Vegan Keto Chaffle Waffle Recipe
Published September 3, 2019 • Updated March 10, 2026
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A thick, crispy vegan waffle made with a flax egg, vegan cheese, and coconut flour. Just 4 ingredients and under 5 minutes in the waffle maker.
Chaffles are everywhere now: peanut butter chaffles, breakfast sandwich chaffles, even chocolate chip waffles. The classic keto chaffle uses egg and mozzarella, but that doesn’t work if you’re sensitive to dairy or eggs, or if you’re eating vegan. I wanted a version that skips both completely and still holds together like the original chaffle recipe.
The star ingredient is a flax egg. I mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with two and a half tablespoons of water and let it sit for a full 5 minutes. That wait matters. I’ve rushed it before and the batter fell apart in the waffle maker because the flax hadn’t gelled. Once it thickens into a loose paste, that’s what gives this dairy free chaffle its structure without a real egg.
For the cheese, I use Daiya brand vegan mozzarella and cream cheese. Both melt when heated, which is the whole point. Not all vegan cheese brands work here. Some are loaded with tapioca starch that bumps the carb count way up. I’ve tried three or four brands and Daiya has the lowest carbs while actually melting. If your brand just sits there, the texture will be off.
Coconut flour rounds out the batter. I use two tablespoons, and going heavier makes them dense and gummy. I learned that the hard way, and a reader named Angela ran into the same problem. Her chaffles came out like thick pancakes. The fix was less flour and more cook time, not extra coconut flour.
The result is a thick waffle that crisps up on the outside and stays soft and chewy in the middle. The edges get golden and almost crackle when you bite in. A reader named Heidi made these for her daughter who went vegan, and her daughter ate both servings before even asking what was in them. This recipe makes two servings, and they’re filling on their own. I like topping mine with sugar-free berry syrup or whipped coconut cream.
One thing to know upfront: this egg free chaffle sits at about 5.5g net carbs per serving, which is higher than a classic chaffle (those run 1-2g). The coconut flour and vegan cheese both add carbs. If you’re tracking closely, I’d rather you know that before you start.
How to make a dairy free chaffle
- Make the flax egg first. Mix flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. I time this because rushing it is the number one reason these fall apart. The mixture should look thick and gel-like before you move on.
- Combine everything. Add the vegan mozzarella, coconut flour, vegan cream cheese, and salt to the flax egg. Stir with a fork until the batter is smooth.
- Preheat the waffle maker to medium-high. I use a Dash mini, which makes two chaffles from this recipe. If your maker runs cool, let it heat an extra minute before adding batter.
- Cook until golden. Add half the batter to the mini waffle maker (or all of it for a full-size maker) and close the lid. I cook mine for 3-5 minutes without opening it. If your maker runs cool, go 7-8 minutes. Opening too early tears the surface.
- Let it set. Once it’s golden, leave the waffle in the closed maker for another 30-60 seconds. This extra rest is what gets you crispy edges instead of a soft center.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal -
2 ½ tablespoons water
-
¼ cup low-carb vegan cheese
-
2 tablespoons coconut flour
-
1 tablespoon low-carb vegan cream cheese, softened
-
pinch of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat
Preheat waffle maker to medium high heat.
Mix ingredients
In a small bowl, mix together flaxseed meal and water. Let stand for 5 minutes until thickened and gooey.
Whisk it
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vegan chaffle.
Pour the batter
Pour vegan waffle batter into the center of the waffle iron. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until waffle is golden brown and set. If using a mini waffle maker, only pour in half the batter.
Remove & enjoy
Remove the vegan chaffle from the waffle maker and serve.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a flax egg and how do I make one?
I use flax eggs in any recipe where I need to skip regular eggs. Mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with two and a half tablespoons of water, stir it once, and let it sit for 5 minutes. It thickens into a gel that binds ingredients together. I've found that the full 5 minutes really matters here. When I've rushed it to 2-3 minutes, the chaffles fall apart in the waffle maker.
Can I use chia seeds instead of flaxseed meal?
I haven't tested chia seeds in this specific recipe, but the concept is the same. Mix one tablespoon of ground chia seeds with the same amount of water and wait 5 minutes. Chia tends to create a slightly thicker gel than flax, so the texture might be a touch different. If you've tried my chia pudding, you know how well chia absorbs liquid.
Do these taste eggy without a real egg?
No, and that's the whole point. I made this recipe specifically for people who want a chaffle without the egg flavor. The flax egg is completely neutral. Most people who've tried these don't even realize there's no egg until I tell them. A reader named Heidi served them to her vegan daughter without saying a word, and she ate both servings before asking what was in them.
How long can I freeze these?
I've kept them in the freezer for up to 3 months without any texture issues. Flash freeze them individually on a plate for 30 minutes first, then bag them together. I reheat mine straight from frozen in the toaster, two rounds on medium.
What is the best vegan cheese brand for chaffles?
I use Daiya for both the shredded and cream cheese in this recipe. It melts properly, which is what you need for a chaffle that holds together. I've tested other brands and some barely soften because they're loaded with tapioca starch, which also adds carbs. I check the label and look for brands under 2g net carbs per serving.
Can I make this without the vegan shredded cheese?
I've tested this both ways. Bump the vegan cream cheese up to 2-3 tablespoons to replace the shredded cheese. The chaffle will be a bit softer without it, but it holds together. A reader named Robin asked me this and I tried it for her. The cream-cheese-only version is still good, just not as crispy on the outside.
Can I use almond flour instead of coconut flour?
