These are simply the BEST homemade waffles, guys. I’ve been making this classic waffle recipe for 10 years. They are quick to put together, and the ingredients are pantry staples. They are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside! Originally published February 24, 2012.
Table of Contents
- You will love this homemade waffle recipe
- Homemade waffle ingredients
- How to make waffles from scratch
- Get yourself a good waffle maker (and thank me later)
- Homemade waffles tips
- How to serve this homemade waffle recipe
- How to store homemade waffles
- Best waffle recipe FAQs
- More sweet breakfast recipes you will love!
- Homemade Waffles from Scratch Recipe
Eric and I went to see a guest pianist at BYU last weekend. We got there a couple minutes late, so we had to wait outside the entrance until we heard applause so as to not interrupt. A few other people were waiting with us, including a couple on what must have been a first date. This is how I could tell:
Girl: I like the Renaissance.
Boy: Oh yeah? What do you like about it? The art?
Girl: No, mostly, like, the chivalry . . . and the style.
Boy: So should I call you m’lady for the rest of the night?
Girl: No.
Yikes. It’s so fun to eavesdrop on other couples’ awkward date conversations. Makes me glad I am happily married, so instead of lame discussions about, like, Renaissance chivalry, we can talk about the consistency of Charlotte’s diaper content that day and come to a conclusion about whether or not she has diarrhea.
You will love this homemade waffle recipe
This is another fabulous recipe from Eric’s mom, dictated to him over the phone on one of our first dates. Eric wrote the waffle recipe down wrong, and we accidentally left out a full cup of milk. Definitely don’t do that.
They are the best waffles I have ever tasted. Waffles are always appropriate, day or night, rain or shine. To quote from Parks and Recreation:
Leslie (eating a waffle piled with whipped cream up to her chin): Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?
Ron (eating an entire plate of bacon): People are idiots, Leslie.
Hear, hear.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is truly amazing. I have made this multiple times and it never fails….you don´t need any toppings. They are good on their own…but, add some toppings…awesome.
– Michael A.
Homemade waffle ingredients
Ditch the Bisquik. I bet you have most of these ingredients in your pantry already.
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- butter
- whole milk (or buttermilk)
- vanilla extract
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- eggs
How to make waffles from scratch
Ok guys. Here´s the secret to the best waffles you´ll ever have: egg whites. You’ll see.
First, though, grab a big microwave-safe bowl and toss in the butter and buttermilk (or regular milk). Pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes—just until the butter is halfway melted. Then, give it a stir until it’s fully melted and smooth. Now, stir in that splash of vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt—this is your dry mix.
Next comes the eggs. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a stand mixer or a medium bowl (they’ll get whipped later). Drop the yolks into your buttery mixture and stir until everything is happy together.
Time to bring it all together. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet—don´t overmix. A few flour streaks are totally fine.
Whip those egg whites until they’re fluffy and hold their shape—think stiff peaks, not a sad puddle (about 2-5 minutes should do it). Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. No aggressive stirring here—just a few careful turns until everything is mostly combined. You don’t want big pockets of dry ingredients hanging around, but you also don’t want a runny mess.
Here’s what happens if you overfill your waffle maker. Don’t be like me.
Get yourself a good waffle maker (and thank me later)
UPDATE July 2018: Here we are 10 years after messing up this recipe the first time, and these waffles are still a stand-by in our house. We made them just last Saturday, and Eric said, why don’t you reshoot these? The world needs to know about the best waffles.
Someone gave us a waffle iron for our wedding that had this ingenious function of being able to remove the iron part from the electrical mechanisms so that you could clean it easier. They were held up with these metal clasp things. Except that eventually, they got worn out, so the burning hot irons would fall on your hands when you were trying to get out a waffle.
So a few years ago we finally bought a new waffle iron and I did my research. I wanted a good Belgian-style one. I decided on this Presto Flipside waffle maker: you flip the whole iron over after you pour in the batter, just like the waffle irons you see in hotels with complimentary breakfast. I love this iron and it hasn’t failed me yet!
Just a note: While I do prefer a Belgian waffle maker for this recipe (I want all the deep pockets for my toppings), you can definitely use a regular waffle maker. A regular waffle maker has shallower grids and makes thinner, crispier waffles, more like what you might find at a diner, but are still equally delicious.
Homemade waffles tips
Besides a decent waffle iron, there are a few tips that are going to take your waffles from good to amazing. The first is to warm the milk (or buttermilk) when you melt the butter. Just put both in the same bowl and microwave it. Have you ever added cold milk to melted butter and watched little butter solids form from the temperature change? When you warm the milk, it mixes completely, giving a better texture.
