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.
Sarah says
LOVED these perfectly crispy waffles! My son specifically requested crispy waffles this morning (the ones I usually make are much less criscpy), and these fit the bill and were absolutely delicious! My new go-to waffle recipe! Thank you.
Dave S. says
Wow.. this just got sent to me in an email from Pinterest. I didn’t realize how old this post was!
I do have a suggestion for a substitute for using the vinegar and milk. I keep “SACO Cultured Buttermilk Powder for Cooking and Baking” on hand. If you need a cup of buttermilk, you use 4 tablespoons of the powder in the dry mix, and then use 1 cup (or equivalent ration of buttermilk powder to water) of water instead of the milk. That will give you the flavor you are looking for.
If you are interested, the ingredients are simply: A cultured blend of sweet cream churned buttermilk, sweet dairy whey, and lactic acid.
HoneyBunny20 says
This are the Very Best Crispy Waffles. Searched and made many different recipes. Finally one that really is crispy. Thank you!
mary says
well, i’ve got to tell you, this is the best waffle i’ve ever made. i’ve made it half dozen timesor so cause i wanted to be sure the great waffle wasn’t a fluke; that i could replicate that yumminess over and over again. i test my baking soda every time to be sure it’s still active, same with the baking powder. i use brown sugar instead of white sugar cause my buttermilk is powdered. and even with brown sugar, they are great. so happy. thank you.
Sheri Grant says
This was my first time making waffles and I loved the recipe. Thank you
Mark says
I doubled the recipe, but only used ½cup of cornstarch and ½cup whole wheat flour and added 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Everyone loved them.
Tracy says
So happy to hear it!
Ann M Whyte says
This was a great recipe. Instead of buttermilk I used egg nog…YUM!
Barbara says
You were right about one thing, they are crispy however, there is no flavor whatsoever! A little bit of sugar added some mild sweetness but overall it was like eating a piece of crunchy cardboard. I had to fix the batter so I could feed my family. I added more sugar, some cinnamon, an extra teaspoon of vanilla and another 1/2 to 3/4 cup of flour. The batter was so runny that it didn’t rise at all. I followed your instructions exactly. I am a cook and a baker so I know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I will say, I do appreciate that crunchy coating. I’ve been searching for something like that for a while, so thank you for that.
Connie says
I’ve made these twice and we liked the taste but couldn’t get them crispy. Turned up the temp , cooked longer. Still soggy in the middle.
Jenn says
Thank you for such an amazing recipe! These were by far the best homemade waffles I’ve ever had! They were teen approved as well 🙂
Lonnie Appleby says
OHHHH, DAY-UM! YOU WIN! Absolutely the CRISPIEST waffles I have ever made! This is, hands down, the winning recipe of EVER! ❤️ THANK YOU for this! I always test recipes before I put them on a card. This one GOES ON A CARD!!!
Violetta Panicki says
they are crispy!!! freeze well too and are not dry once reheated, my latest new waffle recipe, cheers
Jessica says
These were very good. The texture was very similar to a funnel cake, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, light and airy (I don’t like dense waffles). I would make these again.
Brandy says
I’ve tried so many waffle recipes and none have been this good. Sooooooo crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside! Made these for my waffle loving son for his “birthday breakfast” and he said they were the best he’s every had. That’s saying something since he’s 21!
Adam says
I was skeptical once I saw how soupy my batter was, but wow these turned out amazing. As advertised, crispy outside, fluffy inside.
Vic says
I was listening to a cooking show, maybe Triple D and a chef said to use coconut oil when making pancake and waffle batter. It’s a game changer! Try it. It’s Amazing! I’ve shared this recipe on my FB page it’s that good. I am more of a pancake person and now I prefer this. 100% the best!