These healthy vegan chia waffles are packed with the wholegrain goodness of whole wheat and spelt. Serve with some pure maple syrup and fruit.

Our Saturday mornings begin, like most mornings, with a walk for Opie. But because we have more time on our hands, we treat him to an outing in the woods, or at one of the trails nearby where he can walk unfettered and meet other dogs -- his favorite thing to do.

Because Opie has osteoarthritis we have to make sure his walks are long enough to exercise him without being so long that they will further wear out his joints. Our usual Saturday morning haunt, then, is this loop trail at a local park that brings us right back to the car. Opie loves it because part of the trail goes through a wooded area, giving him that mix of exercise and adventure that his little doggy heart craves.

By now he has friends that he looks forward to meeting on the trail every week. There's Genevieve, a gorgeous, long-legged Goldendoodle who runs like the breeze and never stops long enough for Opie to get a good sniff at her, which infuriates him although he's too much of a gentleman to complain. There's a friendly golden retriever who lives in a house near the trail and will escape ever so often to greet dogs passing by -- he has a real soft corner for Opie. There's Dougie, a gender-bending (at least by name) lab mix who is usually there with her human siblings and their nanny, and would rather have her belly rubbed by Desi than play with Opie. Or Molly, a black-coated beauty who likes jousting with Opie over attractive-looking twigs. Those dogs.

By the time we get home after all that dog chasing and belly rubbing our appetites are really going. It's the perfect time for my Healthy Chia Waffles made with whole wheat and spelt.

I make a lot of waffles and pancakes. always wholegrain and always healthy, and I've shared many of them on the blog before, so you might wonder what's special about this one? Well, you'll have to make them yourself and find out, but I'll tell you one little secret: it's the chia seeds. They give these waffles that lightness and a crunch that's absolutely sublime.

I use whole wheat and spelt flours for the batter (never, ever use all purpose flour for waffles and pancakes-- it only makes them bland and pasty), and I also add in a good amount of flaxmeal not only to act as binder but also to boost the waffles' fiber and protein -- and omega 3 -- content.

It takes just minutes to mix up this batter, and a few more minutes to make them in a waffle iron. Try making them for your next weekend breakfast, and I'll bet that not just you but your doggies will love them too. When we sit down for breakfast, Opie's always waiting under the table to demand his share.

Healthy Chia Waffles Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes 5 from 6 votes Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 30 mins Course Breakfast Servings 4 waffles Calories 248 kcal Ingredients 1x 2x 3x 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup spelt flour

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp flaxmeal

2 cups almond milk or any non-dairy milk

1 tsp vinegar Instructions Mix the almond milk and the vinegar and set aside to curdle.

In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat and spelt flours with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

To the almond milk, add the chia seeds and flaxmeal. Whisk together.

Add the almond milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until everything's just moistened. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more almond milk.

Cook in a waffle iron, per instructions. I have a Belgian waffle maker that makes six thick waffles per recipe, but if you have a regular waffle maker you would get 8-10 of these.

Serve with any syrup of your choice. We love them with pure maple syrup. Notes I used a Belgian waffle maker which makes thicker waffles. In a regular waffle maker, you should get eight waffles from this recipe. Nutrition Serving: 2 g Calories: 248 kcal Protein: 8 g Fiber: 8.1 g Sugar: 6.4 g Tried this recipe? Let us know ! Or post a photo on Instagram and tag @HolyCowVegan

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Other breakfast ideas from the archives: