You asked for it! Today I’m sharing my all-time favorite waffle recipe! Ready in just 15 minutes, this recipe yields golden, crisp-on-the-outside, soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside buttermilk waffles (and I include a simple substitute if you don’t have buttermilk!). I can’t wait for you to try it!
If you follow me on Instagram you’re probably just as invested as I am on this journey to the perfect waffle recipe. My sisters and I spent several days making waffles, non-stop, batch after batch, until this recipe was 100% dialed in and 100% perfect. I shared dozens of recipe fails and almost-successes in my Instagram stories. We got sick of eating waffles. Even the dogs seemed to get tired of them.
That is, until this version was finally perfected. And, guys, this recipe is it. And this recipe is for you if you like waffles that are:
- Crisp and golden on the outside
- Insanely soft, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside
- Thick.
- Flavorful enough to enjoy on their own, without being so rich that you can’t cover with syrup or sugar and still enjoy.
- The most beautiful golden/brown color in existence
- Easy, but you will need to dirty an extra bowl to make them (it’s worth it!).
This recipe joins the ranks of my other over-tested breakfast favorites including my crepes and French toast.
What You Need
- Flour. We are using all-purpose or “plain” flour for today’s recipe.
- Baking powder and baking soda. We use the two together for the fluffiest, best tasting waffles. The baking powder really does most of the lifting and makes the waffles fluffy, and the baking soda reacts with the buttermilk for tender waffles with a tasty tang (and helps contribute to giving them a little lift, too).
- Corn starch. The secret ingredient from some of my favorite recipes (like my coffee cake and chocolate chip cookies) makes an appearance here, too. It helps to thicken the batter without drying it out and contributes to the perfectly golden crisp exterior.
- Sugar. A bit of granulated sugar helps flavor the waffles (without making them terribly sweet on their own).
- Vanilla extract. Again, to enhance the flavor.
- Salt. We are all about the flavor here, and the salt helps to enhance it as well.
- Eggs. You’ll need two, and you’ll need to separate the yolks and whites. The yolks will be mixed in with the wet ingredients, then you’ll whip the whites to stiff peaks before stirring into the batter. More on this below!
- Butter. Many waffle recipes tout the benefits of using oil over butter. I tried to make oil work. In fact I was insistent on it in the beginning. But when I finally broke down and tried using butter instead, the flavor of the waffles improved incredibly. Once the butter got into the picture, we were finally on track to waffle perfection.
- Buttermilk. So important for the flavor, don’t make them without . If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use my simple, two ingredient buttermilk substitute.
Growing up my mom often made us pancakes and waffles using the same batter. While the batter for my buttermilk pancakes made for decent waffles (and the best pancakes of your life), it needed some tweaking before it yielded waffles that had just the right crispness on the outside and fluffiness on the inside.
Technique: Separating the Egg Whites
I didn’t come up with the idea of separating the egg whites and egg yolks, but as I did my waffle research I encountered this technique in more and more recipes.
“Nobody needs more dishes.” I insisted, determined to incorporate the yolks and whites together. But, after about 15 good, but not fantastic waffles, I caved. We gave it a shot and, oh, what a difference. By whipping the egg whites separately to stiff peaks and then folding them into the batter we take our homemade waffles to a new level of fluffiness, airiness, and deliciousness. See my video in the recipe card if you’ve never whipped egg whites before (it’s easy).
Can’t I just skip this step?
Why must you be so difficult? Sure, you could just stir the egg whites and yolks into the batter together. However your waffles won’t be as fluffy and they will taste more “eggy”. I mean, they’ll be alright, so if you’re looking for “alright” waffles instead of the “best” waffles, then sure. Fifty taste-tests down the drain for nothing.
Look, it’s worth the extra dishes and extra 3 minutes, in this waffle-aficionado’s humble opinion.
Toppings
How do you serve your waffles? Buttered? Drowned in pure Vermont maple syrup? Plain (this recipe actually is quite delicious plain, thank-you-very-much)? Here are a few of my favorite suggestions.
- Go classic with salted butter and maple syrup.
- Powdered sugar. When I was a kid this is the only thing I put on my waffles.
- Fruit! Fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream are great waffle toppings.
- Blueberry sauce or strawberry sauce.
- Make it a waffle sundae by topping off with ice cream, sprinkles, and chocolate sauce.
- You can add chocolate chips straight into the waffle batter before cooking. I recommend using mini chocolate chips (regular sized will be too large and may keep your iron from closing properly) and add ⅔-3/4 cups. Stir them in at the end.
You could also go savory and have yourself a plate of fried chicken & waffles. Confession: I’ve never had the two together before. Am I missing out?
Enjoy!
More Great Breakfast Recipes to Try:
Be sure to check out the how-to video in the recipe!
The Best Waffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cup (473 ml) buttermilk please click the link for instructions on how to make a simple buttermilk substitute
- 2 large eggs whites and yolks divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled a bit
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl,2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Add buttermilk, egg yolks (reserve the whites, you will need them in a moment), and vanilla extract to the well. Gently whisk together wet ingredients (avoiding the dry) and drizzle butter into mixture while whisking.2 cup (473 ml) buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Whisk all wet ingredients together in the well to combine and scramble the egg yolks. Use a spatula to gradually incorporate the rest of the batter until all ingredients are well-combined (but don’t over-mix). There will likely be some small lumps in the batter.
