the flavors
It’s no secret by now that I love cooking with malted milk powder and incorporating tahini into every type of recipe. Plus I’ve had this s’mores kick going on all summer. Even though summer had to come to an end, I hereby mandate that s’mores season continue in full swing. Campfires are even more appropriate as the weather cools, and the warm, toasty flavors of graham, marshmallow, and chocolate are perfect for fall…especially when incorporated with cinnamon, espresso, nutty malted milk, and rich tahini.
I recently published a s’mores pancake recipe: soft banana graham malted buttermilk pancakes studded with chocolate chips and bursting with voluminous vanilla marshmallow, finished with tahini maple syrup with sea salt.
Suspiciously similar? Yes.
But I’d be remiss not to pull through with a waffle version, and holy moly this waffle is EPIC. In all sincerity, it has won a coveted spot on my “favorite things of all time” list. The thick and chewy interior, crisp exterior, warm flavors of malt, graham, cinnamon, espresso, and tahini, toasty and stretchy vanilla marshmallow, rich melty chocolate, sweet maple and kiss of sea salt…There’s nothing quite like it.
recipe breakdown
This s’mores waffle is built from my classic extra thick buttermilk waffle recipe. This one subs malted milk powder and crushed honey graham cracker for some of the flour and cornstarch. It’s topped with torn marshmallow (I love Hammond’s vanilla bean marshmallows for their flavor and meltability) and semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, then toasted for the perfect crispy exterior, lightly browned and stretchy marshmallows, and melty spreadable chocolate. Finally, the tahini maple syrup is dangerously delicious. Simply mix 1 part tahini with 2 parts maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon, splash of vanilla, and pinch of good sea salt (such as fleur de sel). Drizzle over the finished waffle, lick the bowl thoroughly, then go ahead and make another couple batches to pour over everything. It’s that good.
Malted Buttermilk S'mores Waffle with Tahini Maple Syrup
Notes
This recipe makes enough batter for 1 large classic round waffle. I love the Breville no-mess waffle maker.
Ingredients
For the waffle:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp neutral oil (such as refined almond, avocado, or melted coconut oil)
- 3 Tbsp thick buttermilk (I recommend Friendship 1.5%)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 packet sweetener (such as Monk Fruit or Stevia in the Raw) OR sub 1.5-2 tsp sugar and reduce applesauce by 1-2 tsp
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp espresso powder
- 1/16 tsp nutmeg
- 1/16 tsp sea salt
- 30g (1/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
- 7g honey graham crackers, crushed
- 3g (1/2 Tbsp) malted milk powder
- 2g cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 3/8 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg whites
- 1-2 large marshmallows (I love Hammond's vanilla bean marshmallows), torn into small pieces
- ~5g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
For the tahini maple syrup:
- 1 tsp tahini
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- dash ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- pinch flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat waffle maker on medium to high setting.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, sweetener, cinnamon, espresso, nutmeg, and sea salt until thoroughly combined.
- To the bowl of wet ingredients, add flour, crushed graham cracker, malted milk powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir just until evenly combined. (Do NOT over-mix.)
- Separate egg white and add to a separate clean bowl. (Make sure there is no yolk included, or the white will not whip up properly). With a handheld mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg white on high 1 minute, or until medium to stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white into the batter to incorporate. (Do NOT over-mix; some white streaks are fine.)
- When waffle maker is ready, pour batter into the center. Let it set for a few seconds, then GRADUALLY and VERY SLOWLY lower the top lid onto the batter. The batter is very voluminous, and you want to prevent as much as possible from seeping out to get the thickest, chewiest texture (and avoid a mess of spilled batter). When done, slowly lift the lid of the waffle iron while using a fork to separate the waffle from the top.
- Transfer the waffle immediately to a wire rack. Top with torn marshmallow pieces and chocolate chips. If you have a toaster oven, toast the waffle about 2 minutes, or until the tops of the marshmallows turn golden brown and the chocolate is melted. Alternatively, place the waffle on a pizza pan and broil in the oven about 1 minute, watching very carefully so that it doesn't burn.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tahini maple syrup: In a small bowl, combine tahini, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir until smooth.
- Transfer the toasted waffle to a plate, slice into quarters, and drizzle with tahini maple syrup. Enjoy!
