If you’re a fan of crispy waffles, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
Today’s recipe is one I’ve gotten a TON of requests for: waffles!!
The Best Waffle Recipe (Fight Me)
If you’re a crispy waffle fan, these are the best waffles in existence. They come out beautifully golden with a crispy, crunchy exterior and light and fluffy insides every time.
They are substantial and sturdy enough to pile whatever you want on top. Soak them in syrup, strawberry sauce and whipped cream, scoops of ice cream and hot fudge sauce. However you eat these waffles, they’re going to be great.
And, as should be expected of the best waffle recipe in all the world, they’re very, very, very easy to make. You just need one bowl and a waffle maker.
How to Make Crispy Waffles
1. Start the waffles by combining all your dry ingredients: flour, corn starch, sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt, in a large bowl and whisking them together.
2. Then make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vegetable oil, an egg, and vanilla. This might seem like a lot of liquid, but don’t freak out! The recipe is correct, and the batter will be just fine. I promise.
Once the liquid ingredients are added, switch to a wooden spoon, and stir everything together until just combined. There will be some lumps, but that’s okay. Just make sure you don’t have any dry flour at the bottom of your bowl.
3. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. Remember all that liquid we were just talking about? The resting time allows the batter to thicken and the gluten to relax so you get that really tender and fluffy waffle interior rather than chewy waffles. (Here’s a good article on what’s happening while batter is resting, if you’re curious).
If you’re serving waffles with sides, this is a great time to cut fruit, prep any meat you’re making, or make a fruit sauce.
4. Once your batter is ready, preheat your waffle iron and cook the waffles according to your iron’s instructions. This recipe makes pretty exactly 2 cups of batter, so it will make 2 to 4 waffles depending on the capacity of your waffle maker.
Keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven while all the waffles cook, and then top with toppings and enjoy!
Variations
- Blueberry waffles: Stir ⅔ cup of washed and dried blueberries to the batter just before cooking.
- Chocolate chip waffles: Stir ½ cup of chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the batter before cooking.
- Strawberry and whipped cream waffles: Serve topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. (My FAVORITE way to eat waffles!)
Waffle Recipe Substitutions
This recipe uses a couple ingredients that not everyone keeps stocked in their baking cupboard. These waffles are best when made as written, but you can make the following substitutions and still end up with a pretty great waffle.
- Substituting for buttermilk: To make a buttermilk substitute, put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (fresh or bottled) in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to “sour,” and you’re good to go.
- Substituting for cornstarch: Corn starch is one of the ingredients that makes these waffles so crispy, so I recommend using it if possible, but in a pinch, you can replace the corn starch with the same amount of flour.
FAQ
Do I have to let the batter rest?
Yes. As mentioned above, resting the batter gives it a chance thicken slightly and let the gluten in the batter relax so you get the best waffle texture possible.
How many will this recipe serve?
This recipe makes about 2 cups of batter, which depending on your waffle maker will make 2 to 4 waffles. It generously serves 2, but if serving to children/with a large breakfast, it could be stretched to serve 3 to 4.
If you would like to double the recipe, go for it. It scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Can I freeze waffles for later?
Yes!! Extra waffles freeze extremely well, and I often double the recipe just so I have extras to freeze for later. Store cooked waffles in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
To eat, place frozen waffles on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Troubleshooting and Tips
Batter is too thin: This batter will be a little thin-looking. This is normal, and it will thicken slightly as it rests!! If it looks like the photo of the batter above being poured onto the waffle maker, you’re good to go.
If you’re worried about it oozing out the sides of the waffle maker, make sure your iron is completely preheated before adding the batter. Ladle it on slowly, filling holes where more batter is needed, and then give it a moment to set (about 5 to 10 seconds) before closing the lid. This will help prevent batter from squeezing out the sides when you close the lid.
Waffle Maker: If you don’t own a waffle maker, this is the one I own, and I absolutely love it. I’ll be totally honest, I was little iffy when I took it out of the box, because it felt a bit cheap compared to waffle makers I’ve handled in the past, but it does such a good job cooking waffles that I don’t care. And you can stand it upright for storage, which is a nice space-saver.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
The Very Best Crispy Waffles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) corn starch
- 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Melted butter optional for serving
- Syrup optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla, and stir together until just combined.
- Allow batter to sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°F and set a baking sheet inside to place the waffle(s) on after cooking to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.*
- Preheat waffle iron and cook batter according to your iron’s instructions*, typically 4 to 6 minutes per waffle, until waffle is nicely golden and has mostly stopped releasing steam. Waffle may not initially seem crispy to the touch, but will crisp up out of the waffle maker.
- Top with melted butter and syrup if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from The Waffle of Insane Greatness
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Hannah says
I need some help the flavor of these waffles is perfect! However I tried making them twice, following all tips and tricks, and bleh! They do not rise hardly at all and stay flat. The outside crisps, and the inside is half raw. What can I do? I’m thinking maybe I am skimping on the flour a bit too much using the listed method. I ever used my saltier baking scale and measured out ingredients the second time. Help!!!
