We love waffles at our house. My kids reallyreallyreally like pancakes, but if there’s a choice between waffles and pancakes, they’ll choose waffles every time.
The problem with waffles (and pancakes) is that they are messy and they take a lot of time. Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re weird. Some recipes, delicious as they are, require you to whip egg whites or prepare them the night before (which is handy but also requires motivation and forethought, two things I am often lacking).
Enter these waffles, also known as the Waffles of Insane Greatness. I made them for the first time a few months ago after discovering them on the Food Network site and they have become a weekly deal for us. I mean, we pretty much always have the ingredients, they take a few minutes and a few dishes to whip up, and everyone’s happy with breakfast. Airy, crispy-tender insanely great waffles. What more could I ask for? I mean, besides a solid 7 hours of sleep, a personal assistant who also happens to be my clone, and a Diet Coke fountain drink machine in my kitchen.
You’re going to need flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, an egg, and some vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients and whisk until combined (you can make the batter smoother than you make pancake batter–don’t worry too much about over-mixing the ingredients).
If possible, allow the batter to stand for 30 minutes. You also can refrigerate it overnight if you need to. But if you don’t have that kind of time in the mornings (I don’t…), you can go ahead and cook the waffles right away.
Preheat a Belgian waffle iron. When it’s hot, add a generous 1/3 cup of batter to the iron and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately with chopped fresh fruit, freshly whipped cream, maple syrup, or buttermilk syrup.
Makes about 5-6 waffles.
Light & Crispy Waffles
Recipe from Aretha Frankensteins
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
Heat a Belgian waffle iron. Make waffles by ladling a generous 1/3 cup of batter into the waffle iron and cooking until golden brown. Serve with desired topping (Buttermilk Syrup is our favorite!)
Makes 5-6 waffles.
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Questions & Reviews
I forgot to say that I used a regular waffle maker – that’s all that I have – and they were great!
I tried these for our Saturday morning breakfast. They were a big hit with my boys. This is my new go-to waffle recipe!
These were delicious! My husband got a belgium waffle maker for Christmas and I’ve been playing around with it most weekends. He said these were so light it was hard to keep them on the plate! I subbed homemade buttermilk, made with 1% milk (just what I have). Scant cup of milk with 1 Tbl. lemon juice.
Thanks for sharing…can’t wait to try the buttermilk syrup out on him, but going to wait until I have real buttermilk.
Anyone tried subbing arrowroot powder for the cornstarch?
So… I definitely want to try this Monday morning to surprise my husband… does it have to be made in a “Belgian waffle maker”? We have a cheapy normal waffle maker we got when we were married, will that work as well?
I don’t know for sure…I haven’t tried, but I imagine it would be okay. 🙂
Also, so I know you can replace oil with applesauce in stuff like brownies… do you think it would work here? On WW and trying to minimize the points 😉
I get it! 🙂 The first time around, I’d use oil so you can get a feel for what it’s supposed to be like, so then if you make it with applesauce and if it’s gross, you’ll know that that’s the culprit… 🙂
Good idea, thanks!
Hi! I just made these for dinner tonight and they were AWESOME! Super easy an way better than a mix! I even made the Buttermilk Caramel Syrup too….sooooo YUMMY! I didn’t have any buttermilk, so I made my own using vinegar and milk and they still turned out fantastic. Now I do wonder, I made my waffles with low fat milk, egg beaters, etc.; but do you think that I could have used applesauce for the oil? Or would that be going too far? Although…why do I even bother? The syrup probably had a bazillion calories in it because it was so delicious!
YAY! I’m so glad they turned out great! You could try subbing oil and see how it works–you might want to start with half oil half applesauce and then go from there. Let us know how it works out! 🙂
I will confess that I’ve always used a store bought dry mix for waffles and pancakes. But, I ran out a few weeks ago and convinced myself that I could make my own. I have tried a couple different recipes. Blah! Worse than the store bought mixes! This is the first recipe I’ve seen with cornstarch. Yes, we had waffles tonight for dinner so I could try these out…definitely a keeper: light, fluffy and crispy (and didn’t stick to the waffle iron)…just the way we like them! My kids didn’t even put syrup on them they were so good! So, I always top my waffles (and french toast) with pie filling and whipped topping. Seriously, I alway have an opened can of pie filling in my fridge just for that. Got any recipes for making our own “pie filling”?
AWESOME. I’m so happy they were a success!! 🙂
In the first picture, I thought the red bowl had cottage cheese in it!
