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The Best Belgian Waffle Recipe has a crispy exterior and light, fluffy interior! These waffles rival any that you’d find at your favorite breakfast restaurant and, with a couple of tricks, they’re super simple to make!
People don’t say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for no reason, you guys.
It’s because waffles exist and waffles are important. 😉
Those frozen waffles are fine in a pinch, but oh goodness, nothing beats a homemade Belgian waffle with a crisp exterior and deep pockets full of maple syrup and melted butter.
Our Belgian waffle recipe just melts in your mouth and if you’re not stopping what you’re doing to head to the kitchen RIGHT. NOW. you are missing out!
But enough about my love for the best waffle recipe to exist…let’s just get to the good stuff so you know how to make them too! You and your family are going to love this one and I won’t make you wait a minute longer.
Be sure to try our Biscuit Donuts and Monkey Bread too. We love all these breakfast treats!
Waffle Ingredient Notes:
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Flour – We use all purpose flour, but a combo of white and whole wheat would likely work, if you don’t mind a heavier texture.
Cornstarch – This helps keep the waffles crisp on the outside and light and airy inside.
Spices – We add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of salt to the batter for flavor. You can skip the cinnamon and nutmeg if it’s not your thing, but we think it adds the perfect touch.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Both work to make the waffles light and airy.
Buttermilk & Milk – We use a combo of both here. No buttermilk? Just add a teaspoon of vinegar to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Instant buttermilk!
Oil
Egg – You’ll need to separate the white from the yolk for this one, but we’ll use the whole egg.
Sugar – Just a touch of sweetness.
What Readers are Saying!
“My family has been on a waffle making odyssey – and after a dozen or so recipes, I think we can stop searching!!! Yes, the egg is a bit more work than most recipes, but it’s definitely worth it for the airy texture. These are crisp and light with a pinch of that cinnamon flavor. Two thumbs up from my whole family!” – Leigh S.
Helpful Tools:
Waffle Iron – We use and recommend this waffle iron. Easy to use and fairly budget friendly. We’ve had ours over 10 years now.
Electric Hand Mixer – It’s so easy to whip up dessert (or in this case, breakfast) with this cute hand mixer. It doesn’t take up much space and is a must for any kitchen!
Rotating Hand Whisk – If you don’t have an electric mixer one of these rotating whisks works pretty well too without the need for any electricity.
How To Make Belgian Waffles:
Whip: To start, we’re going to whip an egg white. I KNOW. I hate whipping egg whites. I promise you, this is 100% worth it and is the key to this recipe.
If you have a hand mixer, drag it out and start whipping. Otherwise, count this as your arm workout for the day and go to town with a whisk.
Combine: Once your egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks, you’ll stir together the rest of the Belgian waffle batter and, once combined, fold in those whipped egg whites.
One of the secret ingredients here is cornstarch. It helps to make the waffle crispy on the outside and the whipped egg white makes it light and airy inside. That’s why this is the best Belgian waffle recipe!
Cook: Let your waffle iron preheat for a few minutes and spritz it with nonstick spray.
Every waffle iron is different and some will cook faster than others. Mine takes about 3 minutes. I generally just look for the steam to stop coming out of the iron and that’s when I know they’re done.
Serve: As you cook these waffles, pop them right onto the rack of a warm oven. They’ll stay nice and crisp and everyone can enjoy breakfast at the same time this way. Genius, right?
Leftover Hack!
Leftover waffles freeze great! Just place them on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for one hour. Place in a zip top freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
FAQs:
Great question, but the answer is…it all depends on your waffle iron. Some are larger than others and it’ll really all depend on that. The waffle iron I linked above is large enough that this recipe makes 3 large waffles.
I have another smaller iron that makes 4 waffles. It never hurts to double the recipe, just freeze any extra waffles for later and reheat in the oven!
Yes, you can refrigerate or freeze them for later! They’ll last in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days and in the freezer for up to a few months. To freeze, first place them on a baking sheet and flash freeze before transferring to a sealed bag or container. It also helps to separate them with parchment paper.
Waffle Mix-In’s:
We think a classic Belgium waffle is pretty perfect just the way it is, but my kids do have fun sprinkling in other ingredients. Makes for a fun breakfast!
Try adding 1/2 to 1 cup of these additions:
- Chocolate Chips
- Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
- Cooked and Crumbled Bacon
- Cinnamon Chips
- Chopped Pecans
Belgian Waffle Toppings:
You can keep it simple with a pat of salted butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup, but it’s also fun to get creative. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Nutella and Strawberries
- Biscoff and Raspberries
- Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Bananas and Caramel Sauce
- Apples and Cinnamon
- Peaches and Pecans (like these peach pancakes)
- Cherry Pie Filling
- Apple Butter or Cinnamon Honey Butter
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES!
