Apple waffle pops are apple rings on a lolly stick, dipped in vegan protein waffle batter and pressed in a waffle maker until golden. They are the easiest vegan protein waffles I make. One apple and one scoop of protein powder gives you three pops with 28g of protein, ready in about 15 minutes, with a soft baked apple middle and a crisp waffle outside.
This is the recipe that finally justified owning a waffle maker. Make the batter, slice an apple into rounds, push a lolly stick into each one, dip, press. What comes out looks like a waffle on a stick and eats like a baked apple wrapped in one.
The apple is the reason I make these rather than plain protein waffles. It steams inside its batter jacket while the outside crisps in the plates, so you get a soft middle a flat waffle never gives you. And because the apple does the structural work, the batter layer stays thin, which is how you dodge the dense, dry texture high protein waffles are famous for.
- Ready in about 15 minutes, most of that slicing the apple
- 28g of protein and 8.5g of fibre in the batch
- Vegan and dairy free, no eggs and no butter anywhere
- They hold their shape on the stick, so they travel well
What goes into the batter
Vanilla vegan protein powder carries both the 28g and the sweetness, so there is no added sugar in the batter at all. A vanilla whey works if you are not keeping these vegan, though whey browns faster, so check a minute early.
Self-raising flour lets the batter puff into the waffle pockets instead of sitting flat in them. Plain flour with a teaspoon of baking powder does the same job.
Almond milk with half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar makes a quick vegan buttermilk. Give it five minutes to thicken. People skip this step, and it is the difference between a tender protein waffle and a rubbery one.
Melted coconut oil goes in the batter and on the plates, because protein batter sticks harder than ordinary waffle batter.
A firm green apple, Granny Smith or Braeburn, holds the stick without splitting and keeps its bite through the heat. A soft eating apple collapses into sauce and slides off.
My coaching note
The batter has to be thick. Thick enough that a dipped slice lifts out wearing a proper jacket, with the batter clinging rather than running off. Thin batter pools in the waffle grooves and you end up with an apple slice sitting in a puddle. Add flour a tablespoon at a time until it clings, because loosening a thick batter is easy and rescuing a thin one is not.
Swaps worth knowing
- For apple cinnamon waffles, dust them the second they come off the plates, while they are still steaming
- No lolly sticks? Skip them and you have apple waffles, they just need a fork
- Pour any leftover batter onto the plates for protein powder waffles alongside, so nothing is wasted
- Two tablespoons of applesauce in the batter makes a softer, cakier set of protein waffles, though you lose the apple middle
The batter is the same one I use for my chocolate apple pancakes, and the spiced apple pancakes are the cosier version. There is a rice paper apple danish too, and the rest of my high protein recipes live here.
If you make these, show me on Instagram.
Alex 🙂
Apple Waffle Pops (Vegan Protein Waffles on a Stick)
Apple waffle pops are green apple rings on a lolly stick, dipped in a thick vegan protein waffle batter and pressed in a waffle maker until golden. One apple and one scoop of protein powder makes three pops with 28g of protein, ready in about 15 minutes. The apple steams soft inside while the outside crisps into proper waffle pockets.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Stir the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together and leave for 5 minutes to thicken into a vegan buttermilk. Sieve in the self-raising flour and the protein powder, add the melted coconut oil, and whisk to a smooth batter. It wants to be thick enough to cling to an apple slice rather than run straight off it.
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Core the apple and slice it into rounds about 5mm thick. Push a wooden lolly stick into the edge of each round, about halfway in, so it holds without splitting the slice.
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Dip each apple slice into the batter and turn it to coat both sides, then lift it out and let the excess drip back into the glass. You want a jacket, not a coating so thick the waffle pockets fill in.
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Heat the waffle maker and grease it well. Protein batter sticks harder than ordinary waffle batter, so be more generous than feels reasonable.
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Lay the pops on the hot plate with the sticks pointing out over the edge so the lid can still close.
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Close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden and set. Resist opening it early, the batter needs to release on its own or it tears.
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Lift them off and serve warm, with maple syrup for dipping if you like. They are best within a few minutes of coming off the plates.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 ServingCalories:501kcalTotal Fat:11.6gSaturated Fat: 6.7gTrans Fat: 0gSodium:512mgTotal Carbohydrate:71.8gDietary Fiber: 8.5gSugars: 20.4gProtein:28.4g
Note
- The nutrition figures assume you use all of the batter. If you have some left over after three pops, cook it as a small waffle alongside rather than throwing it away, and the numbers still hold for the batch.
- Grease the plates more than you think. Protein batter sticks harder than ordinary waffle batter, and a stuck pop tears rather than lifting.
- Slice the apple at about 5mm. Thinner and it disappears into the batter, thicker and the middle is still raw when the outside is done.
- Push the lolly stick in from the edge, halfway. Straight through the middle splits the slice once it softens.
- Maple syrup is optional and is not counted in the nutrition panel. A tablespoon adds roughly 52 calories and 12g of sugar. A peanut butter drizzle, melted dark chocolate or a spoon of thick yoghurt all work the same way.
- Sodium comes in at 512mg for the batch, almost all of it from the raising agents in the self-raising flour. Worth knowing rather than worth worrying about.