Ha!! That would have been an interesting waffle, lol.
Actually, I have a delicious waffle recipe that calls for cottage cheese and you mix it all in the blender. Surprising, but good!
2 questions for you:
1. Have you tried it with whole wheat flour?
2. Have you ever used powdered buttermilk in a recipe like this?
1. I’ve tried it with 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat, but I’ve never taken te completely whole wheat plunge. If you try it, let us know how it goes!! 🙂
2. Never tried powdered buttermilk, but I HAVE tried it using regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar and it works great. I’ve also used regular milk and they come out fine.
I used powdered buttermilk this morning and thought they turned out great! I haven’t made them using real buttermilk, so I have nothing to compare them to, but I know I will be making this recipe again 🙂
Also, I used a regular waffle iron because that’s all I have and it seemed to work fine. Thanks again for the great recipe!
I have been trying to find an amazing waffle recipe, I can’t wait to try!
Sounds yummy!! Do you have to use a Belgian waffle maker? I don’t have one yet.
I imagine it would be totally fine, but I’ve never tried it.
I love waffles. We had them yesterday for Valentines Day. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Where did you get the cute whisk?
Sur la Table. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. I love waffles but it can be such a pain with other recipes. Btw, love the multi-colored wisk.
Thanks, Steph! 🙂 I got it at Sur la Table.
Just got so excited when I saw the recipe was by Aretha Frankensteins from Chattanooga, TN. Used to live there. Have you ever tried their pancake mix? Soooooo good! Also, I love OBB just the way it is! You guys rock for all your hard work on this blog!
Never tried it, but that’s so good to know! Thanks for te heads up! 🙂
What constitutes as a “real meal” varies from family to family. Different people also keep different staples in their pantries. I certainly consider waffles and fruit a real meal, as well as butternut squash soup. Maybe I’m weird, but I pretty much always have butternut squash and coconut milk in my house. (Btw, I made that recipe in my slow cooker and it was AMAZING!) It’s true that I care nothing about crafts and bacon roses, so I skip those posts with a “meh” and know there are other people who like them. But what I like best about your blog — and why I keep coming back is — that if you post something, I know it will be relatively simple to make and will taste amazing. I’m never afraid to try one of your new recipes for guests even if I haven’t made it before. And I tell all my friends to follow you!
Yum, waffles! I like to make yeasted waffles using the recipe from Vegetarian Cooking from Everyone. It accommodates whole wheat or other flours. I just made waffles last weekend. Thanks for all of the inspiration!,
We tried this recipe a few years ago and I won’t even TOUCH another waffle. As soon as we took a bite we knew this was the one, the keeper recipe we’d been looking for. Where it gets weird is if I ask hubby to make WIGS for breakfast… LOL Thanks for sharing this, people need to know about these insanely great recipe!
Something interesting: I made the salty/sweet sushi rice and used it alongside your Thai Peanut Noodles this week. Then my husband used the leftover rice and noodles in Spring Rolls made for the kid’s lunches, adding fresh julienned vegies and wrapping it all in soaked rice paper with yakitori sauce. Two weeks ago I saw your recipe for Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup and made that and also your other butternut squash soup recipe the same evening to see which one we liked better. I wouldn’t have known about the other butternut squash soup except that someone in the comments of the new soup recipe mentioned it. It was our favorite! That led to trying your Indian Spiced Lentils recipe. (Yum!) Anyways, just expressing another opinion that I really like the way your blog is. I use it often.
Thank you, Jen! 🙂
i loved the last waffle recipe that sara posted and i know i am going to love these. because i really hate beating egg whites til they are fluffy and folding them into batter. thanks for sharing!
Now I KNOW I need a new waffle iron!!
Do you really use a belgian waffle iron? Knowing my deep love of waffles, my husband got me a belgian waffle iron for Christmas (we had been waffle maker-less for six months) and I’m not loving it. Now I feel guilty for not loving his thoughtful gift.
Re Julie’s “not real meals” comment–I don’t read OBB for everyday meals. Our everyday meals don’t require recipes–just basic ideas modified to fit what’s in the fridge. OBB is for ‘ohh, let’s try that’ moments. Yes, some recipes have made the regular rotation (the cilantro dressing!) but many are for special occasions (7 year old sleepover party) or when Mama needs cookies.
I really do use and love mine, but I did NOT love the Belgian waffle maker I had before this one. What don’t you like about it? And what kind is it?
