Roasted Banana and Sour Cream Waffles

Over the next few weeks I am going to be highlighting one of my favourite cookbooks this year: Julia Turshen’s latest release, Simply Julia, 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food. Turshen speaks about healthy eating in a way that is far more balanced and healthy compared to typical diet cookbooks. Turshen writes about cooking to care for and support others as well as ourselves. Her wife, Grace is a diabetic and so Turshen has learned to cook dishes that are lower in sugar and carbs, but do not compromise on flavour or make you feel like you are purposefully eating healthy. Turshen speaks about her own personal issues with diet culture and body image. At the end of the book I was left not only wanting to cook Turshen’s recipes, but also just hang out with her. For anyone looking for a cookbook that focuses on comfort, home cooking with a healthier spin, this book is for you.

This recipe is far from the typical healthy eating, but she does use whole wheat flour and uses bananas to add sweetness to the waffles instead of sugar. The result is a breakfast treat that is a cross between waffles and banana bread. And I know- this is I think my fourth waffle recipe on the blog (I may have actually lost count) but this one has a new special place in my heart, and I think our hearts are big enough for endless breakfast treats.

Roasted Banana and Sour Cream Waffles

Julia Turshen, Simply Julia

Makes 4-5 medium sized waffles

3 bananas, peeled
3 Tbsp butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup whole wheat flour
cooking spray
maple syrup for serving

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Break 2 of the bananas into large pieces and place them on a lined baking sheet with the butter. Slice the remaining banana and set aside. Roast until the bananas and butter have browned slightly and the bananas are very soft when you press them with a fork, about 15 minutes.

Using a fork or a potato masher, crush the bananas directly on the pan with the butter.

Turn the oven down to 200F and pre-heat your waffle iron to its highest setting.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the egg and the sour cream. Whisk in the baking powder, salt, and the sour cream. Stir in the whole wheat flour but be careful not to over-mix. You just need to stir until everything is combined.

Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Add enough batter to cover most of the cooking surface. (The amount you will need will depend on your iron, mine takes 1/2 cup.) Cook until the iron has stopped steaming and the waffle is golden brown and crisp. Transfer the waffle to a sheet pan and keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.

Serve the waffles with warm with the sliced banana and maple syrup.