This easy yummy waffle recipe requires only four ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Your whole family will love these yummy, fluffy Belgian waffles! Waffles have been popular for centuries, if not millenia. This delicious breakfast treat is the perfect way to start any day, whether it’s a special occasion or just another ordinary day. The traditional way of making waffles is by using a waffle iron and pre-made batter. However, the preparation can be a chore, especially when you want to prepare them with fresh ingredients instead of using canned ones.
The Best Homemade Waffles Recipe
These easy homemade waffles are a major hit in our home! They are made pretty much every weekend and even sometimes during the week when I get an extra sweet request from one of the boys. While 2-year-olds aren’t always known for being great eaters, they LOVE these waffles and can easily put down at least 3 between them.
These are classic waffles too, not to be mistaken for Belgium waffles. Being the classics they are, they are simpler and more straight forward to make. No need to worry about whipping egg whites here, just mix everything together and you’re ready to go! Quick and easy!
After tweaking the recipe to get it just how we like them – buttery, a little sweet, fluffy and crisp – I’m finally sharing this perfect waffle recipe. I can’t wait for you to try them and add them to your weekend rotation too!
Homemade Waffle Ingredients
These waffles couldn’t be easier to make and odds are you already have the ingredients in your kitchen!
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder – Helps give these waffles their fluffy rise.
- Salt
- Butter – Adds great buttery flavor and I always recommend my favorite Challenge Butter. Challenge Butter is a wonderfully creamy butter that goes from farm to fridge in just two days, so you know it’s fresh. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors or filling, which I love. Be sure to check it out!
- Milk – I use 2%.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – Definitely adds lovely flavor.
How to Make Homemade Waffles
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and set that aside.
- Melt butter. Add a few tablespoons of the milk in with your butter and melt it in the microwave. Adding the milk helps ensure that when you add the melted mixture to the rest of your milk and wet ingredients, it doesn’t seize up and end up lumpy.
- Combine wet ingredients. Add the melted butter mixture to the milk and then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir together. Don’t over mix it! A few lumps are just fine.
- Cook your waffles. Add the batter to your waffle iron and cook them according to your waffles iron’s instructions. My waffle iron uses roughly 6 tablespoons of batter per waffle. Add in the batter and let it cook to the setting you choose on your waffle maker.
- Serve and eat! This is the best part. Serve your waffles with some Challenge Butter and syrup and dig in!
What to Serve with Waffles
While we love to eat our waffles with a little butter and syrup, there are lots of fun options. You could even set up a waffle bar for a special occasion. Some great options for pairing with your waffles:
- Powdered sugar – Dust it over the top with a sifter or spoon.
- Fresh fruit – Berries, diced peaches, sliced bananas. Whatever you enjoy!
- Raspberry sauce – Homemade raspberry sauce would be incredible topped with whipped cream and maple syrup.
- Whipped cream – You can use homemade whipped cream for the ultimate topping.
- Caramel Sauce – A drizzle of salted caramel sauce would be amazing on these waffles!
- Eggs – Scrambled on the side, or perhaps even over easy and served on top.
- Sausage or Bacon – Anyone else love dipping bacon in maple syrup?
Why Make Waffles at home
Waffles are the superheroes of weekend breakfast! There’s nothing like sleeping in on a Saturday morning, then stumbling out of bed to sit down to a plate of freshly made waffles drizzled with real maple syrup.
Of course, I’m usually the one making the waffles so that the rest of my family can have that experience but, you know what? It’s worth it.
I’ll gladly be the one manning the waffle iron if it means I get to have homemade waffles as my reward.
How to Make Waffles
Waffles
Play Video
- This recipe creates perfect waffles with buttery crisp edges that yield to a fluffy interior.
- Homemade Waffles sweep the floor with the frozen toaster waffles—and you can even freeze leftovers!
- Making waffles from scratch is hardly any more difficult than using a waffle mix. Boxed waffle mix can definitely be convenient but really just saves you the step of mixing the dry ingredients together.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to make these waffles.
PRO TIP: You can keep the dry ingredients in an airtight container so it’s available anytime you want waffles!
For the dry waffle mix:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Sugar
- Kosher Salt
Combine these ingredients in a bowl, then proceed with the recipe. If you like, you can make this in advance to store. Then the next time you want waffles, pull it out and use it just like you would use a storebought waffle mix!
Wet ingredients to add to the waffle mix:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Melted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
Step by Step Instructions
Easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Make the batter. Mix together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour it into the dry mix and whisk to combine. Let sit for a few minutes while you preheat your waffle iron.
- Prepare your waffle iron. Preheat your waffle iron. Spray waffle iron with baking spray before the FIRST batch only.
- Cook! Ladle batter into preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Carefully remove the waffle and repeat with remaining batter. Keep waffles warm until ready to serve!
Waffle Toppings
Waffle squares were built for catching pools of maple syrup and butter.
Fresh fruit and whipped cream are also heavenly on these waffles!