It’s the Krups one that is available at Costco right now. Yes, my hubs did buy my christmas gifts from Costco AND did all his shopping on Christmas Eve. I love him anyway.
Mostly I haven’t found a recipe that makes a light waffle that doesn’t require beaten egg whites–really? I’m not beating egg whites in my PJs. My favorite recipe is ATK overnight yeasted waffles. In the belgian iron, they turn out heavy and gummy in the middle.
Try this recipe because those are my exact feelings. 🙂 And yeah, there was that one Christmas where my husband went to wrap my presents on Christmas Eve and realized he had forgotten the bags at Target weeks before. So he went to Walmart at 8:00 on Christmas Eve and I literally got the dregs of consumerism for Christmas that year.
ah you’re right, it’s too stinkin cute! Thanks for sharing that link, I am going to have to buy it now haha.
I know this does not have to do with the tasty waffles, but I LOVE the measuring cups for the buttermilk& the oil. Where did you get those!??
If you think those are cute, wait until you see the whole set! You’ll die.
http://anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-kitchen/20101796.jsp
I have a little guy in my daycare that has severe allergies to egg (and peanuts and sesame), and was wondering if you have any tips on making waffles without the egg? Is that even possible to make a delishious waffle without the egg…? I don’t have a lot of knowledge about cooking/baking without egg and what to use as a replacement, so any help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance. 🙂
There are lots of great egg substitutes out there–I would just google it and see which one would meet your needs best. I’ve used flax meal before with a lot of success, but I’m not sure why the exact proportions would be here. Hope that helps! 🙂
Yes, thanks for the reply. 🙂
Ground flaxseed works well. Use 1 T ground flax seed and 3T hot water. It turns into a goo similar to eggs. That’s what has worked best for us. We have soy and egg allergies.
Sorry. That is per egg- it’s a 1 to 3 ratio
We also have an egg allergy in our house. A lot if times I sub a couple tbsp applesauce for an egg in recipes. I’ve successfully made egg free waffles and started a blog with my recipes. If interested,its eggfreebakery.blogspor.com 🙂
oops. that should be blogspot ha ha
here’s the direct link: http://eggfreebakery.blogspot.com/2012/06/waffles.html
Hey there, I have been a huge fan of OBB for a number of years and I feel like this needs to be said. There will probably be a lot of “you’re crazy” comments following mine, but here goes. Where are the real meals that real people eat? This is supposed to be a cooking blog, so lets cook. The last “real” meal that was posted here was over a month ago – the pork recipe. I’m sorry but sushi, gumbo, bacon flowers and waffles (two times in the last month) do not count as real meals. These are not things I will be serving my family of six at dinner time. Point being, it would be nice to see some delicious, hearty meals made with ingredients that most people have at home. I am not trying to be rude or unkind, just honest. Thank you!
The truth is that we ARE a cooking blog, not exclusively a dinner blog. We make dinner, but we also make treats, breakfasts, appetizers, and, from time to time, crafts. Gumbo might not appeal to you, but it IS a dinner that is a staple in many, many kitchens. It’s hearty, delicious, it freezes well, and the ingredients aren’t weird.
We really do appreciate your feedback, and I am always trying out new dinner recipes. But until then, check out the archives–chances are there are a few recipes in there you haven’t made yet. 🙂
…AND…the Our Best Bites cookbooks are also great resources for dinner recipes!!! 😉
Hey Julie, maybe you should try serving waffles for dinner sometime. Chances are, your family would like it….I know mine do. And I don’t feel the least bit guilty that I didn’t fix a “real” meal.
It’s always so nice to see people giving this struggling blog some advice;)
Kate, I think you should refund Julie’s paid subscription to your excellent Blog. It is unfortunate that she is not getting her money’s worth. Just my personal opinion – Oh, and one more thing, I love waffles!
It’s unfortunate that people are SO quick to be defensive and sarcastic in their replies toward a reader who was just trying to be honest and say, “Hey, don’t forget us dinner folk.”
Julie, it’s also important to keep in mind that we write for a huge audience; we have literally millions of readers and if we were to cater our recipes to your family and what’s in your pantry, we’d be excluding thousands of other people who want to see a wide variety of dishes, and even some lifestyle, giveaway, and crafts. You might try instead, to expand your palate a bit and try something new! In the last couple of weeks I’ve made for my average family, from my average pantry, spring rolls, squash soup, gumbo, waffles, omelets, and even fried pasta (with a side of salad!) for dinner. It’s fun to try new things; some will be hits and some will be misses, but chances are you’ll find new (sometimes surprising) things that will become family favorites!
