I have a ton of different nicknames for my little poodle, Byrd, and I can’t really explain any of them. Who knows why we call her Byrdle-bee (or Byrdle-bee Tuna, Willow Byrd, Sweetie Wheatie, Little One, Wittle Byrd, Willa Byrd, Bog, or Mike’s favorite, Dyrb)? One day we’ll just be staring at her sweet little face and our tongues will get all twisty and coo-y and she’ll end up with another moniker. And I know I’m not alone in this: my parents’ toy poodle, Abbey, was at one point called Abbey-Jo Louisiana Lewinsky Lorax. Unfortunately, I’m not kidding.

At any rate, regardless of what you call her, Byrd has gotten into the spring spirit with a fresh new haircut. Isn’t she sweet?


Look at her big puppy grin after getting a new toy for being such a good girl at the groomer! Note to Charlotteans: her pretty ‘do is from The Dog Salon, which I love.

My turtle (who has not made any appearance changes for the spring weather besides shedding a few scutes) also has some fun nicknames. He’s Squirt, Squirtle-bee, Mommy’s Little Sandwich, Little Bear, and Squirtle the Myrtle Turtle. Mike tried for awhile to make Bowser stick, but it just never caught on. I don’t see him as the demon turtle type.

I could go on (and on) about how adorable my creatures have been lately, but I know y’all are here for some WAFFLES, and neither animal was allowed to partake. I promise they had their own entertaining breakfast (kibble and meat pellets sound good too, right?) Byrd did look on adoringly as we took every waffly bite, trying her best to make me feel like a bad mother for not indulging her. Somehow I managed to enjoy my breakfast regardless.

Okay, so with golden waffles staring you in the face, you could probably enjoy breakfast while someone repeatedly threw darts at your noggin.

I know you guys are just as excited about fun waffles as I am, since my post on Carrot Cake Waffles was my most popular yet! I promised in that post that another waffle creation was coming up, so here you go (drumroll): Banana Nut Bread Waffles. And if you can believe it, we liked these even better than their carrot cake cousins! They were amazing!

The basic premise was the same. I took two dishes I loved, banana nut bread and waffles, and smushed the recipes together (well, sort of). To a rich buttermilk waffle base, I added the goodies typically found in hearty banana nut bread: mashed ripe bananas, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. These waffles were the perfect warm, comforting breakfast when served with . . . you guessed it . . .

MAPLE NUT CREAM CHEESE SPREAD! I can’t repeat it enough — this spread is so tasty! It was a perfect complement to the flavors of the Banana Nut Bread Waffles what with the slight tang of the cream cheese and the sweetness of the maple.

Banana Nut Bread flavor with a clean loaf pan should excite you. Hearing that this is a quick and simple waffle recipe should excite you even more! Sometimes you want a fancy breakfast for company — sometimes you just want to hurry up and EAT. These Banana Nut Bread Waffles are perfect for both situations. Frilly enough for a guest, fuss-free enough for a relaxing morning.

Oh, and of course I have to ask: what are your pet nicknames? Don’t just share the kosher ones, either! We want the embarrassingly ridiculous ones! We’ll only laugh a little bit.

Banana Bread Waffles


Recipe by: Adapted using the following recipes:

-Rich Buttermilk Waffles: Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of Mark Bittman.
-Maple Cream Cheese Spread by Carolyn R. Shaw.
Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Waffle Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups buttermilk* or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Cooking spray for waffle iron

Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix together the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) and the egg yolks. Stir in the butter, mashed banana, and vanilla.

Spray the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a whisk or electric mixer (make sure bowl and mixer are spotlessly clean) until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Stir gently to combine.

Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Mix ingredients for Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread together. Serve waffles immediately with a schmear of Maple Nut Cream Cheese, or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.

* The buttermilk can be substituted with 1 1/4 cups of milk at room temperature, mixed with two tablespoons white vinegar, left to clabber for 10 minutes.




