Here’s a classic buttermilk waffle recipe! These waffles are light and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. No mixer required. Make a batch ahead of time and freeze them for an easy breakfast!
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Waffles are serious business in my breakfast-loving household, and I recently targeted the mother of all maple-soaked ambitions: The classic buttermilk waffle. This is such a simple and timeless breakfast I thought finding a good waffle recipe would be foolproof.
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How to make buttermilk waffles
What is a “classic” buttermilk waffle recipe?
Do a little browsing for buttermilk waffle recipes and you can find all sorts of “classic” recipes using everything from cornstarch to coconut flour. I’m sure these recipes are great, but I wanted to make them real Buttermilk waffles. The kind my grandma would have made with 100% buttermilk and no surprising additions or crazy substitutions. Just the basics for this waffle recipe, please and thank you.
Two bags of flour, a few dozen eggs, and several cases of buttermilk later, and I think I have an easy waffle recipe winner! These buttermilk waffles are crispy on the outside, soft in the center, and have a rich buttery flavor. They ask for jam and syrup.
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Easy waffle recipe? Depends on the method
After much deliberation, I decided to try the following waffle recipe tests:
- One bowl method: Mix the dry ingredients, make a well in the center for the liquids, then stir together. Why? So easy, you can make them while you’re half asleep.
- Two bowl method: Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another, then stir the wet into the dry. Why? This way, the liquid ingredients are thoroughly mixed before going into the dry, giving you a more even consistency. This is also the method used by most of the buttermilk waffle recipes I’ve found.
- separate eggs: As for the two-bowl method, but separate the yolks and whites. The yolks are mixed with the liquids, and then the liquids go into the dry ingredients. Finally, the unbeaten egg white is lifted under the batter. Why? I first discovered this unusual method in a pancake recipe on The Kitchn. It turned out to be a brilliant trick and was less finicky than whipping egg whites so thought I’d give it a try here.
- Beat the egg whites: Same as above except beat the egg whites in a mixer until they retain soft peaks before folding them into the batter. Why? Many waffle recipes swear up and down that waffles or pancakes become airier, lighter and fluffier as a result.
And the winner is…
The results were really surprising. All of the buttermilk waffles came out of the waffle maker with a beautifully golden crust and a tender inside—nothing to complain about. The only problem was that the batches were also almost identical.
I was expecting to see some significant differences between the buttermilk waffles, and I had particularly high hopes for the whipped egg white waffles. But honestly, I had a hard time telling the batches apart. See for yourself!
How to Make the Best Waffles: My Verdict
If you’re going to get fussy, the one-bowl method made perfectly fine waffles, but they had a slightly denser and less uniform texture than the other methods. Both egg white versions, whipped and unbeaten, had a slightly lighter texture, but I personally didn’t feel it was worth the effort. Since I’m going to pull out the blender and mess with egg whites, I’d better get some extra-super-duper-tall waffles for my trouble.
For me, I’m sticking with the two-bowl method for my buttermilk waffle recipe. This is the Goldilocks option: the perfect compromise between lightness and effort. You end up using two bowls, but the results are worth the extra cleaning.
Do you love crispy waffles?!
I had an ongoing problem with my buttermilk waffles: the crunchy factor. Straight out of the waffle maker, the waffles had a golden, slightly crunchy exterior that I loved, but that quickly faded as the waffles cooled.
The solution is to toast the waffles in the oven for a few minutes – something I discovered when trying to keep a batch warm before serving. This cooks off some extra moisture, giving you a crispy outer shell that stays crispy even after the waffles have cooled. Five to ten minutes at 250°F is sufficient; much longer and they become tough and dry.
- Continue reading! 3 tips for crispy waffles
If you want extra-extra crispy waffles, replace half of the buttermilk with whole milk or 2% milk. I tried this swap in a recent test batch, and while it breaks my 100% buttermilk rule, it makes damn crispy waffles.
How to serve waffles to a crowd
The oven trick also solves the problem of serving the whole family at once. Transfer each batch of waffles to the oven once they are ready, allow them to crisp, then serve. You can even make these buttermilk waffles a day or two in advance and crisp them in the oven (or a toaster oven!) just before serving.
Store and freeze waffles
Waffles are a great breakfast to make ahead!
- Fridge Waffles: Store prepared waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Frozen Waffles: Freeze waffles in a ziplock bag with the air squeezed out for up to a month. (For longer storage, wrap stacks of waffles in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and then place in freezer bags)
- Warm up instructions: Chilled or frozen, reheat waffles individually in the toaster. Frozen waffles will likely need a few extra minutes to toast.
More classic breakfast ideas!
- French toast
- Fluffy scrambled eggs
- Buttermilk pancakes
- Crunchy hash browns
- Morning glory muffins
Easy Buttermilk Waffles
For extra crispy waffles, substitute whole milk for half the buttermilk and reduce the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon.
Allow your waffle maker to heat up fully before using, otherwise your waffles may not cook evenly.
ingredients
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2 cups (280G) all purpose flour
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2 tablespoon sugar
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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2 cups buttermilk, well shaken
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1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) unsalted buttermelted
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2 big eggs
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1/4 Cup melted butter for the waffle iron, optional
method
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Preheat the oven to 250°F:
Set a wire metal cooling rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven. (You can also toast waffles directly on the oven rack if you prefer.)
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Make the dough:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and butter, followed by the eggs.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Continue stirring gently until you no longer see streaks of dry flour.
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Let the batter rest while your waffle iron heats up:
Cover the batter with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for at least five minutes while you heat the waffle iron. The waffle iron is ready when a drop of water hisses when it comes into contact with the grill plate.
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Prepare waffles:
Brush the waffle iron with melted butter, if you like. This will give your waffles a golden color and prevent sticking, but isn’t critical to the recipe. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter into each rack of waffle maker and cook according to your waffle maker’s instructions until golden brown.
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Transfer the cooked waffles to the oven:
When the waffles are done, place them on the cooling rack on the baking sheet in the oven. Lay them in a single layer so they crisp evenly on top and bottom and no steam gets trapped between layers. Let them roast for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Cook remaining waffles:
Transfer each batch of waffles to the oven once they are done. Waffles that have been roasted for a few minutes can now be stacked to make room for subsequent batches.
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Serve waffles:
Serve the waffles once all batches are done and crispy. Allow leftover waffles to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Heat briefly in the toaster until warm and crispy.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 156 | calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 22g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
