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 all-purpose flour (250g)
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cup buttermilk please click the link for instructions on how to make a simple buttermilk substitute (473ml)
- 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,
- 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.
- 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.
Sharon Fox
Hi Sam, we love these waffles, just like all your recipes. My boys want to try fried chicken….please, please do a fried chicken recipe. Your recipes are so great, I love making everything you post. Thanks.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys everything so much, Sharon! I will put a fried chicken recipe on my list of things to do. 🙂
Linda Durfee
Made these tonight and the waffles were DELISH !! I had three extra waffles. I wrapped them in plastic wrap , then wrapped them in foil and put in the freezer. Will have one later this week for breakfast……just unwrap and pop it in the toaster. Thank you Sam. I have enjoyed making many of your recipes and all with great results.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Linda! I am also impressed with your restraint to not eat them all at one time. 😉
Joyce
How big is your waffle iron?
Sam
7 inches in diameter. 🙂
LVS2BK
Just rec’d my new double waffle maker & your recipe, Sam, is the BEST! Easy, quick to mix & Deeelicious!! Love that this awesome waffle appliance makes 2 waffles at a time, crisp on the outside & soft inside! Even my hubby commented how yummy your recipe comes out! Strawberries & blueberries topped them off! Love following you on FB- keep those recipes coming!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! I should buy myself a double waffle maker so I don’t have to wait for one to finish after I devour the first one. 🙂
Alondra
Hi! I haven’t made them yet but I was wondering, do I have to use buttermilk? Can I just use milk instead?
Sam
Hi Alondra! Please see the link in the recipe ingredients that links you to an article to make a buttermilk substitute. 🙂
Ally
I can’t find the how to video! It says it’s in the recipe card but the video I see is for your worst cookies (which I can’t wait to try!) And I’m unsure about folding in the egg whites. Everything is as clear as can be though, thank you for laying this out for beginners like me!
Sam
O no! I am seeing the video on my end. It is right above the list of ingredients in the blue box. I believe if it plays too long it will start going to the next video automatically so maybe that was the issue here?
Bethany
One of my boys likes to have waffles every single morning. Needless to say, I have tried a lot of recipes. Out of all of them these were proclaimed “The Best Waffle Ever.” Perfect recipe! Thanks!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much Bethany! 🙂
Grace
I tried this recipe, and I think I did something wrong. The waffles tasted good, but it was soggy and not crisp on the outside. I even left the batter in the waffle iron for a very long time, trying to crisp it more. Any suggestions as to what I need to do or what I may have done wrong?
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Grace! Did you let your waffle iron get up to temperature? If the iron is hot enough you should be able to get a crisp exterior. 🙂
Grace
Hi, Sam,
Yes, I let it warm up until it rings to indicate that it has pre-heated. I’ve used packaged waffle mixes before, and I have been able to get crisp waffles with my waffle iron. But for this recipe, I was not successful in getting a crisp waffle. It was soaggy and soft.
Regards,
Grace
Sam
Hmm I’m really stumped. I haven’t run into this issue before. I wonder if the iron isn’t getting as hot as it needs to be for these waffles. The batter should sizzle when it hits the waffle iron. This will release some of the moisture from the batter and allow the waffles to get crispy. If the iron isn’t the issue I really am a loss for what could be going wrong. I’m sorry I don’t have any other tips to help you out. 🙁
Elle
Wow, these turned out incredible! I have never had good luck with homemade waffles, but these were the dream! Not too difficult to make on a lazy weekend morning, too. This will be my go-to recipe. Thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Elle! 🙂
Carrie
Light, fluffy, yet crisp on the outside! This is a keeper!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Carrie! 🙂
Liz
I’m going to try these in the morning as my granddaughter is coming for breakfast. I just have a normal waffle iron, not Belgian. Are there any adjustments I need to make using this style of waffle iron. Can’t wait to try them, they sound delicious!!
Sugar Spun Run
No adjustments needed. Any waffle iron will do! I hope that you and your granddaughter love this recipe, Liz! 🙂
Liz
I finally made these this morning, last week didn’t go as planned, but my granddaughter was here this morning and my goodness, these were delicious, so light and fluffy!! I’ve been making waffles a very long time and this was by far the best recipe I have ever made; definitely going to replace every other waffle recipe I have. A little more putzy but definitely worth every extra step!! Would it be difficult to double the recipe if I decided to make these for a larger group?
Sam
Hi Liz! I am so glad you have enjoyed the waffles so much! This would work great doubled. I have done it myself a couple of times, depending how hungry my husband is. 🤣
Pam
These are absolutely delicious! Very easy to make! Enjoyable to eat!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved them, Pam! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Anna
Omg. Just made these for breakfast and they are finished. Super fluffy; I’m not using box mixes for this again 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed them, Anna! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Karen
You do not understand how badly I need a waffle recipe (and this website.) The last 2 times I had to throw out my waffles, dense and absolutely no flavor (my poor guests.) I don’t mind extra bowls, or ingredients if the result is great. I’m trying these in the morning for sure. I’ll let you know how they are.
Sugar Spun Run
Waffles have been requested a lot during this time so I happy that I created one. I hope that you love them and it was exactly the recipe you were looking for, Karen! 🙂
Brenda
I just made these for my hubby this a.m; I halved the recipe! I have made waffle recipes in the past with great results but this one was easy And delicious at the same time!! Winner, winner, my new go-to! Thank you, Sam!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you both enjoyed them, Brenda! I am happy that you now have a new go-to recipe! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Michelle
Wow just made for lunch , yum followed exactly as I always do the first time I try a new recipe. Otherwise commenting wouldn’t be fair! I did cut recipe in half so I didn’t have too much batter left over. Now Sam I have a question , when I was in PR I went to a waffle shop. I ate the best savory waffles I ever ate. The outside was a tad sweet with spinach and mushrooms in the batter. Wish I could find a recipe like that. Maybe you could work on a savory twist for us. In meantime I’m going to experiment on my own.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Michelle! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. A savory waffle with mushrooms and spinach sounds interesting! If you play around with this recipe let me know how it turns out. 🙂