I have tried many gluten-free waffles over the past 4 years, but I don’t think I have ever tried the Trader Joe’s version. I happened to be at Trader Joe’s yesterday and noticed that their gluten-free waffles were $1.99 for 8 waffles. That is a great price! Nature’s Path waffles run between $2.99 and $5.00/box for 6 waffles. Van’s waffles run between $2.69 and $4.00/box for 6 waffles. I picked up a package to see how they compare to the other 2 brands.
Trader Joe’s Waffles are gluten & yeast free. They have no preservatives or artificial ingredients. There are 230 calories per 2 waffles, which is comparable to Van’s & Nature’s Path. I followed the directions & let the waffles defrost slightly before toasting. They toasted up nicely and evenly. I have had issues in the past with Van’s Waffles toasting unevenly. The flavor and texture were great. They rank right up there with the Van’s & Nature’s Path and you get more bang for your buck. Another win for Trader Joe’s.
I rarely top my waffles with butter & syrup. I am always coming up with new toppings and the toppings usually involve almond or peanut butter. Sometimes I add fruit spread. Sometimes pumpkin butter (another Trader Joe’s product). My newest fascination is heating up fruit with cinnamon & then putting that on top of the waffles & nut butter. I especially like pears & cinnamon. I just cut up the fruit, throw it in a bowl & top it with cinnamon. I microwave them for a minute at a time, until desired tenderness – usually 2.5 minutes in my microwave. Below is a picture with almond butter, raisins & cinnamon.
Another use for waffles is bread for a sandwich. While at my sister’s house in Atlanta, I didn’t have any bread, so I used 2 waffles as bread. Worked like a charm and was really tasty with the pulled pork she served for dinner.
Have you tried Trader Joe’s Waffles? If so, what did you think? I am always interested in hearing opinions from others on the gluten-free products I sample & review.
Thanks for the review.. I can’t wait to sample them. This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes:
That looks like a great recipe, Danny.
Newly diagnosed and took a few days to wrap my head around this. Just purged the cupboards and made the first shopping excursion. I too live in Cols OH and plan to visit Trader Joe’s soon. I’m a regular there, but will be shopping with a new focus. I’m a vegetarian so many of my old TJ’s favorites are out. I’m really worried about cost, so thanks for the waffle review.
I like these very much. As with Van’s, there’s a slight aftertaste, but with the right toppings it’s hard to taste. I make my own spread using a mashed banana, about a tablespoon of unsweetened organic applesauce (in my region, Stop ‘n’ Shop brand is very good and reasonably priced), and a dollop of no-fat, unsweetened plain yogurt to give it body (I use Greek style). I sprinkle cinnamon right onto the waffle after it’s warmed up, then add as much spread as I like. Sometimes I add berries or chopped walnuts or pecans. Tasty!
P.S. The Stop ‘n’ Shop brand is called Nature’s Promise, by the way.