How to make the best homemade waffles that are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and full of buttery vanilla flavor. My whole family can’t get enough of this delicious waffle recipe, especially once we add butter, berries, and maple syrup!
This post is sponsored by Challenge Butter, but all opinions are my own.
These easy homemade waffles are a major hit in our home! They are made pretty much every weekend and even sometimes during the week when I get an extra sweet request from one of the boys. While 2-year-olds aren’t always known for being great eaters, they LOVE these waffles and can easily put down at least 3 between them.
These are classic waffles, too, not to be mistaken for Belgian waffles. Being the classics they are, they are more straightforward to make from scratch. No need to worry about whipping egg whites here, just mix everything, and you’re ready to go. Quick and easy.
After tweaking the recipe to get it just how we like them: buttery, a little sweet, fluffy, and crisp, I’m finally sharing this perfect waffle recipe. I can’t wait for you to try them and add them to your weekend rotation too!
What Makes These Homemade Waffles So Good
- No beating egg whites. While some waffle recipes rely on whipped egg whites for their extra-crispy, light interiors, this one doesn’t need them. They turn out perfectly fluffy and golden, no separating the eggs required.
- Made with butter. Another thing I’ve always loved about these waffles is that I make them 100% with butter, and not oil. Butter adds so much richness and flavor!
- Open for toppings. Is there anything better than a stack of fresh homemade pancakes or waffles loaded with your favorite toppings? These thick, crisp waffles hold up beautifully to everything from berries and maple syrup to whipped cream and caramel sauce, without becoming soggy.
What You’ll Need to Make Waffles
These waffles couldn’t be easier to make, and odds are you already have the ingredients in your kitchen. The exact measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- All-purpose flour – Just like with baking, measure the flour correctly! Over or undermeasuring affects the texture of the waffles.
- Granulated sugar – You could also use light brown sugar here if you wanted to.
- Baking powder and salt – Help give these waffles their fluffy rise.
- Butter – Adds great buttery flavor, and I always recommend my favorite Challenge Butter. Challenge Butter is a wonderfully creamy butter that goes from farm to fridge in just two days, so you know it’s fresh. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors, or fillers, which I love. Be sure to check it out!
- Milk – I use 2%. Whole milk, skim, or even non-dairy milk will also work.
- Eggs – Just whole eggs, brought to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Definitely adds lovely flavor.
How to Make Homemade Waffles
- Combine dry ingredients. First, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and set that aside.
- Melt butter. Add a few tablespoons of the milk to your butter and melt it in the microwave. Adding the milk helps ensure that when you add the melted mixture to the rest of your milk and wet ingredients, it doesn’t seize up and end up lumpy.
- Combine wet ingredients. Add the melted butter mixture to the milk and then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir together. Don’t overmix it; a few lumps are just fine.
- Cook your waffles. Add the batter to your waffle iron and cook it according to your waffle iron’s instructions. My waffle iron uses roughly 6 tablespoons of batter per waffle. Add in the batter and let it cook to the setting you choose on your waffle maker.
- Serve and eat! This is the best part. Serve your waffles with some Challenge Butter and syrup, and dig in.
Pro Tips for the Best Waffles
- Bring the eggs to room temperature. It’s not be-all, end-all if you don’t, but your eggs will blend a lot more smoothly into the waffle batter if they’re at room temperature. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, simply place the eggs in lukewarm (not hot) water for 10 minutes, and they should come to temperature quickly.
- Use the spoon and level method. A kitchen scale is best, but if you’re working without one, fluff the flour with a fork and then spoon it from the bag and into your measuring cup. Then, level it off using the flat back of a knife. This avoids scooping from the bag, which compacts the flour and can lead to overmeasuring.
- Small lumps in the batter are OK! Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until they’re combined, and don’t overmix. It’s fine if a few lumps of flour are left after mixing. They’ll actually contribute to fluffier waffles.
