This year’s Portland vegan waffle party was amazing! We devoured tons of decadent vegan waffles, and guests brought an array of delicious toppings. We enjoyed wonderful snuggling and conversation after eating.
If you’re wondering how to throw a waffle party yourself, you’ll find many photos and ideas below.
We prepared several vegan waffle toppings so there would already be a few selections available for the first guests. Below you can see the following tongue tantalizers:
- savory cilantro lime tahini sauce
- real maple syrup
- Deep Dark Chocolate Waffle Syrup from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook
- toasted caramelized cinnamon walnuts
- chai spice syrup
- spicy spinach hummus
- blackstrap molasses
Megan got some beautiful flowers to display on the table, creating an even more welcoming eating and conversation environment.
Other cities joining us in our 9th year of the Global Vegan Waffle Party (19th year of waffle partying overall) included several veteran hosts: The Boston Vegan Waffle Party in Jamaica Plain, MA; The Bunker in Guelph, Ontario Canada; and Marisa in Duvall, Washington. We also welcomed newcomer Kiama Kitchen.
I remain deeply grateful for other hosts who join us in this annual tradition, and others who have continued to help make this a reality each year. I haven’t yet received any photos or official updates from other events, but will post here or on Facebook if I do.
Over the last few years, we’ve found that snuggling is the perfect post-waffle activity. With your tummy full of sweet and savory richness, it’s great to cozy up with friends and enjoy some warm conversation. Look at how comfy the snuggle area looks, just beyond the soon-to-be-full waffle bar.
Megan made this delicious raspberry sauce, tart and sweet, which also served as a Prince tribute. She found that it also blends well with sparkling water for a slightly sweet drink. Yummaz.
Hosting waffle parties has always been a team effort. Megan and her mom, Sarah, were a huge help with getting the house ready for the party, providing some delicious additional waffle toppings, and creating a warm and cozy environment. This gave me more time to shop and measure out waffle ingredients the day before, and to create a few additional toppings to get the party started. Yay, teamwork!
I had a lot of fun creating these pineapple-based centerpieces for the waffle bar, using one of those fancy pineapple corers. The strawberries and orange add a nice color contrast, in addition to being delicious waffle toppings.
Waffle maker and batter below are ready to go. All toppings were vegan, except for a butter contribution. We simply made sure it was clearly labeled, alongside the Earth Balance.
Speaking of labels, sticky notes are handy for listing recipe names and ingredients. You can also print some even groovier waffle party dish labels.
Enjoy the various photos of delicious waffles adorned with an array of toppings. I love how some are completely savory, some are completely sweet, and some blend the two. And, of course, the smiling faces of the guests.
Avi, one of the first guests to arrive, enjoys a scrumptious treat.
Delicious vegan waffle toppings brought by guests included the following. To jog my memory, I rely upon topping labels remaining after the party, so I’ve likely excluded a few:
- Miyoka vegan cheese
- spicy hummus
- peach ginger chutney
- coconut flakes
- real maple syrup
- vegan ice cream
- pine nuts
Speaking of pine nuts, check out this decadent awesomeness. This waffle is rich! I had the opportunity to enjoy this savory treat, and it was astounding. It helped me to get the ball rolling before I delved into sweeter pastures.
Even more waffle toppings:
- sauteed freshly-picked Swiss chard (also on the above waffle)
- fresh rhubarb compote
- blueberry syrup
- coconut chia pudding
- chocolate almond spread
- mango
- candied ginger
And speaking of candied ginger, there appears to be some on one of the vegan waffles below. I’d be smiling like that, too, if I had such awesome deliciousness on my plate.
Actually, I probably was smiling the same way when I took this photo, due to having such wonderful guests! And due to having just remembered to take the chilled coconut cream out of the fridge.
To simplify the logistics this year, I made just one kind of waffle instead of two or three varieties as I often had in the past. Vegan and gluten-free, the recipe was a variation on the Textured Rice Waffles from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook.
While guests seemed to enjoy the closely-related Naked Gluten-Free Vegan Waffles last year, I was craving the additional crispiness added by whole grain teff.
Look at how well these babies go with some chilled coconut cream, chocolate syrup, and other gastronomic delights.
We were expecting between 15 and 20 people total, so I made three double batches–enough for at least 24 waffles. I ended up having one double batch left, which we were able to enjoy after the party. They went well with both sweet and savory toppings. I love how the red raspberry, dark chocolate, and green chard and tahini contrast on this plate.