- Cake Donut Recipe
- Amish Breakfast Casserole
- Homemade Biscuits
- Sausage Gravy
- English Muffin Bread
- Keto Oatmeal
The Very Best Waffles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg separated
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°F and heat up the waffle iron.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a measuring cup and stir in the egg yolk. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (My Belgian waffle maker takes 2 1/2 ice cream scoops of batter, but your mileage may vary) and cook until the waffle is crisp and brown.
- Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don’t stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was lightly adapted from Fine Cooking.
This post was originally published in May 2012. It was updated in March 2019 with new photos and a video. Old photo below:
Ruthann says
How long can they be kept frozen?
Karly says
I’m not a food safety expert, but I keep mine for 2-3 months. 🙂
Beverli Sloan says
OH GIRL!! These ARE the very BEST waffles! U are a waffle Goddess! My sons couldn’t get enough! I made a double batch (SO glad I did!), Had to add about 1/2 cup more flour to thicken my batter a little. They were FABULOUS! Can’t wait t try more of your recepies. THANK YOU! btw….my youngest son is autistic and VERY picky about what he eats…he ate 12 waffles and said they were very good- make again! 🙂
Karly says
12 waffles!! Those growing boys…haha! Love it! Thanks, Beverli!
Sarah says
Can these be frozen and reheated? If not, how long do you think you can keep them warm in the oven while making a few large batches?
Karly says
Hi Sarah! These can definitely be frozen and reheated. I’d keep these in the oven for up to an hour probably.
Maureen says
Excellent recipe! But will need to double it next time
LT says
It’s really hard to essentially make a meringue out of just 1 egg white and you need to REALLY whip it for the consistency to come out properly. Unfortunately not possible to do by hand.
Going to give it a go in my KitchenAid, but not sure how that will work without doubling the recipe.
Smells delicious, but did not turn out manually.
Karly says
It is a lot of work, but it can definitely be done by hand or with a hand mixer. You won’t be able to whip a single egg white in a stand mixer though. I often double this recipe so that I have waffles to pop in the freezer. 🙂
Rebel Hovey says
Try using an immersion blender (in the provided cup or a glass measuring cup) it works fast and perfect for me every time.
Peggy Sue Williams says
I just tried this recipe today and these waffles were the bomb. This will be my go to waffle recipe from now on.
Karly says
Yay! So glad to hear that!
Jocelyn says
These are delicious! I am glad I made a double batch. Of note, I decreased the oil to 4 tablespoons. Thank you for sharing this scrumptious recipe.
Rachel Shimon says
Absolutely awesome.
Here’s the crazy thing…I forgot they baking powder. I have never had such delicious- melt in your mouth waffles!! Thin… crispy…buttery. incredibly delicious!!
thank you fo such mouth watering recipe.
keep sharing
Ann says
This is officially my go-to waffle recipe! I just made it again this morning, but subbed GF flour and homemade almond milk “buttermilk” (1 cup almond milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, let sit for 10 mins to curdle). My MIL is allergic to both wheat and dairy and I wanted to make sure she could partake in the waffle goodness this morning. These were still so good- even with the substitutions! Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed! And thanks for sharing your tips for making them GF and dairy free. Super helpful for others! 🙂
Jaclyn Anne says
Your waffles look PERFECT! Thanks for sharing your awesome waffle recipe — I can’t wait to try it this weekend!
Jamie says
I can already tell how crispy and fluffy these waffles are just from the pictures! Great recipe and post! 🙂
Alex Can says
it is really good recipe , thank u ! But i have a problem , when i make waffles with this recipe , it sticks on waffle machine . How can ? solve it ?
Karly says
Do you spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray? I usually spray for the first one and then don’t need to again for that batch of waffles. But I’ve never had an issue with these or any other waffles sticking either.
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Karly, these waffles look so good! I can totally imagine what’s going on in your brain with all this waffle deliciousness. This stuff keeps me awake at night!
Maggie Martin says
Left out the cinnamon but otherwise Ed Zachery like the recipe and they were 1derful!
Thanks Karly.
Maggie
Karly says
My husband always asks for his without the cinnamon too, so I usually make his first and then add cinnamon to the rest of them. Haha! Glad you enjoyed either way! 🙂
bubble shooter says
Thank you for posting this article, it was really helpfull. Great Article.
Kenneth says
These are quite good. We have a Cuisinart Standup waffle maker. She didn’t have all the ingredients so she had to make substitutions. My wife used the primary ingredients but substituted the spices with pumpkin spice. She switched all purpose flour to whole wheat flour. She also switched the buttermilk to whole milk plain yogurt and the amounts switched (yogurt – 1/4 cup, milk – 3/4 cup). She ended up adding a bit more milk to make it smooth enough to pour (because the waffle maker is vertical and needs to be poured). They came out crispy and really flavorful and that was really shocking because she used whole wheat flour. This really is a good recipe. People should play with it to meet their needs.