I’ve been wanting to make waffles for breakfast for weeks, but my smoothie bowl habit/obsession/passion kept getting in the way. This morning, I tore myself away from the blender and broke out my one of my least favorite kitchen gadgets: the waffle iron.

Why don’t you like waffle irons, you might ask? Well, there are a couple reasons. It gives off a weird smell, kind of like burned tires. And without fail, the first waffle ALWAYS sticks to the grooves, no matter how much batter I put in. I’m glad you’re not here to see me when that happens.

Once I get past those issues, the actual waffle-making process is great. I love how light the batter is. And similar to pancakes, it’s fun to think of different combinations. I love lemon poppyseed and I’ve been craving strawberry waffles, so I decide to put the two together for this dish.

The waffles turned out waaay better than I expected given all my problems with the iron. I highly recommend drizzling a little maple syrup on top to finish. It takes me back to my childhood days, when I would try to fill up every square with the perfect amount of syrup.

Here’s a song that will help you get back to your happy place after the first waffle sticks to the waffle iron.

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Strawberries (adapted from Bob’s Red Mill)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
4 eggs separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of one lemon
1 tbsp poppy seeds
strawberries, for serving

Directions

Pre-heat a waffle iron.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar together.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla until it forms stiff peaks or resembles whipping cream.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, yolks and oil. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and blend together. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold in egg whites with the rest of the ingredients. Then, stir in the lemon juice and poppy seeds. The entire mix should be light and fluffy.

Spray waffle iron and begin making waffles. You should have enough to stick some in the freezer in plastic bags for future use. Serve with fresh cut strawberries and maple syrup. Enjoy!