This easy paleo waffle recipe is a great way to use up some leftover sweet potato for breakfast or brunch. It's a gluten free treat that everyone loves! Once you've made the recipe once, try making it again with a different spice blend or even a mashed up banana! It's a great recipe to play with and make your own.

Prep time: 30 - 90 minutes, depending on when you prep your sweet potato

Yield: ~8 waffles

Foodstuffs:

1 medium to large sweet potato
3 eggs
3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil or butter
1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or rice milk

Tools:

**This recipe has been adapted from Juli Bauer's paleo cookbook. It has been a cornerstone in me learning how to cook paleo for myself at home.

Step 1: Prep Sweet Potatoes

I prep the potato the night before and allow to chill in the fridge overnight. I like using white sweet potatoes for this recipe, only because I find they mash a bit easier than orange yams.

To prepare the potatoes, wash them, poke them with a fork 10-20 times, and rub them with coconut oil. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40-60 minutes, until soft.

Once completely cooled (or take them out of the fridge), and remove the skin of one large potato and mash it in a bowl.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients Together

Once your potato has a fairly even mashed consistency, you can add the other wet ingredients. Mix completely until color and texture is uniform.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients

Measure out your dry ingredients, and incorporate them into your wet mixture. If your mixture is too gloppy (as I find it can be when working with almond flour or coconut flour) add in 2-4 tablespoons of almond milk, or any nut/seed milk, until you have the mix the consistency of cake batter or a loose oatmeal.

For variations, play with the spice you add to your waffles - I've used cinnamon, ginger, unsweetened cocoa powder, even rosemary and lavender one time to make savory waffle sandwiches - YUM!

Step 4: Fire Up the Waffle Iron!

My waffle Iron is OLD - I got it at an antique store for 5 bucks, and have had it for many years. The medium heat setting seems to work great for this recipe, but to be honest, I have no idea if there is any temperature difference on high or low.

Generously oil your iron with spray oil. I use an ice cream scoop to measure out batter into the iron. Before closing the lid, spray the tops of the batter balls with additional cooking oil (prying off stuck waffles is no fun!)

Cook 3-4 minutes, until deep golden brown.