Berry Syrup is also delicious on homemade waffles.
If you haven’t tried my homemade buttermilk syrup yet, DO IT. Only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes, you’ll love the rich flavor!
Oh and I can’t forget to mention, dessert waffles. A scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top of a warm waffle just about makes me weak in the knees. (My kids have no complaints about them, either.) Add a drizzle of our homemade chocolate syrup to complete the treat.
How to make yummy waffles without buttermilk
There’s nothing better than waking up to waffles. They hold a special place as far as breakfast dishes go: they’re tastier than toast, more interesting than pancakes, and they’re a lot more exciting to make that muesli! While you will need a waffle machine to cook them from scratch, waffles are easier to whip up than you think.
Here is a simple and easy recipe for making waffles with basic ingredients.
How to make waffles recipe (no buttermilk):
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 4½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- Butter and maple syrup, to serve
METHOD:
Step 1
Preheat waffle iron.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together milk and egg, blending thoroughly, but do not overmix.
Pour milk and egg mixture over dry ingredients and mix with the whisk, stopping when ingredients are just combined. Stir in melted butter.
Step 3
Cook waffles, one at a time. If batter becomes too thick upon standing, thin with a little more milk. Bake waffles until crisp and brown outside and soft inside. Serve immediately with butter, syrup, or your choice of toppings.
How to make frozen waffles taste better
If you don’t have time to follow a waffle recipe and make them from scratch, then there are plenty of ways you can dress up store-bought waffles instead. Tasty ideas include; fried, caramelised bananas with ice cream, waffles topped with mixed berries and honey, or you can even use waffles to make a toasted sandwich with your choice of fillings.
If you want to create something really impressive, why not try making our amazing Picnic waffle ice cream cake.
Is Pancake Mix The Same as Waffle Mix?
The batter in this waffle recipe is not the same as pancake batter.
Waffle batter uses more egg (plus we beat the whites separately and fold them in) for the most fluffy waffles ever! The extra egg in a waffle batter makes a crispy exterior surrounding a moist fluffy inside with lots of air pockets.
While you certainly can cook pancake batter in your waffle iron, they won’t have the same texture or flavor that classic waffles have. Pancake mix or a pancake recipe will be a bit denser and won’t have the same texture on the outside.
The Secret to Extra Fluffy Waffles
If you want extra fluffy waffles with a crisp exterior, there’s a simple trick. It will only add about 2-3 minutes to the prep time, so it’s totally worth the effort.
For extra fluffy waffles, separate the egg whites and beat them until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the batter. This step only takes a few minutes and makes a big difference. If you are short on time, you can skip this step but I highly recommend it!
How to Make Waffles
This light, fluffy homemade waffle recipe is easy and takes just minutes of prep. The rave reviews will make it worth the extra step of whipping the egg whites!
- Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff. (Optional but recommended). This extra step makes this recipe extra fluffy compared to other waffle recipes.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients (per recipe below). Fold in whipped egg whites.
- Ladle batter into a hot waffle iron and cook until lightly browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.
Serve with your favorite toppings. Some waffle makers just have an off and on but others require a temperature. If your waffle maker requires a temperature, cook the waffles At 400°F for a nice brown on the outside.
To Keep Warm
This waffle recipe is great for a crowd and can easily be doubled or tripled. Keep waffles warm in the oven as you make more batches so everyone can eat at the same time (and make oven bacon to keep warm at the same time too)!
Preheat the oven to 225°F and place a baking pan in the oven. As the waffles are finished cooking, place them on the baking pan to stay warm while you make the remaining waffles.
Tips for The Best Waffles
- You can skip the step of separating the egg and beating the whites but it really makes these waffles amazing.
- Do not overmix the batter, it should be a little bit lumpy.
- Preheat your waffle maker and lightly oil with vegetable oil. Cooking spray isn’t recommended as it can cause a sticky residue.
- Put enough batter so the waffle is almost full, it will run out to the edges a little bit.
Our Favorite Waffle Toppings
Waffles are incredibly versatile and accommodating to so many different toppings. They can be served as bread in a gravy-rich meal (like a hot turkey sandwich), or as a dessert.
- Sweet: strawberries and whipped cream, jams and jellies of all kinds, Nutella, strawberry butter, honey, cinnamon sugar, or apple butter, honey butter.
- Savory: Sausage gravy, fried chicken (for fried chicken & waffles), or toasted chopped pecans, or even top with a poached egg and shredded cheese.
Make Ahead & Reheating Leftovers
Mix up some extra batter, because waffles store well in the fridge or freezer, and are easy to revive in the microwave, toaster, or oven for quick breakfasts or even snacks.
- To Store: Cool completely before storing in freezer bags or containers. They will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator, and up to four-six months in the freezer.
- To Reheat: Just remove as many as you need and place straight into the toaster oven on the medium or light setting until heated through. They can burn easily, so keep an eye on them