The other tip, which is the oldest in the book, is to whip the egg whites and add them last. This makes for the FLUFFIEST waffles ever!! I know it’s annoying to get another bowl dirty, but I’m telling you it’s worth it. You need three bowls for this recipe, but one of them will just have dry ingredients, and you can wipe it out and put it back in the cupboard. I’m lazy like that. So really, it’s only a 2-bowl recipe.
How to serve this homemade waffle recipe
Butter. Syrup. Insert fork into mouth. Repeat.
If you wanna get fancier, try The Best Lemon Curd, Cinnamon Honey Butter, Coconut Syrup, or Fresh Strawberry Topping. Or add fresh fruit and whipped cream, yummmm. You can even try making your own maple syrup (another classic from Eric´s mom).
To keep these warm until you’re ready to serve them, just heat your oven to 200 degrees and put these in a baking dish, uncovered, so they stay nice and crispy.
How to store homemade waffles
Waffles can be stored in the fridge for a few days, but I prefer just to put them straight in the freezer. That way you can toast them anytime and they’ll be fresh. But remember–you can´t stick hot waffles straight into a ziplock bag. They´ll stick together (yeah, I learned that the hard way.) So make sure they are completely cool before you store them.
When you are ready for waffles, I like to use the toaster. Just pop them in like regular toast and heat on medium until golden and crisp. If they don´t fit in your toaster, you can try the oven or even air fryer. Bake at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes, or air fry at the same temp for 3-5 minutes. You can also use the microwave–heat for 30-60 seconds, but they’ll be softer instead of crispy. I like crispy, so I prefer the oven or toaster method.
Best waffle recipe FAQs
Belgian waffles don’t just have deeper pockets, they’re made with a yeasted dough and have crunchy, delectable chunks of pearl sugar in them, like these Liege Waffles. There’s absolutely no comparison–they are crunchier and sweeter and don’t even need syrup at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love a regular American waffle, but there’s a soft spot in my heart for Belgian waffles.
When you’re making waffles, separating the eggs makes a HUGE difference. Whip the egg whites until they’re standing up in stiff peaks, then gently fold them in. This takes waffles from meh and floppy all over to tender on the inside, crispy on the outside breakfast superheroes.
Pancake batter and waffle batter are very similar and include a lot of the same ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, baking powder, and milk. My favorite pancake recipe also includes buttermilk and baking soda, and it doesn’t include vanilla like these waffles do. One difference is that waffles contain more sugar and fat than pancakes do, which helps them get crispy on the outside as they cook. With pancakes, we’re looking for fluffy, not crispy, so we don’t need the extra sugar and fat in the pancakes themselves (you can always add plenty of butter and syrup on top afterward).
Just for old time’s sake, here’s the original photo of this same waffle recipe that I posted back in 2012. Boy time flies.
More sweet breakfast recipes you will love!
Liege Waffles with Pearl Sugar >> have you tried these yet? You MUST!
Dark Chocolate Waffles with Ganache and Strawberries >> sooo decadent.
he Best Pancakes I Have EVER Made! >> if waffles aren’t your thing, try pancakes instead!
Truly The Best Crepes I’ve Ever Had >> impossibly thin but not at all crispy
Breakfast Banana Split >> I swear it’s healthy
Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole >> kind of like a blueberry pie covered in French toast
Butterscotch Oatmeal >> incredibly addictive and delicious
Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Waffles from Barbara Bakes
Brownie Waffles from Rachel Cooks
Churro Waffles from Cookies & Cups
Coconut Mango Waffles from Recipes from a Pantry
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Homemade Waffles from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)*
- 1 & 3/4 cup whole milk , or buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs, separated
Instructions
- In a large microwaveable bowl, add the stick of butter and the buttermilk or milk. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the butter is about halfway melted. Take it out and stir until the butter melts completely.
- Add the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Separate the eggs and add the whites to a stand mixer or a medium bowl.
- Add the yolks to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently. Don’t overdo it! You want to stop mixing when you can still see a few streaks of flour. (Wipe out the dry bowl and put it back in your cupboard.)
- Beat the eggs white until stiff peaks form, about 2-5 minutes. Start heating up your waffle iron.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over mix. Stir until it is barely incorporated, but make sure there are no giant lumps of dry ingredients or parts of the batter that look very soupy.
- Pour batter into a waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron instructions. Usually it takes 2-4 minutes per waffle.
- If you are not eating these right away, or want to serve a group at the same time, heat your oven to 170 degrees F. (sometimes called “keep warm”). Place a cooling rack in your oven and put the cooked waffles on the cooling rack. This way they won’t get soggy before you serve them.
