Breakfast Trends: The Keto-Friendly Chaffle

The internet is no stranger to comfort food mashups. First there was the cronut, Chef Dominique Ansel’s infamous donut-croissant hybrid. Then there was the bacon-weave taco, which is as exciting as it sounds. Now, there’s the keto-friendly chaffle — essentially an omelet in waffle form, made with eggs and cheese. We’ve seen a 248% increase in MyFitnessPal users recording chaffles in their food logs, which is even more proof this trend is gaining some serious traction.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions

Stir the grated cheese into the beaten egg, pour everything into a greased or sprayed waffle maker, and cook it for 3–4 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

The chaffle is a fun and simple breakfast food in its own right, but its viral popularity is no doubt thanks to the low-carb keto diet craze. A typical chaffle clocks in at 293 calories, with 23 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbs. Although the protein count is higher than, say, straight-up cheese or butter, the chaffle fits well into the typical macro breakdown of the keto diet: roughly 80–90% fat, 5–15% protein and 5–10% carbohydrates. And honestly, the chaffle couldn’t be easier to make.

While the chaffle tastes great in its simplest form, it’s also possible to make chaffles with a few extra ingredients. If you want a slightly fluffier, more waffle-like chaffle that’s still low-carb, try adding almond flour and confectioner’s erythritol (a sugar alcohol), plus some baking powder. The almond flour and little bit of sweetness cuts the eggy flavor and makes the whole thing taste more like a breakfast pastry.

If you love variety, the sky’s the limit from sweet to savory. Take inspiration from your favorite combinations, whether it’s cinnamon toast-inspired, berry-filled or a garlic-Parmesan riff. You can also substitute chaffles anywhere you’d use bread or tortillas: for sandwiches, burgers and tacos.

The possibility for toppings varies. If you’re not following a keto or low-carb diet, the chaffle pairs well with obvious waffle-friendly toppings like maple syrup, fruit compote and cinnamon-sugar. If adding carbs isn’t an option, though, there are plenty of ways to flavor your chaffle.

To go savory, you can add certain vegetables, melt on more cheese, plus some crumbled bacon and a sprinkling of chives. Spooning on sour cream and guacamole is a simple way to spice things up; you can treat your chaffle like a taco shell and throw in some cooked taco meat as well. Sweet toppings on keto are more challenging, but some fruit is OK in moderation.

Keto or not, anyone with a waffle maker should give the chaffle a whirl. Start with the classic egg-and-cheese combination, see what you think, and let your imagination take it from there.