Happy breakfasting!

P.S. Say happy happy birthday to Mike! Yesterday was a big birthday for him. More on that and his fancy schmancy birthday dinner soon!


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by | 30 Comments

30 Comments on Banana Nut Bread Waffles

  1. Jennifer M.
    April 9, 2010 at 3:18 pm (15 years ago)

    My goodness, Julie! Those look so good! I used to eat waffles often way back when. Why did I stop making them? Maybe I got tired of the same ole plain waffle? Well, time to dust off the waffle iron!
    I make pumpkin pancakes for breakfast on Thanksgiving, I’m thinking pumpkin waffles would be delish with that maple nut spread! I’ll give it a try next time!
    Byrd looks very sweet! I don’t have pets so I’ll live vicariously through yours!

    Reply
    • Julie
      April 9, 2010 at 3:26 pm (15 years ago)

      Mmm, pumpkin waffles sound divine!! Especially with the Maple Nut Spread! Let me know how it goes, because I actually have a can of pumpkin in my pantry despite the national pumpkin shortage 😀

      Thanks, Jennifer!

      Reply
  2. Maranda
    April 9, 2010 at 5:06 pm (15 years ago)

    Yay!! I’ve been wondering what kind of waffle iron you have that makes your waffles so pretty! This seems like another waffle winner. If you keep this up I’m REALLY going to have to buy a waffle iron. I hope this isn’t the last in your “waffle series” as I’m enjoying it tremendously!

    Sadly I don’t have a pet so I can’t give you any pet names. But my daughter has a ton. Liliana, Lily, Lily butt, Lily bug, silly goose, little butt, goose, sweet pea, honey bun. You know…the usual terms of endearment type names. 🙂

    PS. Happy birthday Mike!!

    Reply
  3. Michelle
    April 9, 2010 at 10:08 pm (15 years ago)

    I love your posts! I need to buy a waffle iron….I desperately NEED to try your carrot cake waffle recipe. And now these, my goodness. I was wondering though….where did you get that adorable star dish?! Haha. I love it 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie
      April 9, 2010 at 10:19 pm (15 years ago)

      Thanks, Michelle! I love those star dishes too — I’m actually eating saltines out of one this very minute! My mom bought them for me and she’s not totally sure where she got them, but thinks it was at TJ Maxx. They’re Chantal brand. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. joanne
    April 9, 2010 at 11:19 pm (15 years ago)

    well, slap me silly and call me sally! these look awesomely good!!! i will be trying these ASAP!! thanks for sharing…joanne

    Reply
  5. Kathy - Panini Happy
    April 11, 2010 at 1:24 am (15 years ago)

    How excited am I that I have all of these ingredients on hand? So far we haven’t been too adventurous with our waffle-making – I can’t wait to try these. And I’ll have to go back and find those carrot cake ones too, they sound amazing.

    Reply
  6. Marcellina
    April 12, 2010 at 4:43 am (15 years ago)

    Ooooooh, I ‘m going to have to buy a waffle iron! Mmmmm, birthday coming up – another idea to add to the ever growing list. Happy birthday Mike! We April babies have to stick together!

    Reply
  7. Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella
    April 13, 2010 at 12:00 am (15 years ago)

    You’re so clever Julie! I love how you’ve combined the two dishes who on their own are delicious so together they must be mind blowing! And Byrd is so sweet! 😀

    Reply
  8. Joanne
    April 14, 2010 at 7:24 pm (15 years ago)

    I call my dog something new almost every time I see her! Her real name is Holly. But I’ve called her Holly Polly, Holls, Holl, and then of course the usuals like sweetie pie, etc. Your dog is so adorable!

    I love the idea of combining banana bread flavors with waffles. Having something this wonderful awaiting me at breakfast would certainly get me out of bed!

    Reply
  9. grace
    April 15, 2010 at 6:00 am (15 years ago)

    i believe that if i had some maple nut cream cheese spread at my disposal, i’d slather it on anything and everything. what a gorgeous, unique, and oh-so-tempting breakfast!

