Swapples and How to Crush a Toppings Bar

If you’re past hump day…you can start thinking about the weekend and what you can make happen for BRUNCH!!! Might I suggest waffles with all.the.toppings? Make (or buy) some good waffles, or better yet, Swapples, serve up sweet and savory toppings and invite all your friends for a true brunch party!!

I did just that last weekend, hosting a brunch for 6 girlfriends with the theme of Swapples! What are Swapples, you ask? If you’re following my food-stagram you’ve probably seen them pop up a few times. They are the most delicious, wholesome pre-made waffles that I’ve found / ever had (not being dramatic) :). They’re paleo – which I love because that means no dairy, yay! and contain no grains – also yay because that means more veggies and plant power, and come in sweet and savory options. I’ll heat them up any time of day, add a little protein, extra veggies and toppings and call it a meal. Kinda like a pizza bagel meal but way healthier. (P.S. D.C. friends – if you’re local you can find these at Mom’s, Yes Organic and a few other places.)

Okay, so how do we take said waffles and turn them into epic mounds of deliciousness, as shown below? Follow along.

1 – Make a list of savory ingredients + toppings.

Eggs, bacon and sausage were the first things that came to mind for me! You could also do a vegan option (like coconut bacon). We poached, fried and scrambled a few eggs for everyone. I also had sliced avocado, pepperoni, a tomato salad and sauteed spinach. Kale would be great, as would any other leafy green! I totally forgot about my pickled onions but that would be a great savory waffle topping.

2 – Make a list of sweet toppings.

I included: dairy free whipped cream (here!), cooked apples (chopped apples cooked with a splash of water and cinnamon!), wild blueberry jam, toasted walnuts, homemade granola, whipped hazelnut honey, regular honey, banana slices and honey. Like I said, all the stops. See where the sweet and savory toppings can overlap. In my case this was bacon and mint 🙂

3 – Make ahead a couple of unique toppings.

I made the cooked apples the day before, and the tomato salad earlier that morning. Onion jam or tomato jam would also be excellent additions. I also found a vegan nut based savory topping that you could totally DIY with nuts // nutritional yeast // spices.

4 – Add fancy garnishes.

I put out fresh basil // mint //oregano // olive oil // salt // pepper //Earth Balance // maple syrup // Trader Joe’s everything seasoning // cinnamon // sesame seeds. A fun one I threw in the mix was some peanut butter pretzel M&Ms we had a small bag of because #noflavorleftbehind. Other ideas I had were candied nuts, berries, fruit slices….really just endless possibilities.