Tracy says
Hi, Hannah. If the waffles are cooked on the outside but raw on the inside, that’s usually a waffle maker issue. If you have temperature controls on yours, I’d turn down the heat so the inside has time to cook through before the outsides burn. Since they’re not rising though, I’d also check the dates on your baking soda and powder. If they’ve lost some of their effectiveness, that could explain why they’re not fluffing up. Hope that helps!
Linda Fensken says
Crispy is right!! Love this recipe. I don’t like soggy waffles. The cornstarch made all the difference. I added an extra tablespoon of sugar and an 1 extra teaspoon of vanilla. They were still crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This will be the only recipe I use going forward. No more waffle mixes for me!!! Thanks for sharing it.
Tracy says
Love to hear it!!!
Rudi says
These waffles were amazing! I wanted a quick recipe to make and thought this one had a lot of ingredients ( it doesn’t actually haha) but figured I should give it a try and I’m so happy I did! They turned out amazing and the tip about pre heating your oven completed this amazing recipe! Thanks so much
Susie says
Thank you! These are the best & crispiest so far, but the batter was too oily and I think salt and sugar could be cut back. The melted margarine or butter definitely imparts a better flavor, so I’ll try that next time.
I doubled it because we have a big Cuisinart panini grill/waffle plate which needs more batter.
Also tried a little advice from several recipes and tried beating the egg whites to stiff peaks and folding them in, and set the iron to long preheat on high – but 450 was a bit too high. 400-425 would be better. The widely recommended 375 doesn’t cut it. Cooking them until steam stops was perfect.
Judy says
Absolutely the best waffle recipe!! Thank you for sharing.
Tracy says
So happy to hear it, Judy!! 😉
Anna says
I substituted AP flour for bob’s red mill 1:1 gluten free flour and added 1 tsp of lemon-infused sugar that I had lying around (especially because I had to use the lemon juice and regular milk hack in place of the buttermilk). With all of those tweaks, this is my new favorite waffle recipe. They came out so light and crispy. It was like making belgian waffles without having to whisk egg whites and fold them in. This is going to be a recipe I come back to again and again.
Tracy says
So glad to hear it!!!
Marsha says
You are not wrong about these waffles. I received an All Clad Belgian waffle maker for my birthday and the first I made was this recipe for supper for my husband and myself. My husband said keep this recipe and don’t change a thing. The only thing I did different was I doubled it and I used buttermilk powder since I didn’t have buttermilk. Thank you for sharing this recipe A+
Tracy says
Thanks, Marsha!! I’m so happy to hear it!
Barbara says
Tracy, I’ve been making waffles for 20+ years always fiddling with the right amount of cornstarch, flour etc. These were PERFECT!!! The only thing I did was separate the egg and add in the whipped white after the ingredients had sat on the counter, as per your instruction. Honestly won’t look for another recipe. LOVE this! Thank you1
Janice says
Sorry I posted my comments before rating this awesome waffle recipe.
Janice N says
Definitely the best waffle recipe I (and picky hubby) have eaten. I followed the recipe exactly (even using the weight method to measure ingredients). There were a few new steps for me to follow; the weighing of ingredients, waiting 30 minutes before cooking, and using corn starch. Everything was well worth it, the waffles were superb. It almost reminds me of the chicken and waffle I had at Lula’s Restaurant in Owosso Michigan. Yep these waffles are right up there. If I ever decide to add any thing to this waffle recipe it would be pecans, blueberries or chocolate chips. Thanks Tracy for an awesome waffle recipe!
Olivia says
What a nice recipe! I’ve already made it 3 times for breakfast, my boyfriend and I love it! It’s simple and turns out great every time
emily says
my batter came out a bit runny, but it still tasted ok! just not as fluffy as i would’ve wanted. but great recipe!
Gail says
Just made this recipe for the first time. I made a half recipe, and it’s PERFECT! Thank you for sharing this “for two” recipe. It’s so hard to adjust to cooking smaller meals now that the kids are gone. But I will definitely make these waffles when the kids come home 🙂 and I’ll be checking out your other recipes as well. These are delicious!
Tracy says
Yay! So happy to hear it, Gail!!
Tanner says
Was skeptical with how liquidy the batter was, and it didn’t thicken all that much after sitting, but none of that mattered because they turned out amazing!
Kay says
These really are the best waffles. My husband loves waffles and he said that these were the best he had ever had!
Ramona says
This is the second time i have made these. First time i felt they were too crispy. Personally i like a bit of an outside crunch revealing a tender, fluffy inside. This recipe makes the perfect amount for two people. I made them again this morning and this time I substituted the buttermilk with 3/4 cup of plain yogurt + 1/4 cup of milk and reduced the cornstarch to 1/8 cup while increasing the flour by 1/8 cup. I also added a bit of lemon zest which is something my mom used to always do. It just adds a bit of brightness and works really well if your’re enjoying these with fresh strawberries or blueberries. This is my new go to recipe. Thank you.
Tracy says
So happy to hear it, Ramona!!