- Move the cooked waffles to a wire rack. Arrange them in a single layer. This lets the air circulate and keeps the waffles crisp while you cook the rest. If you stack them, they’ll steam and may become soft or soggy.
What to Serve with Waffles
While we love to eat our waffles with a little butter and syrup, there are lots of fun options. You could even set up a waffle bar for a special occasion. Some great options for pairing with your waffles:
- Powdered sugar: Dust it over the top with a sifter or spoon.
- Fresh fruit: Berries, diced peaches, sliced bananas. Whatever you enjoy!
- Coulis and sauces: Homemade raspberry sauce, strawberry sauce, or blueberry sauce are all incredible, topped with whipped cream and maple syrup.
- Whipped cream: You can use homemade whipped cream for the ultimate topping.
- Caramel sauce: A drizzle of salted caramel sauce would be amazing on these waffles!
- Eggs: Scrambled on the side, or perhaps even over easy and served on top.
- Sausage or bacon: Anyone else love dipping their bacon in maple syrup?
How to Store and Reheat Waffles
- Refrigerate. When storing waffles in the fridge or freezer, I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between each waffle to keep them from sticking. They will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze. Store the waffles airtight in the freezer for 4-6 months.
- Reheat. You can reheat them in the microwave or a toaster oven. Using a toaster oven will keep them more crisp than a microwave.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
Homemade Waffles Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (52g) sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted Challenge butter
- 2 cups (480ml) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the butter and few tablespoons of the milk. Melt the butter in the microwave and stir to combine it with the milk.
- Add the butter mixture to the rest of the milk, then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk together to combine. Don't over mix. A few lumps are fine.
- Add waffle mix to your hot waffle iron and cook according to your waffles iron's instructions, or until golden brown. Serve warm!
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Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Perfect and easy. These are like the Goldilocks of waffles Nothing too fancy, but nothing incredibly boring either. They’re just right.
Glad you enjoyed them!
Do I need to use any non-stick spray on the waffle Iron?
I don’t with mine and usually you don’t need to. But if you find your waffles are sticking, you certainly can.
Can you substitute water for the milk.
I haven’t tried it. The result would be a little different but it would probably be OK.
I love this recipe. But I had to add an extra cup of flour to the batter to make it thick enough.
I LOVE THIS RECIPIE!!!!!
Glad to hear that!
Easy to make but it only yielded me 3 waffles… and I burnt one… double it!
This recipe was great – easy, delicious fluffy waffles as advertised!
Great find!! I made these in a snap rushing to get breakfast made b4 school. We used a mini waffle maker and they were perfect! Will add some other ingredients to experiment next time.
Thanks for the recipe.
I really like your recipes
Thank you!
Love it and easy to make
Quickly whipped up this recipe in under 5 min. I even cut it in half. I did mess up on some measuring but they turned out delicious and fluffy. Great flavor. I added some Cinnamon for a bit of a fall flavor. I also saved the batter to use the next day and it was great. I usually make batter and save it for a couple days. I’ve never had any problems with Waffle consistency.
Hi, can the batter be left in the refrigerator to be used next day?
I don’t typically recommend that, but you could try it. I think someone may have said it worked well for them.
Just made this recipe – we cut it in half for the 2 of us. It was perfect – and they were sooooo good! Thank you!
Worst waffle recipe on the internet – came out floppy yet burned. Dumped it all in the trash. Wayyyyy too much butter, too much liquid and 1 tsp more of baking powder that it needs.
Perhaps you should give it one more try and be sure you measured everything correctly. I make these all the time and they always turn out perfectly. Sorry you had trouble!
Yes! I’d say give it another try. I found this recipe a few months back and haven’t looked for any other. I love them! I’ve also doubled each ingredient to make more and they came out great as well. Very delicious and so simple!
I was going to use bisquick and told myself NO! I need to find a homemade recipe. So glad I ran across yours, so yummy. Everyone loved them! Thank you for sharing
So glad you enjoyed them!
So good! The melted butter in the batter makes it extra delicious.