wegmans with similar ingredients clocks in at just under 36 grams of net carbs. ^[3]

Most restaurant waffles are also too high in carbs. For example, a restaurant serving size (334 grams) of lemon blueberry waffles from the casual restaurant chain Perkins has a whopping 111 grams of net carbs, which includes a hefty 59 grams of added sugar, and that’s before you add any syrup! ^[4] It’s easy to see how traditional grain-based waffles from most restaurants and grocery stores won’t work for keto dieters.

The good news is that there are more keto options becoming available as this low-carb way of eating generates more interest. For example, a 100-gram serving of keto frozen waffles from the brand Birch Benders has around 12.6 grams of net carbs. ^[5]

Keto-Friendly Waffle Recipes

Even with limited waffle options in restaurants and grocery stores, you don’t have to miss out. You can make your own keto waffles at home by ditching the added sugar and swapping the grain-based flour for keto-friendly flour, such as almond and coconut flour. Use sugar-free or keto-friendly syrup and low-carb toppings like coconut flakes, berries, and unsweetened whipped cream.

When you’re craving waffles, treat yourself to a mouthwatering waffle recipe from Ketogenic.com:

Of course, we can’t forget about chaffles—a unique, low-carb, tasty twist on a classic waffle made from two simple ingredients: cheese and eggs. Try a Ketogenic.com chaffle recipe; you deserve it:

Steph Green

Steph Green is a content writer specializing in and passionate about healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. Steph has worked with marketing agencies, written medical books for doctors like ‘Untangling the Web of Dysfunction,’ and her poetry book ‘Words that Might Mean Something.’ In 2016, after four years of struggling with her own health problems and painful autoimmune disease, Steph developed a life-changing and extensive knowledge of keto, nutrition, and natural medicine. She continues on her healing journey and enjoys helping others along the way.