I've made these with almond flour and they work. Use about 1/4 cup of almond flour to replace the 2 tablespoons of coconut flour (coconut flour absorbs more liquid, so you need a bigger volume of almond flour). The texture is slightly less dense with almond flour, which some people prefer. If you like almond flour baking, my almond flour pancakes use a similar ratio.
My chaffles came out soft instead of crispy. What went wrong?
I've worked through this with a few readers. The most common causes are a cool waffle maker and opening the lid too early. I cook mine for 3-5 minutes without peeking, and I leave them in the closed maker for another 30-60 seconds after they look done. If your waffle maker runs cool, give it extra preheat time. Don't add more coconut flour to fix this. That makes them gummy, not crispy.
I've been batch-cooking these on Sunday mornings for about a month and the thing that surprised me is how well they hold in the fridge, not just the freezer. Day three still solid once you hit them in a dry skillet for about 90 seconds per side. I do two or three rounds in the waffle maker back to back, eight to ten total, and mix the flax egg in a big bowl first, let it sit while the iron heats. The coconut flour batter is thicker than almond flour versions so it doesn't spread on its own, you actually have to press the lid down for the first 20 seconds or so. I portion them into zip bags with parchment between each one and pull as needed through the week. Whole batch fits in about 25 minutes and I'm eating a hot waffle on a Wednesday morning without thinking about it.
I always have flax meal around for eggs but I'm almost out, big bag of chia though. Does a chia egg swap work here, or does the coconut flour ratio need adjusting since chia holds more moisture?
saving this!! been looking for a vegan version for so long
Has anyone done a savory version of this? Added a pinch of nutritional yeast and about half a teaspoon of garlic powder to the batter, and it turned into something I want with soup or eggs instead of just breakfast. Still followed the coconut flour ratio exactly, just changed the add-ins. I'm new enough to coconut flour that I braced for something dense, so the crispy edges actually surprised me. Going to try smoked paprika next. Good timing for summer anyway, five minutes and nothing's heating up the whole kitchen.
Nutritional yeast adds that cheesy-savory note you can't fake any other way in a vegan batter. Smoked paprika next makes sense. I'd add a little cumin if you're pairing with soup.
Never would've thought of cumin but yeah, that tracks. Adding it to the smoked paprika batch.
SO crispy, but low protein without eggs
4 ingredients and it still beats the others.
Kept trimming the ingredient list in testing and it kept working. Let the flax egg sit the full 5 minutes or it gets a little sticky in the waffle maker.
Counted out the four ingredients in front of my sister and she kept waiting for more to come out. She's not keto, thought I was leaving something off, and the face she made when I said that was actually it is still funny three batches later.
The face they make at 'that's it' is the whole thing.
these came out SO much thicker than expected. freeze-able?
Freeze-able. Flash freeze them flat for 30 minutes first so they don't clump together, then bag. I pull mine straight from frozen and throw them in the toaster.
My waffle maker has been sitting on a shelf for most of the last year, and this is what finally brought it back out. The coconut flour adds this dense, slightly cakey texture I wasn't expecting from something that took less than five minutes start to finish. First time making a chaffle of any kind, honestly held my breath a little when I opened the iron. Came out intact and actually waffle-shaped, which felt like a small victory.
A year on the shelf and a chaffle dragged it back. The cakey texture is the coconut flour, absorbs way more liquid than almond does, which is what makes it hold together so cleanly on that first pull.
This is probably batch seven or eight at this point, and I'm still a little amazed the flax egg holds everything together the way it does. Started making these on hot mornings when I didn't want the oven anywhere near my kitchen (June in my apartment is already too much), and now it's just become the thing I make before I even think about other options. The waffle maker does all the work in like four minutes and I'm done before my coffee finishes brewing.
Don't rush the flax egg rest time. I gave it only 2 minutes once and the chaffle stuck and tore when I tried to open the iron. The full 5 makes a noticeable difference, and once I nailed that I started adding a pinch of cinnamon to the batter (pairs really well with the coconut flour).
2-minute flax egg tears every time. Cinnamon with coconut flour batter sounds right, I'm trying that next batch.
Made these probably six or seven times now. The flax egg works better if you actually let it sit the full 5 minutes, learned that the hard way when I rushed it on batch two and they fell apart coming off the iron. Switched to Violife cheddar shreds a few batches ago and the edges get noticeably crispier than with the softer shreds I was using before. Still 4 stars because the protein is pretty low per serving, but for a fast vegan breakfast that actually holds together, they do what they need to do.
Violife is a good call here. Firmer shreds crisp up more than the softer ones. And yeah, 2.4g is just where it lands with a flax egg base - haven't found a way around it without adding more ingredients.
Before keto I made waffles every Sunday, just the basic mix. Tried this out of curiosity and ended up eating it at the counter because I couldn't wait. Something about the crispy texture brought back memories of my mom's kitchen.
Yeah, the edges are what I kept testing for. Coconut flour in a waffle maker gets genuinely crackly. Wasn't expecting that the first time.
My daughter inspects everything before she tries it, so I didn't mention the flax egg. She ate both servings before saying anything, and when she finally asked what made them 'actually chewy like a real waffle' I had to laugh because that's exactly what I was hoping she'd notice. She's used to keto chaffles that crumble the second you look at them. These held up. Saturday breakfast rotation starting now.
The flax egg. That's what creates the chew and keeps it from falling apart. Regular chaffles have nothing holding them together.
Being vegan and keto felt like a double sentence until I found this. Flax egg holds together way better than I expected. Three mornings this week. Still tweaking the heat on my waffle maker, but at 5.5 net carbs I'll take imperfect.
Three mornings is commitment. Mine runs at medium-high (max scorches the outside before the inside sets). Full 4 minutes, no peeking.