So, I have to tell you something: these waffles were totally concocted as a fluke. You see, I was in the middle of a crazy and chaotic freezer cooking in an hour session with Silas and Kaitlynn “helping”.
While I was trying to make Pumpkin Ginger Waffles, Silas dumped flour all over the waffle maker.
And then I turned my back to get something out of the fridge and came back to see that Silas had poured yeast into all the dry ingredients. I couldn’t get the yeast all out, so I had to start the batter over again.
At this point, needless to say, I was a little flustered. When I went to pull out the pureed pumpkin from the freezer, I accidentally pulled out pureed carrots instead.
I didn’t even realize it until I saw carrot pieces in the batter. By that time, there was really nothing I could do to fix my mistake, so I just decided to go ahead and finish making the waffles and see how they turned out with carrots.
The result? A winning recipe that our whole family loves! In fact, I’ve already made it again and we all decided we may like it better with carrots than with the pumpkin it was supposed to have.
Carrot Cake Waffles with Vanilla Whipped Cream
1 1/4 cup flour (I used all whole-wheat.)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk (I just used regular milk and added some lemon juice to it.)
1/2 cup pureed carrots
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Beat together eggs, butter milk, pureed carrots, sugar, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until well blended. Cook on waffle iron.
Serve hot with vanilla whipped cream (beat 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1-2 teaspoons vanilla, and powdered sugar or honey to taste until peaks form.) and/or maple syrup.
Tina says
I was in the middle of peeling 2 huge bowls of carrots from the garden in preparation for freezing when I read this post- my husband had been begging me to make carrot cake but I was up to my eyebrows in carrots and the work involved in making a carrot cake was not inspiring me. But this recipe- AWESOME! We had them for dinner last night, and I just used grated fresh carrots and all whole wheat flour. My husband raved. This is going to be an often repeated recipe at our house! Thanks!
Crystal says
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mel says
My freezer cooking went over an hour but I was able to get 1 loaf of banana bread, 20 freezer burritos & apple pie filling along with a double batch of chex mix & dinner into the oven. I love cooking in bulk!
Liz says
My Mom loooooves carrot cake. I may have to make these for her.
Thanks for the recipe!
Patricia says
carrot pancakes are good too.
Elise says
Awww, I’m so looking forward to when my little guy is old enough to “help” even though I know he’ll make messes.
I’m gonna have to try a gluten-free version of this recipe. They look really yummy!
Jessica says
What a great story! And it sounds like you were very patient with your little guy helping you..I tend to get extremely frazzled when my kids help me cook!
Renee says
Sometimes the kids do things that end up as spilled milk literally, and then also ends up to be a masterful recipe! That was a great story reminds me of many things around here with my children.
Christina says
How many waffles does this recipe make? Also how do you puree your carrots? Just boil and put in the food processor?
Crystal says
Good questions! I think it makes 5-6. I doubled the recipe, though, and I think we got around 11-12. To puree carrots, we just blended them raw in the VitaMix. You could boil and then process them in the food processor, though, too.
angel says
Next time try a cream cheese icing on your carrot cake waffles! So yummy!
http://angelnavywife.blogspot.com/2009/05/carrot-cake-pancakes.html
Crystal says
Yum!!!
Jenni says
I’m glad to see that your kids can wreak havoc every now and then in the kitchen as well – sometimes I’ll see your posts on how Silas is just sitting there perfectly calm playing with a busy bag and wonder if my sons are from another planet 🙂 – there is very little chance that they would sit still and do what they’re supposed to do with a busy bag. I just made pumpkin muffins for the freezer yesterday with their “help” and accidentally tore the bag of raisins and they went all over the counter. Well, instead of “helping” me pick them up, it turned into a mad scramble to eat all the raisins despite my pleas that I needed them for the muffins. 🙂
After watching you make waffles so many times over the years, I decided to ask for a waffle maker this year for Christmas. I love carrot puree (we give a lot to our 8 month old) and think it makes sense that it would taste better than pumpkin – it actually has a lot of natural sweetness on its own.
Lacey says
is it cooked/ pureed carrots or just carrots run through the food processor? thanks!
Tracy says
i love reading these posts! It helps me remember that I’m not alone! As the mom of 5, I can totally see this happening! Just like last night while allowing my 3 yr. old to help make gf pumpkin muffins ( as I am gluten intolerant, so loving those tidbits as well! ), I turned around to find my 18 mon. old covered in baking soda! It cracked me up though, to see the very bewildered look on his face as he licked it off his hand!
Stephanie says
Same in my house. Want to make the world’s easiest Christmas candy, but I know I’m going to burn it during the oven stage. That’s always my downfall. Out of sight, out of mind. I can’t remember how many garlic breads have ended up in the bin.
Jessica @ The Abundant Wife says
That sounds exactly like my life! Naomi is right about Silas’ age, and now that Oliver is walking he’s busy around my legs too. I’m amazed that any recipe comes out right! 🙂
Misty says
Thanks for sharing your winning recipe. I love that your kids help make it happen. I think I might have to try this real soon because it sounds so yummy!
jodie says
That sounds delish!
