Waffles are everyone’s favorite weekend breakfast, and once you master them, Saturday mornings will never be the same!
Waffles are everyone’s favorite weekend breakfast, and once you master them, Saturday mornings will never be the same! Discover the difference between pancake and waffle batter, how to make fluffy waffles, how to produce the ideal crispy waffles, and all the additional information you need to up your weekend breakfast game!
How to Make Waffles
Before you get started making waffles, here are a few tips and tricks to ensure success.
- Preheat your waffle iron, so the batter starts cooking as soon as it hits the iron – no one wants soggy waffles.
- Waffle irons without a nonstick coating may need to be brushed with vegetable oil or sprayed with cooking spray between each batch of waffles.
- Betty’s classic Waffles recipe recommends using ¾ cups batter per waffle, but you should always check the manufacturer’s instructions for recommended amount of batter.
- Mix your batter in a large bowl with a spout or a large measuring cup, so you can pour your batter into the iron.
To make waffles, you will need the following ingredients and equipment.
- Ingredients for Waffles
- Large bowl with handle and spout or large measuring cup
- Wire whisk
- Waffle iron
1. Heat waffle iron. (Waffle irons without a nonstick coating may need to be brushed with vegetable oil or sprayed with cooking spray before batter for each waffle is added.)
2. In large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients except berries just until smooth.
3. Pour slightly less than 3/4 cup batter onto center of hot waffle iron. (Check manufacturer’s directions for recommended amount of batter.) Close lid of waffle iron.
4. Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops. Carefully remove waffle. Serve immediately. Top with fresh berries. Repeat with remaining batter.
Top Your Waffles
One of the best things about Betty’s classic waffle recipe is that you can top it to please your tastes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to make waffles an extra special breakfast.
- Apple-Rum Butter Topping: Beat 1/2 cup softened butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup Apple Butter and 1 teaspoon rum or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract to taste.
- Blackberry-Lime Sauce: In small saucepan, combine 2 cups blackberries or raspberries, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes until berries break down and sauce slightly thickens; stir in 1 teaspoon grated lime peel.
- Cherry and Granola Topping: Top with about 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt and 1/4 cup frozen (thawed) sweet cherries; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granola.
- Maple Yogurt Topping with Candied Nuts and Bananas: Stir in 1/3 cup real maple syrup into 8 ounces plain Greek yogurt; top pancakes with maple yogurt; sprinkle with candied or regular walnuts, or pecans and sliced bananas.
- Red, White and Blueberries Topping: Melt 1/4 cup raspberry preserves in small saucepan; add about 1 tablespoon orange liqueur or orange juice. Serve sauce with pancakes, fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Super Sundae Topping: Drizzle pancakes with warm chocolate sauce or chocolate syrup; top with sliced bananas, fresh strawberries, chopped toasted pecans, sweetened whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
How to Make Crispy Waffles
To make crispy waffles, there are a couple of rules to follow.
- As always, preheat your waffle iron and use the high setting, so the batter starts immediately.
- Don’t forget to oil or spray your iron in between batches.
- A recipe with higher fat content, i.e. more butter, will help your waffles turn out brown, crispy and flavorful.
How to Make Fluffy Waffles
To make extra fluffy waffles, you must whip your egg whites – here’s how.
- Separate the yolks from the whites.
- Mix the yolks into the batter along with other ingredients.
- Whip whites until soft peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into your batter, and don’t worry if your batter looks streaky.
Different Types of Waffles to Try
Welcome to the wonderful world of waffles, there’s a lot to explore, including these twists on tradition.
Buttermilk Waffles simply feature this ingredient in place of milk for tangy flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use regular milk, plus vinegar. Try Bacon Buttermilk Waffles to see for yourself.
Whole Wheat Waffles are simply made with whole-wheat flour adding both flavor and nutrients, so you get the best of both worlds when you serve up waffles for breakfast. Try for yourself with this recipe for Whole Wheat Waffles with Honey-Peanut Butter Syrup.
Cornmeal Waffles include the addition of cornmeal for a dense, moist texture and corn flavor. Before adding to batter, it’s usually recommended to soften the cornmeal by soaking in water for about 10 minutes. If you love cornbread and Southwest flavors, you’ve got to try our Spicy Cornmeal Waffles for a savory breakfast, brunch or even dinner.
Granola Waffles are a delicious way to add crunch and sweet nutty flavor to your waffles. Simply stir a half-cup of your favorite granola cereal into your waffle batter, and you can serve up this delicious twist on everyone’s favorite breakfast. Start with our five-star recipe for Granola-Whole Wheat Waffles with Double Berry Sauce. By the way, this recipe only has 140 calories per serving.
Cinnamon-Bun Waffles are the perfect breakfast hybrid. They feature the cinnamon sugar flavor and sweet glaze of a cinnamon bun but in waffle form. Next time you want to make breakfast extra special, we recommend giving this a try with our recipe for Cinnamon-Bun Waffles. If you want the same flavors but don’t have much time, you can also take a shortcut using Pillsbury Grands refrigerated cinnamon rolls, like in this recipe for Cinnamon-Roll Waffles with Cream Cheese Glaze.
Gluten-Free Waffles are not only possible, they’re also delicious! A combo of alternative flours combines to perfection in our recipe for Gluten-Free Homemade Waffles. And when you’re short on time, this recipe for Gluten-Free Waffles uses Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake and Baking mix for an extra-easy breakfast.
Lighter Waffles are easy when you make a few smart swaps in our Waffle recipe, including substituting ½ cup fat-free egg product for the eggs, using fat-free (skim) milk and decreasing oil to 3 tablespoons. The end result is a tasty waffle with 7 grams of fat and 255 calories per serving.
Pro Tip: Did you know you can use Betty Crocker SuperMoist cake mix to make waffles? It’s true! You can start with a box of your favorite cake mix and end with an easy dessert that only needs a dollop with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup to take it over the top. Try for yourself with Betty’s recipe for Cake Mix Waffles.
What to do with Leftover Waffles
Leftover waffles are a dream come true from breakfast through dessert!
- Package waffles individually and freeze for an easy weekday breakfast you can pop in the toaster next week or even next month. Note, it’s best to use up waffles within a month.
- Leftover waffles also make for great desserts. Use them to make Summer Berry Waffle Trifle or make an Ice Cream Wafflewich by dipping waffles in chocolate and sandwiching ice cream between.
- Waffles can be used in place of bread or biscuits in everything from stuffing to sandwiches and more. Try for yourself with these recipes: Gluten-Free Cranberry Stuffing, Mantastic Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich, Waffle Biscuits & Gravy.