- I love serving waffles with oven fried bacon and scrambled eggs. Seriously, there is no better combo! Also, these waffles would be amazing topped with Cinnamon Honey Butter!
- To reheat these waffles, use the toaster! These waffles also freeze beautifully. Double or triple the batch, throw the extras in a ziplock in the freezer, and have waffles any time you like. (Thaw on the counter and then toast.)
Notes
Source: This recipe is from my mother-in-law Kris! She is the breakfast queen!
Can you refrigerate the remaining batter?
Hi Janice! Yes, you can refrigerate the remaining batter for up to 2 days. It may separate a little in the fridge, but you can gently fold it back together. You can also make all the batter into waffles and freeze them – they reheat really well. Enjoy!
I made the lemon syrup for a waffle raffle basket I was giving away – except I have a lime tree, so mine was lime syrup. Still delicious – I made extra, of course!
Can I use a regular waffle maker for this recipe, or does it need to be a Belgium Waffle maker?
Hi Therese! No a regular iron will work totally fine!
This Recipe is truly amazing. I have made this multiple times and it never fails. These are waffles where you do not need any toppings. They are good on their own without. But, add some toppings…Awesome.
I agree Michael, they are good all by themselves! But then you pour that syrup on and it puts them over the top :) Thanks for reviewing!!
Made these for the second day in a row. I hate making waffles normally because all the recipes I’ve tried have been major letdowns. I now have an easy go to recipe! Thanks Karen!!
Hooray, waffle success! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe Caitlin! Thanks for commenting!
I’ve always loved waffles ever since I was a kid, and now that I’m living on my own, I really can have them whenever I want. The only sad part is that I actually don’t have a waffle iron so I’ll for sure have to go get one. I’ll also have to follow your advice about adding egg whites to make them more fluffy, as fluffy waffles are good waffles.
Yes, you need a good waffle iron, it’s an essential! Let me know how it goes :)
these look amazing! i hate to be That Person but, is this only for belgian style or thick waffles like in your pictures? i have a little waffle maker, but it only makes “regular” waffles, they basically look just like eggos. i know sometimes certain recipes aren’t one size fits all, but if anyone knows if it will work, let me know :)
Hey Stephanie, great question!! This is a GREAT DEBATE in our family ;) Eric loooooves our “regular” waffle maker and I love Belgian style. The recipe will totally work in whatever style waffle maker you have! Let me know how it goes!
i try this Classic Waffle Recipe thank you so much madam good explanation sharing this recipe
The waffles are causing my mouth to water! Yummy!
Looks good. We love a hot breakfast on Saturdays. I am so glad you reposted!
Thanks Linda! Hot breakfast Saturdays are the best :) Thanks for commenting, hope you love the waffles!
I LOVE reading these old posts Karen! And that picture of Charlotte is the best! I feel like I’m looking at Valentine with blonde hair! So stinkin’ CUTE!
The world does need to know about these waffles. We are feeding the missionaries tomorrow and I believe I might make these for them! Hopefully, they don’t get breakfast for dinner too often to be tired of eating waffles. Or like the quote in your post: “Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?”
PS to answer the comment about coconut oil – I use liquid coconut oil all the time in my baking since we quit using vegetable oil and I’ve had no problems.
I think the missionaries will love you forever if you make them these waffles. I mean, why would anyone ever eat anything besides breakfast food anyway? ;) And that’s good to know about the coconut oil!! Thanks for the tip!
Do you think i could sub coconut oil for the vegetable oil? we don’t use vegetable oils (except olive, which would not be good!), and i see you specifically noted not to use butter.
thanks!
Kalle
Hey Kalle! Great question. I’ve never tried it so I honestly wouldn’t know, and I don’t even have much experience with coconut oil to boot. I’m guessing it would work just fine. I would try getting the oil to a liquid state before adding it. Also try googling coconut oil waffles and see what you find. Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
Once again you’ve saved the day! No Bisquick = Karen! :)
Haha!! Ew Bisquick waffles?? No way. I love this recipe!
Two points which make this post amazing/true to life:
1. That being happily married (with kids) allows you to ditch dumb conversation for exciting things like poo, snot, etc.
2. Breakfast can be eaten at any time of day, but is especially tasty for dinner. This one actually counts for like 2 or maybe 5 points. Or more. Your extra points come here from the amazing use of a Parks & Rec line that I love. Ron Swanson is perhaps one of the best characters ever created for a TV sitcom. EVER.
Laura, no wonder we are sisters.
karen! you make me laugh multiple times in EVERY post. love it!!