This article will compare Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles to Eggo Buttermilk Waffles by detailing the differences and similarities between these two popular types of waffles in terms of taste, ingredients, and nutrition. Kodiak Cakes first gained attention in 2014 for appearing on Shark Tank which did not result in a deal with any of the sharks. However, that disappointment did not stop them from gaining some traction in the frozen waffles market and making over $20.96 million in annual sales in 2022, making them the third most popular frozen waffle brand behind Kellogg’s $186.56 million (including Eggo and Morningstar Farms) and Private Label brands $31 million.
Kellogg’s released its frozen Eggo waffles to the market in the 1950s, making it the first frozen waffle brand sold in grocery stores. Since then, Eggo has remained America’s most popular frozen waffle brand. The American public loves these waffles so much because they are delicious and easily prepared using a toaster in contrast to the more difficult process of making your own Eggo waffles from scratch. All Eggo waffles, except for their Thick and Fluffy product line, have the same thickness as Waffle House waffles but their diameter is about 2 inches shorter.
You can use a Dash mini Eggo style waffle maker to make waffles that look very similar to Eggo waffles. Read this article to learn more about Eggo style waffle makers: https://wafflemakercenter.com/best-thin-waffle-makers-for-classic-waffles/. Eggo’s most popular waffles, Homestyle and Buttermilk, do not contain as much sugar as their delicious Eggo Liege style waffles.
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Differences and Similarities between Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles and Eggo Buttermilk Waffles
The biggest difference between Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles and Eggo Buttermilk waffles is that all Kodiak Cakes waffles are made with 100% whole grain flour while all Eggo waffles are made with enriched flour which is why Kodiak Cakes waffles contain a lot more protein and fiber.
Both Kodiak Cakes and Eggo Buttermilk waffles have a sour and tangy flavor because of the buttermilk and they have about the same amount of carbohydrates and saturated fat but Kodiak Cakes waffles have more calories and sugar.
What’s in each package?
Eggo Buttermilk Waffles are available in two different package sizes: 12.3 oz and 29.6 oz (1 pound and 13.6 oz). The 12.3 oz package size comes with 10 frozen waffles while the 29.6 oz package size comes with 24 waffles.
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles are only available in a 13.4 oz package size that comes with 10 frozen waffles.
Cost
Eggo Buttermilk Waffles are some of the cheapest frozen waffles on the market, with a suggested retail price of $2.99 for a 12.3 oz package of 10 frozen waffles (24 cents per ounce) and a price of about $6.00 for a 29.6 oz package of 24 waffles (20 cents per ounce).
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles are on the other end of the spectrum in terms of price. Because these Kodiak waffles are packed with more protein than any other brand of frozen waffles, except for Kashi GO Frozen Protein Waffles, they are priced much higher than Eggo Buttermilk waffles, coming in with a suggested retail price of $5.99 for a 13.4 oz package of 10 frozen waffles (45 cents per ounce).
Flour
The most used ingredient for all frozen waffles is flour because it gives waffles their structure by binding the ingredients together and thickening the batter and that is no different with Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles and Eggo Buttermilk Waffles. However, they do not use the same type of flour.
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles use both 100% whole grain wheat flour and 100% whole grain oat flour while Eggo Buttermilk waffles use the less nutritious enriched flour, also known as white flour, refined flour, or all-purpose flour.
Enriched flour is less nutritious because it is made by removing the bran and germ from the wheat kernel which contains a lot of fiber, protein, and nutrients. It is fortified by adding some fiber, protein, and nutrients but it still has a lot less fiber and protein than whole grain flour.
According to the USDA’s FoodData Central Database, 100 grams of all purpose or enriched flour has 10 grams of protein while 100 grams of whole wheat flour has 13 grams of protein.
Protein
The main selling point of Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles is that it contains a lot more protein per serving than just about any other frozen waffle brand. They have a lot more protein than Eggo Waffles because, unlike Eggo waffles, Kodiak Cakes waffles use 100% whole grain wheat flour, 100% whole grain oat flour, wheat protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and whey protein isolate.
Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscles and bones. It’s the main component of muscle tissue, providing the amino acids necessary for growth and repair. Not only that, but it also helps form strong bones by increasing their mineral density and hardness. Protein can be found in a variety of food sources, from animal products such as meat, eggs, and milk to plant sources like legumes, nuts and seeds.
According to the Nutrition Facts labels for Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles and Eggo Buttermilk waffles, two Kodiak Cakes waffles contain 12 grams of protein while two Eggo waffles contain a relatively meager 4 grams, primarily because it uses enriched flour instead of whole grain flour like the Kodiak Cakes waffles.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) states that adults following a 2000 calorie diet should willconsume 50 grams of protein daily, according to their article on the revised nutrition and supplement facts labels that you can read more about by clicking on this link: https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-new-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels.
This means that the 12 grams of protein from two Kodiak Cakes waffles is 24% of the 50 grams per day that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends you should consume while the 4 grams of protein from two Eggo waffles account for a measly 8%.
Fiber
The whole grain flours used by Kodiak Cakes waffles not only contains a lot of protein but a lot of fiber as well. In contrast, the enriched flour used by Eggo waffles contains a lot less protein and fiber because the bran and germ, which contains a lot of protein and fiber, are removed during the milling process.
