Ah, protein waffles. This recipe has taken me so many times to get just right. Tons of different recipes and revisions ended in disappointment. I was beginning to think these just wouldn’t work. It wasn’t until I added coconut flour that it turned out perfect! The texture, the taste, and the macros were all on point! At last, the perfect chocolaty, low carb waffle was born!
The addition of the coconut flour transformed the typical protein waffle or pancake from dry and brittle to a bready delight. If I hadn’t made them myself, I would have thought they originated from dough instead of a batter based off of the consistency.
Once I perfected the recipe, the chocolate protein waffles were a breeze to whip up. I made the recipe for one individual waffle, so you don’t wind up with endless amounts of batter or waffles. Just scale up if you’re cooking for more than yourself!
The Chocolate Protein Waffles Recipe
The base of the recipe consists of low carb chocolate protein powder, coconut flour, egg, and baking powder. I like to use the creamy chocolate fudge flavor of Orgain brand protein powder for several reasons. It’s super low in carbs (3g net per serving), it tastes great, isn’t gritty, it’s organic, and they sell it at Costco. I love Costco and bulk shopping, so… I have a lot of this stuff! 🙂 Just be sure that whatever protein powder you decide to use, it’s low in carbs.
Update: Since initially writing this, I have completely fallen in love with Quest protein powders, and the chocolate milkshake flavor is to die for. Pretty much all of their flavors are on point, so if you're looking for something ah-mazing, you should probably try one of the Quest proteins. They're so good... and only 2 grams net carbs per scoop!
Throw all the dry ingredients into a bowl, drop an egg in there and mix until the powdery clumps are gone. Slowly add water to your mixture until you reach the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Spread the batter onto a hot, greased waffle iron and cook until they crisp up.
It's entirely optional, but if you find the batter a bit dry or thick, you can add a teaspoon of melted coconut oil to the mix before cooking. This will add a little extra fat and calories but will moisten it up a bit.
Top the chocolate protein waffles with whatever low carb goodies your heart desires. I’ve never been big on syrup, so I usually smother my waffles and pancakes in butter. But these would make perfect dessert waffles with a bit of heavy whipped cream and berries. Yum!
If you don't have protein powder on hand, you could try my cream cheese stuffed keto waffles!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 scoop Low carb chocolate protein powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 egg
- 2-3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Combine protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and egg.
- Use hand mixer or whisk to blend until the dry ingredients become wet.
- Add water, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
- Grease waffle iron with oil to prepare for batter.
- Spoon batter onto hot iron.
- Cook waffles until crisp per manufacturer’s instructions and serve immediately with a pat of butter or your choice of low carb syrup (not included in macros).
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published cookbook author.
Kelly says
I just love everything chocolate!
Tasha Metcalf says
Me too! 😍
Hitha says
Do you think I can make these ahead and freeze/refrigerate them?
Tasha says
I've never tried, but that's a great idea!
Susan says
Am I missing it? Where are the nutritional counts?
Tasha Metcalf says
All the nutrition info can be found in the recipe card. Hope that helps!
monika says
Could this be pancake batter just the same?
Janelle says
I was wondering this, too!
Tasha Metcalf says
Absolutely! I haven't tried this particularly recipe as a pancake, but the batter usually swaps well back and forth.
This one is the most popular pancake recipe we have on the site if you're looking for tried-and-true options: https://ketogasm.com/keto-pancakes-recipe-almond-flour/
Katelin says
Made thes following recipe with dessicated coconut and Tera's whey chocolate protein powder in a magic bullet to break down the coconut. These tasted very dry an I was unimpressed. I also made and ate them drunk and they were still pretty bad even though I dipped them in stevia sweetened heavy cream.
Tasha Metcalf says
Sorry it didn't turn out for you! I definitely think results vary quite a bit depending on protein powder used--whey/casein/veggie blends/etc. For breads and baking, I usually have pretty good like with whey protein isolate.
Coconut flour is also super absorbent, I'm wondering if the dessicated coconut dried it up even further?
Maranda says
This is very thick and only made enough for 1 waffle 🙁
Tasha Metcalf says
I'm sorry the recipe didn't meet expectations, but do appreciate the feedback. Adding an extra egg may thin the batter out and stretch the recipe a bit to make more.
Kate Mankowski says
What are the carb on the total recipe?
Tasha Metcalf says
Hi Kate, the nutrition info in the recipe card details the carbs per serving. Since our recipe only makes one serving, the carbs listed there are for the full recipe as well.
Hope that helps!
Rebecca says
I just tried this and it looks amazing but it is too dry for me. Maybe it was my protein powder (I used ON gold standard whey milk chocolate protein powder). 🙁
Jill says
I added 1/2 banana to the batter-perfect!
Tasha Metcalf says
I definitely think the protein powder can affect the recipe. And coconut flour is extremely absorbent as well. To increase the moisture content, you could either try leaving the coconut flour out or adding an extra egg to the batter.
I haven't tested this particular recipe in quite some time, but the next time I do I'll try some different types of protein powder combinations and coconut/egg ratios. Will report back!
Morgan says
What is the macros for this recipe??
Natalie Cross says
Could you use anything in place of the protein power? I don't need the extra protein and don't like using supplements. Thanks!
Tasha Metcalf says
We have a keto pancakes recipe on the site that uses almond flour in lieu of protein powder to make it low carb. Quite a few people have commented that they have successfully used the batter to make keto waffles.
Here's the link if you're still interested: https://ketogasm.com/keto-pancakes-recipe-almond-flour/
Kristy says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm not doing IIFMM but I've been wanting to find good recipes to use protein powder in and many have tastes terrible. This was DELICIOUS! I hate coconut so I used almond flour instead and I ampted up the chocolate by adding 1/2 tsp of cacoa powder. This will be a great go to recipe! I'll be looking up other recipes of yours.
Tasha Metcalf says
That sounds like perfection! So glad you were able to use the recipe as a good starting point and tweaking it to your liking. I will definitely try your version!
Stephanie Woolsey says
I was dying for something bread-y after three weeks of keto. Didn't have chocolate protein powder so I used the vanilla that I had on hand plus a tablespoon of cocoa powder (total carbs, 9g). It was a bit dry but I got my "hit" of breadiness! Thanks for the recipe.
Sheri says
You can mix unsweetened cocoa powder in with the protein powder and get chocolate ?
Tasha Metcalf says
For those who find the recipe a bit dry, swapping the coconut flour for almond flour might be a quick solution. Or keeping the coconut flour and adding an extra egg! Coconut flour is extremely absorbent--a little goes a long way.
With the protein powder I tested the recipe with, it worked well... but different protein powders and extra cocoa powder might need a little extra moisture/fat to get the right consistency. Hopefully that helps!
I'm planning to re-test the recipe with different options and update soon. 🙂
Erin says
Can my husband eat this too or is this just for girls?
Tasha Metcalf says
Lol yes of course 🙂
Jill says
Love it!! Thank you. I added 1/2 banana and coffee for my water, in love!!
Tasha Metcalf says
Coffee for water?! A woman after my own heart. 😍
TRACIE M FISHER says
1 scoop of protein powder, abt 30 grams?
Sadie says
Can i make this and just substitute almond flour instead??
Tasha Metcalf says
Yes!
Erin says
How many waffles is this supposed to make?
Thank you,
helga says
How about plain greek yoghurt
Tasha Metcalf says
Sounds like a great addition! Boosts the protein content a bit too. We haven't tested the recipe with the yogurt, but it sounds like a good option to add in some extra moisture too.