First, make your flax egg and set it aside to thicken. If you’re new to vegan baking, my post on how to make a flax egg will be a useful resource to you.
Add the oat flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Once your flax egg has thickened, add it to a separate bowl along with the milk, applesauce or oil, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk again to combine.
At this point, set the batter aside for about 10 minutes. Oat flour is very absorbent and the batter will thicken up considerably after letting it sit.
When the batter has thickened, scoop out enough batter to cover the surface of the waffle maker and put the lid down. If the batter seems too thick to spread onto the waffle maker, add more milk to the batter to thin it out.
Cook the waffle according to the instructions for your waffle maker. I’ve found that these waffles cook a bit longer than other waffles I’ve made with wheat flour. My waffle maker has a light that turns green when the waffle is ready, and I usually let this go two times before removing the waffle. The waffles should be crispy and easy to remove from the waffle maker. Enjoy with a pat of butter, pure maple syrup or any other toppings you desire!
Notes
*A flax egg is made by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax and 3 tablespoons water. Set aside to thicken about 10 minutes. My post about making a flax egg is a good resource if you are new to vegan baking. If you are not vegan or sensitive to eggs, a regular large egg can be used in place of a flax egg.**To make your own oat flour: add 2 cups of oats at a time to a blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Once it is ground into a fine flour it is ready to use!***I have used both applesauce and coconut oil to make these waffles and they turn out exactly the same. It is just a matter of preference (or what you have on hand) which one you use in this recipe. I know many of you are oil-free and I wanted to give this option.