Haha also not trying to be rude, but their blog is whatever they want it to be! (And many love it obviously, which is why it is so successful) People love their diversity of meals, tutorials, crafts etc. If you only want “real” meals for the family then only cook the “real” meals they have posted (In the archives there are tons!) and then follow some other food blogs as well if you desire, but they can’t just cater to your kitchen. I love to try new, interesting things and also make the classics (sometimes with a delicious twist) that’s why their blog is perfect for so many!
I read that a few months ago – that after you make the batter (for pancakes too) let it sit for about 10 mins and WOW what a difference it made! I had thick fluffy yummy pancakes!!!
Ode to Waffles – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
Waffles freeze really well for me. I can fit two cooled waffles from my iron (which makes a large, round waffle) into a gallon sized freezer bag. If I break the round into two halves, they fit in my toaster and come out perfectly for the kids for a weekday breakfast.
AND they make an unexpected dessert! Once for “chick flick night” at my house I made a plain and a chocolate-marshmallow waffle batter (from Joy of Cooking) and we made waffle sundaes. Ultimate indulgence.
You may have just talked me into a waffle iron, the one missing item in my kitchen appliance arsenal.
Thank you for this! I am definitely going to try it. I agree with all of your thoughts on pancakes and waffles. We do “breakfast for dinner” at our house probably once a month and it is the kids’ favorite night! I have tried a lot of waffle batters, but the one that is my “go to” is as simple as yours, from The Joy of Cooking. It calls for milk (not buttermilk) and a stick of melted butter (not oil) and it gives variations to go between a half stick (lower fat, but not as crispy in the end) to a stick and a half (ultimate indulgence) of butter. A waffle dinner is my “we’re home for dinner and I didn’t plan anything” meal because the ingredients are all pantry for me: I always have bacon in the freezer, and I always have enough random fruit around to make a fruit salad. Buttermilk is not something I always have in the fridge, but I like your recipe because it uses up a full cup. In the northeast you can only buy a quart of buttermilk and it goes off within a few days once opened. I don’t love the powdered buttermilk because I feel like I can never whisk all the clumps out of it, and the consistency is much thinner than commercial buttermilk. Frustrating. To that end, I recommend a pancake recipe on Pinterest called Overnight Buttermilk Pancakes (which I think is from Better Recipes). The overnight part does require forethought, but that works for me in some instances, and it uses up a full 2 cups of buttermilk. Additionally, it has no oil or butter, and I have had good success with it a few times.
Thanks again!
We have BRINNER (breakfast for dinner) all the time. On some nights when we need to get out the door fast, waffles are my go to meal. My favorite recipe is definitely the Joy of Cooking (buttermilk waffle) one because I like the taste of butter over oil in my waffle mix. If you look past the waffle recipe in the JOC book you’ll see the recipe for the buttermilk waffles. The difference in the recipe is substituting the buttermilk for the milk and adding 1/2 tsp of baking soda. As for the waffle maker, I love the Williams Sonoma All-Clad. Even cooking, cleans well, it’s deep, and with mine you can make 4 at a time. With four kids, this is a must have. Hooray for waffles!!!
Your buttermilk goes “off?” I’ve kept buttermilk in the fridge for weeks, even months without any problems. If it separates I just shake it up before I use it.
Yes, I think it doesn’t smell right after a few days. And it says on the container to use within seven days of opening. I don’t usually get too crazy about expiration dates on shelf products, but with dairy I am more cautious.
It’s easy to make your own buttermilk. 1 cup of milk and 1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar. I never buy buttermilk anymore–and this way you can make as much or as little as you need with no waste.
What waffle iron do u have and do u love it? I have been reading reviews on amazon and I can’t decide which one to buy! Thank you!
I have a Waring Pro waffle iron that I’ve been using regularly for about five years and I am very happy with it. My only issue with it is after cleaning the outside so many times, the numbers on the dials/settings have worn off. Fortunately I am familiar enough with my machine to know where the knobs should be turned.
I have the Waring Pro, too, and I love it!
Hey
I like the sound of this recipe, but I don’t have a waffle iron….do you think the mixture would work for pancake batter? Would it keep it nice and light and crispy?
Thanks
Ibbs x x
Hmmmm…I really don’t know. Sorry I can’t be of more help!