Stephanie says
This brightened my day! They say the best things happen when you’re not expecting them to. Who would have thought a misadventure in the kitchen could become such a great recipe! So cute! (And I can’t wait to make them!!)
coupon woman says
If pureed, most of the yellow and orange vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash) are fairly interchangeable in recipes. I’ve never had a recipe taste bad if I substitute – and most of the time you cannot even tell the difference. Just use whatever is in season or cheap and cook them, then mash/puree. You can also cook & puree a huge batch at once and freeze it in ziploc bags (I do like 1 c. in each bag) and then defrost and use whenever needed.
Karen says
Hey, yeast waffles are fantastic! My favorite waffle recipe is an overnight yeast waffle batter. It gives a much deeper flavor. I know it works with sweet potatoes added to the batter and with pumpkin puree–now that you’ve posted this, I’ll have to try it with carrots! Thanks for a new idea!
Crystal says
I’ve never made yeast waffles before–now I want to try them!
Karen says
If you have a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, the basic recipe is in there. I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, and buttermilk instead of regular and I add spices to taste–but otherwise it’s the Better Homes and Gardens recipe! (And I am far more likely to make the batter up the night before and pull it out in the morning to make waffles than I am to wake up and be inspired to make waffle batter! SO NOT a morning person!) 😉
We were pleasantly surprised with how well the sweet potato waffles turned out!
angel says
REAL Belgian waffles have yeast, my great grandma from Belgium taught me how to make them. But they are served as a dessert, not a breakfast. Here is our family recipe.
http://angelnavywife.blogspot.com/2010/03/little-nostalgia.html
Sarabell says
These sound delicious! I’ll have to create a gluten free version in the near future. =]
Kamila says
This sound so much like my house. You made me smile. I’m trying the recipe tomorrow!
Tnx,
angela r says
That is hysterical! I love it how your kids created a new recipe! Def need to remember that for future stories if he’s a budding chef!
Crystal says
What is so crazy is that he truly and sincerely thinks he can cook. Last night he was helping me make dinner and he insisted on stirring the contents of the bowl for almost ten minutes because it kept telling me, “No, it’s not done yet.” He was so intent about getting it “just right”. Cracked me up.
And if this keeps up, I think we just may have a chef on our hands, which I certainly wouldn’t complain about–provided he learns to clean up after himself! 🙂
Sarah says
Sounds like you might have a little chef on your hands..Silas knew what he was doing all along! Sounds yummy and healthy. Will have to try it soon 🙂
Chelsea says
This post made me smile, especially the umbrella by the dining room table 😉 it’s always good to have one during freezer cooking at my house in case we need to pour water all over a forgotten recipe! Lol.
Crystal says
Too funny! 🙂 You just never know what you might need an umbrella for! 😉
Frugal Homemaking says
Totally cracking up as I read this post! I love letting my daughter help, but it can be trying to the patience indeed. And I only have one of “helper-age” right now. Great memories though. I try to write down funny stuff like this on my calendar on the day it happens, since there is no chance it’d make it to the baby book. At the end of the year, I sit down with my calendar and transfer it all to the baby books at once.
Mandy says
That’s a good idea – jotting it down on the calendar! I’ll have to try that!
Mackenzie says
They are getting so big! Silas is definitely not a baby anymore!
Crystal says
He is so much fun–though also a little whirlwind of destruction, at times!
It’s fun to have all the children at ages where they can all enjoy activities together. And I’m trying to cherish these years, despite the messes, because I know they go by quickly!
Carrie says
Nice! This actually makes me feel like my afternoon in the kitchen went … smoothly. Only in comparison though. I had the waffle iron going while trying to make mini pumpkin pies from a whole pumpkin I had already cooked up. For some reason every time the waffles stuck to the stupid wafflemaker and only came out in pieces. I used plenty of grease every time. My husband — who had used the same batter to make great waffles for breakfast this morning — says maybe I wasn’t using a high enough heat setting. Grr.
And the pumpkin pies didn’t turn out either. I think it’s because at the last minute I decided to substitute blackstrap molasses for some of the sugar. I just saw it there on the shelf and thought, oh, this’ll be good. Apparently not.
Frugal Homemaking says
I hate when I spend the time to make something from scratch and it doesn’t turn out. Beyond frustrating. You have my sympathies!
Joni @ Truffle Pops and More says
I love Carrot Cake! I bet I would love these too. I think I will add some finely chopped walnuts for crunch.
Crystal says
Oh, that sounds yummy!
Erin says
Oooooh – I’m going to do that AND make a raisin-maple syrup for over the top…. 😀
Kari says
Oh well, I put the taco seasoning baggie in my spaghetti sauce instead of the spaghetti spices. And we still ate it. I think your mistake was yummier.