Eating enough fiber is essential for overall health, and particularly to help with weight management and digestive health. Research has shown that a diet rich in fiber helps curb appetite by slowing the digestion process so you don’t feel hungry again too quickly after eating a meal. Not only does fiber help you feel fuller longer, it also helps control blood sugar levels and aids in digestion.
Fiber can be found in many foods, including whole grains like oats and barley, vegetables such as sweet potatoes and broccoli, fruits like apples and oranges, legumes such as beans and lentils, nuts, seeds, and some fortified breakfast cereals. Incorporating these high-fiber foods into your meals will keep you feeling satisfied while helping to regulate your body’s systems more effectively.
The US FDA states that adults on a 2000 calorie diet should consume 28 grams of fiber per day, according to their article on the revised nutrition and supplement facts labels listed here: https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-new-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels.
If you want to get some fiber in your diet, I would not recommend Eggo waffles because two Eggo waffles contain less than 1 gram of fiber which is only 3% of the 28 grams per day that the US FDA recommends you should consume while two Kodiak Cakes waffles contain 4 grams which is a much better source of fiber coming in at 14% of the daily recommended value.
Sugar
Eggo Buttermilk waffles have Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk and Vanilla Power waffles beat in one category: sugar. Eggo waffles have a smaller amount of total sugars and added sugars than Kodiak Cakes waffles. Two Eggo waffles have 2 grams of total sugars and 1 gram of added sugars which is 2% of the FDA’s daily recommended value of 50 grams while two Kodiak Cakes waffles have 6 grams of total sugars and 5 grams of added sugars which is 10% of the FDA’s daily recommended value. However, this means that Kodiak Cakes waffles are better for people with a sweet tooth because they will taste a little sweeter.
Calories
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffles have more calories than Eggo Buttermilk waffles because of the use of 100% whole grain flour. Each Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffle has 130 calories while each Eggo Buttermilk waffle has 90 calories.
Carbohydrates
As a general rule, whole grain wheat flour has fewer net carbs than all-purpose flour. However, you can get a lot of carbs from sugar as well which is why people on a Keto diet avoid sugar as much as possible. The extra sugar in Kodiak Cakes waffles is the reason why Kodiak Cakes and Eggo waffles have nearly the same amount of carbs even though Kodiak Cakes waffles are made with whole grain flour while Eggo waffles are made from all-purpose flour.
Two Kodiak Cakes waffles contain 29 grams of total carbohydrates which is 11% of the 275 grams that the FDA recommends you should consume per day while two Eggo waffles contain 28 grams of total carbohydrates which is 10% of the FDA’s daily recommended value.
Fat
Kodiak Cakes waffles have more grams of total fat but fewer grams of saturated fat than Eggo Buttermilk waffles. Neither has any trans fat which is the worst type of fat and can raise ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels and raise your likelihood of getting heart disease. Not all fat is bad. The whole grain flour used by Kodiak Cakes waffles contains healthy fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are missing in the refined flour used by Eggo waffles.
Two Kodiak Cakes waffles have 11 grams of total fat (14% of the daily recommended value of 78 grams) and 1 gram of saturated fat (5% of the daily recommended value of 20 grams) while two Eggo Buttermilk waffles have 6 grams of total fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat which are both 8% of the daily recommended value.
Calcium
Eggo Buttermilk waffles have more calories than Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffles. Each Eggo Buttermilk waffle has 260 milligrams of calcium (20% of the daily recommended value of 1300 milligrams) while each Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffle has 96 milligrams of calcium (8% of the daily recommended value).
Potassium
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffles have more potassium than Eggo Buttermilk waffles. Each Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffle has 176 milligrams of potassium (4% of the daily recommended value of 4700 milligrams) while each Eggo Buttermilk waffle has 50 milligrams of potassium (1% of the daily recommended value).
Sodium
Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffles have a little more sodium than Eggo Buttermilk waffles. Each Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk waffle has 390 milligrams of sodium (17% of the daily recommended value of 2300 milligrams) while each Eggo Buttermilk waffle has 350 milligrams of sodium (15% of the daily recommended value).
Oil
To make their waffles as healthy as possible, Kodiak Cakes uses sunflower oil for their frozen waffles instead of the vegetable oil used by Eggo waffles.
Sunflower oil is a healthier choice than vegetable oil for two main reasons. First, sunflower oil contains far less saturated fats than vegetable oil does; this type of fat can be difficult for the body to digest and can increase cholesterol levels in the blood, and has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. When compared with other oils, sunflower oil contains one of the lowest amounts of saturated fat per tablespoon.
Second, sunflower oil is composed almost entirely of monounsaturated fats (about 80 percent of the total) and polyunsaturated fats which are essential fatty acids that our bodies need but cannot produce on their own – these healthy fats help reduce bad LDL cholesterol levels while raising HDL (or “good”) cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation in the body. Sunflower oil is also packed with vitamins like Vitamin E which helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and supports skin health. Therefore, it’s clear why sunflower oil is a healthier alternative to traditional vegetable oils when cooking or baking in the kitchen.
Final Verdict
Kodiak Cakes’ Buttermilk and Vanilla Power Waffles are a much healthier alternative to traditional Eggo Buttermilk Waffles due to their use of 100% whole grain flour instead of refined flour, which increases the fiber and protein content, and they also use sunflower oil instead of vegetable oil because it has less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fat.
