Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles

Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

There is a waffle lover inside each of us that just begs to be let out when we pass a local Waffle House or any place that specializes in breakfast food, but in the grand tradition of bready type foods, waffles haven't been first on the list of things to do for many gluten-free bakeries and food manufacturers. But that seems to be changing as there are at least four major suppliers of wheat-free or gluten-free entrees that have started to provide various types of waffles in the freezer section.

One such provider is Van's and they have a number of different types of waffles which can be thrown in the toaster for a few minutes and then drenched with butter (because why would anyone eat a waffle without a stick of butter on top, right?). One of the neat things about this particular manufacturer of gluten free items is that they make a point of maintaining facilities that offer people who have Celiac Disease an easy way to make sure that their meal isn't hiding some gluten somewhere in the ingredient list. 

Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Which is a valuable thing for anyone who doesn't want to have to crawl over every inch of text on a box to determine whether there's something that's unintentionally related to gluten inside a particular type of food. It's not uncommon for a food that might not have wheat gluten in it to have some other sort of gluten - or even oats, which can be a problem for people with various allergies.

Of course, there aren't a lot of people who are going to assume that waffles don't have wheat anyway, since they are so directly associated with a delicious batter before they're put into the waffle maker (or in this case, the toaster). And how does one create a batter without having some gluten (or "glue") on hand to ensure the mixture doesn't fall apart?

Additionally beneficial regarding the recipe offered by Van's is the fact that they don't seem to have added worthless fillers into their waffles so as to approximate the general consistency and feel of a regular waffle. They suggest on the front of the box that their waffles are "all natural," and they even go so far as to sweeten their waffles with fruit juice instead of plain old sugar. Pretty cool from the standpoint of someone trying to gluten-free and healthily.

Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

On that note, the nutritional content of the waffles, regarding the calories and fat content, shouldn't be completely ignored. Just because something contains healthy ingredients doesn't necessarily mean that it's low calorie. These waffles do have some fat in them and their calories are indeed noticeable, so it's best to stick to the "recommended" serving size of just a few waffles.

Which might be a little difficult as Van's recipes are quite good. The general flavoring for the waffles doesn't seem to overwhelm the product (in this case it's an apple cinnamon flavor, but the company makes lots of other flavors of waffles as well). The flavor is just subtle enough to improve the waffle while also offering a nice crunchy consistency with some melted butter on top.

Note that since these waffles come from the freezer and very few people are going to be willing to allow them to defrost or sit in the microwave, you'll probably have to toast these little discs a few times before they're completely toasted. They might look as though they're done after one round, but unless this writer's toaster is especially weak, they do need a few rounds in your average double-slot toaster. Making them browned on the outside means that the inside will be fully warmed and cooked as well.

Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Van's Gluten Free Wheat Free Apple Cinnamon Waffles Report Card:

The Good Stuff:

For anyone who has been pining for waffles ever since getting a diagnosis of Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy, Van's various varieties of waffles certainly hit the mark. Good taste, great consistency (won't fall apart when cooked) and easy to make. Doesn't taste like something that's gluten free, either. 

Just tastes like a an easy frozen-waffle entree, which is perfect for a quick morning breakfast.  The heightened nutritional content (whole grains, natural ingredients) is simply a bonus.

What Could be Better:

Nobody will complain about the taste or consistency of these waffles. They're easy to make and they have nice nutritional advantages. But it's also worth pointing out that they do have some fat and the sodium content might be noticeable if you do decide to eat more than one serving of waffles (which is quite easy to do if you need your waffle fix!). Don't let this stop you from trying these waffles though. They're a great, toasted treat.