Gluten-Free Canapes: Berry Mint Waffle Bites

You know I’m all about the apps, and in my last post I shared a recipe for a healthy breadless canapé made with grilled zucchini.  Let’s keep that canapé theme going and think outside the traditional wheat bread base!  Since it’s National Waffle Day, frozen waffles seem like the perfect choice, and they are an easy option to make gluten-free canapes.

Like many of our current convenience foods favorites, the frozen waffle has mid-century origins. Long before kids were shouting “Leggo My Eggo!” The Dorsa brothers were perfecting a dry waffle mix in San Jose, California. In 1953 they also developed a machine that would rotate, cook, and freeze waffles, which they first called Froffles. Then, deciding to market their much eggier taste, they settled on the name Eggo.

Although you might think that the frozen waffle industry would be suffering as people abandon cereals and other starchy breakfast foods, studies show that isn’t necessarily true. A 2015 Epicurious article cited that frozen waffle sales had actually increased in recent years, claiming that people may perceive the waffle as being healthier than cereal. Go to the freezer section of your local grocery store and you’ll likely find a wide variety of flavors. My grocery store even offers a gluten-free variety in their own store brand that is the same price as wheat varieties. That’s kind of an anomaly in the gluten-free world, so I thought, why not  gluten-free canapes made with waffles?

Frozen waffles don’t have to be just for breakfast! Make these sweet and simple bites for your next cheese board or appetizer platter!