My absolute favorite way to eat ice cream is in a waffle cone. I never understand why people eat ice cream in a bowl when there are waffle cones as an option. I mean, seriously. Store-bought boxed cones are reminiscent of cardboard, but a crisp, buttery, Homemade Waffle Cone is absolute heaven.
They are actually super simple and quick to make. While the easiest option is a dedicated waffle cone press, you can make them a couple at a time on a baking sheet as well. Give this one a try this summer with some homemade ice cream!
For a lot of years I’d make my waffle cones by hand on a baking sheet, or I’d make mini ones in my Pizelle Iron (still an awesome option for kid-sized cones) and then I finally just bought a waffle cone press on Amazon and I LOVE it. I’m actually going to buy one more so I can make more at a time!
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Ingredients
- Eggs – To hold everything together.
- Granulated sugar – For touch of sweetness.
- All-purpose flour – For structure.
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can! If you must substitute, swap for something with a similar fat and moisture content.
- Milk – Any milk will do!
- Vanilla extract
Equipment
- Waffle Cone iron – For a lot of years I’d make my waffle cones by hand on a baking sheet, or I’d make mini ones in my Pizelle Iron (still an awesome option for kid-sized cones) and then I finally just bought a waffle cone press on Amazon and I LOVE it. I’m actually going to buy one more so I can make more at a time! This model is awesome. It’s actually the same one Williams-Sonoma Sells and it’s only about $50 on Amazon. (Not sponsored, by the way). It’s super easy to use and seriously cooks up perfect waffle cones in a hurry. Treat yourself (haha, get it?) and just get one.
- Shaping tool – If you buy a waffle cone maker it will likely come with a shaping tool. You can also buy them on their own, or cover a foam or cardboard cone in foil and use that. You can also skip the cone completely and shape by hand, just be careful because they are HOT when still fresh and pliable.
How to Make Homemade Waffle Cones
- Waffle cone batter is super simple. The recipe I love is just just sugar, eggs, butter, milk, flour, and vanilla. It mixes up in about 60 seconds.
- Then you just pour a couple of tablespoons on the waffle cone maker and press it shut to crisp up.
- Waffle cones are soft and pliable when they come off the press, and that’s when you need to shape them. Shape with a shaper tool, foam or cardboard cone wrapped in foil, or by hand. I always put mine down on a paper towel because they’re super hot and the paper towel makes it easy to handle.
- I also make a special point to pay attention to the bottom and make sure I’m closing them all the way, as opposed to having a hole at the bottom. When I do have holes, I usually just drop a chocolate chip down to the bottom to fill up the space.
- When your cones are shaped, just place them on a rack to cool and crisp. At this point, you can dip the rims in chocolate and sprinkles, or coat the inside with something yummy and then you can fill them up. There is seriously nothing better than a really good ice cream in a really good cone!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store completely cooled cones in an airtight container at room temp and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results. The texture will be the best on the same day they are made.
- Often for parties I’ll buy a bunch of great ice cream flavors, and then make tons of cones and let people scoop up their fave.
- If you don’t have a waffle cone or pizelle iron: There are a couple of ways to still make these. I’ve done it many times over the years, but I will say it’s kind of a labor of love. They harden quickly so you really have to only do a couple at a time. The press makes it much easier. But you can use either a silicone mat on a baking sheet, or a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Spread your batter thinly, but evenly in circles. If using parchment, you can trace circles on the underside of the paper as a guide. Bake in a 400 degree oven until they’re golden brown, about 5-7 minutes (but totally depends on the size, so keep an eye on them) and then shape them immediately when they come out and let them cool. You can also make them in a skillet, like you would a crepe- cooking each side until browned and toasted and then shaped into a cone. All the same tips apply if you’re making them without a waffle cone maker: remember they are hot hot hot so be careful not to burn your hands! Also, they crisp and harden quickly so you’ll have to work fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to cool your cones completely before storage. Any remaining heat will release moisture and soften the texture of your waffle cones. If you live in an area with high humidity, you may find that you need to eat them fresh for the best texture!
Absolutely! Simply drape the finished cone over a small bowl when you pull it off the iron and allow to cool!
Yes. If you need to you can make the batter and cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, allow the batter to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, then stir well and use as directed.
Yes! We’ve had readers report that this recipe works well with a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Homemade Waffle Cones
Equipment
- Waffle Cone Iron
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup flour
- 4 tablespoons melted butter (½ a stick)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat a waffle-cone maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the sugar is incorporated and the eggs have lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Add the butter, milk, and vanilla and stir just until combined.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons batter onto the waffle-cone maker. Close the lid and cook for at least 1 minute before lifting the lid to check for doneness. Continue cooking until the desired color is reached.
- Quickly remove the waffle from the waffle-cone maker and shape it around a cone roller, or mold into cone shape. Another option is to lay over an inverted bowl, to make a waffle bowl. Hold the cone for a few seconds to set its shape. Set the cone on a cooling rack to cool.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes about 10 cones.
Questions & Reviews
I’m glad you included directions on how to make them without a waffle cone press. Last thing I need to do is buy yet another single-purpose tool haha.
Make them by hand a couple of times and you might change your mind on another single-purpose tool, haha! At least it’s a pretty inexpensive one 🙂
Congratulations! How fun for you to take part in this contest. I live in California. I am hoping I can find it here.
For the adult size cone, approximately how big of a circle do you draw on parchment? I don’t think it would be too much work to half the recipe…just for my husband and I. Thanks for the great idea!
It’s personal preference, you can make them as large as you want. I’d say about 5-6 inches would give you a good size cone, however sometimes small circles are easier to work with when you’re making them by hand.
First off, I so wish that we had this in our MN grocery stores, but we don’t!! so bummed out. I’m also wondering if I can convert your recipe to a GF waffle cone I miss them and I’ve been very successful converting your other recipes to GF ones. A
Any names yet for baby and please post a pic of yourself!!! I’m sure you are adorbs! 🙂
I’m sure a GF flour would totally work- experiment and let us know! No name yet, I’m stumped for the first time!
8/2016. I made these for my daughter & granddaughter who are gluten free. They were delicious & my granddaughter was so excited to have a GF ice cream cone! I used GF flour & GF powdered vanilla and used a waffle cone maker. They turned out GREAT! Peg.
What a fun idea! My kids would love it if I made these.
Thanks so much for this, it looks like a fun time making these cones 🙂
I looked at the review for this machine and several folks commented on it not cooking evenly (brown edges and pale middle). This would be an awesome surprise for my hubby and boys. How long have you had your waffle maker and do you still love it or have any problems? Thanks!
It has over 120 reviews and the average is 4 1/2 stars- if you’re familiar with Amazon ratings, those are excellent! One of the reasons I picked that model was for the good reviews. I’ve had mine quite a while now and I love it. I made all of the cones pictured, so you can see the browning there. If anyone has a problem, I suspect it’s because they’re not on the right heat setting, you have to fight the sweet spot, as it is adjustable.
I had never thought to make homemade waffle cones. I still probably won’t, b/c I’m not going to buy an appliance just for that, but maybe someday I’ll get ambitious and go the ‘labor of love’ route. They sound wonderful, though! I thought we might be due around the same time when you first announced your pregnancy, and I was right- my 3rd trimester (with #5) starts tomorrow!
That ice cream is so tasty!
This is a first! We have never made cones before but yes eat ice cream at least once a week. I don’t have a pregnancy excuse it’s just hot this summer in Buffalo and we like it! Now we can make the cone that the kid’s are always looking for.