Lille Allen/Eater
There is a tired notion that gluten-free baked goods are unsatisfying, but these blueberry waffles from Vans are winners regardless of whether or not you eat gluten. The brown rice flour base makes them moist and chewy, with a bouncy texture reminiscent of mochi. The dehydrated blueberries studded throughout add a touch of sweetness. I like eating theses on their own, or amplifying them with a drizzle of blueberry syrup.
A native of Belgium, brioche-based Liège waffles have become a lot more popular in the States, and I’m not complaining. Mason Dixie’s are studded with pearl sugar and flavored with apple and cinnamon, a classic pairing that’s all but made for waffles. I love that you can microwave these waffles or simply leave them out to defrost, and either way they’ll still remain wonderfully chewy and buttery, as all good brioche bread is.
I tend to avoid protein waffles as it’s difficult to look past the mealy texture that so often plagues them, but Kodiak’s chocolate chip waffles don’t have this problem. They may not be quite as fluffy as some of the other waffles on this list, but their generous amount of semisweet chocolate chips make up for any textural issues. (And if you really do care about protein, there are 12 grams of protein for every two waffles.)
I would never expect (or even want?) a serving of fruits and vegetables in my frozen waffles, but these zucchini carrot cake waffles have that and surprisingly, flavor-wise, it works. The waffles’ most prominent aroma is cinnamon, which is followed by sweet carrot. The texture is where the waffle strays the most from regular freezer waffles: although the exterior does get crispy, the inside is gooey and custardy, almost like the inside of a soaked bread pudding. If mushiness turns you off, this might not be the waffle for you, but I think it works. Glazing one with a cream cheese frosting instead of standard maple syrup would make it work even better.
