Toddler Spinach Waffles

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I have the world’s cutest toddler. I’m sure many of you out there that can relate. But for as fun and as smart and sweet as he is, feeding him is the absolute worst. Nothing has tested my fortitude more as a parent (and as a human being) than having to feed my picky toddler, day in and day out. The amount of time and energy I’ve spent researching and making picky toddler recipes could amount to a part time job (in addition to my other two full-time jobs of full-time employee and full-time parent thanks to COVID). And nothing is more frustrating than sinking the time into a new recipe just to discover they won’t it (insert picture of me not-so-silently crying to myself as I throw another naptime’s worth of effort into the trashcan). Anyone else been there? Yeah, I see you.

So when I find picky toddler recipes that are winners, I cling to them for dear life. And this waffle recipe is one of them.

My toddler LOVES breakfast foods. He would happily eat breakfast foods all day, every day. Pancakes, German pancakes, waffles, French toast, avocado toast, oatmeal, overnight oats, cream of wheat, quiche–you name it, he eats it. So I try to capitalize on that and find ways to reinvent some of his favorite breakfast foods in order to can sneak in some extra nutrition in something he’s typically inclined to eat. Oh and he’s extremely texture sensitive, and since most of this favorite breakfast foods boast a homogenous texture, he’s a big fan.

What I love about this waffle recipe is that it’s adapted from an easy buttermilk waffle recipe that I love, so the foundation for the recipe is designed to be simply delicious. I then tweaked it to pack a nutritional punch to get the most bang for my buck from my picky toddler’s breakfast (enter whole-wheat flour and spinach). And really as a parent, if you can get one serving of vegetables under your belt before noon, you’re living the good life (especially since most days I’m lucky to get one vegetable serving in in an entire DAY).

Best yet, this recipe comes together quickly and freezes great, so you can make it once and have quick breakfast on hand for many days to come. Plus most of the ingredients are household staples you probably on hand. The only thing you may need to think about picking up is buttermilk (though it’s quickly become a staple in my house). You’ll also need a blender (food processor will work as well) and a good nonstick waffle iron. I have an Oster Ceramic Nonstick Belgian Waffle Iron that I got as a wedding gift and absolutely love it (always recommend ceramic nonstick whenever possible!).

The recipe is simple: you’re going to mix your dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in the blender, and then combine the two. You’ll first puree the spinach in the blender with the buttermilk, then add the remaining wet ingredients for a quick pulse. Just dump the wet ingredients into the dry, whisk them together, and you’re in business.

If you want to hedge your bets even more, you can add some chocolate chips to the batter.

The waffles turn out pretty darn green, but my toddler didn’t object to the color and was excited to get green waffles instead of the regular boring ones (we’re working on colors right now). Instead of being apprehensive about introducing the color, spin it as a positive and you’re likely to win them over by talking it up.

I hope you kids enjoy this easy waffle recipe as much as mine does! I’d love to hear success stories in the comments!