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You are here: Home / Breakfast / The Very Best Crispy Waffles

The Very Best Crispy Waffles

10/25/21 | Breakfast, Recipe for Two, Recipes

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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!!

Crispy waffles for two on a plate.

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

Collage photo of waffle batter being prepared.

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.

Waffle batter being poured into waffle maker.

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.

Pieces of crispy waffles on a fork.

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

  • Banana Pancakes
  • Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
  • Banana Muffins
  • Cream Scones
  • The BEST Banana Bread
Crispy Waffles for Two

The Very Best Crispy Waffles

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.
4.83 from 169 votes
Print Pin
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Batter Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 2 servings
Calories: 637kcal
Author: Tracy

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

*Do not stack or overlap waffles in the oven. Placing them on top of each other will cause the steam to make them lose their crispiness.
*If using a non-stick waffle maker, you should not need to grease the plates, but if you typically need to grease your waffle maker, go ahead and do so. 
This recipe will make approximately 2 cups of waffle 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, it scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

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.

Comments | 134 comments

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Comments

  1. Mimi says

    February 22, 2022 at 6:54 am

    Made the waffles and were delicious but not crispy at all. Let batter rest and followed all instructions. What went wrong.

    Reply
  2. MaryB says

    February 20, 2022 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    Really excellent waffle recipe! Crispy on the outside and soft inside, these waffles really hit the mark. I’m picky about waffles and these were delightful. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 21, 2022 at 7:27 pm

      Thank you, Mary! So glad you enjoyed them!!

      Reply
  3. Mary says

    February 19, 2022 at 6:24 am

    4 stars
    This was a descent waffle. But way too much oil and dint crisp in my waffle maker (could be my maker) I put them in air fryer to toast up. But my batter was still runny after 30 minutes and I followed recipe to a t. I’m gonna use this as a base recipe and adjust measurements next time. Room for improvement!

    Reply
  4. MammaO says

    February 12, 2022 at 10:06 am

    Can this batter be used for pancakes?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 12, 2022 at 8:31 pm

      I wouldn’t. If you’re looking for a pancake recipe, this is my very favorite one: https://bakingmischief.com/make-fluffy-buttermilk-pancakes-two/

      Reply
    • Wendy says

      June 30, 2023 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      The best! I have been making waffles from scratch and could never quite get it right, these are right. Exactly how a waffle should taste. Excited to try experimenting with add ins. My batter was a bit thinner but that didn’t matter, they still fluffed and crisped nicely.

      Reply
  5. Luan Do says

    February 4, 2022 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best recipe we’ve tried. It has a nice crisp crust but soft and airy inside. We substituted plain yogurt for buttermilk. We added 2 shots of orange liqueur and 1/4 tsp. of citric acid to the batter. We also added 1/2 stick of melted butter. Yes, it was rich and very flavorful.

    Reply
  6. Nancy says

    January 22, 2022 at 9:56 am

    Have you ever mixed the dry ingredients and stored them in an air tight container? If so, do you know the shelf life?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 22, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      I haven’t tried this before, sorry!

      Reply
  7. Christine Dux says

    January 14, 2022 at 8:30 pm

    2 stars
    Made the recipe to specifications. I have an All-Clad round waffle maker. I found this recipe definitely crunchy but almost too crunchy (tried different cooking settings) Also a bit too oily for my liking. Maybe better with a thicker waffle maker. Still searching for the perfect waffle…

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 15, 2022 at 6:33 pm

      Bummer to hear you didn’t enjoy them, Christine!!

      Reply
  8. C. Hemphill says

    December 31, 2021 at 7:31 am

    OMG! You are a 1,000% right! Recently I have pulled out my waffle maker and have been testing recipes. These are the absolute best! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  9. philip says

    December 19, 2021 at 9:27 am

    4 stars
    Awsome waffles.
    The only thing I’d change would be a teaspoon of vanilla paste and to separate the yoke and use a mixer on the albumen till its fluffy.

    Reply
  10. Lisa says

    December 14, 2021 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been making scratch waffles for years, but this is my new go-to recipe. They are perfect and just as described, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Pair these with butter and syrup and you’ll be in heaven! The name is what drew me in. I’m single and hate having too many leftovers and this delivers as stated, 2 waffles from my second hand 1959 General Electric waffle iron. One gets eaten immediately and the spare goes in the freezer. Thanks for the amazing recipe!

    Reply
  11. Karen says

    November 28, 2021 at 5:35 am

    I have not made these yet, but will try them. What I wat to know is what you are pouring the batter from. The cup looks very interesting to me. I would love to know where it is from.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      November 28, 2021 at 8:46 am

      Hi, Karen. It’s just a 1-cup measuring cup. My waffle maker uses 1 cup of batter per waffle, so I like to measure the batter so I don’t overfill it.

      Reply
  12. Erin says

    September 13, 2021 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    I love these waffles, and my husband says they’re the best waffles he’s ever had (and he’s eaten a lot of waffles). We’ve eaten them enough in the last four or so months that I nearly have the recipe memorized, and I’ve started keeping buttermilk in the fridge. Since I’m gluten intolerant, I make them with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (the blue bag, cup-for-cup kind), and they turn out great like that.

    Reply
  13. Dale says

    July 18, 2021 at 6:10 am

    These are my wife’s and I favorite waffles since It is only us. Love them I use a two waffle Square maker they come out really good. Awesome.

    Reply
  14. Jolene says

    July 5, 2021 at 9:29 am

    4 stars
    The taste of these waffles was wonderful but appearance was not pretty. Not sure why but were burnt in spots and never got fluffy but sat flat.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      July 6, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Hi, Jolene, glad you enjoyed the waffle flavor! I saw the photo you uploaded with your Pinterest comment, and from the looks of it, my recommendation would be to fill the waffle maker a little fuller next time. I’m guessing that it’s not that the waffles didn’t rise, but that there wasn’t enough batter to make big fluffy waffles. This should also help with the burning issue (though because of the amount of oil in these waffles, they will burn more easily in places if your waffle maker has hot spots). Hope that helps!

      Reply
  15. Jane says

    June 17, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    Made this as written and I have to say I was a bit worried, after sitting for the half hour the batter was still rather thin, I went ahead and cooked them anyway (I was starving at that point lol) and I ended up with nice thick, crispy waffles that were nice and fluffy inside! I don’t usually make waffles only because most recipes want you to beat egg whites and fold them in etc…..I don’t have the time or patience for that. With this recipe I can whip them up anytime! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 18, 2021 at 7:22 am

      So glad you enjoyed them, Jane!!

      Reply
  16. Debra Leist says

    June 14, 2021 at 10:32 am

    3 stars
    I followed your recipe exactly as written, weighing all ingredients. I let it stand for the required 30 minutes and when I stirred it up before cooking it was so runny I couldn’t have possibly put it into the waffle iron. I had to add another 1/4 cup of flour to get it thick enough to cook. The taste (according to my husband) was bland and needed something else. I put cinnamon in the remaining batter. They didn’t get crispy which was my whole reason for trying the recipe. I thought they were edible but not what I was looking for in terms of crispness.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 18, 2021 at 8:01 am

      Hi, Debra, sorry to hear that! These waffles should get very crispy if they’re cooked long enough. Sometimes they look golden and done but actually need a little more cooking time. If you ever try them again, I’d leave them in the waffle maker a little longer, until the waffle has mostly stopped releasing steam. That should ensure they end up fully cooked and crispy. Hope that helps!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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