Traditional Norwegian waffles get a healthy twist with white whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt. To keep these semi-traditional, top with homemade chia seed jam rather than syrup (or along with syrup!).  

This recipe is for any of you who are like me and still want to pretend that it’s the weekend. Forget rushing in the morning and treat yourself to a stack of warm Norwegian pancakes with homemade strawberry chia seed jam. One major change that I’ve made since moving to Denver is to wake up a bit earlier to give me time to sit down and have breakfast at home rather than scarfing it down at my desk. And while I expected to find waking up earlier to be a painful experience, it’s been quite the opposite. I feel just as rested without those extra 20 minutes of sleep and so much more relaxed having time to read emails and the news before heading into rush hour traffic.

Sounds nice, right? But how do these waffles, which take about 30 minutes to make, fit into a weekday morning? Simply make the batter the night before. Or if you’re really on top of your game, go ahead and make the waffles the night before too. They won’t be quite as crispy, but traditional Norwegian waffles generally aren’t as crispy as the Belgian waffles that most of us are accustomed to anyways. As I’ve started getting more interested in my Norwegian roots, I’ve noticed a trend with a lot of the food: Norwegians love anything that can be used to make a sandwich out of, or that can be rolled up and filled. Lefsa is usually rolled up with brown sugar and butter, Norwegian pancakes are rolled up with powdered sugar and jam or butter, krumkake is often filled with cream, and Norwegian waffles are frequently folded into sandwiches with sour cream and jam inside (or, for a savory route, farmers cheese).

Now I’m not claiming that these are traditional Norwegian waffles. In fact, I’ve made some changes, such as less butter and eggs with more milk, less sugar, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. Despite these numerous changes, these waffles are still every bit delicious, regardless of if you eat them as a sandwich or with a fork and knife. Another change is the addition of almond extract, which my Norwegian grandfather always added to his Norwegian pancakes. There isn’t any cardamom in these, but feel free to add it if you like – for some reason cardamom never made its way into any of our family recipes.

As I mentioned above, Norwegian waffles are traditionally eaten with sour cream and jam or with brown cheese, but rarely with syrup. My favorite is chia seed jam and plain Greek yogurt, but Bry still likes his maple syrup so he usually goes with a jam + syrup combo. However you top them, I guarantee they’ll be delicious. While I do have the basic recipe for the jam below, for more tips on how to make it, see my original Strawberry Chia Seed Jam post. Just note: the chia seed jam needs to be made a least the night before. 

So here’s a toast to a sweet Monday morning!

Print Recipe

Whole Wheat Norwegian Waffles

Traditional Norwegian waffles get a healthy twist with white whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt. To keep these semi-traditional, top with homemade chia seed jam rather than syrup (or along with syrup!).

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Norwegian

Keyword: Chia Seeds, Healthy breakfast, Waffles

Servings: 4

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

Waffles:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or any milk of choice
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt 2% or full-fat recommended
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
• Optional toppings: jam syrup, butter, additional Greek yogurt

*Strawberry Chia Seed Jam:

• 1 lb frozen strawberries
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the waffles:

• Using a stand or hand mixer, whisk eggs, sugar and milk until eggs are frothy. Whisk in butter and Greek yogurt.
• Next, add salt, baking powder, and almond extract. Stir well to combine.
• Slowly mix in flour, about ¼ cup at a time, until batter is free of lumps and is slightly thick. Allow mixture to stand for 15-20 minutes. When there’s about 3-4 minutes left, you can start heating your waffle iron.
• Once mixture has had time to sit and waffle pan is hot, spray pan and pour a heaping ¼ of batter into the pan. Close and cook until slightly browned. Place cooked waffle on a foil-covered plate (or place in an oven set to “keep warm” setting, about 150 degrees F). Repeat with remaining batter (no need to spray the waffle iron after the first waffle). Once all waffles are made, serve with chia seed jam and any additional toppings of choice.

For the jam:

• The night before making the waffles or up to 2 weeks before, Place medium-sized pot on stove over medium heat. Add strawberries and maple syrup. Stir frequently until boiling (depending on your stove may take about 10 minutes).
• Carefully mash strawberries with a fork or masher and continue to cook until it begins to thicken.Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. Stir in chia seeds and allow to boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the jam can thicken. Once cooled, pour into a glass container and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Notes

Nutrition for 2 waffles (without toppings): 332 calories, 34 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 11 g protein Nutrition per 2 tablespoons of chia seed jam: 24 calories, 0 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein *Make chia seed jam at least the night before. It stays good in the fridge for up to two weeks.