- In a separate (completely clean and completely dry) bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Fold egg whites into batter, stir gently until completely combined,
- Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes while your waffle iron preheats.
- Once waffle iron is ready, portion batter into hot iron (for my Belgian iron I need about 1 ¼ cups of batter). Cook until golden brown. How long the waffle takes will depend on your iron, for my Presto Belgian iron it takes about 4 minutes. The first waffle is usually a test to judge how much batter to use and how long to cook.
- Serve warm, topped with butter and syrup, whipped cream and berries, or powdered sugar!
Notes
Making in Advance
This batter can be made and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for two days. Gently stir the ingredients together again before using.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Matthew Cox
We have these almost every week. They are light and flavorful – a rare combination at breakfast. We make a couple of batches, break them up, and freeze them. Then we put them in the toaster 3 minutes on busy school mornings. Not as good as fresh but better than store-bought – and we know exactly what is in these. Don’t skip any steps. They are good!
Sam
It’s so awesome that you are using so many of my recipes and enjoying them so much! If I let my kids eat these for breakfast every day they would not complain. These are a family favorite. 🙂
Leslie
We have a cheap waffle maker gifted to us a few years ago. My husband made on batch of waffles with it back then; it did not work as our expensive one that died years ago.
Today I had a desire for waffles plus using sourdough discard. I checked SSR recipes because I have had great luck with Sam’s recipes, but I found this waffle recipe with buttermilk, not discard. My thought was that they both add tang, so why not substitute?.
Here was my next challenge. When preparing the ingredients, I discovered a box of pancake/waffle mix in the back of my pantry that needed to be used up.
Being one who doesn’t like to waste, I compared the K mix ingredients to Sam’s. I added cornstarch,vanilla, milk, cinnamon and my discard to the box mix. Of course, I beat the egg whites as Sam instructed.
The waffles turned out great even with my less than stellar waffle maker and substitutions!
I definitely will be using your waffle recipe again, substituting sourdough discard for the buttermilk. Thanks for inspiring me!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Leslie! I am actually working on polishing my sourdough waffle recipe and hope to have it available soon. 🙂
PJ Tomlian
Should the eggs and buttermilk be room temi?
Sam
It’s best that everything is at room temperature to help it combine more easily. 🙂
Olga
Omg absolute perfection! Your recipes never disappoint so when I needed one for home made waffles I knew I would try yours. We just bought Breville waffle maker and let me tell you, they taste like gourmet waffles. I doubled on the recipe and I am glad I did. My fam ate so much and I froze some for later.
Thank you for always helpful tips! ☺️
Sam
I’m so glad everyone has enjoyed them so much, Olga! 🙂
Lisa
As per usual with every recipe of yours I’ve tried so far, this is my new go-to. It is absolute perfection, and I don’t even do the egg separation step, I just add the whole eggs in with the buttermilk and vanilla, and they still turn out dreamy. I’ve made them three times now, and needless to say I’ve thrown out my old waffle recipe and replaced it with this one! Thank you for another excellent recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love this one too, Lisa! Thanks for the review 😊
Laura
The waffles are delicious! I just made these for breakfast. They are light on the inside and crispy on the outside. This was the first time I used your recipe and my Breville 4 slice waffle maker. I was nervous using a new recipe and
new waffle maker. I will make this my waffle recipe going forward.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Laura! 🙂
Dolly Woodson
Can you make the batter the night before.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Dolly! Yes you can. We discuss this in the recipe notes 😊
LT
THIS IS AWESOME
Kristen
Would love to see this adapted using sourdough discard if you’re tracking requests. 😀
Sam
Oh that’s a great idea! I will add it to my list. 🙂
Wahida Obaidi
Your recipes are simply amazing! These waffles were hands down the best. You are my go to for all my sweets!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Wahida! 🙂
Zoryana
Wow. these are nothing short of amazing. Cant say enough. Fluffy, light yet with a slight crunch, these are flat out the BEST!
I dont wanna go back to those ‘easy’ recipes now…lol. We had them with ice cream sandwiched in between and it was soo superior to those flunky quick ones. This was my first time using one of your recipes, and I’ll be back for more! I will probably tweak the sugar amount next time though, as my family drenches waffles in syrup, that’d be too sweet, lol. Can’t wait to try your pumpkin recipes!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Diana
I seriously didnt know waffles could taste this good! If I could give it a 10 I would!!!
Thank you for my new favorite cooking blog! You are the best!
My daughter has been trying to “perfect” french macaroons for years so I directed her to your site!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the waffles and I hope the macarons are a HUGE success as well. 🙂
Tam
These are great waffles! They are light and airy inside and crispy on the outside.
Faiga
these are better than from restaurant. lots of steps but totally worth it. this is my go to site when looking for no fail baking recipes, thank you. would love if you can include a feature that would automatically double the recipe for you, I usually need to double recipes.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Faiga! 🙂
Jody Rudolph
these were sooo good ….my daughter added mini chocolate chips to her batter and that was good too! We love all your recipes we have made!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! We’re so happy you both enjoyed them, Jody 🥰