This easy waffle recipe comes together quickly with basic kitchen staples, giving you golden, delicious waffles in no time. With a few easy steps, you’ll enjoy a perfect homemade breakfast.
Recipe Science
- Baking powder creates air bubbles that expand with heat, making waffles light and fluffy.
- Gently mix the waffle batter! Overmixing develops too much gluten, leading to dense, chewy waffles instead of tender.
- The sugar caramelizes during cooking, enhancing the golden color and creating a slightly crisp exterior.
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Why It Works
There’s nothing quite like golden waffles that are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Unlike store-bought or frozen options, homemade waffles let you control the ingredients, ensuring a better texture and flavor. Plus, they’re incredibly versatile—top them with fresh fruit, syrup, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for a customized breakfast treat.
This easy waffle recipe works because it balances key ingredients for the perfect texture. A mix of flour, eggs, and milk creates a light batter, while a touch of butter adds richness. Baking powder lifts the waffles, making them airy inside with a crisp, golden exterior. Whether you’re making a weekend brunch or a quick weekday treat, this foolproof recipe delivers delicious waffles every time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour to achieve light, tender waffles. Its moderate protein content (10–13%) provides the proper structure without making the waffles too dense.
- Leavening Agent: Baking powder helps the waffle batter rise, creating a light and airy texture when cooked in the waffle iron.
- Milk: Whole milk adds richness while thinning the batter, ensuring a smooth consistency without sacrificing flavor.
- Butter: Fat prevents the batter from sticking to the waffle iron, while the milk solids in butter brown during cooking add a subtle toffee-like flavor and golden color to the waffles.
- Eggs: Egg yolks add richness, while whipped egg whites incorporate air, making the batter light and fluffy.
- Sweetener: Granulated sugar lightly sweetens the waffle batter and helps with browning.
- Flavor: Vanilla extracts add a sweet aroma to the waffles as they cook in the iron.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This homemade waffle recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Gluten-Free Option: For those sensitive to gluten, you can easily swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make light, fluffy waffles without compromising texture or flavor.
- Adding Buttermilk: Add tangy buttermilk instead of whole milk for a more complex flavor. Learn how to make buttermilk swaps if you have none available, like diluting yogurt or adding kefir, which also adds extra protein.
- Butter Swaps: For a crisper texture, use margarine, plant-based butter, European butter, light olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Sweetener Substitutes: Try adding brown sugar for a molasses note. For a less sweet waffle, use two tablespoons of sugar. Honey and maple syrup can be used, but the waffles will be less crisp. Add pearl sugar for Liege or Belgium waffles.
- Flavoring: Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom for a sweet baked aroma. Try my pumpkin waffles for a fall-flavored option. Mix in diced fruit like apples, strawberries, and bananas.
- Waffle Toppings: Add whipped cream, Greek yogurt, caramel sauce, Nutella, and fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or sliced bananas. Add crunch with chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or peanuts.
How to Make Waffles
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. This step evenly distributes the leavening agent and spices, ensuring the waffles rise properly and have a well-balanced flavor in every bite.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients
Whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. This combines fats, liquids, and flavorings, creating a smooth, well-emulsified mixture that helps produce tender, flavorful waffles.
Step 3: Make the Waffle Batter
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, resulting in dense waffles instead of light and fluffy ones.
Quick Substitution: If using a large Belgian waffle maker, you’ll need to add more batter. Typically, ¾ cup for a 7-inch iron. Adjust according to manufacturer directions.
Step 4: Cook the Waffles
Preheat your waffle iron to medium-high or preferred browning level, then lightly grease it with cooking spray. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter per section, adjusting as needed.
Close the lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Tips for Perfect Execution: I use an All-Clad square waffle maker and find that setting it to medium heat (level 5) gives the waffles a perfect golden brown, crisp texture. The cooking time is typically around 5 to 6 minutes. Waffle settings vary by iron and browning preference, so adjust as needed to find your ideal cooking time.
Step 5: To Serve
Serve the waffles warm with your favorite toppings like butter and maple syrup, or pair them with fried chicken for a hearty meal. If you’re looking for more breakfast recipes, try my fluffy homemade pancakes or classic French toast next!
Frequently Asked Questions
While pancake and waffle batter share similar ingredients, they aren’t exactly the same. Waffle batter typically contains more fat and sugar, which helps create a crispy, golden exterior and a soft interior. The extra fat prevents waffles from sticking to the iron and enhances browning, while the sugar caramelizes for added crispness. Pancake batter, on the other hand, has less fat and a thinner consistency, resulting in a softer, more tender texture.
Preheat the oven to 200ºF (93ºC) and place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Set the waffles on top in a single layer and keep them warm for up to 20 minutes to prevent them from drying out.
Wrap the waffles and store them in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, pop them in a toaster oven until hot and crisp.
If you have extra time, room-temperature ingredients create a smoother, lump-free batter. Cold eggs, milk, or butter can cause uneven mixing. Plus, room-temperature eggs whip better, adding air for lighter, fluffier waffles. To warm ingredients quickly, place eggs in warm water for a few minutes and gently heat the milk so that it’s tepid before mixing.
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Easy Waffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the Dry Ingredients – In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Make the Waffle Batter – Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Do not overmix the batter.
- Cook the Waffles – Preheat the waffle iron over medium heat or to the desired browning level. Lightly grease with cooking spray. Add about ⅓ cup of batter to each section, adding more as needed depending on the waffle iron size. Close and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's instructions. Reduce cooking time for softer waffles.
- To Serve – Serve the waffles with desired toppings like butter and maple syrup.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill instead of all-purpose flour.
- Keeping Waffles Warm: Heat the oven to 200ºF (93ºC). Place cooked waffles on a wire rack sitting in a sheet pan. Keep them warm in the oven for no more than 20 minutes so they do not dry out.
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheating Frozen Waffles: Microwave waffles in a single layer for 30 to 60 seconds until hot. For crispy waffles, microwave to defrost for 30 to 45 seconds, then toast until crispy.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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