    Reply
  10. Seramarias
    April 15, 2010 at 11:22 am (15 years ago)

    Hmmm. Worst pet nicknames. . . Well, there was our little, hyperactive black mutt. Hairball Q. Pupcake. There was some debate over what, exactly, the ‘Q’ stood for. I always maintained that it meant Quentin, but had no particular reason for it. We also have a cat habitually referred to as ‘Sunny-Bunny’, her original name being Sunshine. And our cat Spicy gets called ‘Pumpkin-butter’a lot, on the grounds that she’s round, orange, and sweet.

    Reply
    • Julie
      April 15, 2010 at 3:27 pm (15 years ago)

      Love them!! I’m totally going to go home and call Byrd a pupcake today!

      Reply
  11. Jessicat
    April 15, 2010 at 4:11 pm (15 years ago)

    Those waffles look DELICIOUS! I’m going to borrow my mom’s waffle iron this weekend to make some…and ask for one for my birthday in June! Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it!

    As for dog nicknames, my pup’s name is Ellie and I call her Smelly, Smelly Bell, Stinker and Bell…those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. It’s funny, my boyfriend asked me the other day “how often do you actually call Ellie by her name?” and I couldn’t recall a single instance! HAH!

    Reply
  12. Panasonic Breadmakers
    April 21, 2010 at 2:08 am (15 years ago)

    This sounds good! but for someone who can’t have alot of sugar in fruit is there an alternative? Probably not because this is banana nut bread 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie
      April 21, 2010 at 6:29 am (15 years ago)

      Actually, you might try it without the sugar — especially with the maple, it might taste fine. You could also use another sweetener (splenda, stevia) if those are any better for you!

      Reply
    • Jennifer
      August 7, 2016 at 1:01 pm (8 years ago)

      Hello, just wanted to drop a note that I made these just this morning and the only sweetness came from the maple nut cream cheese spread. The waffles the self were not sweet whatsoever. My family was highly disappointed. Sad to say. The spread tho, I ate with a spoon ha ha! But as far as sugar content goes, the werent sweet by any means.

      Reply
      • Julie Ruble
        August 7, 2016 at 1:03 pm (8 years ago)

        Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry that you were disappointed — to me, that’s how waffles are supposed to be. The sweetness comes from maple syrup and, in this case, the additional spread. But I’m sorry you were expecting something different.

        Reply
  13. Angela @ The Dancer Bakes
    April 15, 2012 at 3:05 pm (13 years ago)

    I just made these for breakfast with my parents this morning – I can’t remember ever having a better waffle! This has made the ranks of my favorite recipes 🙂

    Reply
  14. mrsblocko
    August 7, 2012 at 10:28 pm (12 years ago)

    I made this and wrote about it here. They are my new favorite way to use up black bananas! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  15. Tricia
    February 9, 2013 at 2:45 pm (12 years ago)

    I too was inspired to purchase a waffle iron after seeing the carrot cake waffles. Delish!!

    This morning I decided was a great waffle morning, my 9yr old step son was drooling as I was preparing the bananas. I did however make a few changes, only because my man is on a wee bit of a health kick and won’t eat all purpose flour. I wanted to have leftovers to bring to work to tease the girls, so I doubled the recipe. Then I used 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups multigrain flour. Great flavour!! They turned out perfect! I also chose to add the eggs all at once, wanted to keep the noise level down to allow my 12 yr old to sleep in, will need his rest if I expect him to do some shoveling this afternoon!!
    This recipe is definitely going on the “Make Again” list!!!

    Reply
  16. Wannie
    September 18, 2015 at 4:39 pm (9 years ago)

    Lovely recipe! I have to try this out sometime since I just recently bought a waffle iron and I am in love with the thing :>
    Also may I ask where did you acquire that adorable star-shaped bowl?

    Reply

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