Here’s Megan savoring a sweet waffle. I didn’t get a photo of her savoring a savory one, though. She appears to be taking the flavor strategy of blending a few flavors, but not too many. This allows one to achieve an interesting blend while still appreciating the unique qualities of each topping.
I do feel bad for the lonely piece of mango off in the corner of her plate, though. It’s unable to frolic with the other toppings. Poor little thing.
Here’s some fresh kiwi next to a sweet taste bud bomb. Note how each waffle quarter offers a different culinary experience.
Another colorful waffle assortment, incorporating coconut flakes and contrasting fruit on the side. The kiwi slices are arranged like two eyes; I can almost imagine them looking at me.
Now this man knows what he’s doing. He is building a serious waffle. In fact, given how it’s balanced on the edge of the counter, it nearly defies gravity.
I’ve often commented how waffles are superior to pancakes in that they’re more three-dimensional. But this one is straight out of another dimension.
This is a closeup of the cornucopia of culinary concoctedness. I love how there are at least two distinct styles of waffle building: the make-each-quarter-distinct approach, where you don’t blend flavors across quarters, and the one-giant-playground approach, where you blend topping flavors across an entire waffle. This mouth-terpiece seems to incorporate both approaches.
I appreciate the colorfulness of Sarah’s waffle quarters. And look at how most of the topping, save one stray nut, is neatly balanced without plunging onto the plate. That exhibits skillful use of the waffle friction coefficient. It is an advanced skill not normally mastered prior to topping a few dozen waffles.
Here’s a closeup of these impressive waffle topping arrangement skills. Look at how that blueberry is balanced on the very tip of the waffle, and how the mango, red berries, and blueberry create a continuous spectrum of color. Do you start eating at the mango end, or the blueberry end? Or do you just go for it all at once? So many decisions.
This delectable morsel uses just a bit of chocolate syrup for an accent, with a healthy dollop of coconut cream for subtle sweetness and extra smooth mouth feel. A soft sprinkling of cinnamon rounds out the taste experience. I enjoyed eating this one.
Here’s a nice overview of the waffle bar area, and some guests gathered in the background. Before shutting down the irons, I fill up the serving plate with some extras so folks can continue to snack for a while.
If you’re hosting your own party, my biggest recommendation is to measure out the wet and dry portions of the waffle batter in advance. I store the dry ingredients in plastic bags on the counter, and the wet ingredients in mason jars in the refrigerator. Then, all you have to do during the party is pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mix, and then bake on piping hot irons.
Also, it helps to have more than one waffle maker. In fact, I’d say this is vital, just in case you have a sticking accident or other issues with one of them. Otherwise, plan B is pancakes.
If hosting your own event, check out some of the waffle party ideas and tips posts. This article covers a number of considerations, including clarifying why you want to throw a party, choosing a theme, determining how many guests to invite, selecting a menu, and making the best of the space and event budget you have available.
I captured a few closeups of waffley abundance, with delicious blueberry syrup, Earth Balance, chocolate almond spread, other delicious toppings, and awesome guests in the background. Here’s a blueberry spice syrup recipe, by the way. It was inspired by the same person who’s brought this tasty treat in the past.
One guest kindly brought this topping, made with freshly picked chard from her garden. It was yummy on its own, and blended quite well with the other savory toppings.
This spiced tofu made a nice standalone snack in addition to being a filling savory topping. The parsley adds an eye-catching burst of color. If I’d had more stomach room, I would have made a waffle sandwich using two waffle quarters, a few strips of the tofu, and an abundance of cilantro lime tahini sauce.
Drake reassumed his position as head of the domain shortly after the last guest departed. He didn’t request any waffles, but enjoyed the snuggle space.
Thanks to another guest for this beautiful stargazer lily that beautified the kitchen for more than a week following the party. It also provided a subtle but scent-sational fragrance. I couldn’t eat it on a waffle as I’ve done with nasturtium, but still enjoyed it.
If you’re hungry now, browse the recipe section of the site for delicious waffle and topping recipes, along with baking tips. View fun waffle party highlights from past years.
Sign up for updates on our upcoming 20th year of waffle partying. Then, share this post to persuade your friends to host events. Don’t forget to have them invite you!